Being able to sit

[SoozleQ]

Being able to sit unaided is always listed as one of the criteria for a baby being ready to be weaned. This might sound like a thick question, but does this actually mean being able to sit on her own on the floor with no support and not falling over at all?

DD (6 months) has very little interest in sitting. She hates it. She wants to stand at every opportunity. If I put her in a sitting position on the floor, she might stay there for a few seconds but with then either flop to one side or, if my hands are still near her, arch her back and straighten her legs pushing against me until she's standing. She can stand leaning on to the sofa without me holding her, but won't sit. She will sit in her bumbo and will sit in her high chair with a slight lean going on though.

Out of the other 6 NCT babies in my group, all bar one of whom are older than DD, only one can sit on her own with no support yet all are older than 6 months and are being weaned. Am I taking this being able to sit thing too literally?

I wondered about this and I've read other threads about it, most of which said babies generally couldn't sit unaided at 6 months. I take it to mean that they can sit upright rather than slumped in a bumbo seat / highchair, enough to not impede eating and swallowing. That's just my interpretation though. Also interested to hear from someone who knows for sure.

The NHS guidelines just say 'sit', not 'sit unaided'. Have a look at this for more info. My DS can't sit unaided at 7 months, FWIW.

I always took it as sitting unaided, simply because it's the ability to hold themselves upright that will help reduce the risk of choking. A baby who can sit, but slumps back into a chair stands more chance of being choked by a piece of food falling back in their mouth.

FWIW my DS showed no sign of sitting unaided at 26 weeks so we held off solids until he could...didn't have to wait long. He had his first blw meal at 29 weeks

A baby needs a certain amount of head control to avoid choking on solids. I think if your dd can sit with support then she will be fine with her solids.

Children vary a lot in their development. Its nothing to do with parenting or intelligence.

I think the BLW book says only sit unaided OR WITH LITTLE SUPPORT, so you should be fine.

I took it to be sitting straight in a chair or your lap, and holding their head up. As sancerre says, a baby who slumps, or has a wobbly head, or has to be reclined in a bouncer is a choking risk.

Certainly, my ds couldn't sit totally unaided on the floor til 7.5 months!

It's a case of all the signs of readiness coming together at the same time though, so if a baby needs support to sit but also still has a tongue thrust or can't easily pick objects up and get them to their mouths, they're not ready.

I think it's easier to know if they're ready if you BLW from the beginning - I just sat ds on my lap at the table with some suitable food within reach and he picked up and ate some brocolli, so I knew he was ready.

ds1 was a lazy baby who wouldn't sit unaided till nearly 10months. we started weaning at 5months in a bouncy chair and blw ds2 when he grabbed a big adult sized rice cake out my hand at 5 1/2months then scoffed the whole thing. he was sitting in a bouncy chair at the time!

I would be really wary using a bouncy chair, as a baby in a reclining position can't so easily gag/cough up food.

It's to do with choking really. If they can sit up and hold themselves upright if they do gag on a piece of food it will fall forward and out of the mouth. If they are reclined, like in a bouncy chair, gravity is working the opposite way and there's a risk of choking, far more serious.
Luckily my DD now 6 months has been sitting unaided for 3/4 weeks so am BLW with massive success. I think you have to judge for yourself how likely they are to hold themselves upright and not slump backwards.