BF chairs and gliders- help!

[rosw]

I would be grateful for any advice on feeding chairs. Am 40 weeks and have no suitable chair to feed in (squishy futon sofas only) so was thinking about a glider but there are a million types available online and the cheap Dutalier ('abbie') has one amazon feedback saying the back is quite low-ish, and no good if over 5 ft 8- which I am, just. It also doesn't seem to have any adaptable reclining positions. Some of the other dutaliers seem very expensive...

Does anyone have any recommendations? I can't even seem to find a store where they have versions I can try sitting in and there are no mumsnet product reviews so feel a bit overwhelmed!

What have other people found useful?

I have one like this
www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_165_10751_-1__16199_10001_

Mine actualy quit old as DD was thired baby to use it and I need to give it some TLC before no2 turns up.

But I found it quit comftable and used it loads. It's still in DD's room as we ready her bedtime story in it. Only thing I would say is as it has high arm rests feeding in it as baby gets bigger could be a little difficult at time's. Also I'm only 5ft4, but say that DH never had any problems with the back rest and he's 6ft.

But it was great for me during PG and after as much easier to get out of then the sofa was.

I picked up a second hand one two months before ds arrived and it has been fantastic. It says on it "glider motion by dutalier" (hadn't heard of them till i read your post). It doesn't have the recliner positions you mention, but i normally put my feet up and lean back. It does have high back and arms and Ds is a good size now so have adapted position and it is still the best chair to feed in, though i didn't have this in mind when we bought it. As mentioned also great when pg and i'd add, post partum. Now we have lived with it i would happily have paid i lot more than we did. I have no idea what they cost new though. I'd recommend emmaeus (sp) shops, i think quite a few cities have them. That's where we got ours. And you can sit in it before you buy!

They have chairs like that in the Mothercare breastfeeding room about an hour's walk from where I live. Sooo incredibly comfy... and with a foot rest as well... when DS was tiny, I sometimes traipsed all the way to Mothercare just so I could sit in those chairs for a bit!

If I had stacks of cash, I would definitely have bought one of these chairs to sit in at home. However, I found they were prohibitively expensive considering the short time for which they are useful. Once kids are mobile, I would worry about trapped fingers in the mechanism. Given limited funds, I think I'd recommend a good V-shaped pillow instead.

IME gliders are crap for bf in, sorry. They have arms that get in the way of baby's feet and anything that moves backwards and forwards is not helpful when you are learning the whole positioning thing. They don't stay totally stationary even in the locked position. I also found them not upright enough while I was learning.

I think I must be missing something here, but last time I looked you only needed boobs to breastfeed, not a special chair. Don't you have somewhere comfy to sit in the house already?

It doesn't take much to prop your feet up on a box or coffee table, and in any case those chairs aren't very helpful if you want to try different feeding positions.

Breastfeeding on a bed whilst napping worked best for me :) I could never get comfy sitting down. It was always bed or a sling.

The only few times I have sat in one of these chairs my DBs have fallen fast asleep because of the rocking and I have had to move in order to wake them up to feed them. I wouldn't buy one.

If you are looking for a prop though this is great! cushion

Thanks everyone, v helpful.

I know lots of people who have got sore backs from not getting enough support sitting so am keen to avoid that...

Hi - I used a Poang armchair and footstool from Ikea - much cheaper and smaller than one of the big glider chairs. Arms are less obtrusive too. V important to try them out though.

I feed my dc on the sofa(i sit in the middle so I can read the paper spread out), but we also have a Poang which i sometimes feed her in and is really comfy.i'm 5'9'' and dh is 6ft and we both find it comfy

I really think there is so much money to be made from bf 'gimmicks' such as chairs, cushions, etc. Boobmeister is right all you need is breasts. I bought a glider chair, used it once and sold it on bay in the end as my sofa was just as good. Honestly, half the stuff we bought when ds was born we never actually used.

I bought a Dutallier chair from eBay after getting a sore back from feeding on the sofa. It is lovely, sends dd to sleep even when she's sitting on my lap.

I love our Dutalier chair - bought it from John Lewis. It's the one that reclines and I got a matching footstool. Yes the arms get in the way a bit but it's still far comfier than slouching on the sofa. Not sure the recline really needed when BFing but makes it more versatile as a normal chair afterwards. It is now DH's favourite chair but I am going to reclaim it when DC2 arrives

I need a chair too! So pleased I found this thread.

I agree the Dutalier are expensive so I need to try out but interested in the Poang chair - do the arms get in the way here too? Also are they high enough so you can get in and out easily?

Can't feed lying down in bed due to DH next to me and find sitting up even with BF cushions hard on my back.

I still feed ds2 (nearly 1) lying down in bed, with dh next to us.

fifitot, I use the Poang armchair which I find very comfy. I also got bad backache from feeding on the sofa and sitting up in bed.

I put a flattish scatter cushion behind my back and I put my feet on a footstool or a couple of books. When DS was tiny I used a dream genii pillow for feeding, then just a normal pillow; now he's bigger I use a V pillow with a normal pillow under the point of the V so I can lean backwards (I have back problems caused by too much leaning forwards).

The arms are good for getting in and out. BUT be careful if you have a very wriggly baby. DS developed a rash on his legs which turned out to be bruises from where he'd been bashing his legs on the chair arms.

That was partly to do with trying to rock a madly writhing overtired baby across my lap, mind, not just a feeding thing.

I wrapped a folded over cot blanket over each arm and pinned it together to provide padding, which seemed to sort it. Now he's bigger (7 months) it's fine and he doesn't bash himself.

The rocking action is good too.

I got my Dutailier chair on ebay for £40!

rosw, I'm 5'11", and like you was worried the lowish back would be a problem. It really isn't, it's well padded. There is one Dutailier with a higher back (one of the pricier ones if I recall)

I'm with all those that say lying down feeding is the most comfy. Otherwise I managed with a large "My Breast Friend" pillow which was hilarious to wear but lovely with back support and a smaller pillow just round the front for travelling.

Thanks everyone... I found a glider chair second hand (a hauck glider) in the end for 60 quid with a footstool and at least now have at least one chair with a back support to feed in (suddenly our beanbag furnishings don't seem so practical!). It was great as depsite more research I couldnt even find a local mothercare I could try the chairs out in, but got to sit in this before I bought it (the anxiety with internet shopping).

Once the infant arrives and I have tried it out for more than relaxation I will write a product review! If anyone else who was kind enough to post wants to write a product review of theirs too it might be helpful! I love that section on this website as it makes second hand ebay shopping much easier with that input...

ps. also like the sound of BF lying down. thanks!

Thanks Angeldog - will test one out in IKEA.

Am panicking about these chairs now.
Am tall - 5 10
My mum wants to buy us one but dh thinks should invest in good high back chair
Wot anyone think????

I got an Ikea Poang one and tbh I find it leans back a bit too much for me feeding, so I have to stick a cushion or 2 behind me. It is comfy enough to fall asleep in though! I didn't have a proper go in the shop though. d'oh.

The arms are quite low so with a v pillow I can still feed/snuggle my 13 month old to sleep. I am making do with it as I was all excited about buying one and getting rid of the uncomfy sofa bed in DS's room!

My DS kicks the wooden arms too, probaby accounts for some bruises...