High chair for baby who can't sit up?

[GEM]

My son is a preemie (born 12 weeks early at 1lb 7oz). Although he is doing GREAT, he is still very tiny for his age. He is 10 months old now (weighs about 13 pounds) and is learning to crawl, but due to his small size and weak tummy muscles, he cannot sit up alone yet, so he can't use the sort of highchairs they have in most restaurants - the wooden ones, you know. At home he sits in a reclining highchair with full back. We are taking him to WDW for his first birthday in May, and I am wondering how we will manage in restaurants if he isn't able to sit up by then. When we take him out to eat here at home, we take him in his infant car seat/carrier. However, we aren't taking the infant seat to drag around WDW. We're just taking him in his regular stroller. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know this really isn't a disability, exactly, since it is something the will grow out of in time, but I thought that someone here might have some ideas. He is getting PT, and that is helping, but it looks like it could be awhile berfore he is sitting alone. Luckily, that seems to be his only real delay. He is rolling, scooting, babbling, laughing, almost crawling, and doing everything else he is supposed to be doing. We just need to get the sitting thing down and we will be good to go! Any advice is appreciated. You guys are the best!

 

[SueM in MN]

I'd suggest you just bring the stroller in the restaurant with you. At the counter service restaurants, people do often bring their strollers in. It's really only a problem if it's extremely busy, so if you eat at an earlier or later time you'll have less problem.
At the full service restaurants, explain your situation when you check in, and I'm sure they will give you a table where the stroller won't be in the way.

An interesting point, the wooden high chairs that you find in most restaurants now can actually be found in catalogs of equipment for children with disabilities, so one may be recommended for your DS some day. The idea is that when sitting in something with a lot of support, you tend to use it. When you don't have support, you are forced to use your muscles to sit up.
My DD actually never could sit well in her traditional wooden highchair with a high back and high sides. Once at a restaurant we tried one of those wooden ones with sort of minimal rails for the sides and back. She sat well enough in it that we got one for at home.

 

[GEM]

Thanks! I was wondering if they might let us bring the stroller in. That's interesting about the highchairs. I haven't even tried him in one of those because he is so tiny I was afraid he would just tip over and fall right out! It may not even be something we have to worry about by the time our trip rolls around. Anyway, thanks so much for your help!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Hi Gem,

I too had one of those tiny little people!!! A 24 weeker weighing in at 1lb 10 oz. I wanted to tell you that sitting up was the thing that gave him the hardest time too. Not only does it have to do with the mussles in his back, it also involves balance, something many premature babies are not so good at. DS crawed, pulled up and was almost ready to walk before he got sitting up really well. He was pretty close to a year old. Funny thing is however he took his first step a few days after he was a year old, though he did not really walk for several more months.
We had a high chair wrap that we used and it helped some. It came from toys are us but that has been 11 years ago. It was cloth and just kind of held them into the chair. We also used it in grocery carts.
BTW- DS was about 13 lbs at 10 mo. He hit 17lb by his first birthday and will be 12 years old in 3 months and is over 5 feet tall and over 100 lbs!!!
They do grow. Good luck and PS me if you need any encouragement!!!


Jordans' mom

 

[GEM]

Hey Jordan's Mom! Thanks so much for replying. Little Paul is doing so well. He's just amazed us all with how much progress he has made. And, you're right, I think the problem with sitting up is more balance than anything. He is about to take off crawling any day, so I definately think we will master crawling first! He really is doing great.