Chair for breastfeeding

[Saffra]

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!

[Sleepglorioussleep]

I would say get good support cushion/pillow and see if that works. I have dutailier chair, lovely, but still need cushions and it limits your location.

[LaCiccolina]

I bought the ikea chair. I read reviews and thought it a good buy. It really was quite daft in hindsight. Ive used it precisely twice to bf. Damn thing slides on the wood floor we have every time you try to stand up when you have a sleeping baby in your hands it bangs the wall and wakes it. Ive found sitting on the bed or on the sofa or dining chairs more easy. Wish Id known....

You won't realise this now as it never once crossed my mind either but getting up with the baby is important so you can put it in the cot/moses still asleep. When you have sat there diligently for 20mins feeding it for the standing up or laying down to wake it you will understand the crushing disappointment at starting all over again.....And thats just in the afternoon...4am its a darn site worse....

[birdofthenorth]

I have a tutti bambini gliding chair -love it. Cost £135. Great for rocking baby to sleep too. Comes in several different woods/colours. would recommend it in an instinct.

I give you 2 weeks max before you start feeding downstairs though! And if you don't: get kindle

[fifitot]

Ah yes Homes Under the Hammer was my staple during mat leave too. I even used to skyplus it if I was going to have to get up off the sofa and miss any of it! Sad but true.

[YorkshireTeaDrinker]

I bought a second handnd Hauck feeding chair and stool and found it useful for night feeds in the early weeks as my c section scar meant that I could only feed when propped upright with baby on a cushion accross my lap. However, by far the bulk of my BFing has been done on the sofa, feet on a footstool, with a cushion under the supporting arm and baby on a squishy v pillow (cheap one from Dunelm). I couldn't have managed the endless feeding in the early weeks without access to dodgy telly. This is where my addition to Homes Under the Hammer stems from!

[LittleStranger]

We have the same Ikea chair that you're looking at and it wasn't at all suitable for feeding in. As others have said, you're forced to lean too far back, the arms are uncomfortable, and the seat is too low down so that I couldn't actually get out of the chair again while still holding the baby. It may look comfy, but you really need to be in a more upright position. I did like the special feeding chairs (used to use them in Mothercare feeding room while out and about) and am considering buying one for 2nd baby, so will be scanning ebay...

[fifitot]

I bought a second hand Hauck feeding chair and stool when DS moved into his own room at 6m and I really regret not getting one earlier. It is so comfy and easy to feed in during those long long nights! Mine is a substitute for the more expensive Dutalier but it's still good. if I was having any more kids would def get a Dutalier. Why not do as I did and get one off ebay and if you don't like it sell it on.

[OfflineFor30Years]

I have a Dutalier and footstool and 2 babies and 3 years on I'm still trying to persuade myself that it was worth the money. I spent most of the time feeding on the sofa tbh.

For DD2 I bought this as an even cheaper alternative to Ikea version. It's now in the sale and even cheaper so definitely worth the money! Nice and comfy and fine for feeding.

[KaraStarbuckThrace]

I have the Poang chair and tbh I found it leaned too far back so needed lots of pillows behind me.
Plus a pillow across my lap so I was resting on the hard arms. Footstool was a waste of time as well.

[RedHotPokers]

For me, more important than the type of chair was having a suitable table nearby to put drinks/snacks on. Nothing worse than staring at your glass of water on the other side of the room having just started a mammoth feed!!!

Oh and the TV. Would never have survived DDs constant feeding had I not had access to Midsommer Murders/Homes Under the Hammer .

[japhrimel]

I adore my Dutalier glider. No, it hasn't been necessary but when you're cluster feeding through the night when struggling with bfing, a comfy chair is bliss. In the early days, I fed either there or on the sofa with my feet up and TV!

You really don't want to have to hide away - it could make you quite resentful IMO. If it's family issues, they need to get used to you feeding wherever or you'll never get out or eat dinner!

I would definitely try out a Poang when havily pregnant - if you can't easily get out of it without any help then, then you'll struggle after birth holding a newborn.

[bonkers20]

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

[kimberlina]

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

[browneyesblue]

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.

[bonkers20]

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.

[Saffra]

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.....

[sc2987]

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.

[mnistooaddictive]

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!

[bonkers20]

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.

[Parietal]

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..

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

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.

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.

[AngelDog]

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.

[mejon]

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.

[EggyAllenPoe]

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

bed is good too.

[newgirl]

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.