Do I need a glider at all?
We were about to buy a glider, and my mom recommended against it.
She said that she just liked to sit on the couch (and watch TV...which I'm hoping to largely avoid while nursing but we'll see), and that I would be bored on a glider, alone in the nursery, and that I would never use it. Also, she said I might want to breastfeed in bed--not sure if I will or not (husband would probably prefer not!). This got me nervous because the glider I'm considering is expensive, and I don't want to buy it and not use it!
On the other hand, it seems like I might want a glider. My nursery is not near the couch/living room so it might be a hassle to bring the baby downstairs, and I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to nurse on the couch. I also have an old rocking chair or some other chairs I could use, but I'm not sure how comfortable those would be for long periods of time.
Any recommendations for whether a glider is really needed and whether you actually used it?
Re: Do I need a glider at all?
I have loved our glider! We are about to move it back to the living room for nursing the new baby. We have literally used it almost every day since our son was born.
Sometimes rocking my DS in the glider while nursing was the only way to get him to sleep! Something about the movement is very calming!
If you buy one make sure to get a good one. We bought one from Wal Mart when I my daughter was a baby. It was the biggest piece of junk, it had 5 metal squiggly bars under the cushion. These were supposed to hold up your weight but the problem was they were held on by staples. The stupid thing fell apart, my husband tried to fix it but finally it went to the curb.
Now I have an antique rocking chair that belonged to my grandma.. very comfy.
I could not have lived without my glider! Once DD was in her crib in her room we did all our nighttime feedings there. I do recommend sitting in yours and making sure your comfy. Our is borderline, those long nights of cluster feedings could get pretty uncomfortable after awhile. Overall though I loved ours, and like I said I could not have done without it.
Also getting up and turning on the t.v. to nurse is going to be very distracting for your LO and for you. It will make it harder for you both to return to sleep. When you nurse at night you should try to keep it low light (if any at all) so you both can easily go back to sleep when you're done.
I'm an FTM but I got a glider for some of the same reasons as you. Our bedroom and nursery are both upstairs, while the living room is downstairs. I know I am not going to want to bring DD downstairs in the middle of the night to BF. I don't know how comfortable it would be to BF on the couch either. I am short so I had a hard time finding a glider that I could sit in comfortably with my feet on the floor at times when I don't want to use the ottoman (which is something I can't do on the couch).
I also feel like it will be nice to have to rock her to sleep, read to her, etc.
I think I kind of fall in the "need one" category.
I had a really nice expensive glider from BRU and I used it daily. Multiple times a day. Not just for feedings before naps, but during the night when LO just needed soothing, and even now that my LO is almost 3. It's great for story time and he just sits in it himself and plays. Having said all that, I know I would have been fine without it. You can make just about anything work!
I have an old rocker and yes, I used it all. the. time. We still use it nightly at bed time. I think I will get a nice glider for this one's room because the rocker isn't quite as comfortable as the gliders are.
We also have the same set up as one of PPs who has bedrooms upstairs and living room downstairs. I wouldn't have wanted to move the baby in the middle of the night, anyway - you want to disrupt them (and you) as little as possible so both of you don't end up wide awake and then have a harder time going back to sleep.
We have one in DS's, who is almost 21 months, and we still use it every day. It's part of our bedtime routine of cuddling and stories. Plus, he likes to sit in it and "read" books homself. I didn't use it much until he started sleeping in his room, but it's been invaluable. We got a cheapie and it's on it's last leg. I plan on getting a new nice one for DD.
Get one! Like PP said, it's not just for nursing. And not just for middle of the night. The glider we have has been a life saver for the last 8 years! We even got an additional one for our room because one wasn't enough.
I absolutely LOVE my glider. I didn't nurse my DD in her room often when she was a newborn. But once she started sleeping in her room, it's all I've used. Think about the 3-5x a night he/she will wake up... You will want somewhere comfy to hold the baby.
I have a Dutailier Reclining Glider. It's super comfy.
It doesn't have to be a glider. It can be a cozy chair. Just as long as the nursery has some comfy place to sit.
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I am so glad you asked this question! I was in the same boat: wondering if a glider was a real "need" or not. I didn't want to spend the money just because it looked nice in the store and them have it sit unused.
But, these comments have really helped me see how other moms have used their rockers. So glad I stopped to read this tonight.
I had a glider hand me down and used it a lot, particulary at night because I bottle fed her (EP). But I also feed DD on the couch as well during the day.
However I think you should be fine with a rocking chair if you already own it.
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