Guide to Chairs for Nursery

Preparing for the arrival of a new baby whether it is your first or your fifth is both exciting and nerve-wracking. As many seasoned parents know, your ability to control anything in your environment will greatly diminish once there is a baby in your life, so in the final months of your pregnancy it’s only natural to want to put everything in place for baby’s arrival. As you inch closer to your due date, the impulse to start nesting becomes more and more powerful.

Luckily, the integral components to creating successful nursery are pretty much the same across the board. You need a place for baby to sleep, a place to change diapers, and a nice comfortable chair.

The functions of both the crib or bassinet and the changing table are incredibly straight-forward. But what about the chair? Believe it or not, the nursery chair will serve many purposes throughout the course of your first year with baby and beyond. As you are shopping for a chair for your nursery, there are several things to take into consideration before ultimately choosing the right one:

Soothing

There’s a reason that ideal chairs for a nursery all allow for some type of movement, whether it’s rocking back and forth, or gliding from side to side. Most babies love movement since they spent nine cozy months in your womb as you walked around, exercised, and even danced! Dr. Harvey Karp, author of the best-selling book The Happiest Baby on the Block, says that there are many benefits to movement for crying babies and the rocking or gliding motion can help to soothe a fussy little one.

Choosing a rocking chair for nursery use is a classic choice. Rocking chairs date back to the early 18th century and were originally designed with mother and child in mind. Rocking chairs are typically made of wood and, if you have inherited a family heirloom, it’s important to add plush cushioning to your rocking chair for maximum comfort. Newer rocking chair models are built with comfort in mind and usually have lots of padding to allow for hours of potential soothing without sacrificing your own relaxation.

A glider chair for a nursery is a more contemporary choice, as the first patent for the glider chair can be traced back to 1939. They were built with the intention of improving upon the rocking chair. Glider chairs have an enclosed metal frame that allow for smooth rocking motions, or gliding. Gliders are now a very popular choice for nurseries, especially since they don’t have exposed pinch points that can be potentially harmful to older babies and pets.

Feeding

Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, babies are hungry seemingly round the clock for the first few months. This is why it’s very important that you choose a comfortable chair. In addition to being soft and cushioned, choosing a rocking chair for your nursery that is a bit wider than a standard chair and one that has arms will keep both moms and dads feeling better through late night feedings.

Back pain is typical for new parents, especially moms who choose to breastfeed, due to poor posture during regular feedings and the weight of the new baby. Choosing a glider chair or rocking chair that has some extra width will allow you to continue to reposition yourself throughout feedings to find the most comfortable position and take stress off of your back. Similarly, choosing a nursery rocker or nursery glider with arms will provide extra support for your body while holding baby for feedings. Sitting in a position with your arms supported minimizes the strain on your upper back, shoulders, and neck, protecting your body from aches and pains.

If you feel as though you really need some additional support to help your body withstand bi-hourly feedings, consider choosing a glider chair or rocking chair that also comes with a matching ottoman.

Longevity

Choosing furniture that can grow and evolve as your baby grows can be an important factor in picking the best chair for a nursery. A lot of baby furniture is designed only with baby in mind, so you are forced to buy another piece of furniture when baby becomes a child and it’s time to upgrade. There are pieces of furniture, however, that are made with baby in mind but also have an air of sophistication.

Some of the best glider chairs for a nursery can also double as living room chairs when you are done using it for baby or can become accent furniture as your little one grows. Taking longevity into account might also help you choose a fabric for your nursery chair, as many of them are available in “non-baby” fabrics such as leather. And don’t forget to consider colour when purchasing a chair for your nursery white being the most difficult to remove stains from and darker colours having a little more versatility when it comes to hiding dirt.

All in all, remember to look for:

• Rocker or glider to provide movement
• Soft cushions
• Extra width
• Chair with arms
• Darker fabrics

When all is said and done, the hours and hours of snuggles that you will no doubt receive while sitting in your nursery chair will be what you remember most.