How old for highchair?

[DaddyWrongLegs]

DS is a (big) 13 weeks old and a sociable and nosey little lad. We both want to make sure that he's included / aware of dinner time and that it's a family affair.

However, this means that dinner has to be eaten on the sofa and not at the table and passing him to and fro as we take turns to eat. We've put him in an Ikea highchair (with blow up insert) for a few seconds and he seemed to like it and be quite secure but all the advice says 6 months minimum.

Did any of you lovely people use a highchair from earlier? Is the advice based on neck strength / ability to sit up unaided or just age?

Thanks!

Age is irrelevant. The ability to sit up and support the neck is far more important. At 13 weeks my daughter was still flat on her back in the pram or on the floor. I just used to wheel the pram into the kitchen so that she was with us at meal times.

I used a highchair from 5 months with both of mine but there were sitting sith support at that age and could both hold their heads up unaided from birth (freaked a couple of midwives out!). 13 weeks is way too early to be in a high chair IMO as there's just not enough support.

It's only another few weeks :)

ds definately went in his Ikea highchair before 6 months cos we used to put toys, spoons etc. on the tray while we were eating. He was sitting unaided by 6 months so I reckon it was around 4.5 or 5 months. We put a towel against the backrest as an easily washed cushion.

Can't you hold him while you are at the table? I remember visiting my db and dsil when dn was 6 wks and they were eating every meal around the table. (I don't think we were even managing to cook when ds was that age!)

Ds is 11 weeks and loves to join in mealtimes too. We usually put him in his bouncy chair on the floor between us, but have also laid him on the table (on something soft) and even put his bouncy chair on the table when it was really big.

Thanks for all the replies - we do hold him now and although he's getting squirmier and learning to grab out for things ( no sharp/ hot objects in reach!) it's better than him lying down ( which he doesn't really like unless sleepy)

No rush for the highchair, just wondering when others took the plunge.

Thanks!

what about something like a bumbo chair? They give more support whilst allowing the child to be upright?

We started using our IKEA highchair for DS around 4months, but like wildandcrazy's little ones, he's always had a very strong back and neck - never really had that newborn floppiness. Before we started using the highchair I had him in a bouncy chair in the kitchen, but realised we had to stop that when he started using the toy bar to pull himself forward and gum on the toys... Now, he loves it and will sit in there for a good 30 mins while I potter around the kitchen. We're going to do BLW too and I wanted him to be used to the new environment of the chair before I started that.

Meant to say, we're still using the blowup insert for our DS - he's 5 months now

We cheated and had this chair for about two months old. Not very trendy but it's great

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3768710/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CNursery%7C14417537/c_2/2%7C14417537%7CFeeding+and+bathing%7C14417596/c_3/3%7Ccat_14417596%7CHighchairs%7C14417601.htm

I meant from about 2 months old.