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Rockabye, Baby

Published 12.14.2006 | Permanent Link | Comments (9)

Amy,

I'm expecting my first child at the end of March and am simply losing my mind trying to get organized.

I think we've found a crib, I'm not even going to discuss car seats yet because they give me a headache but the latest crisis is finding a rocker or a gilder for the nursey.

I want something that looks like a rocking chair and that isn't covered in white, tan or blue fabric. Is that so much to ask?

I am having no luck at all. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Jennifer

Well, seeing as my rocking chair is 1) an antique, handed down in my family, 2) covered in off-white fabric, and 3) squeaky and creeky as All Hell, it's fair to say that I probably am not going to be much help for you.

(I asked Melissa, AlphaMom's guru to all things shoppy, for some ideas, but she recognized my punting of the question and graciously punted it right back to me. Ha! Sometimes it's like we're all just hanging out in our AlphaMom cubicles, winging paper airplanes at each other while playing Call of Duty. This is the BEST JOB EVER.)

I spent enough time in baby furniture stores to agree with you, however. I don't remember ever seeing a rocker that I really loved, and sweet baby Moses, what's with all the overstuffed upholstered demin and such?

If you want something that "looks like a rocking chair," then I suppose you've probably already ruled out the armchair-like gliders at Pottery Barn Kids (which I actually quite like, especially after seeing them in real live functioning nurseries). (Although I really can't see spending over a thousand damn dollars on a chair, but then again I got mine for freeeeeee, so I should just shut my lucky yap.) Melissa sent me a link to this one at Room & Board, which is a similar to the PBK ones but several hundred dollars cheaper.

rocker.jpg If money isn't a concern, there are some very cool, unusual chairs at the upscale, modern-type furniture sites. Like this one at DesignPublic. Or this one or this one at ModernNursery.

But no, none of these look like old school rocking chairs. You could always just buy a rocking chair instead of a glider. (Mine is some kind of weird hybrid -- the base of a glider, the movement of a rocker. It's the mutant chair!) But you probably shouldn't. Rockers may appeal to your decorating taste, but not to your spinal column. Or your baseboards, since they "drift" as you rock and you end up hitting the wall after a few minutes.

You want something you can spend a LOT of time in comfortably -- whether you're going to be fumbling through nursing sessions surrounded by pillows or rocking a feverish toddler for hours on end, this is probably one of the times to pick function over form.

Although perhaps one of our intrepid commenters knows where Jennifer can find a rocker that embodies BOTH? Hmm?

*punts!*

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Comments (9):

Amy also said:

I have three kids, and have not really ever used a rocker or glider, sooo I recommend not spending a lot on one. That said, I like the Lillberg by IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15585&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=60836&langId=-1&categoryId=15940&chosenPartNumber=S89824032
Sorry - I don't know how to make a pretty link.

Posted on December 14, 2006 16:48

Dooney Bug said:

We went to our local furniture outlet and found a chair with a base that both rocks and swivels. We even got to pick out the fabric we wanted. It is very similar to the R&B chair Amalah linked, but much less expensive by going to an outlet.

Posted on December 14, 2006 16:57

JunieB said:

I use my glider all the time now, and my daughter is 11 years old. (It's one of those awful denim-covered ones, but at the time, my pregnancy brain thought it was "cute.") It now resides in the corner of my bedroom, covered in a white quilt, as a cozy little refuge from children and dogs. If you are a reader (or laptop user?), you might consider spending a little extra to get something that you can still use once your baby is not interested in sitting on your lap anymore. ::sniff::

Posted on December 14, 2006 16:59

Lisa L. said:

I got two different rocking chairs for my kids at unfinished furniture stores. Then, you have to paint/stain/decoupage or whatever yourself. I did the same for the highchair as I wanted an old-fashioned wooden one that wouldn't scream "plastic" at me. You can look in your phonebook or google them. I got one in CO and one in FL, and saw a similar one in VA. (yes we move a lot)

Waaaaaay cheaper, and if you're artsy it will look super cool, too.

Posted on December 14, 2006 17:00

koz said:

I just went through this very fiasco. It took over a year for me to locate the chair. And like Amalah, I was not about to spend $1,000 on one chair despite the fact that I LOVED the Pottery Barn Lullaby Rocker.

There is a brand called Klaussner (www.klaussner.com) that is only available through other retailers (boutiques, etc). Search for a seller near you. I'm in MD, and I found was shocked to find this chair. And at a very affordable $369. If you go to the Klaussner website, click on Our Products, then Livingroom, then Accent Chairs, then scroll down to the FIRST Old Town pic. That's the mother of all rockers. You can pick any fabric you want, so don't freak out about the white! And you can pick your own rails.

I hate gliders due to their inevitable squeakiness.

Good luck.

Posted on December 15, 2006 09:48

AmyM said:

This month's issue of Martha Stewart Living has a cure for the squeaky rocking chair! Just "apply a coat of wood-swelling solvent (available at most hardware stores) to the chair's joints. The solvent causes the wooden pieces to expand and form a secure bond." Hope this helps!

Posted on December 15, 2006 12:34

heels said:

I wanted an actual wood rocker and found one (that I ended up getting as a shower gift!) at Burlington Coat Factory. They are actually a surprisingly good source for baby stuff. We got our crib there, too. Rocker-$99, Crib-$199, cute crib set-$50.

(And, for car-seats, I LOVE our Britax Roundabout, but I'm not a "detachable infant carrier" sort of person.)

Posted on December 15, 2006 16:09

rebecca said:

I wasn't sure I even wanted a rocker/glider since the nursery is pretty small, but we ended up getting this one from Babies R Us

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266604&cp=2255986.2256245.2256276&pg=2&parentPage=family.

It is a little slice of heaven. It's chenille and super comfortable to sit in. My baby doesn't really like to be rocked, but I have actually slept in it in her room sometimes when she's been sick! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Posted on December 15, 2006 22:30

Jezer said:

In my opinion, when it comes to taking care of a baby/toddler, function ALWAYS trumps form.

If it's beautiful, yet uncomfortable or uphostered in a fabric that is not puke-friendly, you'll hate it. But even if it is butt-ugly, yet comfortable and washable and practical, you will love it with all your heart. Promise.

Posted on December 20, 2006 19:10

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Amalah is a pseudonym of Amy Corbett Storch. A Washington D.C.-based freelance writer. The Smackdown is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can follow Amy's daily mothering adventures at www.amalah.com. Also, it's pronounced AIM-ah-lah.

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