Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Chair for breastfeeding

36 replies

Saffra · 08/06/2011 13:39

25 weeks pregnant and thinking ahead....

I'm looking to buy a chair for the baby's room, where I can breastfeed in quieter surroundings during the day. Been looking at this from Ikea:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S69860969#

Is something like this ideal? If not, any other suggestions? Don't want a 'proper' breastfeeding chair and don't like the look or expense of them.

Thanks!

OP posts:
EveryonesJealousOfGingers · 08/06/2011 13:41

I know you say you don't want a proper BF chair but I bought a Duatalier one for £100 on ebay, it's perfect and HEAVEN for nursing. Worth having a 'go' on one if you haven't already tried. I'm about to give mine a clean and very reluctantly sell it as we are moving and DD's room will be smaller, although she no longer BFs I love it for having a cuddle in and will be very sad to lose it!

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 08/06/2011 14:06

We happen to already have a duatalier glider. I did bf in it alot in the early days, but it's in the living room.

Tbh i wouldn't want to go upstairs for each bf. It can be virtually constant in the first weeks so i was keen to do it wherever i was. I wasn't moving out of the living room, away from telly, cuppa, snacks etc for anyone. Grin i would get board upstairs and would be a pita going up to find they only want to feed for a moment. Or then they fall asleep and you have to manhandle them downstairs (at least for the first six months). Plus imo lo's have to get used to feeding with background noise unless you want to stay at home all day (and night)

Sorry if that pisses on your parade. Grin also i can't copy and paste on my phone so can't see your link...is it the wooden rocker? If so the action isn't very good imvho.

Original poster
Saffra · 08/06/2011 14:21

Sadly, it won't be that practical to BF downstairs - won't go into circumstances, but it will be difficult for me to relax to do this.

This is what it says about the Ikea chair:

  • Frame made of layer-glued bent birch; a very strong and durable material.
  • High back provides great support for your neck.
  • Easy to keep clean; removable, machine washable cover.
  • Extra cushions are available for variation and renewal.

Was in Ikea last night and had thought it might be a good idea - but perhaps not. It's not as padded as the BF chairs. And certainly not ergonomically designed for that purpose either!

OP posts:
smugnitwit · 08/06/2011 14:32

You'd be surprised at what constitutes a comfortable position for you and baby when you're bfing. At first, mine would only feed when I was lying down (too fast milk flow). Now, I sit corner-wise in an armchair with one leg up, foot on the seat supporting the arm that is supporting my baby, or crosslegged on the floor. I find back support the most important thing. Maybe a nursing chair is a purchase best left until after your baby is born. You might find you don't even need one!

Albrecht · 08/06/2011 15:14

Agree with smugnitwit, you don't know til you start bf what will be comfortable. For a while a dining room chair was best for me, now crosslegged on the floor is perfect really. Definately try and feed lying down, give your arms a break!

What you do need is a radio or tv so you have some distraction / company while you feed. And some kind of waterbottle and snackbox.

Sorry to hear about the difficult circumstances, if its a particular person's presence then newborn babies feeding needs should take presidence over anyone else's imo.

mejon · 08/06/2011 16:44

I have the Ikea chair and it is only really comfortable for BFing in when used with several cushions. I need one under my arm, under DD2, behind my back to get into a suitable position. It's lovely for just sitting in and bobbing back and forth to comfort baby though.

Original poster
Saffra · 08/06/2011 17:05

Thanks for the comments...

I think I'll probably see how things go with BF before commiting to the purchase.

Albrecht - A good point about the distraction/company whilst BFing.

OP posts:
lilham · 08/06/2011 17:12

I don't have a special chair but just use the sofa. I find I can feed in any comfy chair as long as I have a support pillow and a foot rest. I agree with another poster that you'll be feeding a lot. If your circumstances means you can't relax in your living room, make sure you have a side table to put drinks and food next to your feeding chair. Also prepare some entertainment like radio or tv with DVD player etc in the room. I got a sub for the guardian on the iPhone and it's brilliant. I can read and flip pages with one hand! Ditto to ebooks. I can't read a physical book or mag while feeding.

RunsWithScissors · 08/06/2011 17:32

I found the poang chair was fine for me and DD I need a pillow in the small of my back no matter where I sit to feed though :)

I found the feeding pillow was quite good too in the first few months (semi circle thing that tucks in/around your waist).

whitechocolatebuttons · 08/06/2011 18:09

Before long you'll be able to breastfeed whilst you MN one-handed, standing by the fridge making dinner and talking on the phone, like me!

mimmymouse · 08/06/2011 19:22

Initially I used a "family heirloom" rocking chair. Ghastly. So uncomfortable. When DD was 8 weeks old was caught needing to feed whilst in Mothercare. Sat in a Dutailier chair and that was me sold. But not having a spare £400, won one on eBay for £75. Best money we spent. In DD's room, though only used for night feeds and quiet time, otherwise we feed downstairs. Highly recommended. DH is equally in love with it for cuddles and feeding expressed bottles. Good luck with your last trimester!

newgirl · 08/06/2011 19:25

lots of pillows helped me at first, piled up on my lap sitting on the sofa. And a pillow behind my back. As long as you have cushions/pillows anywhere you like should be fine.

EggyAllenPoe · 08/06/2011 19:27

i find any seat where i can MN and watch telly is a good one for BFing.

bed is good too.

mejon · 08/06/2011 22:13

Saffra - no I wouldn't have got a 'proper' feeding chair, the Poang one is fine really just need to make sure I've got enough cushions handy. I mainly feed sitting with my feet up on the sofa and as we only had 2 sofas and no chairs in the sitting room, thought an extra chair would come in handy. There's a matching footstool too I think so that may be useful.

AngelDog · 08/06/2011 23:10

I like the Ikea Poang chair, although I too need a pillow in the small of my back.

It was quite a while before I could manage on the sofa as I have a dodgy back. We have Poang chair(s) in the bedroom & living room so they get used a lot.

The rocking action is fab, fab, fab for a baby who needs rocking to sleep. We are thinking of dismantling ours and taking it with us on holiday. DS is 17 m.o.

When he was tiny I had to put cushions on the arms when he was kicking his legs around while feeding, as he got bruises from the wooden arms. Blush

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 09/06/2011 05:54

saffra we already had out dutalier before we had ds. We were looking for a free standing chair to distract from go alongside the ikea sofa (ikea overload!) and it was £30 from emmeaus. If i had know how good it was i would have paid three times that at least

It has been useful for bf but it also the first seat any guests make a bee line for (sorry,i need to sit there to feed the baby...hehehe) old people particularly like it, the can get out of it easily, unlike our low, deep sofa (as could i when i had stitches!) and the rocking action is amazing. In our house it is also the only chair the dog can't get in, making it the place to sit if you are dressed ready to go out in to the real world. Blush

what i'm saying is don't look upon it as a special bf chair, but think of your potential purchase in the longer term. Smile

Parietal · 09/06/2011 06:36

I find sitting up in bed with lots of pillows to be best for bf. Then there is plenty of bed beside me to put DD down on when she falls asleep. And an extra pillow for the iPad on my lap..

bonkers20 · 09/06/2011 06:48

I haven't read the other responses yet.

You will need to cover the arms of the ikea chair when your baby gets bigger or even for yourself if you want to rest your arms.

How tall are you? If your default position would be to rest your arms on the sides then they look a little high to me for comfortable BF.

A BF chair allows you to set the chair in many recline positions - it's great.
A BF chair usually has pockets in the side which can be really useful.

I had a sort of bouncy wicker chair for DS1 but got a glider for DS2 and at over 2 years old I can say it's one of the best purchases. I did just use it upstairs for the bedtime feed but as DS got older that feed got longer and longer and now I'm sitting there for about 45 mins in the evening, rocking etc.

I didn't need a BF cushion when in the glider because it is more upright.

When not in the glider I BF anywhere and everywhere.

mnistooaddictive · 09/06/2011 08:19

I had the dutalier chair and is the wrong shape for breast feeding- it is not uptight enough. I used to prop myself up with about 5 cushions to get comfortable!

sc2987 · 09/06/2011 18:37

I used a Poang (not the rocking version) for the first few weeks, it was fine with her on a pillow. We always feed lying down or in a sling now though.

Original poster
Saffra · 09/06/2011 22:59

I think I'll definitely wait now. Ikea is only 20 mins drive away and DH can always nip out and buy one if it seems like a good idea. I see that cushions are a real theme though - have a BF pillow already, so have at least one prop to start with.....

OP posts:
bonkers20 · 10/06/2011 06:55

No cushions here, unless I'm feeding sitting up in bed. It's very nice not to need cushions, then you can just plop down and start feeding.

I'm still feeding my 25 month old so I have done a lot of BF!

I do think if you can find a way to BF other than just upstairs though, it will be really nice. It's a good way to separate night from day for the baby.

browneyesblue · 11/06/2011 01:16

I went into Ikea to try the chair out, and found that the Poang rocker leant further back than the regular Poang - it wasn't at all comfortable for me, and I think I would have struggled to get out of it while holding DS.

As Ikea is so close, I'd wait until the baby has arrived then pop down and try some of the chairs out.

The one I found most comfortable was the Ektorp Jennylund, which was a bit more compact than it looks. I didn't end up getting it though - I just used a chair I already had for the nursery. 90% of the time I feed DS in bed or on the sofa though.

kimberlina · 11/06/2011 13:00

I just sit in bed with a pillow on my knee to rest DD (and my book) plus a folded pillow under whichever elbow her head is lying in. Works for us and much cheaper than a special chair :o

bonkers20 · 11/06/2011 19:35

Yes, but it means you have to retire to your bed every feed. You're right though, you don't need a special chair.