Rocker??

I would suggest a rocker recliner. We happened to have 2 so I put one in the baby's room and since he had chronic ear infections we would both sleep in it a lot.

I have both and use my recliner far more than the rocker. And if you and baby both fall asleep no biggie. You are BOTH comfortable.
Hope that helps!

I loved my glider... however the wood arms are miserable. I would strongly reccomend investing in one with padded arms. I learned my lesson the hard way. No pun intended. :)

Hey M.,

I just had my first child in February and I thought I was going to want a Rocker for my daughter and I... but also didn't want to be cluttered in her room. I had one on my registry, but didn't get it... got tons of gift cards, but used it on things we needed more. I have to say I find plopping on the couch works just as well for me... I often even breast feed her sitting on my bed. However, this is one of those things you need to way as a want or need item I think to help you decide. It would probably be really nice to have one, but I don't know it's a must have to survive. Good luck deciding what is best for you and your new arrival!!

C.

if your recliner rocks your covered! that money could be used on much needed items!

Recliners are nice since you can rock and then if the baby goes to sleep and you don't want to disturb them you can just kick your feet up and snooze right along with them! If you already have a recliner I don't think you need to run out and buy a rocking chair. I have both but seldom use my rocker.

If you can't get a rocker/recliner (one that does both) then get a rocker and a sling, because you'll most likely be walking all over trying to get enough motion to get the baby calm and asleep. In a recliner, you can relax when baby is asleep and catch a little nap yourself! (necessary)

A recliner will be fine. You don't even need that, a couch works too.

Totally get a rocker. I didn't have one for my first and did have one for my second. Awesome difference. Just make sure that you feel comfortable in it. Some rockers will sit forward when you sit in them. They aren't great for rocking or nursing. Just make sure to sit in it and really try it out before purchsing.

Rocking chair that reclines is what you need. The Rocking chair is great for gentle rocking the fussy baby, but the recliner part is great for the night time feedings when you can not sit up, but don't want to feed in bed (hint: don't feed in bed, it starts very bad habits). The recliner is great to get comfy in and lets you dose while baby eats without the kink in the neck from sitting up.

We bought a middle of the road (price wise) rocker with a foot rest that rocks with the rocker. I have to admit after two kids, I have used it several times a day for 3 years now. I couldn't imagine life without it. My first child was a pretty bad sleeper in the beginning. He had his days and nights confused as well as he wasn't getting enough to eat, so he was up every two hours for months. I would recline and take a cat nap in there while breastfeeding. It is worth it!

I had a baby 6 months ago and we use our rocker all the time. I don't think it is a necessity, but it definitely helps! I think that babies like that rocking movement, it seems to help get them to sleep. Congratulations!

We elected to not use a rocking chair because when you're breastfeeding, they say to not rock your baby or he/she will certainly fall asleep. If you can find a rocker that locks as a stable chair, that would be ideal.

The idea with feeding a newborn is to keep them awake through the feeding so they get enough to eat. Rocking will put a baby to sleep. So, we moved a very comfortable oversized leather chair from the living room set into her room before she was born, complete with ottoman. If I would have had a recliner, I would have used that instead. There were nights where I actually fell asleep in the chair and woke up with kinks in my neck, etc. A rocker would have given me the same problem.

However, once we hit the 6-9 month mark, a rocker would have been very nice to have. I still use the leather chair and make the rocking motion myself when needed. There have been some situations where I could see the benefit of having a rocker but I've never regretted not getting one.

My husband and I were just talking about how in the beginning, you need such specific things but it turns out you don't need them for very long. If you have a comfy chair from another part of your house that you can use instead without spending the money, I would recommend doing that instead. I think a rocker is definitely something you can go without.

A rocker for sure!! I loved my rocker, nursing and rocking. The motion of the rocker really soothes a colicky baby and it worked to soothe me, too, with a crying baby. And it is fun. The rocking motion is good for children's sensory motor development, too. That's why swings are so universally liked by children.

My mother-in-law had the rocker she used with my husband and we have that one now, too.

I've found my rocker to be a must!! It's great to be able to rock the baby and not be on your feet. Both my boys have loved to be in motion to settle down. If you have to get one or the other, go with the rocker!

If you've got money, look into rocking recliners! We've got a glider rocker from when I was pregnant-the company sent 2 to my mom instead of the 1 she ordered & they didn't have it on their books so they couldn't take it back. Score! I got one too! I've still got it. It's got wooden arms so it wasn't the most comfortable thing, but hey, for free I made it work! We've got a loveseat in our living room that has 2 rocking recliners-works great!
If you can't afford new furniture at all, look around for a "boyfriend pillow". (sorry, I don't know how to do HTML) http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-... I would lay on one of the "arms" to nurse in bed, or I could lug it to the couch to lean against it to nurse. We had a headboard w/shelves so it came in very handy when I needed to sit up in bed.

You just need a comfy place to sit and nurse the baby!

Ohhh welcome to the world of you and your baby. Truth is, you could get one and love it, or you could get one and watch it collect dust. I have one, and use it. Others have one and never do. It's just to taste, You'll just have to find out if you're a rocker or not. Hows that! :D Now, you'll get to find out whether your baby is a swinger, or not. ;D

I got a used glider and LOVE it... I didn't use it much at first and thought what a waste, but as soon as my little girl was around 2 months I used it ALL the time. Especially when she moved into her own room! I was my favorite time with her and still is. She is past the rocking to feed/sleep stage since she is almost a year, but the glider is still in her room and when I sit in it she comes over and wants to snuggle and cuddle with me while we glide.
Rockers are good, but something about the motion of the glider is just magic! I also recommend the foot stool that glides as well :)

We got a nursery glider, and I hardly used it in the early stages. It was much more comfortable to nurse in our big upholstered arm chair with the big ottoman. I suppose the big fancy arm-chair style glider might have been nice, but $$$! The other thing for me was that the rocking action wasn't really what I needed to soothe my baby. We had a lot of success with the "Happiest Baby on the Block" methods, so more bouncing than rocking. (An exercise ball was really helpful at one point for that!) It is nice to have a chair in my daughter's room - she's 2 now. I do now rock her in it some, and I suppose there were some late nights when I settled into it. If I could do it again and spend more money, I'd get the big arm chair glider. Oh and an ottoman that is either stationary or can lock would have been nice! Oh - and people often get gliders instead of rockers because they don't crush little fingers as easily! Good luck, mama!

I didn't really use my rocker when my kids were babies. But when they got older I loved it to cuddle with them and read books to them. My husband suggested getting rid of it with our 5th baby! What a preposterous idea! That will never happen as long as I'm still having babies. My only regret is not getting one a bit more stylish and neutral to go with all bedroom decor.

I used a rocking recliner with my last child and I liked it far more than a regular rocking chair. It still rocks, but it is much more comfortable, it is easier to rest your arms while holding or nursing the baby, and it reclines so you can take a nap while holding him if you need to. Given the choice, I would go with the recliner hands down.

I never had either of those, and I had three children. I also found baby monitors to be rather pointless. I also didn't worry about whether they slept on sides/back/stomach. I didn't obsess about which types of food they ate at what age, and whether they hit their developmental milestones in the proper order, ahead of all my friends' kids. :)

I totally suggest having fun with this time of your life!

I spent my last two months of pregnancy sleeping in the big, soft recliner by hubby bought me before my son was born. I also found it very conveient for those late night constant feedings (he was a loud eater and kept my poor light-sleeping hubby up, so I would often go out to the couch/recliner)...I would just put a pillow under my arm to "craddle" my son's head and keep from killing my arm and he and I would fall asleep there as he nursed! I would highly suggest it. I did have a glider too, but I didn't use that much for my son...not as comfy as the recliner for falling asleep, but I have put it downstairs in the cool of the basement in anticipation of using it more when my #2 is born in Aug as the recliner is upstairs where there is no AC!

Yes I totally believe so. I would recommend a recliner over the rocker just because they are more comftrable and are safer as the child gets older. Gliders can trap fingers and rockers can tip but you will want something in the room for all those late night interuptions. Then you stay in the child's room and don't get in a habit of bringing them to your cause you are tired. Even during the day for feedings. It is quiet and private and their space.

ROCKING RECLINER!! You will use it often and become a special place for you and yours!

I bought a Glider before having my baby, thinking that it would be a necessity. Well TBH I have never actually really sat in it still and my baby is not 7 mos old. I guess I pictured myself being up with him in the rocker in the middle of the night feeding him and trying to get him back to sleep but in the end it just didn't work out like that because I found it was much nicer to just feed him and do that in bed where I was nice and cozy. If you plan on breastfeeding you can do it laying down and its MUCH nicer then in any rocker or glider. However, for day feedings its nice to have a comfortable chair with armrests, but once again, I found myself sitting in bed with pillows behind me and using the boppy pillow. So all in all its up to you whether or not you get a glider. I DO highly recommend getting a boppy pillow - I couldn't have made it without mine for the forst 4 months or so!

I bought a glider and loved it. At bedtime I sat and rocked my kids, even as they got older. Just make sure that it is sized right for your body. I am very short (5 feet tall) and the first rocking chair, that I inherited, was too long in the seat. I couldn't sit up straight and rest my back against the back at the same time without putting a pillow behind me (hassle for the pillow, backache without). So test-sit any chairs you're thinking about buying.
Note on the recliner - it's not so convenient to recline while holding/nursing/feeding/ect your baby. Just keep that in mind when making a decision

Speaking as a grandma, I'd say that although a recliner is wonderfully relaxing, you might find a rocking chair a great thing to have! It's that rocking motion that seems often to soothe children. Can you get that with a recliner? Not in the ones I've seen. One of your mom friends might have a rocker you could borrow for a while. You could get hooked on it.

When my first son was born we bought a Dutalier rocker and ottomon. It is a glider rocker and is one of our favorite chairs in the whole house. Even now that my youngest is 3 we still will sit in that chair to watch tv and relax. Dutalier is a little more expensive but are a great company and ours has held up for 10 years and is still great.

We also have a Lazy Boy rocker recliner but I find it is a little to big to rock in, but it is great for sleeping in. Which I did with my oldest when he was little.

Anyway good luck with your choice I would definetely go for the rocker if you can afford a good quality one.

We used a rocker glider for our first three babies (you can put your feet up if needed if you buy the foot rest, but with out the foot rest have a good rocking motion), and then we moved out of the country just after my third child was born, and didn't have one there. I missed rocking my baby so much!!! I would sometimes stand in her room with her at bedtime and rock her as I sang to her so she would feel that rocking motion(before I put her in bed). That is all she had. Now that we are back I still try to rock her as much as possible: reading books, etc. (Even though she just turned three) it is such a special time for you and your baby. So, my advice is FOR SURE get some kind of chair that has a GOOD rocking motion...you will not regret it!!

I loooooooooooooooooooove my Lazy Boy recliner! I'm sure a rocking chair would work fine also, but they aren't as padded and comfortable (you want something with a high back so you can rest your head). Also, when nursing, I really liked the wide arms because they helped hold the "boppy" pillow in place. :-) Good luck and congratulations!

I think that a recliner will do, what you really need is a chair that is comfortable for you to nurse while sitting in, it should have good arm rests and not be too hard for you to rock in, if your recliner works for you then use it. if not a glider rocker may be best. Congrats on your baby!

If you have a recliner, you'll be fine. We just used it. If you do decide to go with a rocker, I like the gliders with the ottoman that also glides. The good ones are expensive and the cheap ones can really make your back hurt, so you want to try them before you buy them. Congratulations!

every baby is different in what it takes to soothe them and you won't know until you try. having had one colicky baby, i say have as many tools on hand as possible to guard against those nights when the baby seems impossible to soothe. then whatever you don't end up using can be saved for another baby or given away/sold. you can just rock your body while sitting in any chair, but that can be tiring. i would get a rocking chair at a yard sale or thrift store (make sure it doesn't squeak because that can be really annoying when you're sleep deprived). this way you don't invest too much money in case you don't end up using it much, but you have it on hand in case your baby ends up responding well to rocking.

A rocker is nice, but not necessary. If your recliner is a rocker as well, all the better. The big issue with a recliner is getting out of it once the baby is asleep. It's easier to get up out of a rocker but a recliner is more comfortable should you have to spend the night there.
Personally, I prefer a rocker/recliner.

I got a glider rocker when I was pregnant with my daughter and loved every second of it, it was even more exciting to have it with my second. Just sitting with them at night, feeding and slowly rocking was so wonderful. I used it when they were toddlers and having a bad dream, to when they weren't feeling well and just for relaxing comfort for us both! My son would crash in a second if I had him all snuggled in and slowly rocked him with the music box on, I loved that time! Not sure if that answers your question, but it was truly well used for several years and worth every penny!

As long as you have something that rocks you should be fine.

Hi M.!

I LOVE my rocker my daughter is 8mts old and we use it everyday day for naps and every night before bedtime. I got mine from Babies R Us. I made sure to get one that came with an ottoman as well and I am forever greatful. There have been and still are many afternoons and many nights that I fall asleep in it with her because she will sometime only sleep if I'm holding her. So my thoughts are YES YES YES on the rocker!

I loved having a rocker. It was so relaxing for both my baby and I each time we sat down and cuddled. Mine is for sale if you want to check it out! You can email me at ____@____.com. J.

it will largely depend on your baby- and how he/she likes being soothed. (and how you soothe him/her) Walmart and shopko usually carry rockers that are about $90 if the recliner seems to not do the trick after you give birth. another option is an exercise ball- sitting on it while holding your baby and bouncing lightly really works well- both to soothe a crying baby and get them to burp :). the ball runs you about $8 at walmart or wherever. I'd suggest trying the ball first because it's cheaper. good luck! (oh- other tips about the ball is that it's great to sit on when you're getting really far into your pregnancy because it relieves some discomfort on your back and it helps you sit up a little straighter when all you want to do is slouch and not be uncomfortable from being preggo. the only downside is that it doesn't really "put away" easily- you just have to keep it out and inflated)