From the day your baby is born, their relationship with food is one of the most important things in their life. Our bloom fresco highchair was designed with that relationship in mind and supports your child (and you!) through each stage of their journey with food.
Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, easing in with purees or using the baby-led weaning method, our bloom fresco high chair is there to support you and your child from day one through age eight.
Having the right feeding gear is essential, according to Pediatric Nutritionist Nicole Silber. Because our fresco has three recline positions -- cradle, semi-recline and fully upright -- it’s perfect for each stage of development.
0-3 Months: Cradle Position
When we say our highchair works from day one, we mean it. With the light-touch handle, you can lean your fresco back to the cradle position and let your baby get cozy -- it’s that easy.
Your baby is only having breastmilk or formula right now, but you can still bring them to the table thanks to the pneumatic lift on the fresco. The cradle position is perfect for napping or watching while you and your partner have dinner. And once their little arms are strong enough, it’s a great position for allowing them to have a hand at feeding themselves with a bottle.
The fresco is also great to use after a feed in those early months. The fresco’s cradle mode has a slight incline, which helps your baby’s tummy to settle while they’re digesting.
3-6 Months: Semi-Upright Position
Once your sweet baby is able to hold their own head up, you can move them into the semi-upright position of the fresco. This position is great for babies who are able to support their own neck, but aren’t quite able to sit up on their own yet.
We also love this position for babies who suffer from reflux, as the semi-upright positioning keeps that acidy feeling at bay.
Another way to use the semi-upright is for those first puree or cereal bites, which experts generally recommend when your baby is between 4-6 months.
At this stage of early eating, Silber, who is also the founder of Tiny Tasters feeding workshops, recommends what she calls baby-guided feeding: a subtle way to listen to and respect your baby’s feeding cues.
“Instead of putting the spoon all the way in their mouth, you actually put it on their lips and have them open up and take the food off the spoon themselves,” Silber explained. “It’s a way of saying, I'm here and offering you the food but it’s really your job in this relationship to decide if you want it and how much you want.”
6-24 Months: Upright with tray
Now that your baby is able to sit on their own and is ready to feed themselves, the fully upright position of the fresco is the way to go! Snap the tray on to bring their bites within arms’ reach.
Silber says at this stage, mess is the name of the game. Don’t be afraid to allow your child to have fun and enjoy all that sensory-goodness of eating. It’s actually super important.
“A lot of my philosophy in Tiny Tasters is to actually be more adventurous and excite those tiny taste buds, because feeding for a little baby is such a sensory experience,” Silber told us. “As adults we think of food very much as taste, but for a baby it’s the smell of it, the touch of it, the sound of it splashing on the high chair. It should really be an all encompassing sensory experience for them.”
We designed the fresco tray with this sentiment in mind, allowing parents to pop the top of the tray off to clean after mealtime without removing the entire tray.
“I’m all about letting them explore it rather than just shoving food in their mouth,” Silber said. “It will make them feel much more comfortable.”
Exploring food is one thing but throwing bowls full of pasta is a little different. So we designed our fresco mat and bowl set to fit snugly into the tray so it won’t be going anywhere while your baby gets down and dirty. Plus, it’s dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe.
24+ Months: Upright without tray
When your baby turns into a toddler (wow, didn’t that happen fast?!), and no longer needs the tray, it can be removed so you can pull the fresco right up to the table or counter for a meal with the family. At this age, a regular seat at the table is still probably too big for your big kid, but our fresco gives them just the boost they need to join the grownups.
We love that the fresco works as a seat at the table or the breakfast bar (thanks to the pneumatic lift), and gives you so many years of use. We’re proud of our commitment to sustainability and longevity in the furniture you’ve invested in and are so thankful you’re part of our bloom family!
Hanna Nakano is a Washington, D.C. based writer and photographer, and mother of two.
