Chair and a Half Instead of a Rocker in Nusery?

Updated on August 05, 2014
J.M. asks from Doylestown, PA
20 answers

Would a chalr and a half with a large ottoman work in a nursery or do you think the chair definitely needs movement like a rocker/glider?

My daughter will be 8 soon, so I;ve been out of the breastfeeding stage for a lot of years and I hope to with my son. I forget if the motion is important. I think I'd be happier with a comfy chair, also it would be nice to have a chair that my 8 year old could squeeze in too and help read a story to her baby borhter occassionally.

So what are your thoughts?

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

Well, one of my kids was colicky and I literally rocked the rocker to death. Parts were falling out of it by the time that whole phase was over.
My daughter was a motion baby, too. My newer chair has been rocked to pieces as well.
My opinion is to get the motion. Perhaps a full sized rocker recliner might be the best compromise?

2 moms found this helpful
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P.R.

answers from Cleveland on

It might depend on the baby... I refused to spend the money on a glider with my first thinking it's a short term need and wouldn't be worth it. Boy did I regret it... So it might be hard to predict.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I actually never used the chair in the baby's room, and it was a shame because it was a nice, comfortable rocker/glider. I felt too isolated, I preferred to be in the living room with the husband, TV and cat, or at night, I liked nursing in my own bed :-)
But if you think you will use it get the one YOU like most, because the baby won't care one way or another!

3 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I went out and got a glider rocker for the nursery and never, ever used it. I mean, I was rarely ever at home to begin with, and when I was at home I didn't want to sit by myself and nurse the baby in the nursery, I wanted to be in the common areas of the house with other people, or in front of the tv. When I nursed my babies at night I took them to my bed. Anyway, the rocker was a total waste of money that was never used.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I had a glider and I loved it! I feel like a rocker is a *must have* when you have a baby. But after reading the other posts I guess it's a personal preference. I always felt like the time spent in the rocker with my daughters was very special time and the rocking motion made M. happy. I'm sure my daughters loved it too. Who is to say if it was being with M. or the motion of the rocker or both that was so special.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.K.

answers from Iowa City on

I "compromised" and used a leather La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner. Easy to clean, plenty wide, rocks or doesn't. I was able to use for sleeping after C-Section and still using it today in our family room.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from New York on

A chair and a half sounds like a good plan. You don't need to rock a baby. But I bet your 8 year old daughter will need to cuddle with mommy and her new brother! Congrats!!

2 moms found this helpful
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J.Y.

answers from Chicago on

I nursed all three of my kids for at least 2 years. My chair and a half was by far my favorite place to nurse.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.O.

answers from Dallas on

I would get a big comfy rocker or glider.

My husband's specialty is rocking babies to sleep while watching TV (then he usually J. reclines back they snooze together).

1 mom found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

I really liked having the glider. SHE only wanted to be in motion about half the time while nursing, but on rough nights when she needed to be held and in motion it was nice to be able to sit and rock instead of stand and bounce. Lol.

I have seen larger chairs/recliners that rock... Maybe something like that will work for you.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.M.

answers from Harrisburg on

I was a nursing failure...BUT the glider I bought for the nursery 18 years ago is now in our bedroom...and gets used nearly every day.

That said... we also have a chair and a half in our living room...and the kids and I spent HOURS and HOURS in it reading books when they were younger. It was perfect for the three of us.

So...I'm sure either would be fine. It's all personal preference.

Congrats and enjoy.

Updated

I was a nursing failure...BUT the glider I bought for the nursery 18 years ago is now in our bedroom...and gets used nearly every day.

That said... we also have a chair and a half in our living room...and the kids and I spent HOURS and HOURS in it reading books when they were younger. It was perfect for the three of us.

So...I'm sure either would be fine. It's all personal preference.

Congrats and enjoy.

1 mom found this helpful

I.X.

answers from Los Angeles on

I don't think the rocking motion is super important. The height of the arm for support is what I think matters most for nursing. If the nursery has room for a chair and a half, i think you could get more use out of it as a reading chair with your kids. My kids bedrooms have never been big enough for the large sized chairs, but if they were big enough, I would have done the same thing.

1 mom found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Some kids like the rocking and others don't, so I don't think it's the most important. I was J. with my 6 month old niece over the weekend, and she didn't want to be rocked, she preferred to be bounced while I was standing up...so I would have preferred a chair and a half. Our couches and chair in our living room are all chair and a half's, and I LOVE them...I'd go with that.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

If the child isn't rocked to sleep, I think a non-rocking chair works J. fine!

1 mom found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I J. bought a chair and a half for my son's room. He is 8 and we needed a chair we could still read stories in. His room isn't big enough for a love seat and reading on his bed was killing my back. I HATE HATE HATE gliders and rockers. They make M. nauseous. My son survived until now with a regular chair so I would say a rocker/glider is unnecessary. My son also never had a swing or one of those powered rocker/bouncer things either. There are some fabulous chair and a halfs out there - but none that are inexpensive.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.H.

answers from New York on

I had a rocker that I used at night for rocking to sleep and while breast feeding, but I also breast fed all over the house depending on the time of day (especially on one end of the couch where I could use the arm rest part to still get stuff done AND watch reruns of Magnum P.I. on A&E!).

So for us the motion was important for going to sleep, not the feeding. I also spent many hours on our porch swing for the same reason.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Buy what makes you comfortable. The glider was never really used for nursing but we do sit in it for story time. It wouldn't matter if it rocked or not for us.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.G.

answers from Rockford on

I had a rocker, but I never used it for nursing. When I nursed, I would either sit on the floor, or on the sofa.
I did rock my babies to sleep when he wasn't nursing though.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.O.

answers from Detroit on

I J. sat on the edge of my bed and it was not comfy, lol.
I used a nursing stool which helped if a kid didn't run off with it.

A rocker? I never even thought of that.

1 mom found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I think what ever you're comfortable with is fine. The baby will let you know if it wants movement. I do think the baby laying on your chest after burping will be the contact they need. Also if you have a large neck garment to sleep in the baby will get the skin contact they like too. So be sure the arms are comfortable for you. I hate to buy a chair then sit in it only to find my arms are not even touching the arms of the chair. I liked a rocker recliner because it was fully padded and had higher arms.

1 mom found this helpful
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