Do I need a nursing chair?

[Siepie]

I'm currently pregnant with my first.

It seems as if all new parents have rocking chairs or poang type chairs for feeding the baby in.

I was planning to feed in bed or on the sofa and arm chair. Am I missing something? What's the advantage of special nursing chairs?

I didn't use one until DS was around 10 months, since then it's been a god send.

No. Sofa in the day bed at night.

I didn't bother with one. I do night feeds in bed and day time feeds wherever, when at home this tends to be in the lounge in an armchair.

We got a poang chair, didn't really use it until she was in her own room at 6 months unless we were having a particularly bad night. But since 6 months we used it every night. She's 3 now, but she still likes sitting on my knee and having a story on the chair before going to bed.

I would recommend getting a foot stool too though if you go for it.

Definitely not needed.
A breastfeeding cushion is handy though.
And mastering feeding lying down (can't remember what age that was but probably from a couple of months) that was brilliant.

Of course you don't. I strongly advise buying only the minimum; car seat, few babygros and vests, cost of its winter , sling or pram of some sort and somewhere for baby to asleep with appropriate covers. Once you have your child you will see what is needed in your lifestyle and can buy accordingly.

I bought an office chair from ikea, the armrest + pillow provided the good support and you can move around the room while feeding. Now it's getting a good use again as we are working from home

Loved ours and it has served me well for 4 DC (with a bf pillow each time).

Both it and the accompanying chair are still going strong nearly 13 years later and are so fought over my the DC that I am possibly going to get another one.

Stool, not chair!

I didn’t for dc1 and regretted it.
For dc2 i bought a gaming chair - as in the sort designed for playing video games. It rocks, it swivels, it reclines at a touch of a button, it has a usb slot in the side for when your phone starts to die mid feed, and it is fantastically comfortable. I luffs it.

I don’t think you need one unless you have back issues which make breastfeeding on your bed (propped up by pillows) or sofa difficult. I had an episotomy which made sitting unbearable for the first 6-9 weeks so I am grateful we didn’t get one - as I was feeding standing up most of the time.

I didn't have one with my first two children, but did with my third and it was a god send.
I loved being able to gently rock him in the chair, even in the middle of the night and it was far more comfortable than sitting on the bed or dining chair.
I bought mine second hand though for about 30 pounds.

I didn't with dc1 but got one with dc2 after discovering he loved to be rocked. It's actually really comfy too and comes with a little foot stool. I got mine secondhand so it was quite cheap. I'd recommend one only if you have space / money to spare. It's not essential but it is nice.

I bought one when DD1 was born, used it for night feeds when she was in her own room. DD2 is now 3 and the nursing chair is still in their room, we use it for bedtime stories now. Have no plans to get rid of it any time soon, so definitely got my monies worth! I really missed it when we were living with my parents for 6 months and it was in storage.