nursing chair?

[attached2mason]

When we had DS I had one of those wooden glider chairs and found it useless. This time I would like to make sure I have good, comfy, practical seating for nursing the babies.

What would you recommend?

We have considered a big rocker/recliner (lazyboy style), a smaller padded recliner with a footstool, or a just big upolstered chair with a footstool. What would you buy, if anything? Another option might be to not buy a chair at all and just use our couches (leather, cushy but not 'sink back in comfort type comfy) but buy a big footstool to put in place of our coffee table.

I know this seems like a silly detail compared to many questions one could ask about becoming a twin mama , but I would really appreciate some input!

[Shuli]

I have a lazy boy type that I bought when our boys were about 4 months old. Until then we lived in a tiny apartment and I used our couches, but I needed something in their room when we moved into our house. It was one of the best things I ever did. I could rock them in the middle of the night when they cried, I had a comfy place to nurse in case I fell asleep (which happened a LOT). I am now using it for our third baby and it is still in great condition. I nursed them both in that chair at the same time until they were about 18 months old and it only came out of their room when they went into beds last summer. I would recommend it.

[Julia'sMom]

I nurse them tandem on the couch and then go to my glider rocker to rock both of them. HOwever, I can see them outgrowing the rocker soon. I haven't figured out how to tandem nurse and rock at the same time. Good luck!

[CalaRei]

I have a glider, but can't use it for nursing both of them. To tandem, I need to sit one beside me, pull one onto my pillow, and then grab the one beside me onto the pillow. So far, that's only been possible on the bed or the couch. (And the couch needs to have fairly good back support, not "sinky" - so I think you'd be good.) Now that they're getting pretty big and have started getting some sitting skills, I'm thinking I might try to lose the pillow for a few sessions and see how that goes - hold them in a sort of "V" shape with them sitting on my lap. Then the glider might be good for daytime nursing.

I really wish we had the space/money for a "chair and a half" to put in their room, but that's just not to be. I think that'd be the best solution yet.

The nursing pillow really saved our relationship. (I have two, the EZ-2-Nurse, and a "Cudoozle" - the latter I use during the day on the couch, because it doesn't require a pillow behind my back.) I put it off for several weeks before finally caving, and it was worth the money several times over. I'd definitely suggest getting one sooner than later, and maybe taking it shopping with you when you look at furniture. See if you can sit down with the pillow, and not be worried about babes rolling off. See if you have room for a babe beside you to scoop up. That kind of thing.

Edited to add: I also nurse cross legged on the couch, so no coffee table/foot stool here. We pushed ours off to the side anyway, because we needed the room there for their bouncy seats.

[cdahlgrd]

I have a Lazy Boy and it was worth every penny. We actually loaded all 3 (when we only had 3) kids up to test out chairs. There are cheaper chairs, but some don't have very good warrenties or there are big gaps in the arm area when you recline (dangerous).

Now we have 4 kids and I can nurse and cuddle with everyone. Great for days when we all wake up toooooo early or when mama needs a nap. We put in a movie and cuddle while I doze.

I used a couple baby blankets to put under the twins' heads when they were small, so I didn't have to keep my arms under them. Worked great.

[Kikibell]

We just bought a large recliner. Well, it has a joint shower gift from some relatives. I wanted something to be able to hold them both and rock in. Right now it's DHs favorite seat but he knows it's mine once these babies come.

[attached2mason]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

[Llyra]

I needed a double-wide kinda seat to nurse both together. The EZ2 Nurse pillow was huge, plus I needed space on either side to lay each baby until I was positioned, before hefting each one onto the pillow; the space came in handy later when I wanted to slide sleeping babies off the pillow to (maybe!!!) sleep awhile off me before waking again.

So I would say that if your couch is pretty firm, not a sink-in kind of couch, that might be the way to go.

[Valerieg]

I used the glider for both singletons nightly so when I found out it was twins I knew I needed something bigger. We went out and bought a VERY large la-z-boy.

I've yet to use the large recliner though. It is simply too big for me to get comfortable. So, be careful, find something big enough for you to be comfortable with two on a nursing pillow but not so big it swallows you. Even a nursing stool wouldn't help, I'd need something larger like an ottoman, and I'm too small to put the recliner up and then get back down again!

So far I've found the most comfortable place to nurse is on my big comfy leather couch (and it is cushy). The boys are on the EZ2Nurse and my feet are often on the coffee table (though not always). I just find it is easier to get up from seated holding two babies when my feet can reach the floor. I do have a pillow behind me though.

Now I'm wishing I'd either bought a smaller recliner that fit me or a chair and a half (what I initially wanted anyway) for their room. I may actually ask my DH to move our smaller couch to their room and bring the recliner down. Overnight they're still in our room so I haven't had to use the recliner and I think the couch would work better.

I hope that helps. You really have to figure out what your space and budget can do first but remember your size, the size of the babies & nursing pillow, and the ability to get up. When I nurse in bed I cannot get up without assistance. It is too hard to get both babies off the nursing pillow and into the co-sleeper by myself. It'd be easier to do from the couch. FWIW.

[aja-belly]

i used one of those "chair and a half" recliners. i don't know that i ever used it reclined though so just a chair that size would have been fine. i did use it reclined while pregnant. ahhhh.