Yes, rocking your baby is one of the sublime pleasures of life.. It makes a peaceful transition from activity to sleep and establishes a comforting routine. Also, read some nursery rhymes and sing some songs.

I definitely recommend having something that you can sit in with the baby for night-time feedings or for when the baby just needs to be held and helped to sleep (which will happen from time to time). The floor is never comfortable in those middle-of-the-night situations. I never understood the whole glider thing because you can't really transition a glider to another room for another use down the line (and they are so over-priced). That's why we opted with a simple and small rocker with our kids. We were able to move it to another room for another purpose once the kids were older.

for me personally, yes, a glider was a necessity. i used one with all 3 of my babies and i can't imagine not having it. i'll always cherish those times rocking my boys in that chair.

I personally lived in my glider, but the woman I bought mine from barely touched it. I would think where space is limited you could get away without one, but for feeding before and after sleeping, it's perfect, you don't need the ottoman for sure. If i did it again, i would go with an upholstered rocker. i really wanted an old fashioned rocker, but could not find a comfortable one.

well, both the other commenters said yes, and I would disagree. I bought a recliner to use with my first child and put it in the living room instead. We had a tiny nursery that didn't allow room for one. I loved the convenience of a piece of furniture that rocked when I needed it, but functioned more fully the rest of the time. If I ever had to nurse at night I did it lying in our bed, which was pretty comfortable for both of us!

I'm not a mother, but as a nanny to a newborn it was heaven. I know that when I do have my own children, I will have a glider (rocker's move around and back up to the wall). They are soooo relaxing and comfortable which is what everyone wants! :)

We had a comfy computer chair that rocked, so we just used that and when our son was little. Then it went back into the office when he aged out of it, easy.

Also, don't be so preoccupied about the appearance of the chair. It has a job to do and purpose, to provide coziness and comfort. Just like singing, even if you are the world's second worst, (I am the worst) sing and stimulate your baby's verbal development and enjoy the closeness. One day your child will tell you when to stop singing, so enjoy it while you can. Every stage goes by incredibly fast.

A comfortable place to sit is nice, be in rocker, chair, or bed. With my first I really liked having a comfortable place to nurse. He never needed rocking and just nursed to sleep. With my second, I nursed everywhere and anywhere, usually on the bed, and didn't really miss the chair. She really like the exercise ball a lot.

i'd say yes. or at least something comfortable to sit in! i loved rocking my kiddos until they were at least 18 months

I would say it's a necessity. We didn't like the conventional rocker/glider so we bought an antique metal rocking lawn chair which we had sandblasted and painted a cream color, then I then made a matching cushion. We LOVE this chair. It's lightweight and we can move it all around the room. Now that our guy is 2 we still use the rocker a few times a day for our many many storytimes. Sometimes I sit and enjoy my own book while the little one plays on the floor. When we no longer have a need for a rocker in his room, we will move it to the porch!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/my-room-frederickst-louis-ms-125858

Has much changed in the last three years?
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/good-questions-160-77917

As a mother of three boys (3 kids in three years), I would give a rocker/glider/comfy chair a big fat yes! The glider I used was not pretty (and I was very glad to kick it to the curb when I was done with it), but I got it used at a consignment store for practically pennies. As far as upholstered expensive rockers (aka Pottery Barn) that might would actually look OK in a living room- remember repeated projectile spit up stains are not as easy to remove as one would think...
The few things I think are a necessity for a rocker/glider are:
-ability to rest one's head on it for lots of late night feedings (that means the cute modernist rockers are out)
-Some sort of upholstered arms for comfy elbow resting
- Ottoman/stool of some sort.
Good luck!

I think it's nice to have but not a neccessity. I loved bouncing on the ball with my son but for middle of the night nursing having a cozy rocker was ideal. In the rocker with an ottoman I could sit back, prop up my feet and even close my eyes (if I could peel my eyes off my little bundle). On a ball that wouldn't be an option. We still use our rocker now for reading at bedtime and I think it's good looking enough to transition to another room. I agree that the gliders don't seem like they would be as easy to transition. A nice cozy chair would do just fine as well. We don't actually rock all that much...but that would be personal preference.

You need somewhere to sit. You will be spending a lot of time in there.

On the quest to get our oldest to sleep we tried the Rocker, Glider, and Pilates ball. We settled on Pilates ball. Less comfortable on the lower back but was the only thing that would calm him down. Best of luck.

A glider was passed on to me, and I am so grateful for it even after 20 months! We have a tiny nursery but I can't imagine not having the chair in it. It's where we read bedtime stories every night, and have a nurse and a cuddle first thing in the morning. And for those days where my little guy is not feeling well, being rocked to sleep in my arms is the best comfort. When we are done with it we will pass it along to someone else. It did not come with an ottoman, and we borrowed one for a time, but it was unnecessary and ended up acting as a table for the laundry basket.

I bought an upholstered one with my first child and we used it to nurse, to rock him, to read stories in, etc, for years. It's completely trashed now. For us it, was worth it. I bought a used one for my younger child because the first one was still in use in my older child's room. That glider is now on it's third home....and the mom thanks me for giving it to them.

Get one that is comfortable. I spend hours (day and night) in that thing.

I would say it's a definite! Especially if you will be nursing. Get something that would fit in with the rest of your house so you have the option of using it elsewhere, later. I used to even enjoy sitting in mine when I was pregnant as it was very relaxing, and I could daydream about the baby. Sadly, we are getting rid of ours today - I'm donating it to a family that takes in foster children. I'm sad to let it go, but it's time, and I'm glad it's going to a good home!

Yes. You should have a comfy chair, ideally one that you can fall asleep in and not wake up with a stiff neck. My son is 5 and we still constantly use the chair we bought for his nursery for reading and snuggling. We bought an upholstered glider armchair from a company called Best (based in Indiana, I think) and it's been worth every penny.

I also had a very small nursery and debated putting a chair in there. I think as long as you have a comfortable place to sit that's within easy reach of the nursery (i.e., you don't have to go up/downstairs just to sit down), it's not necessary. Most nights I sat on the couch with my daughter.

I like an exercise ball as much as the next gal, but if that had been my only seating option during late-night nursing or soothing sessions, I'd have zonked out and fallen off of it (holding the baby) more times than I can count! Nursery seating doesn't have to rock or glide necessarily, but it should be something you can sit in securely.

Also you could always bounce on the ball for comforting and soothing or even do it standing - do some swaying and little squats or even lunges. Then just have somewhere comfy to sit for nursing/feeding. Everyone is different but I don't remember rocking all that much during actual feeding times. And there came a time before bed that my son didn't like for us to sit down with him and rock...we had to stand and do little squats (good for mama's legs and butt!).

I don't have kids, nor have I even held a baby, but I love rocking chairs. They are so soothing. And I always forget this until I sit in one and can't help but rock and relax. I would imagine that they would be wonderful for getting little ones and sleep-deprived parents to drift off into dreamland. They are a simple luxury.

Not in a 100 sq ft. nursery. That could easily take up 10% of the room. Can you carve out a nook somewhere else in the apartment? They are great though.

I don't like the rocker for nursing but it was certainly useful when the baby is in a drowsy state to help him go to sleep. We have a nice looking old-fashioned rocker that is really UNcomfortable, and just recently, 6 months in, purchased the Poang chair for his nursery. I love it, it doesn't rock but it does bounce - similar to the ball, with much more support and comfort.

I could never find a good spot in either of our bedrooms for the glided, so it was added to the living room seating arrangement. So yes, you should have one, but no, not necessarily in the baby's room!

I never had one and my baby never depended on being rocked to fall asleep.

I love our glider... I lived in it for the early months (kept it in the living room) and still use it for story and snuggle time at 17 months (now in the nursery.)

As for price and appearance, we got ours used for $50 on Craigslist, and they come in all degrees of "ugliness." I think ours looks fine and plan to keep it indefinitely.

neither - I got myself a twin bed that I liked with a very comfortable mattress, gives you a good place to sleep when you are dead tired from feeding through the night.

Seems like a great idea to use a rocker to rock the child and soothe, but why cant you do that sitting in any regular chair?

For us, it was necessary. The comfy chair was great but the motion of the glider was better for my son. It's not pretty and while I'll miss the snuggles in the chair at bedtime, I won't be sad to see it go when the time comes.

I don't have kids but I do have a rocking chair. Mine was a gift to my mother when she went away to college and she rocked my sister and me in it when we were babies. It's one of my favorite pieces of furniture for reading or watching TV in (doesn't work so well for gaming, especially on the Wii) so it will have a life after the nursery if you like it.

Seems to me that it depends on if you're a rocker person or not. If you don't normally like them, skip it. If you do, then definitely pick one up and it will have a long life.

we don't have room, and my babies have survived with me sitting on the couch (the breastfeeding pillow doesn't fit on a chair well anyway)

A place to sit is nice: whatever works for you and your space. With our first, we had an old living room chair that I sat in to feed her the last feeding of the day, or when she was older, to sit in while reading her a bedtime story. With our second, her room doubles as our guest room so we sit on the guest bed.

We never used our rocker (a great looking Eames knock off) -- however the Swiss Ball got tons of use (she liked up-down motions than back and forth). I keep hoping all the bouncing toned my abs ;-). I used the ball at night and the couch during the day. The swiss ball is still used for crunches and is loved by my nieces and nephews (my daughter is too small still for that). I know this is sublimely unhelpful, but every kid is different. If you can, I would try borrowing a glider.

I just sat on the couch with my daughter for nursing. For reading we would sit in a lazy boy. We had a rocking chair but it wasn't very comfortable.

My mom bought me a giant, hideous la-z-boy. BEST CHAIR EVER. I lived in that thing. As I nursed my son, we would both easily and lazily drift off for naps in it...and it was perfect for rocking and cuddling him when he was sick or teething.

50% of the time i found my glider useful.i think my husband used it more. i found laying in bed for nursing much more convenient. also be careful of placement as the rocking motion did a number on our walls! we bought a dutalier (sp?) and it is well made, but unfortunately bought in off-white, so it is a mess and now just waiting to kick it to the curb. i wish i had put money into a piece that could have become an heirloom. c'est la vie!

second on the breastfeeding pillow--it didn't fit width of glider and also never got comfortable using it.it was just one more thing, now long gone. if you can do without both, i would and save the money. but it's up to you! you never know until you are on the other side, what you need and don't with a baby, especially first time around.

Ditto on the La-Z-Boy. Tried the glider for the first two, and then transitioned to the La-Z-Boy rocker recliner for #3. Once the baby becomes a toddler, the glider is still lovely, but not so functional or comfy. La-Z- Boys now come in smaller sizes and better looking designs. Don't write them off as the chair that only suits Grampa reading his paper...

Somewhere in the house, you need something that rocks. There will be days, the first cold for example, when your baby can't sleep unless you're holding and rocking him and won't stop crying unless you're holding and rocking him. Bouncing on the corner of the bed is a great workout, but you can't do it for 24 hours straight!

It really depends on the baby. I didn't have much use for mine with my 2nd baby, but it was a lifesaver with my 1st. Baby #3 is due this summer, and there will be a glider in her room. Just in case she's that kind of baby.

My baby girl had many, many earaches. Only when she was 3 did I learn from an ENT that rocking a child with an earache actually causes more pain. Sigh. I really thought I was soothing her.

I love my glider--a hand-me down from friends. We don't use it to rock our daughter at all, but it is a wonderful comfy chair to nurse in and read together. I barely used it for the first 6 months or so--I would nurse my daughter mostly in the family room or wherever. But then she started to get distracted by other things going on and would pop on and off, bite me, whatever. When I switched to only nursing in the chair, it became more peaceful and sweet. We still only nurse in the chair, and it has a feeling of a ritual about it now. I also think that has helped a lot in slow weaning (down to morning and night) because she doesn't expect that she can pull on my shirt during the day or wherever--if we don't go the chair, it doesn't happen. Good luck choosing what is right for you!

It largely depends on the baby. My first LOVED to be rocked in the glider, but my second preferred a baby swing that rocked her and played music.

I bought a sweet little rocker and nursing stool when pregnant and envisioned spending many hours there nestled with my baby. In 7 months, I think we've used it once. I didn't want a baby who had to rely on being rocked in the middle of the night (we side-lie nurse to get back to sleep) and we use our exercise/birth ball for nursing before naps, etc. In my 20 years of nannying for wee ones I never much used rockers either. We may use it in the future but I'm certainly happy that we didn't go out and spend a large chunk of change on a rocker!

My short answer would be no. My long answer is it depends. I think it is nice to have some seating option in the room, especially if you plan on having toys and books in the room

I used an IKEA POANG chair as my 'rocker'. I lived in it. Still do.

Neither my mom nor my aunt were rocked as children and to this day, they get motion sickness if they rock in a rocking chair or glider if they go for long periods. I would do it just so that the child can get used to the movement.

I originally bought a wooden rocking chair, but our house is from the 20's and has wood floors, and the rocker/floor combo was a nightmare, even with a rug.
Our baby came 2 months early, so she spent the first month of her life in the NICU.. She couldn't handle a lot of stimulation, but I noticed how much I loved the way the chairs they had in intensive care bounced gently without making her feel stressed out. They were essentially metal versions of the Poang Ikea chair, which I hated, but after coming to terms with the fact that it was after all for her and not me, I gave in. We use it 10+ times a day for nursing. I made a wooly cover for it that is a little more cozy, and for 70 dollars, you can't feel too bad if you never use it again.

Calderacraft points out a good thing. If you rock them to sleep, they will need to be rocked to sleep. As my Gram said, "3 times spoils a baby." And before you get all "you can't spoil a baby!" on me, relax - Gram was a baby-lover. Baby Whisperer said the same thing, but in more PC terms: "begin as you intend to go on."

We didn't have the money for the rocker we wanted, so we ended up purchasing the PELLO chair from Ikea ($49.99). It has a nice bounce to it, and you can partially rock back and forth. I used it for both of my children, and it honestly worked great! I nursed both daughter's in it, and would often wake up hours later because we both fell asleep (very comfortable). Here's the link: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70078463/
Good luck!

we use a rocker in our house, but that's largely because my mother-in-law was gracious enough to hand over a rocking chair that's been in the family since her grandfather built it, when the family was still living in Ireland. it's more of a craftsman issue to me, since I work with my hands and like the idea of building a rocking chair on your own and having that sense of heritage, but ive visited many a nursery that have gliders and they seem to do the job, more or less. just my two cents.

I received a glider/recliner (like a la-z-boy) which wound up in my living room after about 3 months. While it was - and still is - invaluable for those just-won't-sleep nights (they're coming!), story time and general fun time (yes, it spins too!), I wound up using the ottoman from the Ikea Poang in the room. The Poang chair doesn't work for me, but the ottoman was small and allowed me just the right height to hold him in my arms (the glider/recliners arms are too high) while he took his just before bed feeding. Added bonus, kiddo used it to pull himself up, climbed under it, and generally claimed it.

That said, either borrow something until you figure out what the little one likes, or buy something you love and would be happy with in another room. My recliner/glider is a beast (huge and bulky) and if it wasn't so incredibly soft and comfy I'd be passing it down to someone else. As it is, I can't get my husband or my son out of it. Also, don't bother to buy at a baby store, you can get the same thing for less ANYWHERE else.

A few other notes, please don't believe that the white washable slipcovers turn magically white. They don't. Plus, realize that whatever color fabric you get, something will get on it. Some sort of biohazard that stains. This is so not the time to buy designer fabric. Unless its for the slipcover you will put on in 24 months.

We didn't have room for a rocker/glider, but we have an AGEN rattan armchair from IKEA with a nice fat cushion in the seat and one for the back, and it's surprisingly comfy with these additions. It has a very small footprint compared to pretty much any other armchair. I'm really glad we have something to sit in for bedtime stories and for nighttime why-won't-you-sleep snuggling. I would recommend it if you're space constrained, but if you have enough space, then something that rocks would be nicer.

I bought a Craigslist rocker but it turned out to be uncomfortable for the reason a poster above mentioned - we live in a smallish 1920s ear place and it made a lot of noise and took up a lot of space, so I gave it away. If you buy a rocker, make sure you can sit in it for longer than a few minutes - ours was definitely not comfortable enough. More useful to us was the futon couch we put in my son's room - he far preferred falling asleep on it over falling asleep in his crib; he liked co-sleeping; and with me next to him, he didn't need any night time rocking.

In the above post, I meant "a smallish 1920s era place" not "a smallish 1920s ear place."

I would say no! I have a rocker in my 8 month old son's room. I have used it less than a dozen times. We are about to move into a smaller (1920's home) & the chair is probably not coming with us. All I am planning on putting in his new room is his crib, changing table & dresser. ...but we lay him down awake & he cries for just a minute & then falls asleep on his own.

I found it uncomfortable to sit upright and nurse in a rocker. I much preferred to lounge on a comfy chair, sofa, or spare bed. There are so many good nursing positions. I feel like a rocker limits what I can do.

We ended up using the ball in our living room way more often than the glider we picked up on Craigslist. I keep thinking we'll use the glider as he becomes a toddler who likes to sit longer for story time, but really, the couch is more comfy. I have never nursed in it, as we co-sleep or snuggle on the couch. It's the one thing we actually bought for baby (as opposed to collected as a hand-me-down) that we've hardly ever used.

For all of my kids I did not use/have a rocker, glider, or lounger.
I use my own body for the swaying or rocking or bouncing.
I use the existing furniture.
A rocker seems like a distant luxury that I will never obtain
mostly for space reasons as in the nursery doesn't have space
and where the heck would I put it later?
I don't feel like I have missed out because I don't have one or didn't
use one. I have quite enjoyed the bit of "exercise" I have gotten moving
my body to soothe all of my children to sleep. :)

Short answer is yes! My little girl's nursery is around 100 sq. ft. too (maybe even a little less) and we got a rocker/glider handed down to us for free. It's not one I would have picked, but it has been a must-have for feedings, reading, rocking to sleep, soothing a sick baby, pumping, etc. If I had to buy something, I would have picked something smaller and nicer looking, but you can't beat free! I only used the ottoman to set a laptop, Nook, or magazine on while I was pumping, which was really nice but could be skipped. There are other great ways to save space in a small nursery. Get a chair of some sort. Good luck!

I feel like this question gets discussed regularly on AT...maybe my imagination. But yeah, we love our rocker! Certainly not a "necessity," however. It's a preference thing that unfortunately you can't figure out before you have a child. (i.e., in what position will you prefer to feed your baby? If you have 2 kids, will you want to read stories to both at the same time? etc.) I use mine less with the 2nd baby than i did with the first.

As a tiny baby, my son loved to bounce (exercise ball), he didn't want anything to do with the rocker. Now that he is 9 months old, the big squishy rocker we have in his (110 sq ft) nursery is really nice for story time as well as bedtime/wake up feedings. It's so important to have a comfy place to sit, not only for nursing/soothing, but as the baby gets older for snuggles and story time. That said, the rocker is HUGE in his nursery, I expect it to move out when he transitions to a big kid bed. I bought one that is pretty neutral so it can be in the living area later.

Having someplace to sit with your baby while in the nursery is important, though it does not have to be a rocker. I've seen a lovely nursery for twins that had a love seat in it: big enough for both babies and one or both parents to share!

nope.

something comfortable to sit on in the middle of the night is a necessity. Babies love the movement as it is calming to them. I think a rocker is better if you want to be able to use it in another room later on. I would also recommend a foot stool.

I'd say no. You just need to find something that you are comfortable sitting in and feeding the baby. I already had an IKEA Poang chair and at first I found it awkward to breastfeed in because it meant that I had to lean back - breastfeeding for me was much easier sitting on a dining chair or even the couch with loads of pillows behind to prop me up! Once I got the hang of breastfeeding I could do it anywhere and any midnight feeds were done lying down in my bed with the baby alongside me...much easier when you are half asleep.

Here's a tip! Don't invest in everything before you have the baby...once you have it work out what you think you need that would make life easier. I stressed about getting the nursery ready only to find I moved everything into either my room or the living room and didn't use the baby room for the first 6 months!

We purchased a nice old wooden rocker (a lot like the one pictured) at a flea market for our nursery. I can not tell you how many hours I spent in that rocker cursing how uncomfortable it was. Get a cushy glider. You are going to spend countless hours in that thing, especially if you don't opt for the cry it out method.

I can't imagine not having a rocking chair when you have a small baby. I loved rocking my baby daughter to sleep. It felt so warm and cozy and intimate.

I had an old-fashioned wooden rocking chair that didn't take up a lot of space. I bought cushions for the seat and back and was perfectly comforable.

Our toddler is in a small room like this and we were able to fit in his crib, a dresser and a twin bed. That bed was a great idea because it was perfect for changing him on, nursing him, and just cuddling and reading books and having more room. And it's nice he'll be able to transition into that bed in another year or so. If you don't have room for a bed, then I would definitely get a comfy chair of some sort, esp if you are nursing. You just need that for nursing and comfort. I am not a fan of those gliders and would opt for a big plump chair you love that you can move to another room if/when needed for practicality sake. So my take - bed! And if not room, a great chair. Those moments of nursing or reading together are just the best! Good luck!

If you were down for a project, you could find an affordable rocker on craigslist, get rid of all the previous upholstery/foam,and put some fabric on it that works in the nursery but could easily transition into another area of your home or become a reading chair as the child grows. If the chair is a reasonable size, you could push it into a corner and then pull it more towards the center of the room when you don't need it. Alternatively, I found an old folding rocking chair at Goodwill that could fold up and be put in a corner once you're done. I think they used to be used for sewing or something.

From everything I've heard, it depends on your lifestyle and your baby. I'll be creating a nook out of 60 square feet (for twins) and I intend to have a glider. My mother is giving me an amazing antique glider that is pretty small, but now that I read comments about nursing pillows I'm getting pretty worried (twin pillows are even bigger!) Until they're bigger, I'm planning on saving space by getting Amby baby hammocks (http://www.babyhammocks.com/). They're hanging, so I should have a little storage space below them, and I intend to use it by storing items in baskets under each. By the time they need cribs I'm hoping we'll either be in a new house or find space for the glider somewhere else in our bedroom.

We did fine with an overstuffed chair.

Another vote for the lazy-boy rocker recliner. Even better if it's not in the baby's room, imho. I liked being where there was more company.

Nice to have, not a necessity. With my son, he didn't "need" one. He didn't need or liked to be to be rocked. With this new baby, who loves being rocked to sleep or just because, it would be a life (and back) saver. We don't have the space so no rocker here.

Any comfortable chair is good, but a rocking chair is best.

I don't think a rocking chair ir glider is necessary, but a seat of some sort is. If you will be taking up space with a seat anyway, why not make it a rocking chair? There are many comfortable, stylish, space saving rockers and gliders available!

I was hesitant about getting a glider when our first baby was born in April 2010, but we found one for next to nothing and I couldn't beat the price. We just moved the glider out of her room and into the new baby's room tonight (new baby coming in June) and I have to say, it broke my heart! I spent so much more time in that glider than I had anticipated, and the rocking and cuddling and singing and comforting was just as precious to me as it was to her. We bought a small couch (another great deal) to put in our older one's room, so we still get to cuddle, read stories, and sing lullabyes, but as I watched my husband drag the glider out of the room I got very choked up - although it helps to think about the new baby and all the rocking and snuggling still to come. I think when we're finished having kids, and they're all grown and gone, I'll have the glider in my bedroom and that's where I'll go when I miss them and want to feel close to them again.

Whether it's a glider, rocking chair, arm chair, etc....I say a soft, sweet, peaceful place to cuddle with your little one is a MUST. Good luck and ENJOY!!

My first baby would not nap unless she was either being rocked or walked in the stroller (but hey, she slept through the night at 4 weeks).

My second had colic and wanted to be rocked all the time.

Honestly, I don't know what we would have done without it.

We got (as a present from my dad) a Finnish MCM rocker -- the Lepo Moderno. It was custom covered in bright turquoise from Designer's Guild to match the bright turquoise painted Jenny Lind crib.

We still have it now -- in the living room because it is such a gorgeous piece.

It is supremely comfortable -- padded arms, high back, and wide enough to cuddle and read to both kids at the same time.

We still love it now.

Our son, now nine months old, never liked to be rocked. It's vitally important to have a comfy spot to feed and help little ones fall back asleep. Even though we have a rocker in his room, I found myself spending most nights sitting on the sofa. If you decide that you do want a rocker or glider - and I cannot stress this enough - find one that's comfortable. I don't mean to sit in; I mean getting in and out of. We picked a chair that was wonderful to sit in, but you couldn't get out of the darn thing with an infant in your arms.

Exercise ball? I am not sure that is the best idea for a new parent, especially a mother trying to learn to nurse and may run into nursing issues. My little one sleeps in our room (in a bassinet) and most feedings are done in bed, or the livingroom couch however as she is getting a bit older (almost 3 months) I find myself heading to her room and sitting on my glider (with matching ottoman that I think is a must) to rock and talk to her when she is unsettled. As teething is setting in she finds the rocking calming and it is easier on my back then walking around the house for a 1/2 hour! Don't worry about how it looks, buy a used one on craigs list and just plan to sell it once you are done with it. I stressed about trying to find a nice looking one I could actually afford and finally settled on one that was not that attractive but comfortable for me. I can't wait until she is a bit older and we start reading there before bed time.

One issue that nobody mentioned: the height of the chair. If you plan on not having a glider or rocker, make sure that the other seats in the room or the house fit three criterias:
- they are comfortable ! Obvious, but have you sat in a chair for two hours ?
- they are on the same floor as the nursery. Believe me, I live in a house full of stairs (3 levels), and you'll be tired, so don't plan on nursing in a different floor at night.
- Check that the chairs you already have are not too low. Getting in and out of a low couch with a baby in the arms isn't that easy, even more if you have a nursing pillow or other stuff in the hands.

We got a good one-perso sofa at Ikea. It slightly rocked (it is now discontinued), but the main attraction was that it was large and could easily fit two of us while nursing or reading a story.

On a side note, I also agree with the comments that say "don't rock your child to sleep unless you plan on doing it for a very long time". I loved having my son in my arms, I sang, I rocked a lot and did an insane amount of kissing and playing, but never when he was falling asleep. Sleep is something you do in a bed (crib or whatever); if he had trouble falling asleep, I could lay beside him or sing songs, but he wasn't in my arms (unless he was sick, but then it's another story altogether). He quickly learned to fall asleep alone, and still got a huge amount of hugs and kisses.

As many posters have commented, it depends on your child, my daughter (13 months) still likes a little rocking before bed. I think you should have some time of seating.
I resisted the glider rocker through most of my pregnancy, my husband really wanted one. We agreed upon this one: http://www.besthf.com/best/Furniture/Glider-Rockers/items/MANTOVA - it matched the espresso furniture in the room and had a more contemporary look. I love it, the chair is comfortable, easy to get out of and the arms hold up my nursing pillow. We didn't opt for the ottoman, I just have a nursing stool. For kid #2 I want the ottoman, especially for the early weeks when you seem to spend all of your time nursing and rocking.

I think it might be more essential if you're breastfeeding. You'll spend some long hours in that chair. I was considering an attractive chair vs. a glider and a friend convinced me that I really wanted something comfy, tall enough to rest my head in the middle of the night. I'm so glad I listened. It may seems silly to have an ugly chair that you'll only use for a few years, but those are LONG years in the middle of the night (even if they go fast). We got a glider off of Craigslist, so it wasn't a huge expense.

For rocking to sleep, I used a pilates ball or did squats and lunges with my son and good old fashioned standing around. A year later and a baby that is hard to get to sleep, a rocking chair of any size would have been useless to us for other rooms if large and if small would outgrow it's purpose as soon as your baby grew longer than the side of the arms of your chair-which I found uncomfortable for BF anyway. However, because I was BF, it was essential to have a chair and a comfortable one at that, for getting in and out of with a sleeping or growing baby. I recommend one without arms and once you can repurpose or reupholster for later use.

My biggest splurge when my first child was born was a glider. It fit me and I loved the fabric. I used it with both my kids and found it comfortable day or night. More than once I spent most of the night in its reclined position and my sleep was ok those nights. Now, it's a terrific family room chair and even though my kids are 4 and 7, I still use it to rock them when they are sick, hurt or upset. MY BEST BABY PURCHASE.

Some babies love to be rocked, some don't. We stopped rocking early on, before it became a sleeping crutch for our little one -- As the baby whisperer says, "start as you mean to go on." We still love our rocker though -- My little guy loves to sit in it and be rocked on his own. We sit in it each night to read a book and have a quick snuggle before bed. I think you can get away without a rocker, but if you are going to get one, I suggest a traditional rocker over a glider. We have an all wood one (from IKEA) but they have some lovely upholstered options (with wood rocking legs) available at many stores now.

YES! There is nothing like the tradition of rocking your child before bedtime. We have a great glider with the foot stool, we splurged and got the one that reclines. So worth it.

Having gone the crib and rocker route, I would decorate next baby's room much differently: a yoga ball and a double bed. Yoga balls are much more efficient to bounce baby to sleep and they work your abs at the same time ;) Plus they are hard to fall asleep on, which is a good thing, as you don't want to fall asleep with baby in a glider -- it's not a safe co-sleeping practice.

If baby wants to nurse at night, much better to lay down in a comfy double bed where if you fall asleep, no biggie. Plus you can sneak away after nursing down your baby, if you choose, or you can nap with them. You can even use it as a spare room when Grandma and Grandpa come by to visit! Or... (blush) use it have husband-time when your small fry are sleeping in your bed. Ahem.

Anyway -- that's what I would/will do if the opportunity comes again. Highly recommended :)

We had a Poang chair which is great for rocking a kid to sleep but TERRIBLE for nursing. I used a sling + yoga ball to soothe her much more often. The poster who says yoga ball and double bed is brilliant.

It depends on the type of baby you have...she might want to be bounced on an exercise ball 24 hours a day, she might want to be rocked...she might fall asleep easily with nursing or fall asleep on her own...you won't know until she is born!

I had the good fortune of inheriting a chair from my grandfather that had belonged to my mother as a teenager. It is great for small spaces because it has a small footprint but rocks. It has legs but has springs & hinges where the legs join the rest of the chair, so it does have a rocking motion without needing as much room, plus, it doesn't slide on the floor while rocking because of the legs. That being said, both of mine didn't like to rock much, so it was only used for rocking while nursing. I have done quite a lot of pacing instead, so I should have invested in some good walking shoes.

P.S. I agree with Mombat. The Poang doesn't fit the bill for nursing. The wood arms are killer on my bony elbows and also not friendly if you decide to sit cross-legged.

yes! did anyone disagree? we got family to chip in on this major nursery purchase and wound up buying a very small la-z-boy recliner (it's pink, it rocks and reclines, it looks like it had its heyday in the 70s and i LOVE it) which has been great for nursing over the last 20 months, great for snuggling and in and reading a story before bed, fun for climbing on (i can't stop them!) and it will fit in well with my living room furniture when we're finally ready to move it out. for the record, i have twins in separate cribs in an 88 sq. foot room, along with a small dresser with a changing table top, an unusable closet, a wall cabinet for storing diapers and the like, diaper can, laundry bag, and the much loved p'kolino clothes tree for things that don't fit in the dresser. you need a chair, and don't forget about wall space for storage - hooks, shelves, cabinets, etc. the chair fits in as well because it has quite a small footprint and it is one of the best things we bought for the nursery.

It is a nice luxury to have. We spend tons of hours sitting rocking our baby, I can't imagine not having one! We have a monte and we love it!

Absolutely a necessity! Traditional rockers are nicer in terms of how they look - but the gliders rock easier especially at 2am. I despise the look of gliders and we just can't afford to drop $4,000 on one that I find esthetically appealing - so we just got one that wasn't to expensive or obtrusive knowing it would be tossed or given away in 18-24 months.

Our nursery is also probably 100 sq ft or less and a chair definitely didn't fit. We have a rocking chair in the living room but what we ended up using most (all. the. time) was the yoga ball to bounce our daughter on. It's inflatable (and deflatable) so no space concerns. I always fed her in bed.

Also, gliders use some really truly gross chemicals to treat the cushions. We padded our wood rocker with sheepskin and it was comfy.

Yes! Some kind of chair is a must! It also helps our bedtime routine - we have camomile tea, books and a song or two in the chair.

Our nursery is 110 sq. ft. and the chair was a priority. A small footstool, too (even in a large room the bulky ottomans just get in the way.) A comfy chair is a hub for nursing, soothing, reading, snuggling - it lasts way beyond the baby months. And, as I tell everyone, get a smaller buckwheat hull pillow and skip the giant ugly boppy - the buckwheat is moundable and allows you to create the perfect support for a nursing or dozing baby. Then you don't have to worry about a regular nursing pillow fitting in your chair.

We have a Poang chair that is fine now (13 mo). For that first month or so I think we would have given our left arms for a glider in our bedroom. IMO I'd find a cheap one on craiglist that you can use while you are still in the rocking stages. Then find a nice rocker or smaller chair for bedtime stories later on.

As a teacher, I'd say, yes, a rocker is a necessity. Studies have shown that rocking a baby stimulates development of the nerve cells in the brain stem in the neck. This leads to better brain development and subsequently, higher cognitive skills. Emotionally, it is soothing to the baby, which leads to better emotive development. Seems scientists are just now validating the reasons why rocking babies has been a 'traditional' action for so many years.