Couple of Questions about Dining (w/ 5 month old)

[*Wish*Upon*A*Star*]

Hello fellow DISers!

In just fourteen short days, we'll be at the Happiest Place on Earth! (Can you tell I'm just a teensy bit excited? LOL)

Anyway - I have a quick question (or maybe a couple)...

Our DS is now 4 1/2 months and each day he gets closer and closer to being able to sit up on his own. Currently, he can sit up on his own for approximately one minute and then he topples over to the side. Why am I telling you this? Well, my question is -- if he still can't sit up on his own (and it's a good possibility he won't be able to) when we leave for our trip (he'll turn 5 months old the day after we arrive), will he be able to sit in a restaurant highchair? He sits in his highchair at home, but I'd assume the highchairs in the restaurants are like the wooden ones used in restaurants here... Do you think he'd be able to sit in one of those if he's not yet sitting up on his own? If he isn't able to sit in one of the wooden highchairs, will we have to hold him on our laps? Or stick him in the Baby Bjorn or sling? Do they have special highchairs for infants? Or can we bring the stroller into the restaurant? (Can you tell this is the first time DH and I are travelling with a wee one? LOL)

Also, if you have any other tips on travelling with a five month old, my ears are open!

Thanks in advance!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I would recommend going out to dinner and see how he does sitting in the typical wooden high chair. When my youngest was just beginning to sit, he did fine if I had a hand available to catch him when he started to wobble. You could also bring along some blankets or towels to prop him up on the side a little. Other than that, I think you would have to hold him. You could also ask for a booth, and lay him down on the seat next to you (with one hand on him, of course). If you are bringing your car seat carrier, some restaurants have special infant hammock things that cradle the carrier. I believe they have these at Chef Mickey's, but I'm not sure of other places. As for the stroller, I believe they only allow you to bring in a stroller if your baby/child is sleeping.

When we went on our last trip, my 2nd youngest was at that stage. Although we did get a highchair at each restaurant, he only got to try it out at one or two. Most times, he would fall asleep on my shoulder. So, I held him during the entire meal. I have quite a few pictures of us enjoying a character meal..and me holding my little one. I would love to know what he was thinking...on several occasions, he would wake up and find a huge mouse starting down at him!

Have a great trip!!!

 

[mkutch]

Hi There!!
We have an Aidan too. He is 2 now but his first trip was at 4 months (and he was a preemie so he wasn't doing much at that age. MickeyHereWeCome gave some great advice that I would like to expand on. In the past we have used the blanket(s) to put on all sides of the baby so there was no room to topple in the highchair--he was too propped up to move from side to side or front to back. You just have to re-adjust him thru the meal- I suggest this just for eating b/c he may get tired after a little while.

The baby carrier is the way to go if you are bringing it for the stroller. He can be fed in it and play in it if you have that bar that hangs across the front with toys that hang. Most highchairs are designed that the carrier can pop right in the top of it or I have seen some that they turn upside down and stick the carrier on it.

If you don't bring the carrier then ask if you can bring the stroller in so you can feed him - some places you can bring the stroller right to the table. Others like Liberty Tree Tavern does not. In those cases you will have to feed him on your lap. One parent holds and the other feeds. If he is a picky eater and takes forever to feed I can give more advice in another post.

As for traveling with a 5-month old - are you flying or driving? if you send me a ps I can send you a packing list too.

 

[labst60]

Hi - there is a product at Babies R Us that we used when my daughter was 6 months and it was a LIFESAVER...

It's called a Buggey Bag -(it's black and black/white toile print) - it was pricey (maybe $60 or $70), but also priceless.

At first glance, it seemed just like an overpriced shopping cart cover, but it works great in high chairs and has extra padding and a detachable pillow (like a long bolster pillow) - so it really helped prop her up and give her some extra support - since there isn't all that extra room for her to slip around in. Sometimes we put the pillow behind her, and sometimes, on her lap, under her arms - she just loved sitting UP and seeing, as opposed to "laying" in her infant seat on a chair or in the stroller.

She was a pretty good sitter when we bought it, but I think we could have used it sooner... I just didn't know it existed before then!

It rolls up.. not tiny, but manageable underneath a stroller and gave her the ability to sit up in a high chair for periods of time- I would HIGHLY recommend it!

PS When she was 3 months and we were at WDW.. we took her carrier into resturants at night (usually resort resturants)-since that allowed her to be on a chair at the table, but in the parks during the day, they always let us bring the full-sized stroller to the table (no way I was lugging the chair around all day-even if it did snap into the stroller!)

 

[*Wish*Upon*A*Star*]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions...

To answer questions:

We're bringing his infant carrier/carseat, but it will most likely stay in the rental minivan as we're probably not bringing the travel system stroller. We have a Combi stroller and I think we'll bring that for strolling around the resorts and the parks.

labst60 - Thanks so much for the tip on the Buggey Bag - I'll check that out!

mkutch - We are flying... And, I'm just about to send you a PM. A packing list would be wonderful!!! Thanks so much!

 

[DebRMN]

My youngest will be 10 months when we go, so sitting isn't problem, but I bought one of these. A "sit n secure"

sorry, it won't let me post the link......I'm too new here
(just do a search. I bought mine from travellingwithkids com

I used it today in a shopping cart & it worked great. I think it is for 6 mos & older though, but might still work for you. I would still be using an inant carrier though so that would be my other suggestion.

have fun!!

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I would suggest you test it out at a restaurant. Like another poster suggested you can get the high chair covers (there are lots of types of thesee) and those will usually help. But, if you are just taking a stroller to the parks
I would suggest you bring a sling, or one of those baby bjorn type carriers. IMO slings are better for a baby that age because the only time you would need it would be if they want to be held/cuddled and I know my son hated his other type carrier when he was fussy.

 

[HalfDozen]

We have this one, but it's not listed as instock anymore at Amazon.
Maybe you can find one on ebay somewhere, though. It folds into a small zippered bag that is maybe the size of a changing pad for the diaper bag. It holds the baby into the highchair so they can't flop over, and it works as a cart protector, too.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000056J8W/102-4859703-7244919?v=glance

 

[penjen]

We took DS when he was 7 months and he wasn't used to the wooden highchairs at that time. We went to Rainforest Cafe and he sat in the stroller and our lap.

 

[homemaker]

We have always used the sit n secure. It holds the baby in the highchair or even a regular chair. Onestepahead has them online for 12.95. For our last son we found a similar item at babies r us, but it had a different name. Not sure what it was called, but them both work really well. We also took a piece of the grippy stuff that you use in cabinets and drawers so his little tush would not slide. Sorry don't really know what grippy stuff is called but found it at walmart(i think near the contact paper & kitchen stuff). Hope this helps. Have a magical time.