What type of chair is best? Rocker/glider or recliner?

[Anonymous]

FTM here that just moved and has very little furniture. Literally have a bed, dressers, crib, and a wooden rocking chair (not super comfy but it was free). What do I need for life with a newborn and nursing/breastfeeding? Will I find most feeding takes place in my bed the first six months? Do I need a comfy chair or sofa on the first floor of my house? Or do I just establish my bedroom and nursery as the feeding and napping room? Is a rocker or glider necessary or will a recliner do? Feeing completely confused and unprepared as this will all be new!

[Anonymous]

I had a super comfy chair on my first floor. It is a recliner but you can’t nurse while reclining. I sat there with my boppy and loved to watch tv and nurse my babies.

For night I always thought it was important to nurse to sleep in the rocking chair in the dark. I had a glider plus gliding ottoman in my nursery.

When they were <12 weeks old and were in the bassinet- I nursed in bed. It was okay but not ideal for long term. I didn’t leave the bed from midnight to 7am, so I didn’t want to walk to the nursery to rock. If they were super awake- Dh had to get up and rock them after I nursed.

[Anonymous]

I basically never nursed in bed. It didn’t work for me or my first (the second isn’t here quite yet).

When upstairs, I nursed in a glider with ottoman in the nursery. I think I tried some recliners and found then less comfortable. Now my first born loves to sit on the ottoman while I read at night. Downstairs I would just nurse from our sofa and that was fine - we didn’t really have space to consider a recliner or other special chair anyway. But I did appreciate having a comfortable place to sit downstairs and recommend you have something.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t nurse in bed for the first 3-4 months because I was so tired overnight and didn’t want to smother the baby. So nursed upright with a light on initially, then in bed later on when I wasn’t feeling so out of it!

[Anonymous]

I had a glider and used to wish I had a recliner.

[Anonymous]

I nursed more on the couch. The nursery glider was just for middle of the night but not if the baby was fussy or in a mood. Then I either gave up on sleep (couch) or brought him to my bed and put him back down in the rock and play (RIP)

[Anonymous]

Everybody has different preferences, so you need to figure out what will work for you. I suggest trying out as many chairs as possible and see which you like. I looked for a chair that I could imagine spending hours in as I rocked a fussy baby or that I could doze in as I nursed.

[Anonymous]

Glider. Nursing in bed is not comfortable—you want a chair with arms

[Anonymous]

We got a glider that reclines and I can count on one hand the number of times I've reclined. I just love rocking with my baby, reclining was too startling for the baby (and honestly, difficult for me to get out of lol )

[Anonymous]

I never nursed in bed, I much preferred walking across the hall to the nursery. But I also did a diaper change between boobs to wake my sleepy baby up.

[Anonymous]

I bought this chair off Amazon on an impulse in 2016 when i had my first and it’s still going strong! It rocks AND reclines, and I’ve used both functions.

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Relax-Mikayla-Recliner-Microfiber/dp/B00VAS7QS0

[Anonymous]

I think a glider and ottoman or glider/recliner are fine. I nurse a lot on the couch or in bed. I just use pillows for my arm and/or back. The little throw pillows we already had are fine and easier to maneuver for me than a nursing pillow. Then after my baby turned 5 months or so and had better head control, we started doing a lot of side-lying nursing. I have a reclining glider in the baby's room that's really comfy. Being able to rock is key for me so if the recliner can rock, I think it's fine.