next phase: high chairs and car seats

Hi - when do you start using a high chair? Hayden is not yet on solids - but will in another month. Do I need a high chair for this? Also - when do you upgrade to next car seat from the infant bucket? I am asking b/c The Right Start  is making a come back and having all of these crazy sales.

[Jules31981]

Mady sits i her high chair now while I do things in the kitchen, but you can get one whenever, or feed her in a bouncer, bumbo whatever you have.  But Mady likes hers now.  As for car seats you have to wait until they are 1 and 20 lbs both requirements need to be met.  But if there is a good deal get it!

[toes33107]

We use the Bumbo to feed Brock his cereal, but we have the highchair up here now.  It's too high for him.  The Bumbo works well...even though he's not really catching on to the open the mouth part!!!  As far as the car seat, I know it's 20 pounds, but I never heard the 1 year old part.  When I was at "The Little Gym" both of the other moms there had their babies in the next car seat and both babies are 6 months.  Brock will be in it once I'm more comfortable with him sitting upright.  He'll hit that 20 pounds quite soon and he's a beast in the car seat...it will be a relief not to carry him in that!  My friend is a police officer and she already grilled me about getting a good car seat.  She said anything under $200 is rated well enough!  She spent $250 just on her niece's car seat for when she watches her.  We haven't looked into them yet!  Ah, the next stages!!!!

[Irish741]

We are still in the rice cereal phase. Jack is a crazy mess with his swinging feet and arms sometimes we only get a few bites in each day. I guess most of this is just practice right now. Anyway, I am feeing him in a semi upright position. I sit back on the couch with my feet on the coffee table and put him in my lap facing me. I looks like this position gives him the most amount of tummy room. When he sits in the Bumpo he still slouches and that puts pressure on his stomach. This place works well right now because he doesn't have to balance to keep himself up. I might, however, move him to the bouncy seat because he has become a wiggle worm in my lap making it is hard to keep him balanced and get a spoon in his mouth. Today I did not anticipate a flailing arm and the cereal went all over the couch...good times. :)

As for the car seat I think you can put the kids in them now. If I remember reading the Baby Bargains book right some of the convertible car seats can start pretty early. I however, am planning on waiting till Jack grows out of the infant seat. It was expensive and I want to get my money's worth. His seat right now will hold him till he is 22 lbs. or 30 inches. Whatever he reaches first we will then put him in a convertable car seat which I believe they can stay in till they are about 60lbs....I am not sure, I need to go back and reread everything on car seats. Check out the Baby Bargains book for recommendations. I think we are going to go with a Britax brand seat. They got the highest rating. Again, I need to do more research in a month or so....6 more lbs to go till the switch. :)

[Jules31981]

In IL the law is that to turn a child around forward facing they must be 20lbs AND 1 yr old.  You can put them in the other seats at I think 20lbs(depending) on the seat but it has to be rear facing until 1 yr old.  In my BabyTalk magazine there was 3 carseats that rated top 3 Britax, a Cosco one ( only $50) and another I forget, I will look it up and get back to you.  Some of those convertable seats the back breacks off and they become a booster so they go up to 100 lbs.  Others only till 40lbs then you need to get a booster.  We have been doing reseach we are looking into buying ours I still have gift cards I need to spend.

[Whitneylauren]

We use our high chair to feed Mark daily. We did try the bumbo first, however, but he didn't like it for feedings.

You can take Hayden out of her carseat now if you have a rear facing carseat to put her in. The kind I am talking about switches to forward facing when the baby is one and weighs over 20lbs.

[kele1129]

Phin gets his "solids" in the bumbo, it works out well for us.

We started out with the Evenflo Titan Elite Convertible Car Seat. It will hold him until 50 lbs. No carrying that bucket thing around for us. He has always been worn, which for us was a better plan...so far it has worked wonderfully.

[evthing4reason]

I am switching out of the infant carrier this month (all the stores put sales on baby stuff when we get our child benefit checks the 22nd) my carpel tunnel is acting up carrying him in his seat

I have been feeding him in his bouncy chair and today his bumbo but we are starting him on fruits this weekend so we will get a highchair sooner then i thought

[justice6920]

I feed Noah in his Bumbo or daddy feeds him on his lap... but for the most part the Bumbo works out great! I think you can switch to a High chair when they are sitting up unassisted it just makes it easier for them and they lean foward or to the side less lol... I would say maybe 6 months.... and for the car seat GREAT question because I didnt know either or rather cant remember 10 years ago.... I will have to do some research on it but it does sound like the ladies say we can switch them to a bigger rear facing one until they hit 20lbs or 1 year!

[ovaz129]

Bumbo for us too :)  I am going to try to feed her in this for as long as I can.  If anyone has a suggestion on a great, space saving high chair... let me know!  We have just started to look, not too seriously, so that's why any suggestion will be taken :)