Bouncers | My Mills Baby

We had the most amount of fun ever with this Jump About from Lindam and it’s by far the most enjoyable review I’ve done for this blog.

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I resisted getting him one of these at first as we have elaborate door frames downstairs that won’t take a door bouncer. In the living room we have a Jumperoo too so if we need hands-free time, we can pop him in there for 15 minutes. Upstairs however, we have no place to pop him to safely play if we’re bathing, dressing or cleaning. He used to sit still or play happily in his cot but now he’s getting more adventurous we’re having to be more safety conscious.

The Jump About has been the perfect solution. We hooked it up on his bedroom door frame that is smack bang between our bathroom and the master bedroom. It’s great as it means I can supervise him perfectly from anywhere upstairs whilst he has a bounce around. Given we can’t bath together anymore as his skin is so sensitive, it’s given me greater flexibility to bathe alone whilst he’s awake (ordinarily I’ll take my own baths when he’s napping). I can also go through my beauty regime in the bedroom whilst watching him tire himself out.

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From a safety perspective it offers a strong and secure frame clamp and dual fastening around Dexter’s bum and back. Craig and I had several tugs on it before popping Dex in and were confident it would take his weight (note the maximum weight limit is 12kg). It’s also height adjustable and the seat is fully supportive to maintain correct posture. I will admit that it’s not as easy to get him in or out as I thought it would be and there’s some fiddling involved, but when he’s in he’s very secure.

It’s actually a logical progression from free-standing bouncers as baby isn’t restricted by a bulky play station. Dexter can do 360′s with ease and his arms are completely free. I also spotted he was pulling away from the door frame to test how far he could go - he seemed to enjoy being tugged back toward the door.

At £16.99* it’s incredible value for money when compared to the free-standing bouncers. If you can get past the fact it’s unlikely to complement your decor, and resembles a sex swing for short people (every time I walk past it I find myself smirking like a schoolgirl) - it’s a must-buy. Massive thumbs up from Dexter and I!

*You can buy the Jump About at a number of retailer’s including Argos (£24.99), Tescos (£19.94), and Amazon (£16.99)

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As reader’s of this blog will know, we were recently told by our health visitor to restrict bouncing time to a minimum to try to correct Dexter’s tendency to stand on his tippy toes. In response to this, I’ve started massaging his feet daily and flexing his ankles to avoid his tendons shortening. Dexter also has approximately twenty minutes standing time a day holding onto the sofa supported by me. I’m not prepared to do anymore than this at this stage as he isn’t standing unaided yet and gets easily frustrated when we force his feet to the floor. It doesn’t seem fair to rush him so I’m trusting my instincts. I’m also only allowing Dexter to ‘bounce’ for 2x twenty-minute intervals throughout the day - but boy do we love those intervals!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the Lindam Jump About free of charge in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Today is a very special and long-awaited day.

I know that on this day I will finally rediscover the use of two hands. I will be able to do the washing-up without Dexter crying out for me to entertain him. I will be able to shower before 10am every morning without a grumpy-faced Dexter looking on from his cosy seat. I will be able to kiss Craig when he comes home without a jealous child burning a hole into my head.

More so than this - Craig and I will be able to watch Homelands without interruption. We will be able to eat our dinner leisurely and not give ourselves indigestion by literally shovelling it down our throats. We will both be able to sit on the sofa at the same time - no longer will we have to take it in turns to sit on the floor.

Yes Dex. Mummy and daddy listened. We heard your screams and wails and made sense of them.

Before making the committment, we took advice from other mums and dads on the internet. What you were begging for wasn’t cheap and we wanted to ensure we were doing the right thing. We posted on forums, tweeted, read blog after blog and didn’t find one negative. Parents described it as something that “transformed their lives” and one recent convert on Mumsnet said she’d rather “sell her car than turn back”. Some also fondly recalled the day they made the leap and we heard story after touching story about how they had “reached their limit”, “were at their wit’s end”, were “desperate”… then they found the answer.

We debated holding off until Christmas but just couldn’t. It turns out that having a few minutes of quiet everyday is vital to someones sanity… so we’ve given in.

So here we are. The day has finally come. The Fisher Price Jumperoo has landed.

Yes. The toy of epic proportions now has pride of place in my living room. Do I resent it? NOT AT ALL. This gharish and noisy contraption is legendary. This is the holy grail of baby products; the most iconic baby toy in the UK. Dexter first had a play on one at the BabyShow and mums were literally tripping over themselves to tell Craig and I how fabulous it was. Yes, mummy’s were just standing by the Fisher-Price stall admiring the pre-schooler’s at play and lovingly recalling their experience with the product. It was such a lifesaver for them, they felt compelled to share their views with us. If the mums didn’t have their distraught-looking partners in tow, I might have even questioned whether it was staged.

Our first few hours were spent with Dexter exploring the various light displays and play-centre’s the Jumperoo has to offer. He had the odd cry - who wouldn’t? - He’s finally getting to play using his feet and this takes some getting used to. As soon as he got the hang of it, he was bouncing, giggling and bashing the hell out of it. I’m reliably informed (if I’m to believe 95% of the reviews on the web), this product will be good for another year and a half. It’s tough, durable, and boredom-resistant.

After 5 hours with the beast, the noise just fades into the background and I can still hear the banal nasally arguments on The Real Housewives of New York just fine. Result!

Mums of the UK - hear my cry… BUY THIS BAD BOY! It’s “transformed” my life. Oh and the car comment is real - just look