High Chairs?!

[Alexandrababy1]

Hi Everyone,

My baby is 5 months old and I want to start giving her some baby porridge as she’s a really hungry baby. I’ve been looking at high chairs but there is so many and I want to find the most suitable one. Most of them are from 6 months but I want one which is from birth so it’s more comfortable for her. Has anyone got any recommendations? Or has had any bad experiences with certain ones so I can steer clear of them?

Thank you!xx

Signs of being ready for food:
Lost the tongue thrust reflex
Can sit up unaided
Can pick up and move item towards mouth.

Staring at food, or being hungry for more milk are not signs that their bodies can handle food yet. Baby ‘rice’/porridge have no nutritional value, like rusks, they’re a throwback to the days when people shovelled slop down the throats of kids too young. (Hello IBS in your thirties 🙄)

Absolutely the IKEA one.

@MilkywayMonarch22

Ideally you do start with veg purées though I think? However I'm sure you are aware of all this anyway and just wanted chair advice 🤦🏾‍♀️

Not if you do Baby Led Weaning. I never puréed anything.

Thanks everyone!
I can actually give her baby porridge from 4 months according to my health visitor and she’s now 5, she’s definitely ready. She’s a big baby as she’s on 90th centile so she’s advance anyway but thanks for the concern :) xx

We were offered a bloom fresco in great condition for £50 (RRP £500 )

but went for the good old antilop with cushion insert.

We have the stokke Tripp trap. Ds was sitting in it with the cushion from around 4+ months with some toys whilst we ate. So I think 5+ will generally sit fine or you can add extra towel to prop if unsteady.

He uses it daily still at 18 months and sits in it far better that the ikea or others we use when out and about. We still use the cushion for comfort, and it wipes clean or in washing machine. Can be used without if you prefer

I am a lone voice but I personally don’t like the Antilop! We have a Cossatto Noodle and I love it. It is padded but I don’t find it hard to clean, my daughter is happier to sit in it for longer than in an Antilop, and it’s adjustable.

I recommend Bibabdo bibs for easy clean up!

Weight has nothing to do with readiness for food. Your HV will have said not before four months , not that you should wean at five months.

Another vote for the Tripp Trapp - used it for three children up until the age of 5 - first with the baby bar attachment, then took away bar and adjusted seat as they got older. Super easy to clean, and also sold it on for a good price as it kept value and still looked great.

@Alexandrababy1

Thanks everyone! I can actually give her baby porridge from 4 months according to my health visitor and she’s now 5, she’s definitely ready. She’s a big baby as she’s on 90th centile so she’s advance anyway but thanks for the concern :) xx

Very telling, OP.

Centiles just say where your baby would place if 100 babies the same age were lined up in order of weight. Nothing to do with health or intelligence or stomach readiness. Sorry.

The only reason baby foods are marketed from 4 months is to sell more baby food. Your baby does not need it.

(I could write a book on dodgy HV advice.)

The Tripp Trapp with the cushion is great, easy to keep clean, lasts into the toddler years and beyond and actually looks nice.

If you’ve chatted with your HV then I would have thought you’re fine to start weaning- after all the current advice is around 6 months old. I actually weaned one of mine early (4 months) on medical advice and I don’t know that 5 months would even count as early. Our plan was no oats until 6 months though, which I think is standard advice as the baby cereals sold as 4-6 months are rice based, so maybe rethink starting with porridge.

Asda highchair as alternative to IKEA. I have preferred it as it has over the shoulder straps too which I found helped when older baby started trying to climb out! A bargain at £12 and the easiest thing to clean.

@Alexandrababy1

Thanks everyone! I can actually give her baby porridge from 4 months according to my health visitor and she’s now 5, she’s definitely ready. She’s a big baby as she’s on 90th centile so she’s advance anyway but thanks for the concern :) xx

HV are not qualified to give this advice.

stokke Tripp trap. Brilliant and grows with them. X

Just because you "can" give porridge at 4 months doesn't mean you should or that it will benefit your baby in any way. Being on a higher centile doesn't mean anything with regard to weaning. My DS was above the top centile line for weight and length when he was born. Didn't mean he was ready for weaning at that point!

If she's advanced, can she sit up in a high chair for a decent length of time without slumping? Can she grab toys and bring them to her mouth? If so, then if she has also lost the tongue thrust reflex then maybe she's ready for weaning. No harm will come from waiting for a few more weeks if that isn't the case.

IKEA basic plastic one. Easy to clean and perfect. Seen in so many restaurants.

@Alexandrababy1

Thanks everyone! I can actually give her baby porridge from 4 months according to my health visitor and she’s now 5, she’s definitely ready. She’s a big baby as she’s on 90th centile so she’s advance anyway but thanks for the concern :) xx

PPs are right, the guidelines is 6 months. 4 months is usually for the opposite problem: a child being too skinny and needing complement to milk. your HV is outdated. These guidelines are from both the WHO and the NHS

Regarding the chair, we got a cheap one from Smyths. Good things to look for is, yes no padding and easy cleaning, 5 point straps for the first few months, 3 point straps for after, ideally adjustable foot rest

Babylo! That's what I have. I bought it on promotion for £10 tray is a little annoying but it's a great chair otherwise

My son was on the 96th centile and the advice was still to wean at 6 months. It’s not a sign of being advanced at all, in fact he was behind on a lot of things until 14 months. With a baby that big there’s no need to worry because they are clearly getting all they need from breastmilk.
Antilop is great, or Stokke if you want to use it longer.

Asda’s basic white high chair. Cost £14 and is still going strong.
We started weaning at 4 months on drs orders due to reflux. Started with the highchair at 5 months. A folded towel in the back helped keep him upright then from 6 months he was fine.

I can actually give her baby porridge from 4 months according to my health visitor

Your health visitor is giving out of date advice that is contradicted by the NHS.

IKEA chair is amazing tbh and so cheap

No idea what the rush is to wean babies - I happily waited til 6months as I felt it was hard enough to manage the day without needing to provide unnecessary meals for my baby too (and clean up afterwards)😂

Another recommendation for the Ikea Antilop. Speaking from experience, fancy highchairs tend to be difficult to keep clean but cleaning the antilop is a doddle. Plus it's so cheap! My only gripe is that it doesn't fold away easily. You can easily remove the legs and tuck the components away if necessary, but generally we just kept it assembled in the corner

We used this one. Utterly brilliant and I still have fond memories (dc are 9 and 13!)

It attaches easily to any chair and comes with a tray that once food is finished. Just clip cover over and take home for dishwasher. We used to throw it under the pushchair abs meant we could go anywhere to eat and no high chair needed. Plus dc sat at table with us.

But year, just give more milk and wait till 6 months. Baby porridge isn't some miracle fill you up plus we did baby lead weaning so dc could feed themselves from day 1.