How to Choose a High Chair - Sprout + Thrive

• Foot support: Feeding can be a new and overwhelming experience for some babies. Having her feet supported on a footrest will help your baby feel more grounded and ready to focus on eating. There is a neurological fight or flight response that can occur when our feet dangle and maintaining good posture becomes quite difficult without the ability to push through the feet. Think about it- you always have your feet on the floor while eating in a chair, barstool or in standing. Give your baby the same courtesy and support her feet!
  

If your high chair doesn’t have a footrest see if you can add one by tying a belt or other material around the legs of the chair to give the feet somewhere to land, try putting a box or storage tote under the chair to support baby’s feet, or pull your chair up close to face baby and let baby’s feet rest on your knees to achieve a 90 degree angle at the ankle. You can also try this one from Bapron Baby that clips on to most highchairs.

Although not ideal, if your highchair causes your baby to sit with legs straight out in front (knees aren’t bent) and feet are supported by the chair’s seat, that is typically better than dangling feet they can kick around.

*Bonus tip: If your baby is kicking his/her feet all over the place or becomes a bit overwhelmed during a feed, try giving gentle but firm pressure into the soles of the feet by gently squeezing. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Release. Repeat 3-5x before starting or offering more food. This is a way to neurologically calm and ground a baby who may be feeling overwhelmed (excited or anxious) about the feeding experience. 

why are deep seats a problem?

If the hips are not in a good position, it can create changes in head control, breathing and mouth control. A supportive seating arrangement allows babies to focus on important feeding skills such as picking up foods, bringing foods to their mouths, chewing, and swallowing.