Mama in the City

A blog about raising my family in downtown Vancouver

My Big Bumbo Post

Back when I had Ben in 2008 I was given an aqua Bumbo floor seat as a baby shower gift; it was a requested gift as I was pretty sure I wanted one of the 'newly' standard baby paraphernalia that everyone new parent seems to have. It turned out that baby Ben did not love sitting in the Bumbo and would cry as his fat thighs pinched between the leg holders.




Then came Josie who actually enjoys sitting in it so we always have it out. She sits in it on the floor in it while I unload the groceries or while I'm cooking dinner. She will sit in it and snack on some blueberries or eat some avocado while I watch. It is getting way more use with baby #2 than it did back with #1.




Feeding baby Ben on the floor in his Bumbo

When I saw the alarming headlines that all Bumbos were being mass recalled I got an initial slight anxious feeling only because it was about a product I use daily with my baby. Of course, eventually the sensible part of my brain kicked in and went right to the WHY. Why was this product being recalled? It has been around since 2003 and is literally just a giant thing of molded plastic that you can use to sit your baby in on the floor. It didn't have snaps or need assembly or fold up. What could go wrong?

Oh, what could go wrong? Well, parents could not follow the manufacturers guidelines and babies could get hurt. I've seen my own babies bucking backwards trying to escape the seat before. No one has succeed but if they had they would have fallen backwards on to the floor if I hadn't of caught them mid act.

It seems that the parents with the injured babies admit to having their Bumbos up high on counter tops. In fact Bumbo has been recalled several times in the past for the same reason. This is how I envision the 2012 recall getting played out:

*Cute baby sits in colourful Bumbo on the counter or table top. He looks so cute! Hi baby!!
*Cute baby starts wiggling and bucks backward. Whoa! Babies are strong!
*All of a sudden the baby's body escapes from the hold of the plastic mold and is sent sailing backwards..but not the short distance to the floor...quite a far fall from counter top to floor.
*The parent feels terrible and the baby is injured. Obviously the parents blame the Bumbo company and themselves.


Make no mistake about it, injured babies make me very sad but silly recalls make me smirk. I won't be sending off for the safety straps or the new warning label. Instead I'll continue to use the Bumbo on the floor with me watching. Just like the good old days.




What do you think about the recall? Disagree with me or think it is sort of silly?

9 comments:

Ashley S said...

Nobody wants to see their babies hurt. I don't think parents intentionally put their children in harms way, however I think there are far to many who live with the "it won't be me" attitude. Instead of caution first they put convenience or laziness even first and then all of a sudden it is them. Rather than own it, they do what half the world does and points fingers at someone else as if a lawsuit or money will heal or replace their child.

Be smart, it doesn't take a label you'll never read to tell you not to put a baby in an unbuckled seat on a high surface it takes common sense. Just like not sending a kid out into the center of a highway to take a nap.

(maybe a hot button issue for me)! Love the photos glad you're abiding by the rules.

August 19, 2012 at 8:40 PM  
Lisa said...

Totally agree - it's a silly recall. We use ours on the floor as well while watching our little guy. We love the bumbo.

August 20, 2012 at 9:12 AM  
Helen Engel-Gray said...

Well, we own a Mamas & Papas Baby Snug (i/s of the Bumbo) and I find the Snug *way* more solid and harder to tip. We borrowed a Bumbo for my little girl last week (we were out of town) and every time she planked while sitting in it (on the floor), she would nearly topple over backwards. I think stronger/bigger babies just aren't cut out for the Bumbo, particularly if one's home is predominantly hardwood. I think the strap is helpful (although not if you're going to plop the Bumbo on the countertop.. :S ).

August 20, 2012 at 11:15 AM  
Mitzi said...

We not use thebumbo because of the exact same reason Ben disliked it. I'd rather have chubby thighs any day!

I did however get the strap from he recall as when I'm all one I'm going to be reselling this bumbo and who knows what future owners are like

August 21, 2012 at 7:52 AM  
kristin said...

ya, i'm with you on this one. although we didn't have one, i did borrow one when karis was little, but she had this funny back arching thing that she always did as a baby and so i quickly learned that she might just topple over in it and so it was my choice to not use it. she also did this back arching thing in her bouncy chair from a young age so i had to watch her carefully in that too. i really do think its about being mindful of our kids and considering safety and risk with any product.

August 21, 2012 at 9:29 PM  
Amanda said...

I completely agree, Andrea! We have one from when Lilah was a babe and I do plan to use it again with Henry. We never put it high up anywhere and with Lilah it was only good for a couple of months before she started trying to escape and it didn't seem safe anymore. People just need to use common sense and good judgement!

August 22, 2012 at 8:41 PM  
Kami Lahti said...

I totally agree! I think that for parents who do not properly watch their children, those walkers would not be illegal. I get riled about this. Yes, your baby will fall down teh stairs if left unattended in a room where the stairs are not properly blocked. Why is this the product's fault??
I never used the little chair you are talking about with my kids because it wasn't out yet but to me, it should never be placed on anything but the floor. Same with infants in infact car seats. Logic people!

August 25, 2012 at 2:05 PM  
huntersprize said...

I agree! I'm keeping mine and I have not asked to get the straps. Likely, it will be a short period of time where Elise can use it and we will be careful to keep her off the table or counter. It's sad that recalls happen to things when it's not the fault of the product but the fault of the parent.

August 30, 2012 at 4:00 PM  
Mitzi said...

We not use thebumbo because of the exact same reason Ben disliked it. I'd rather have chubby thighs any day!

I did however get the strap from he recall as when I'm all one I'm going to be reselling this bumbo and who knows what future owners are like

September 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM  

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