nursing/feeding area in nursery - question

[CloudBee]

We've been doing a lot of work on the nursery this weekend. We won't have a glider in the room, but I have a cozy leather armchair and leather Moroccan pouf/ottoman that we're going to use.





I know that once the baby is here I may prefer nursing in a different room. However, I think that middle of the night feedings may very well take place in the nursery if not our own bedroom. If I sit on the couch, the dog is likely to hop up next to me to try and cuddle, and I hate him being against me when I have pajamas on.

So - I need input on what type of table to have next to the armchair. Everyone on here says it's good to have a "station" setup the first few weeks with water, drinks, snacks, iPad, iPod, etc. I don't want to buy a bedside table for the baby's room at this point as it won't get use for a few years, and we don't have anything that can temporarily be moved into the nursery to meet this need.

What do you keep next to your chair/glider for nursing in the baby's room? His dresser will be on the opposite side of the room so that's not an option.

Right now I'm thinking of getting a second one of these tapered wooden storage cubes that can serve as a table. We have one in the living room for storing hats, gloves, and quilts. It's kept at the end of the couch and is used as an end table and extra seating when needed. I could paint a new one to match the nursery. Then down the road it could be a toy box? It's not too high, solid wood and very sturdy. The lid doesn't slide off, it has to be lifted as it is fitted.



I mainly what to know what you use as a table next to your chair/glider, and what your system is if you do nightly feedings in the nursery itself.

Thanks!

[Brie]

I got a vintage nightstand and refinished it. It has one drawer.

I do middle of the night feedings in bed. Now that he's older I nurse him side-lying and it's great.

[jenjen]

I have a super cheap table from Walmart. I think it was $15 or so but it's a perfect height. It's one where you just twist the legs into the table top. But one of those ottoman/storage cubes probably would work too.

I do all middle of the night feedings in the nursery on our glider. I bring my phone with me to GBCN, check email or Facebook or play games. I have the baby monitor sitting on the table and would keep my nook there early on to read. He is a quick feeder most of the time so I dont have long to do anything but I know some babies nurse for 45-60 minutes. Other feedings take place wherever- my bed, lots on the couch, sometimes at the kitchen table.

[Deleted]

I had a few random things in a shelf of the bookshelf when he was really small, but as soon as he stopped pooping overnight all feeds were done sidelying. I never got up at all between about 6 weeks and 6 months. So I guess I kept a twin bed in the nursery (it's still there and will be his someday, and we still nurse and cuddle in it now).

The cube looks cute and functional. If you like it, go for it. Sometime movable like a basket is also nice - you will move your nursing location around during the day, but you need all the same stuff then.

[pugz]

we got a small nightstand/side table from world market that has a drawer. Lamp sits on the table and the white noise machine. We will put the camera for the video monitor on it too when we get around to hooking that up. When I pumped in the nursery I had the pump on it, then I got smart and started pumping in front of the tv

It is just a white table that could easily be moved to our guest room when we don't need it in the baby room anymore. In fact I used it in the guest room for about a year before baby arrived.

[CloudBee]

Is the cube safe for a toy box? The only requirement these days is that if it has a hinge, it must stay up when in the open position, correct? There are really no standards for a solid wooden box with a removable lid, are there?

Also - the bedroom we are now using as the nursery has an overhead light fixture that's wired in to the ceiling/switch by the door. I'll probably want something much dimmer for night feedings, right?

[Deleted]

I bought a small plant-type stand at home goods that has a drawer and shelf on the bottom. It cost about $15. It works perfectly. I nurse there for all the nighttime feedings.

[ijack]

I don't have a table, I just use the window sill. For night feedings I tried to stay as asleep as possible so I didn't bring water or food or turn on the tv. During the day I rarely fed in the nursery because we were on the go.

[pugz]

a lamp is a must for us for middle of the night diaper changes and feedings. I just have a cheapie $10 one from Target, they have a great selection of table lamps and shades.

[CloudBee]

Thanks! I'll probably get that wooden cube and will get a lamp for the dresser once the room is more put together.

[Deleted]

We co slept so I did middle of the night feedings on bed. When I did nurse in his nursery I just brought my phone and put it in a storage pouch on the glider. I didn't get as set up at 2 am as I did at 2 pm.

[Deleted]

I never had a station, just a table in case I need to set things down (bottles now).

Where did you get that cube? It's awesome. It's tall enough to double as an end table in a living room?

[MamaMaui24]

That looks perfect. We are using an old TV tray. (So ugly!)

It's also where I put the humidifier.

[CloudBee]

Dec 2, 2012 15:55:46 GMT -5 @jennylove said:

I never had a station, just a table in case I need to set things down (bottles now).

Where did you get that cube? It's awesome. It's tall enough to double as an end table in a living room?

Yes, it's a little shorter than the average end table so a lamp may be a smidge low of it weren't already tall itself. But we love it. The thing is SO solid once you put the screws in.

It's made by Winsome Wood. I have a set of shelves by this brand as well. Everything is simple, solid wood. I don't think they sell anything that's painted, it's all stained. It also doesn't seem to be too mass produced. What we have from them so far is made in India and Taiwan. The construction just makes me think that it's produced on a smaller scale.

I bought it on Amazon. Check the measurements. Whenever we've needed an odd simple piece of furniture I've looked at this brand on Amazon first because I always know it will be solid wood vs. particle board, etc.

www.amazon.com/Winsome-94418-Wood-Storage-Cube/dp/B000GLPQRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354482458&sr=8-1&keywords=winsome+cube

[CloudBee]

Dec 2, 2012 16:05:09 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Do you have a dimmer on your over head light? If so, you probably don't need a lamp

We don't have a dimmer switch. Do you know if we can just throw a dimmer bulb into the ceiling fixture, have my husband wire in a dimmer switch, and it will work?

He's wired switched in before, but we're not sure if the fixture itself has to be dimmer fixture, or if it's merely the bulb that takes on that aspect of the function. A dimmer would be perfect in this situation.

Does anyone know?

[Deleted]

Awesome, thank you!

[moonstone523]

At night you will most likely nurse in bed. Get an extra boppy or breastfriend.

I nurser whereever around the house. I nurse on the couch with the boppy and in the rocker with a pillow under me. I don't have a side table, nor did I find I needed one. My iphone and some books are enough for me.

Oh, and in the beginning I kept calling for my H to bring me things. HA. I guess a table might have been good.

[winemaker06]

Dec 2, 2012 16:12:23 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Dec 2, 2012 16:05:09 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Do you have a dimmer on your over head light? If so, you probably don't need a lamp

We don't have a dimmer switch. Do you know if we can just throw a dimmer bulb into the ceiling fixture, have my husband wire in a dimmer switch, and it will work?

He's wired switched in before, but we're not sure if the fixture itself has to be dimmer fixture, or if it's merely the bulb that takes on that aspect of the function. A dimmer would be perfect in this situation.

Does anyone know?

The switch is what matters. We've turned lots of random fixtures into dimmers without a problem.

[pamela]

We had a small bookshelf for his room and I just used the top of that as my table.

[anna7602]

Dec 2, 2012 14:57:29 GMT -5 pugz said:

a lamp is a must for us for middle of the night diaper changes and feedings. I just have a cheapie $10 one from Target, they have a great selection of table lamps and shades.

This is what we had when DD was a baby. But we moved when she was 1 and the overhead light in her room had a dimmer. I love that feature so much. Can you install this? I miss it now that we're living abroad in a rented space.

[gibbinator]

I just have a small end table next to the recliner I have set up in the nursery. Normal station accessories include my phone & charger, water bottle, clock, chapstick, Kleenex and burp cloth

Eta: like other pp's, At night I use a dim lamp instead of the ceiling light to promote drowsiness.

Having a footstool and various pillows to help position yourself comfortably in the chair are also helpful.

If you'll be using this nursing station during the day too you might want a tv set up for those long cluster feeds.

[Deleted]

We have a lamp in her room but it has a 60 watt bulb so I don't turn it on at night. I just turn on the hallway light so I can see what I'm doing.

[MadamePresident]

My dad put a dimmer switch on the fan light in her room, you don't need a special bulb.

I rarely nurse in the nursery. I do it in bed at night. I use the light from her pack and play. Before side-laying, I would put her on the boppy. I also keep some water and my phone handy, but I usually just kind of dozed.

During the day I just use a tv tray. Its portable and can get "put away." I have the boppy, laptop, phone and burp cloths close by. I have become an excellent one handed typer and left hand mouse user.

[sewpinkgal]

I have an old metal and glass plant stand from Cost Plus that I used as a nursing station. It was leftover from a move and it meant we didn't have to buy anything new. The nightstand that you posted looks good.

I, also, tried to stay as close to asleep as possible for middle of the night feedings once he was in his own room at 3 weeks. Our main overhead light has a dimmer so I put it on the lowest setting. I nursed him overnight, multiple times a night, in our glider for 7 months until he self-weaned at night.

My reality was that my husband needed to get some real sleep at night, so nursing in the bed overnight just wasn't going to happen. Nor was keeping J in our room for an extended period of time. I don't think it's a bad idea to have the nursery set up for overnight feeding sessions just in case. You might find that you much prefer nursing in bed and the chair/table doesn't get used, or you could find that you are in that sucker A LOT.

[chia]

Ooh, I love this cube!

My only concerns would be the following:
- The edges are pretty sharp corners, perfect for bumping forheads on when the bebe is mobile

- Because of the shape, it might tip over easy if the baby tries to use it as a pull-up/support when he's cruising

[huskymom]

I only used the hall light for light at night.

I never nursed in bed and so glad I spent the money on a comfy glider (I say this as I nurse my 15 month old right now). You might also want to get a nursing stool or really short step stool- for me, it's only comfortable to nurse with my feet about 4 inches off the ground).

[Deleted]

I just used one of those foldable TV tables that we already had in the house, like this: www.amazon.com/Rectangle-5-Piece-Wooden-Tables-Beechwood/dp/B0002AZ0X0/ref=sr_1_11?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1354499692&sr=1-11 Covered it with a pretty tablecloth and it did the job just fine.

I nursed in my own bed at night while she was in her pack & play in our room, then in the glider in her room when she moved to her crib. Usually on the sofa during the day.

[Deleted]

Little late to this post, but thought I would weigh in. I do all our nursing in the nursery. Next to my rocker, I have a small 3 legged side table similar to this. It's half-moon shaped, so I can have the flat side right next to the rocker. I love having a table there. It holds my phone, burp cloths, water, and paci (he uses it to fall asleep).