What are the pros of a breastfeeding chair? What are the cons? What are the alternatives? A breastfeeding chair is designed to provide a comfortable place to feed your baby. Most recline into different positions to support your back, and some have a rocking feature to help soothe your baby. However, they can be expensive, and not all mums find them comfortable. Could a breastfeeding chair make life easier? Or will it just sit unused in your baby's nursery? Read what worked for BabyCentre mums. "I really love my nursing chair. It’s fantastic not just for breastfeeding but for feeding in general and comforting a baby. I didn't get it until my son was two months old. My only regret is not having it sooner. He associates it with his quiet, cuddly time and it calms and settles him as part of his bedtime routine. I would definitely recommend one." "I think it’s the comfiest chair in the world! I slept in it at end of my pregnancy as I couldn't get comfortable in bed and it really helps with backache too.
I used it for all feeds at first because I had a caesarean and couldn't get comfortable on our sofa. I use it for bedtime and night feeds only. I think my baby knows the chair means bedtime." "We used my Gran's old rocking chair. However, in retrospect I would have bought a proper nursing chair. The rocker was difficult to get out of with a sleeping baby. If you have the room in your baby’s nursery, I would definitely get one. It was much easier to settle my little one in his room at night than on the sofa in a busy house.” "I didn’t have one for my first, but was given one for my second. I’ve never fed in it as the arms are too high and I can’t get my daughter into a comfortable feeding position. Instead I do most of my feeding in our recliner downstairs or lying down in bed during the night." "I didn't feel the need for one for either of mine. Night feeds were done in bed and day feeds wherever I was at the time. However, I did buy a nursing pillow second time round and wish I had had one all along."
"I used one for night feeds with my bottle fed baby. It’s important to be comfortable whether breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Now that my second baby shares a bedroom with her sister, I don’t want to disturb my sleeping tot. So, I feed my baby in bed and feel a lot less sleep deprived that way." "Breastfeeding chairs are completely unnecessary in my opinion and just another expense you can do without. Yes, comfort and position are really important, especially at first. But we managed by experimenting with different cushions and pillows that we already owned." "A chair in the nursery is invaluable. It doesn't have to be a proper breastfeeding chair. We bought a second-hand one from an auction site." "I’d recommend getting a chair, but it doesn't have to be one marketed specifically for breastfeeding. I used a comfortable reclining chair. It was a lot cheaper than the breastfeeding chairs I saw but it was perfect for feeding my baby in peace. I found the recline function very useful for comfort, but even that isn't a necessity.
Any comfortable chair will do, just add a cushion!" "When I was pregnant I spent ages researching whether to get a breastfeeding chair or not. In the end we got an armchair. It's much prettier than a breastfeeding chair and doesn't take up half as much room. We use it for story time now and I'm glad we didn't spend the extra money." "I already had a rocking chair and just put that in the baby's nursery. It was a nightmare to sit in at first as I tore badly and couldn't get out of it. However, since my little one started sleeping in the nursery I’ve used it every night. It gently bounces and when I don't need it any more I plan to put it back in our living room." "We have a nice low and wide armchair which I sit cross-legged in with a feeding cushion on my lap. I used to sit up in bed or feed lying down but I always woke my other half up when I sat up to put the cushions into position. I do think it's important to be able to adapt to feeding in different types of chair.
Otherwise you get stuck when out and about."From Sedona – Take 89A South toward Cottonwood. Turn right on Mingus Ave. Turn left on S. Rocking Chair Rd. (before bridge!). We’re on the right side, look for our sign. Follow signs for Parking & Shopping Area. In Cottonwood – Use 89A North. After Zalesky Dr. and the Bridgeport traffic light, turn left onto Rocking Chair Rd. We’re approx. a mile down on the left side. Look for our sign. Follow signs for Parking & Shopping Area.Today’s post brings me great pleasure to share! It’s a secret project I’ve been working on since I was 7 weeks pregnant. It is my first DIY project for baby Crowder. (First person to come up with a solid nickname for the IBK Fetus gets a prize!) I’ve always been in love with wingback rockers. You might as well trade your first born child for one, and then, what’s the point?! The rocker on the left came from Nurseryworks, and the rocker on the right is from Pottery Barn Kids. And then, it hit me hard like my pregnant emotions during country music.
I could EASILY make my own wingback rocker. All I would need to do is find a wingback chair, and some rocking chair runners. It was so simple. I thought “surely, this has been done a million times.” But I googled it hard, and didn’t find anything on the matter. (But in the Internet’s defense, my googling skillz are weak like a teenage girl at a One Direction concert.) We picked up the Strandmon Wingback chair from IKEA, for $279. I looked online and found a place that sells unfinished wood rocking chair runners. I order a pair of adult large in maple. We measured where we would need to drill holes for the legs to attach to the runners. The holes need to be 1&1/8″ in diameter. The center of that hole needs to be 7 1/2″ in from each end. The hole needs to be 3/4″ deep. **DISCLAIMER** Double check those measurements by holding up your runners to the legs of the chair to make sure it ‘dry fits.’ It has been brought to my attention that there is variation in the legs of the Strandmon, and my measurements might not be a perfect fit for your chair.
We used the drill press at my parents’ house. But if you have a cordless drill, you can use a forstner bit to drill the same kind of hole. My two favorite men! I spent countless hours in this shop, learning the ways of woodworking and DIY from a great teacher. We brought the runners home and fitted them to the chair. Fit like a glove. Now we had to match the runners to the legs of the chair. Instead of painting the runners, I thought it would look better if we stained them black. I will admit, I did help with staining. BUT I was very careful to not get it on me (and when I did, I scrubbed it right off), and we had all the windows open, with a fan going. Aaron did most of the staining. The wood was so blond, it took several coats. This is how thin it still looked after the first coat. Several coats later, it was looking like a dead match to the legs of the Strandmon. We used a matte poly finish. I love this poly. And it has a soft touch.
I don’t know how to explain it, but it is magical. Buy it and try it. After they were dry, it was just a matter of attaching the runners to the chair. We put the runners in place, and drilled a skinny little pilot hole to make sure the wood didn’t crack when we put the screws in. Let’s take a minute to talk about how much Buster loves the chair being upside down. Here’s a montage of Buster in his fort, on several different days. Now that your heart is sufficiently melted, we can get back to the real work. Then we switched out for a bigger drill bit to make a hole (not all the way down! Just slightly below the surface) the same size of the screw head to counter sink the screw. Then we sanded the bottoms of the feet, and coated the holes in the runners with wood glue. After we put the runners in place, with the wood glue, we use spax screws and secured the runners. We filled the holes with black wood putty. And now, it’s ready to rock.