Wednesday 1 September 2010

Which Highchair?

Anya is nearly 5 months old.  I'm getting very excited about starting to wean her and am waiting in anticipation of the Gill Rapley book I've reserved at the library.

She is grabbing at everything I put into my mouth.  I was having an orange lolly today to cool down from this gorgeous hot weather and she got very excited.  I let her have a tiny taste and she just grabbed it even more when I pulled it away.

I like the idea that baby led weaning is all about exploration and play at first.  That way I don't have to worry too much about nutrition and is she getting enough of her vitamins and minerals.  We're vegetarian and a doctor in New Zealand used to go on at us all the time about our iron levels.  She even sent my daughter for blood tests just to make sure (didn't do that with the meat eating babies) and her iron levels were great. That shut her up.  I'm sure her iron levels would've been even higher if I'd been doing the baby led weaning as her range of foods would've been so vast.  Over there I was following a chart which said what foods you can eat and at what age.  I was just waiting for the time to give Mia iron rich foods such as chickpeas, baked beans, lentils and all the rich green veg.  Now I won't have to.

My dilemma now is which highchair to buy.

We brought back a highchair with us from NZ which was fine at the time but as I spoon fed Mia I didn't use the tray much.  Thinking about it now I'm not sure which tray would be best for baby led weaning.

Do I get one that is really wide to avoid any spills, but does that also mean Anya will have farther to reach for her food? Or do I get a smaller tray so it's easier for Anya to reach things but find it falls onto the floor too much, or that I can't even get a drink on there too?

Baby led weaning is good for hand eye coordination as the baby is reaching out for the things they like rather than waiting for a spoon to be given to them.  Will the size of the tray make a difference?

I think I'll consult my fellow mums on this one, then do an obligatory visit to the shops to try them out.

4 comments:

Scarlett Lady said...

I've got a chicco polly, my dd loves it, its comfy, has a reasonbly big tray, it folds away and it's not that expensive ! Since I got it I've discovered I wouldn't want her to have a tray thats any bigger because she would push things out of reach and because she loves her food she would find that VERY frustrating ! good luck x

Baby Led Weaning Mum said...

Thanks for that Scarlett Lady. I love to shop but being a stay at home mum means I have to watch my finances so I'm going to make sure I buy the right highchair for me. I appreciate the comments regarding the tray so I'll have to do my research. Hmm, I wonder if I can get a freebie if I mention this blog...

Unknown said...

Hi there.

We're just using the one we had for Charlotte but I've put some foam inserts in and covered them with a tea towel so there's less slumping and I can still wash mess easily!

We're ok at home, but I find if we go out, the high chairs are always too open (so food that is dropped goes onto the floor) and the trays are too high and not adjustable so it's awkward for her to reach cos she's only small.

Best thing I've got is her booster seat that straps onto a normal dining room chair and it's adjustable in height with it's own tray so if I take it out and about with me I know she's picking food up off a clean surface. Also, I have a small plastic sheet that I carry about which I just unfold and place under her seat - then if large amounts of food drop onto the floor, I can pick them up and give them back to her! I'm not obsessive about cleanliness but sometimes floors and high chairs are bleurgh and with blw, food tends to touch everything in sight!!

Baby Led Weaning Mum said...

Good idea about the plastic sheet under the chair. I'm going to buy some plastic material for under the table at home so I'll just buy extra and pop it in my nappy bag.

I got Mia a booster seat but it doesn't come with a table so I might get one for Anya and use it at Grandma and Granddad's. That way if I need it we've got one.

Apparently Ikea has their highchairs in their restaurant so I'll have to check them out and have something to eat too! Any excuse to go to Ikea!