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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Feeding chairs - do I need one?

23 replies

VerityClinch · 18/03/2009 15:14

Are special "feeding chairs" a good idea? I mean the glider/recliner type ones?

We can afford one, just about, but all of the ones I have seen I think are pretty ugly. I plan to breastfeed and want to make it as easy on myself as possible, but, advice please - do you have one, do you manage without, do they really make all that much difference to comfort etc etc?

Or would a normal armchair do just as well, with (or without) a footstool?

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 18/03/2009 15:19

You don't need a special chair. What you do need is something really comfy to sit upright in for extended periods, where the arms are a good height for resting your elbows on. A footstool to put your legs up on is very nice to make it more relaxing.

Most normal armchairs tend to make you lean backwards, which is a bit of a pain and requires cushion stuffing - but still work.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 18/03/2009 15:23

IMO a footstool is a nice thing to have for BFing but you don't need the whole glider chair set up. A normal chair, sofa and a pile of cushions will do the job.

Bramshott · 18/03/2009 15:24

No!

ChairmumMiaow · 18/03/2009 15:31

I've bought a chair from ikea for breastfeeding - though its not designed for it, and it helped for feeding in DS's room, but for downstairs, a pile of cushions under each elbow with a BF cushion on top was the easiest thing in the early days. Now DS feeds in odd positions, so I only need a cushion if I need to support him when he falls asleep

Anglepoise · 18/03/2009 15:39

God no. Cushions help though (finally a reason why women need scatter cushions!)

Tigger13 · 18/03/2009 15:46

i also liked this idea of a feeding chair but thought they v expensive, so bought the ikea chair and footstool with wooden frame and cushion pad base, found it useful and can be used elsewhere when u finished with it!!

used it a lot with first 2 babies but with ds3 just fed him anywhere,

Tigger13 · 18/03/2009 15:47

sorry ChairmumMiaow it took me a while typing my msg, but completely agree bout cushions

Original poster
VerityClinch · 18/03/2009 15:57

Do either of you have a link to the Ikea chair, or the brand name?

Am doing an Ikea run at the weekend (against my better judgement...it's no place for a pregnant lady is it?)

OP posts:
firstontheway · 18/03/2009 15:58

I bought this chair from IKEA, have heard this one is good also, but felt like I was going to break it! My one is very comfortable for sitting on now, but baby being induced on Friday so can't endorse its breastfeeding credentials yet! Looks good too.

I was going to buy a proper feeding chair but decided not too eventually as thought that they were quite expensive and not really to my tastes. Also, have heard that the gliding motion is a bit of a nightmare once you have a crawler who pokes their fingers into the gliding bit all the time!

Tigger13 · 18/03/2009 16:02

it was the POÄNG one put think it was cheaper than link, but was 6years ago, mine is material with matching stool.

theres always pregnant women in ikea makes me broody

Original poster
VerityClinch · 18/03/2009 16:03

Those are two that I have looked at as alternatives too! Was concerned about the first as there's no padding on the arms, though, but it sounds like you haven't found that a problem?

OP posts:
firstontheway · 18/03/2009 16:06

I find the chair to be very wide so I wouldn't use it with my arms on anyway probably... I tend to sit on it cross legged at the moment, and have a feeding pillow I will use when baby is here.

AppleAndBlackberry · 18/03/2009 16:07

I was looking at IKEA chairs, but there's a specific breastfeeding one on kiddicare.com for £100, which is less than the IKEA one I liked. It's kind of ugly but it comes with a footstool and I thought I could sell it on or give it away afterwards.

Original poster
VerityClinch · 18/03/2009 16:34

Apple&Blackberry

Was it this one?

OP posts:
Anglepoise · 18/03/2009 16:36

Poang tend to go for about a tenner on ebay

giantkatestacks · 18/03/2009 16:41

I would disagree about the Poang but then I've got a long baby and she kicks at the arms and squirms about.

All you really need is a good feeding cushion imo. My dcs have loved one of mine with a fleecy cover.

ChocOrange05 · 18/03/2009 17:38

I have the Cossato gliding one (and footstool but footstool is not necessary) and its very comfy - I use it for night feeds and can rest my head too. Normal chairs plus cushions are ok but I do get a bad back and find my nursing chair the best place to BF. Have a look on Nappy Valley as there are some second hand ones on there, we bought ours second hand from gumtree. HTH

ChairmumMiaow · 18/03/2009 19:36

We had poang too, and generally it has been great. For about the first 6 months it was comfy with DS on a standard argos BF cushion, then we had a period where the wooden arms were a problem as DS was too high up on the cushion and bashed his head. It seems fine now though, he seems to rest comfortably on my arm when we do use it.

tassisssss · 18/03/2009 19:37

i got a glider one for about £40 on ebay and I LOVE it. absolutely not necessary, but very nice!

EffieB · 18/03/2009 22:53

I don't think you need one necessarily but I got one and it's been really nice. Just puts you in the right position so you don't have to faff around with cushions etc.. You can get them fairly cheaply on ebay and then just sell it on when you're done. Agree they're pretty ugly but oh so very comfortable when you're sat feeding for hrs and hrs each day........

mrsgboring · 18/03/2009 22:59

If you have large breasts you may find the rugby ball hold easier at first (this is definitely not always the case but was for me). In which case, a chair doesn't really work as you need a sofa with a pile of pillows to put the baby on by your side.

I would have struggled to put my feet up and still have enough back support, personally.

My best breastfeeding furniture was a footstool on wheels, not for my feet but for all the stuff I wanted - books, tissues, food, phone, TV remote etc. I couldn't reach to lean over the whole table without unlatching DS, but because footstool was on wheels I could hook my feet underneath it and turn it round to get stuff off each edge.

AppleAndBlackberry · 19/03/2009 09:22

Yes - it is that one Verity. I just thought if it's designed for the job and it's the same price as a normal small armchair it would be worth getting that one.

leothelioness · 19/03/2009 09:26

I have the chair that tigger mentioned too but you really don't need a special chair to BF we had had this one for a few years pre ds and no foot stool. IF you want one however and can afford it get one they do seem rather comfy, I tried my SIL's a few times

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