Breastfeeding posture: The importance of selecting a comfortable nursing chair
Breastfeed in comfort and style with the perfect nursing chair.
Breastfeeding mothers will spend countless hours sitting down, feeding their babies. On average, most exclusively breastfed babies will feed about every two to four hours and, at times, possibly every hour.
For all these hours spent breastfeeding, having somewhere comfortable and supportive to sit is invaluable. When choosing a nursing chair, La-Z-Boy recliners are the perfect choice!
Not only will they offer you a comfy place to feed your baby but a rocking recliner from La-Z-Boy will also help send your little one off to sleep. What’s better – is that as your child grows, your recliner will become a place to read, snuggle and share life’s special moments. Now that’s comforting.
Choose a chair that will offer your body comfort and support.
Tips to make breastfeeding easier
In addition to the perfect nursing chair, ensuring you have the correct posture for breastfeeding is key.
The following tips will help make your breastfeeding experience as comfortable as possible.
1. Baby to breast, not breast to baby
Place your feet flat on the floor, with your butt into the back of the breastfeeding chair or couch.
2. Invest in a good chair
You’ll be spending plenty of hours nursing so you’ll want somewhere supportive to sit.
3. Set up a feeding station
Ensure you have a water bottle, snack, book, phone, TV remote, nipple cream in easy reach.
4. Use pillows to support your baby
A breastfeeding pillow (or two!) will help support your back or arms after baby is latched.
5. Try different breastfeeding positions
Avoid putting the strain on one group of muscles by feeding in different positions – try cradle, football hold, koala hold, cross cradle, reclined and side lying. Varied positions may also help with blocked milk ducts.
6. Be aware of your posture when feeding
Don’t slouch or lean to one side. Sit equally on your sitting bones.
7. Stretch and move between feeds
Some gentle, low-impact stretches will help open up the chest and reduce pain in the back, neck and shoulders.
8. Be versatile when you’re out and about
Ensure you’re as comfortable as possible when you’re breastfeeding away from home. Ask to switch positions with friends in a café for a more supportive seat and roll up your jumper or pram blanket to support your baby.
When breastfeeding, avoid being hunched over your baby. Instead, keep your back straight and bring your little one up to your breast.
When it comes to choosing the perfect nursing chair, there are several therapeutic benefits to rocking out on a La-Z-Boy recliner.
Stress relief – With a quality recliner, your back, shoulders, neck and legs are all supported. Your perfect nursery chair should relieve aches and pains with stress-free rocking, reclining, and relaxing.
Improved circulation – Check out recliners that can be lowered into weightless horizontal position. Your recliner should easily adjust into comfortable recline for improving circulation while nursing.
Reduce pain – It is normal for many new mums to experience some pain after childbirth and while adjusting to motherhood. Recliner chairs reduce pain by providing total body support in multiple positions. Adapt your recliner angle and nursery chair features to encourage physical movement that can reduce pain.
Recliner chairs can help reduce pain by providing total body support in multiple positions.
With so much to think about, and choices to narrow down, it’s worth comparing a few of our favourite recliners…
Rayna Rocker Recliner: Sleek style and comfort for nursing, reading, and relaxing, with a huge number of leather and fabric upholstery choices.
– Independent back recline, with or without the footrest
– Full body lumbar back support in 16 recline positions
Use the convenient handle on the outside arm of the Rayna to raise the legrest.
Anika Rocker Recliner: Sleek, elegant, and sophisticated, the Anika offers full body lumbar support in all 16 natural reclining comfort positions.
– Available in fabric or leather
– Manual adjustable headrest
– Independent back recline – recline with or without the use of the footrest
Eden Glideaway Recliner: Glideaway recliners are a popular nursing chair design, due to their ability to move in a soothing motion and still sit within a close proximity to the wall. The Eden is available in a huge number of fabric or leather choices, plus manual or power recline options.
– Recline fully, even while close to a wall or other obstacle
The Eden is the most popular design, within the La-Z-Boy range.
Finally, here’s a few helpful questions worth asking about your nursery recliner.
- If you are unsure of the recliner style to choose, it can be helpful to visit your retailer to test recliners out and ask questions. Keep the following in mind.
- Is the recliner easy to clean?
- Does the recliner have a locking mechanism?
- Does the recliner feel right against your neck, shoulders, and back?
- Does the recliner come with a good warranty for workmanship, materials, and mechanisms?
- Does the cushioning and padding provide the comfort and support you are looking for?
- Is it a rocker recliner, glideaway recliner, manual recliner, or electric power recliner?
Brought to you by La-Z-Boy.
