How Old Can a Baby Sit in a High Chair

This blog contains affiliate links.

When tin can baby sit in highchair? Exciting signs to expect out for!

Highchairs are ane of the nearly significant pieces of baby equipment you'll purchase and their price range varies from £15 right upwards to several hundred pounds. Merely practice you know what to look for in a highchair?

It's not just about how stylish it looks in your kitchen or how easy it is to wipe clean later on a truly sensory weaning experience, your baby's highchair can determine whether their weaning journey is successful or not!

Read on to discover out more.

High chair readiness

Near babies are ready to sit in a highchair at around 5-vi months of historic period. They need to have a degree of postural stability, meaning they tin hold their head steady and sit down upright with support.

Skilful highchairs provide additional support so this stability doesn't need to be totally independent.

Can I utilize a high-chair if my infant can't sit up?

Yes, you lot tin can, providing that your babe's highchair is adjustable. Some babies may need to be slightly reclined with their pelvis tilted forward then their knees are higher than their nappy area in order to be comfortably stable in their loftier chair.

Is it OK to use a highchair fifty-fifty if nosotros are non weaning?

Definitely! It's a great idea to get your baby used to sitting in their highchair. Popular them in every mean solar day once they're ready and play with toys on the highchair tray.  Try to sit opposite them and at your babe's eye level while they practice so they can seek reassurance from you if they are unsure about what'south going on.

And as soon every bit they first to wait like they've had enough, whip them out so that they don't develop any negative associations with the highchair.

Features to look for in a highchair

Before I get through the features to await out for I want to explain why this is important.

In order to practice the skills required for eating, your baby needs to give 100% attention to the job in paw.

After animate, your baby'southward 2nd priority is to protect their head (or brain). It'southward instinctive and cleverly they do this by focussing their concentration on stability, or keeping themselves upright and non falling over.

This means that if they are prioritising stability, they can't dedicate their full attention to learning the skills required for eating and drinking…

And eating and drinking skills are 1 of the well-nigh complex tasks that human being beings ever need to master.

A supportive highchair can take abroad their demand to concentrate on protecting their brain, freeing up their focus to concentrate on eating and drinking.

Position

When testing out a highchair, check your infant'south position. Ideally they need to have a 90 degree angle (right angle) at their hips, knees and ankles. If you're not sure what this looks like check the diagram hither.

Many of the cheaper, all-in-one, wipe clean plastic highchairs don't provide this level of back up.

Footrest

It's absolutely fundamental that your baby's high chair has a footrest and that they can reach it and push against it.

There are many highchairs that either don't take a footrest at all or accept one that'south so far down, your babe will probably celebrate their 5th birthday before they can achieve it.

A footrest is essential for this cadre stability. It allows your baby something to push confronting or 'brace themselves' against then that they can concentrate on the skills required for eating. This is why when babies are having milk feeds they sometimes button their feet against the arm of the chair or you and 'lock' their legs.

Backrest

The backrest of your babe'due south highchair should get right upward to their cervix when they are in the early stages of weaning. Some highchairs but become midway simply babies really need this full back support when they are just starting solids.

Tray position

Yous absolutely don't need a highchair with a tray. One that you lot tin bring up to the table is bright and means that your baby can participate in family mealtimes every bit presently as they can sit in their highchair.

However, the table acme or the highchair tray position needs to exist midway between your infant's belly button and nipple level and right upward shut to their body without much of a gap.

A tray (or table top) higher than this ways they won't have the power to fully explore foods presented to them and lower than this means they'll have to slouch frontwards, losing that stable posture and putting pressure on their breadbasket which may cause discomfort while eating.

My babe is 6 months and we're ready to start weaning only I don't think they tin sit in the highchair notwithstanding, what can I do?

This is such a common problem as many highchairs are designed for older babies and toddlers.

If their highchair has ane available to fit, you lot can buy a babe ready insert with a harness.

What if my baby starts off sitting but slumps sideways or forwards?

Again, this unfortunately is so common with highchairs designed for toddlers. Your baby may start sitting upright just after a few minutes may end upwardly slouching sideways or downwards under the tray.

If this is the case and a baby gear up is non available you can endeavour making your own adjustments with rolled upwardly towels between your infant and the side of the highchair and using cushions for them to sit down on.

It may be however that y'all just need to invest in a highchair designed for younger babies and keep this one till they're older.

Can nosotros beginning solids in their bouncy chair?

No, definitely not. A bouncy chair does not requite an adequate level of postural support needed for successfully learning how to move solids around their mouths safely.

Your mum or mother-in-law may suggest this to you and that's considering in the past babies were weaned at iii months and and then 4 months. At this age babies couldn't sit up and so we had to use a bouncy chair.

Can we use a Bumbo seat?

Again information technology'south a no, unfortunately not. Bumbo seats are designed to continue your baby put, by tilting their pelvis backwards and locking their joints in a flexion position meaning they can't get out.

This position is not stable plenty for practicing eating and drinking skills.

What well-nigh on my lap instead?

Feeding on your lap is unfortunately no better (yet I yet see this recommended!!). If y'all have a very immature babe and have been advised to get-go solids early eastward.one thousand at 4 months, then your lap may be suitable.

However, the texture of foods given at this very early age will be carefully prescribed (thin purees) considering this level of back up is not acceptable for safely moving solid foods around the mouth and swallowing.

I can't afford to buy a second highchair, is there annihilation I can exercise?

It'south quite alright to add something to wedge between your babies back and the back of the highchair, so they motility forrad towards the front end of the seat. You can use a cushion to give them a little more top, some rolled up towels either side and a pile of boxes or textbooks to provide a footrest.

You can buy footrests for a sure popular and very cheap Swedish highchair, by a company called Crumb & Rest. Use the code TCN10 to get x% off.

Other Features to consider in a high chair

Now we know the nigh important reasons for choosing a highchair, here are some other features you might want to consider.

Will it grow with my infant?

If you do find a toddler chair with a baby set this may be your best pick equally it volition abound with your kid and last a long fourth dimension.

My favourite highchair of all time is the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair. I purchased ii of these when my children were babies and merely passed them on when they got to around ten!

Safety

Highchairs purchased in the United kingdom should suit with the European safety standard 'Childrens High Chairs. Requirements and Test Methods' published in 2017 and amended in 2020 (BS EN 14988:2017+A1:2020).

As a minimum highchairs should have a restraint - ideally a 5 indicate harness and exist stable plenty not to easily tip over.

 Ease of utilize

Practice y'all plan to fold away your highchair afterward meals or will it stay in the same spot? If you're tight for space a foldable version may exist worth considering and if you want to put it away in a closet expect for ones with wheels.

Highchairs that can be brought up to the family unit dining tabular array oftentimes constrict away nicely underneath and have upwards less space compared to stand up alone highchairs with trays.

Ease of cleaning

Weaning tin can (and should) exist a messy business. Information technology's all part of your baby'southward sensory learning experience. So having a high chair that tin can be cleaned easily will brand life easier for yous. I like those with car washable covers and dishwasher safe trays for peace of mind that they'll be scrupulously make clean.

Concluding thoughts

Choosing a highchair isn't as straightforward every bit y'all might think and the kind hearted friend who is desperate to pass off all their babe paraphernalia on you lot may not have the best highchair for your baby.

My advice, do your homework, endeavour a few out, look for functionality over way and salvage yourself a few quid by getting the right highchair in the commencement identify (and save yourself a DIY task as a result)!

If you lot would like a PDF version of this web log delivered straight to your inbox, pop your details beneath.

Cheers to Heather Knight for the research that went into producing this blog.

Sarah Almond Bushell MPhil, BSc (Hons) RD MBDA - Registered Dietitian & Children's Nutritionist

burnhambotinquiered1951.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.childrensnutrition.co.uk/full-blog/when-can-baby-sit-in-highchair

Share this post