Breastfeeding

do I need a chair with arms?

Hi,

Possibly a dumb question. but i just took a breastfeeding class, and the instructor said you really need a chair with arms for the first few weeks. 

My rocking chair doesn't have arms! the only other option is a couch, or a chair with arms that does not rock (and is kind of hard to get out of, it's kind of like a bucket seat.)

What do you experienced BFers think?

THANKS!

Lilypie Second Birthday tickers

Re: do I need a chair with arms?

  • I think a chair with arms in helpful, but now my LO is too long for ours and he pushes against them with his legs, making him pull on me, ouch.  I think that I would DEFINITELY get a boppy or some type of nursing pillow for support.  LO will get heavy if they nurse for a long time.  Also, a footrest/ottoman has really helped me stay more comfortable and kept my bum from going numb on those marathon nursing sessions.  GL

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  • ibisibis member

    It's a matter of personal taste, but I would say no. I mostly nursed on the couch or in bed and didn't have a rocker at all.

    I'm fairly short and a lot of chairs have arms that are too high for me so I actually might not have wanted arms at all. Also, in the beginning if you are using a Boppy it takes up a lot of space and some chairs w/ arms would be too narrow.

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  • I like nursing on the couch or in bed better, actually.  My LO is also really long.  
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  • For the first couple of months, I needed a chair with arms.  Little babies take a long time to nurse and your arms may get tired.  I still prefer to nurse in our glider with armrests and a little pillow.  Boppys are good for nursing on the sofa on sitting up in bed.
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  • Helpful, but not a necessity.  
  • babies tend to hate anything touching their feet & will push against it as a newborn, so no, not necessary IMO.  I did enjoy the boppy & being able to set up pillows around myself on the couch for the first several weeks.  Arms just got in the way.
  • I nurse on the couch with my boppy. At night I do nurse her in the rocker in her room, which has arms but I don't feel like I need them.
  • great! thanks for all the advice. I got a bobby, so I think I'm set and DH will be happy that I don't want to buy a chair. (one less thing to worry about!)


    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers

  • I guess you don't NEED one... but I sure think they are nice... you can pile up all the pillows on your lap that you want- but you will still not have any support for your shoulders- which means that you will have tension in your body while you are nursing. 

    Shopping tip... when looking at rockers- many do have arm rest that are totally USELESS- sit in one and see if the arm rests even clear your thighs (cracker barrel rockers come to mind)   You want the arm rests to lift the weight of your shoulders off your ribs- you don't want to have to sit hunched just to find the resting point.

  • ToraniTorani member
    I did better in a chair with no arms and using a Boppy.  If you don't use a pillow, arms were VERY helpful so that my cradling arm did not get as tired.
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