Tag: Craft

There are tons of rocking chairs.  Tons.  Most of them are hideous.  I mean, have you seen the Glider?  I know, I know, it works like a charm and some moms swear by them but I just couldn’t look at that thing day in and day out.

I was a bit overwhelmed on my search and didn’t quite know what to look for.  I mean, how do you know what you’ll need at 4 in the morning after being up all night walking and walking and walking the baby until finally you think, “I’ve got to keep moving AND sit down or I’m gonna loose it!”  Of course, in that situation, anything will do, but I found that having a rocking chair I liked to look at for all the other, more sane times of day was important to me.

First of all, here is what you absolutely need, no matter what the design:

1.  Arm rests.  Sure, babies are tiny and weigh next to nothing.  But, hold anything for hours on end and your muscles will start talking to you.  Do that after a string of sleepless nights and even a paperclip may seem like too much to carry.  And, don’t even get me started on the fatigue associated with breastfeeding!  So, when you sit down in your rocking chair you’ll need some place to rest your weary arms while your baby sleeps peacefully in them.  Don’t underestimate the necessity of comfortable, padded armrests at the appropriate height.  This one is a favorite of mine, though I just sat in one and it’s not as comfy as I wanted it to be…you can see it at Zac and Zoe HERE

2.  Silence.  Make sure that whatever makes the rocking chair rock is quiet.  Again, think of the hours you’ll spend swaying back and forth.  Look for parts that will either wear or grind or squeak.

3.  Neck support.  Now, I’m not talking about anything fancy here – just, when you test out your rocker, slink down in it so you can get really comfy, lean back and see if you can rest your head.  When you are beyond tired and you still have to keep moving so the baby will stay asleep, you’ll want a place for your head.  Remember, the human head weighs 8 pounds!

4.  Foot support.  Some people like to have their feet up while they rock, others don’t.   It’s not the most important factors in choosing a good rocking chair, but with all that time spent sitting there rocking it’s nice to take care of your feet and legs, too.

Now, on to the good stuff: design.  Clearly I like simple, clean lines and there are a few good options.  Here is a round up of modern rockers that, while beautiful, may leave you kicking yourself?

Why?  Arm rests from hell…the yellow bubble chair is HERE and the Barcelona rip off is HERE

Butt padding – what butt padding? (to see these online, go HERE and HERE

These are a few that I found fit the bill (all from Zac and Zoe)

And my favorite – I went for the casual, “I could be a regular chair” look,  clean lined and not too expensive.  It’s from Room and Board and you can see it HERE.

It comes with an ottoman which, if you have room, I’d recommend.  We didn’t get it because it won’t fit and I’ve often thought wistfully of putting my feet up while rocking.

Now, this isn’t an exhastive “How To” buy a rocking chair, just some things I’ve come across in my own research.  And here’s a shout out to Heather who supplied most (if not all) of the links!  Good luck choosing your chair!  Oh and if you already have a chair and want to tell me about it and why you like it or hate it, please, feel free!