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Baby walkers or not?

Hiya



Just wondered what your opinion is of baby walkers? Did you or are you using one?

My friend says that it really helped her little boy walk early.

Im not sure how i feel about them but i know that izzy loves being on her feet.

I know that a few of you have jumperoo's (if ive spelt that right) but izzy gets bored really easy. I dont want to spend ??80 on one for her to not go in it.



Thanks



xxxxx

Replies

  • hia, i know lil nathan loves to be on his feet too. i find baby walkers a bit bulky and as i dont have a lot of room in my house, i just use a baby swing that attatches in the doorway, they are dirt cheap and nathan loves it he can jump up and down, keeps him steady on his feet, and he can turn arround in it so he doesnt get too bored.



    Dani & Nathan 25wks
  • We really don't have room for one snd I have heard that they aren't very good for bubs' feet. To be honest I don't really want Jason to start walking early! Its going to be bloody hard work when it does happen! Jason holds onto the sofa or my legs and bobs up and down for a while but gets tired quickly. It would be handy to have something to pop him into when I need to run the hoover round but in saying that, I often put him in his high chair with a few toys and he is very happy up there surveying his kigdom!
  • I'm not keen on walkers.

    If I put Raeya in one I dont think I'd be able to just pop into the another room for a minute because say if she made her way over to somewhere where she could pull at something also and this is probably the main thing that makes me steer clear (I dont know first hand as was told this) is that once they become confident in them and can build up abit of speed in them they can bash into things, ie a wall and it jolts them forward banging their face on the toys on the front (if you buy one with toys I guess)....



    I am looking for an activity station at the moment, the leap frog or baby einstein one looks good

    I think some of them can be flattened for storage and transporting as well.

    Ebay is really good for them, if you dont mind 2nd hand that is.



    XX
  • I remember reading to avoid baby walkers as not only do they cause lots of accidents but they actually develop the wrong muscles in little legs, therefore delaying walking. Cant remember where I read it but same article recommended jumpers for strengthening the walking muscles - jumperoo, door bouncer etc



    edited to say just found this from the Baby/6-12 months section on this site:



    He'll enjoy activities that give him a chance to push with his legs and feet, helping strengthen his muscles for crawling. Your baby is still a long way off walking yet, but don't be tempted to put him in a baby walker as recent research shows they don't help babies to walk any quicker and may even impede them.
  • Hiya, I'm gatecrashing sorry, but I'm a student Podiatrist and although I have not done Podopaediatrics yet, babywalkers have been mentioned a few times in tutorials and none of my lecturers recommend them as they can make babies quite lazy. I personally think that babies develop better and safer at their own rate, especially in areas such as balance, co-ordination and spatial awareness.



    I found this a while ago though that may help, especially on page 7. It also has quite a bit of info on footwear for babies/children.



    http://alipedpodiatry.co.uk/ESW/Files/Childrens-Feet-A5-16pp.pdf



    Hope this helps image xx
  • thank you natalie that's very kind of you image

  • Thankyou for all your helpful replies. I've found my answer then lol.

    Im just going to read the artical.



    Many thanks





    June09_bride
  • i,



    I'm going to buck the trend here and I've bought a baby walker (from ebay). My boy is really strong and has been supporting his bodyweight since about 3 1/2 months and is always sitting but prefers standing up. Plus he is really nosy. with a short attention span (He'll only entertain himself for about 15 minutes if I'm lucky) I've got a Jumperoo and Leapfrog Groove and Play station as places to put him around the house, but as he's growing (again - thanks to ebay) out of his bumbo (stocky legs) I need a place for him when I'm in the kitchen (I don't have door frames on the kitchen door). Anyway, I've got a walker to keep him occupied in there. He won't be in it long and he practices walking loads during the day. I can't see the harm in a baby walker as long as you're aware of where they are and don't rely on them to actually teach/aid your baby to walk.



    Hope this wasn't a rant - it wasn't meant to be! image



    Arls

    xxx
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