apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Congratulations on your decision to breast feed! It's the best decision you can make for your baby's health. It sounds like your friend has given the best advise: have a small table with a reading light, glass of water, maybe a book. I would stay away from the television while nursing, as once your baby can turn his/her head, it will become a major distraction, and most reserch shows that kids shouden't have any TV untill the age of 2. Everyone has a differnt experience with nursing, some have a slow flow and it takes much longer to nurse, some have a fast flow (mine was so intense at first my daughter would choke on the milk), so what you need with you will be different for everyone and it will change with time. Good luck with everything!

Like you, I'm due in a few weeks and planning on breastfeeding as well. I have a little night stand set up next to my glider, it has a lamp with a dimmer on it, a coaster, and some breastfeeding books so far. Hopefully it will all be helpful! From the experiences of my friends and family, also be sure to have a boppy or some sort of pillow, so that any extended feeding sessions won't be too uncomfortable.

Good luck to both of us!

If you enjoy surfing the internet, I'd recommend keeping a laptop computer handy as well. You'll quickly become very adept at one-handed typing!

I have a 2-month-old and I end up nursing most often on the couch in my den in front of the TV (I must admit) -- keep a boppy or pillow nearby to use...

congratulations! i found that having a setup with a table for water, snacks and an ipod in the nursery was perfect in the beginning. i highly recommend an ottoman or something to put your feet up since in the first 6 weeks you will be pretty much be nursing and snuggling :) i also had a setup in the living room with a bobby, water, snacks etc for the moments a bit later when an afternoon movie was in order. i think you will find that as with everything baby related, your plan will shift and change as you and your baby grow together.

I also relied on the TV while nursing. To be honest, I'm really mystified/impressed that people managed to be able to hold a book or type at all while nursing. I suppose I am not that coordinated or maybe my guy was just super squirmy. In the middle of the night I'd stumble out to the couch with my boppy, sit cross-legged on the couch (never had an ottoman) and I'd watch tivo'ed episodes of The Golden Girls.

I have a rocker in the nursery, but have yet to use it (my son is 3 months old). We nurse mostly on the couch, where I find we can be the most comfortable. If you do decide to use your glider make sure you get an ottoman like betzhi suggested.

In the early months, probably the first three, I used the couch as my nursing station, with a big container of water nearby. They are pretty oblivious to the TV and will be facing you instead of the screen then. I also couldn't manage reading/working on the computer while nursing, and was very grateful for cable at that time! As they get older, I think you'll find your setup will change based on what works for you/them at that time.

I also don't see how one can read or compute while nursing- especially in those early months. My DVR became my best friend- I was most thankful for it during those 2 and 4am marathon nursing sessions.

As they get older and more efficient, you can change your routine and setup, since they could be done eating in 10 or so minutes. Then the glider in the nursery may be a good idea.

I kept the glider in our room. Our 3 kiddos coslept (1 still in our bed (22 mos)) so I'd use the glider for the early weeks when they'd wake & wouldn't go back to sleep. I passed the time rocking them & staring at them! Otherwise, I nursed them right in bed.
For all 3 of my kids, the majority of the time nursing was at my desk. Nice comfy desk chair, a Boppy & the internet...as Martha would say, "It's a good thing"! Matter of fact, my little one is nursing right now! She is almost 2 but rarely gets distracted by my computer except when I accidentally leave the volume on & she is intrigued by the sound/music on a website.

I commend you for planning to breast feed! The biggest thing to think about when planning your nursing space is comfort. Some babies do nurse more quickly than others, but, in the beginning, you may be nursing as long as 30 to 40 minutes at a time and if your baby nurses every 2 hours you will only have 1 and 1/2 hours in between sessions. Make sure that whatever you will be sitting in is comfortable and has a high back that supports your shoulders and neck-your glider will be perfect. I also recommend an ottoman, a short stool, or you can even use a phonebook to prop your feet on. I never had much luck with the boppy pillow; I used the breast friend pillow and I loved it! Keep water, snacks, computer for email or watching movies, radio, phone and/or reading materials within easy reach. You will also need burp cloths and a blanket. Best of luck!

People Magazine was a must for me.

You'll probably want it in the living room especially for the first 6 weeks or so as feeding will be longer as the baby is trying to increase your milk supply, going through a couple growth spurts, learning to breastfeed him or herself and isn't as efficient at removing milk as he or she will be later. All of these factors mean you could be sitting there for shockingly long periods of time at first. You'll want to keep a phone close by, a burp cloth, a box of kleenex for spit ups, pillows, and once baby gets a good latch you'll be able to free up your hand that's supporting your breast so you can read so keep a book close by if you're so inclined or a laptop. And a glass of water is a must, as breastfeeding is very dehydrating, understandably.

But you don't really need a rocker, so if you have a comfy armchair (with arms) you can just use that and save the rocker for at night. Also, once baby's latch gets really good you can breastfeed lying down (especially great for when you so tired and dizzy you run into the doorways). Hope that helps!

I have the Monte glider and didn't even use it the first few months of my baby's life. It takes time to get used to breast feeding and it's important that you feel comfortable. Everybody is different so it's hard to say what is going to feel the best for you. I tried the couch, glider and then laying down with the baby on the bed. The latter worked the best for me and I would either read or watch tv while he nursed. When they are tiny the nursing sessions last a while. Now that my baby is ten months old and sleeps full time in his own room and crib I nurse in there in the middle of the night. I think every baby is different so you should try a combination of places and positions. Good luck and congrats!

What you can do depends on your baby, too. My baby really liked me to talk to him or read to him while I was nursing, and it was a great time to bond. My friend's baby really just wanted to chow down and not concentrate on anything else while she was nursing, so she would nurse on the couch and watch tv.

I have a boppy upstairs for nursing in bed and one downstairs for nursing on the couch. It's good to have nursing friendly stations throughout your house. Books are nice to have on hand but I would recommend lighter ones that you can hold easily and turn pages with one hand. Laptops are great to put on the couch next to you and look at. Also a notebook for list making. I used to nurse with the TV on mute. I never talk on the phone while nursing, because if I talk my daughter will pull off and stare at me. Now that my second baby is around 6 months she nurses pretty fast and I usually spend the time staring at her face and mentally going over what I need to do when she's finished. Water is important to have, I never realize how thirsty I am until baby latches on. Good luck!

whether you move the rocker into the living room or not is up to you, but I would advise having more then one "station" for nursing. So if rocker is in the nursery then have boppy or other support in the living room.
While it's a nice idea to think of whiling away the hours rocking, singing, and looking into your newborns eyes, nursing in the beginning takes up most of your day. Up to 30 or 40 minutes every 2-3 hours and you probably aren't going to be cooing over your baby all of that time. So if you only have an area in your nursery then nursing can start to feel very very isolating. Having the tv or computer or book or just being out in the living room with your husband while nursing can really be a relief.

My little one is 7 weeks old and I haven't once nursed her in her nursery (I am co sleeping, so I guess that goes without saying).
During the day we nurse on our Poang chair, or on the couch or on my computer chair (like right now) definitely have a table with everything you need on it (food, burp cloth, vitamin D drops) I like nursing at my desk because the table is high enough to eat, and with a nursing pillow i often have both hands free! I recommend getting a cordless mouse so you can use it with your non-dominant hand.
BTW the research that shows TV is harmful before the age of 2 is relating just putting your child infront of the TV and expecting them to stare at it for hours on end. It is not about YOU watching TV while your baby nurses. So don't feel guilty watching shows, nursing is boring after a while, especially in the early morning

I think you're best if you have a private place in the nursery (it takes a while before you're comfortable nursing in front of company, plus baby may be distracted by company by 5 months or so) AND a place in the living room.

In addition, I would recommend creating a nursing basket. Just some sort of basket with one handle (so you can pick it up one-handed). That way it's always handy no matter where you're nursing. Nursing pads, remote, cordless phone, kleenex, camera, bottle of water, granola bar, burp rag or two, ipod...in short, if baby had been up all night and finally fell asleep on YOU and you did not want to move for fear of waking her, what would you want to be within arm's reach? (Other than a bathroom, of course.)

Oh, and a Boppy will save your back many times over.

Good for you for planning to nurse!

I read and read and read while nursing. An ebook reader is even better than a "normal" book since it is so much lighter, you can hold it with one hand. My son was distracted by TV from very early on so that did not work. Something to drink and something to put your feet upon are essential things! The phone nearby is good, too, even if only to see who called and who needs calling back. I did not answer immediately since that distracted my baby as well. Happy nursing! And keep it a fun and relaxing time, it is so sweet to have him/her at your breasts ;)

I agree with the magazine comment. Subscribe to one you know you'll love browsing through even if you don't want to get into the articles too much- I chose Real Simple, but anything you like would be great to keep handy.

i never once nursed in the nursey. our daughter slept in bed w/ us so i kept a My Brest Friend (similar to a Boppy, but better) next to the bed for night feedings. and during the day, i nursed on the couch or in an armchair, surrounded by pillows.

A little lamp with dem light, a clock ( 15 min per breast ). Gentle music. The setting is suppose to be calming and relaxing. I wasnt able to produce milk although I REALLY tried. Also a good breast pump incase you might need it. Medina ( i think is the brand ) is a good one. Even flo is the first one I got and was told it wasnt good for helping produce milk! Congrats good luck.

I have a one week old and I find that I'm most comfortable nursing in her nursery. I have an Ikea Poang chair with a TV tray set up next to it, on which I keep a bottle of water, baby things I think I might need (a brush, lotion for her dry, dry skin, a burp rag, etc.) and my laptop, on which I usually stream TV shows and movies off of Netflix, which has been wonderful to keep me awake in the early morning hours. I also use the My Brest Friend pillow and love it.

I also have a small setup in the living room with a Boppy, but I use it much less often.

Yes, move it to where the TV is! And do get an ottoman, it nice to put your feet up, and then I would change the kid right there on the ottoman too.

I had several "stations" set up around the house.
I had a rocker and a nursing book (Nursing Mother's Companion, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding or 25 Things All Nursing Mother's Need to Know are good ones) in the nursery. I made sure I had a little basket of essentials in the livingroom where I watch TV. I had more stuff by the computer where I spent a TON of time nursing at keyboard. A nursing pillow helps. I would definitely get one (or two if you have an upstairs/downstairs).

And if someone is around to help out in beginning, tell them it's their job to bring you a glass of water everytime you sit to nurse. :)

First of all, it's ridiculous to advise people not to watch TV while nursing. Give me a break. You will end up nursing in the spot that is most comfortable for you and, yes, it does get boring if you are shutting yourself in the nursery away from TV and your family. I've always preferred nursing on the couch or in bed, and have never really used a rocking chair because I find that the arms get in the way. I use my rocking chair usually just for calming the baby down or rocking to sleep. The boppy has never really worked for me either, because I am short waisted and it puts the baby up too high for me to be comfortable. I like to use a regular bed plliow to supprt the baby and maybe another pillow for my arm. By the time the baby is a couple of months old, I really don't need a pillow to support the baby at all. There are no rules when nursing, you will figure out what works for you. Good luck and congrats on the baby!

I also wanted to say that I got a glider and ottoman for nursing, and it was the single best purchase I made for the baby, by far - it was super comfortable and I nursed in it from day one (with a boppy), read to him in it, sang him to sleep in it, and really loved it.

Ditto to something to prop your feet up on, can be an ottoman or a thick book, it just helps somehow to expand your lap and get things in the right place. Definitely need a table for whatever distractions you need, and space for a water glass for sure. Ditto too on different stations for different times of day - the couch is actually great at first since you may find an armchair a bit constraining at first as you try different postitions to make it work.

Key thing for me though was a view of a clock. Projected on ceiling for at night and in view of the sofa during the day. And hang in there, it's hard work but worth it!

Oh! So good for you for even thinking about this now!!! I only thought about getting through labor with our first child... and then discovered he was here to stay and his visit with us is a lot longer than labor!!! I had no idea what babies actually did all day - the truth is they nurse a lot... Our latest baby is three months old and he nurses on the couch mostly so that I can read stories to other siblings. And we always have a lie down to nurse in the afternoon so that I can nap and he can nurse... you really do need all the sleep you can get. Here is a link to a post I wrote on "Things I wish I had known about nursing..." http://www.se7en.org.za/2008/10/31/se7en-things-i-wish-i-had-known-about-nursing

I have the Ikea KARLSTAD Swivel chair and ottoman. I used to keep it in our bedroom since we cosleep. I would nurse in it using either a Boppy or a regular pillow. It was super comfortable and suited our style. I eventually moved it to the living room because I was sick of being stuck upstairs.

Once we got better at nursing while laying down...I usually just nursed in bed. That or on the couch (sitting indian style with no pillow, sitting normally with the Boppy, or laying down).

Now the babe is distractable (10 months old) so she can only nurse effectively upstairs in bed (where it's dark and quiet). Oh, and the "rocker" is just taking up space in the unused nursery for now. Planning on moving it down to the playroom to make up a reading area.

Really....your needs will change from month to month. Just have confidence that you will get comfortable nursing in all different positions and situations :-)

As for tv, books, computer. Whatever helps YOU pass the time. Because, in the beginning, you basically live with a baby on your boob. Stay as comfortable and entertained as you can while you're BOTH learning :-)

I rarely nurse in the rocker. I usually nurse in a recliner. It is definitely more comfortable to have my feet up and not have anything that will impede elbows. During the first month or two, I was learning and so I liked to stay still while nursing, so usually watching TV was the easiest way to occupy myself since my son would nurse for over an hour at a time much of the time. Now I use a sling carrier and am pretty good at one handed nursing, so that I can move around and do tasks like put clothes in the dryer, eat a sandwhich, let the dogs out, etc... while he eats. I've been breastfeeding for over a year now and it certainly wouldn't have been practical for me to plan on sitting down for each and every nursing the entire time, without my household going to heck in a handbasket!

I recommend a small table with a reading light, and some easy reading - during nursing sessions I put a pillow on my lap to prop up a book - I try to keep fun chick-lit type of reading for nursing (it makes me look forward to that time - especially when my husband is home, as he can hang out with our two year old, leaving me some quiet time with our three-month daughter). In the middle of the night I like to flip through cookbooks with lots of pictures or magazines.. nothing that requires too much focus. With my first I tended to keep the First Year book, Baby Whisperer, and Healthy Sleep Habits books for reference next to my nursing chair, as well as a small clock.. but with my second I have definitely lightened up and don't clock nursing times - baby can eat for as long or short as she likes!

I nursed all 3 of my kids on demand, which meant periods of near constant feeding during their early growth spurts. There will be a phase around 3 weeks when your baby will want to nurse about every 20 minutes. It's bananas. Just go with the flow (so to speak) and cut yourself some slack. Be OK with not doing much else during that phase, but don't give up. It's worth it to hang in there.

In the living room, I kept a glider, a Boppie pillow, and always made sure I had something to drink first. Nursing always made me feel thirsty.

In the bedroom, I used an Arm's Reach co-sleeper and kept a spare pillow (to support tired arms) nearby for middle of the night feedings.

It's good for the baby if you "give him your eyes" while you nurse, but honestly, sometimes I was just too exhausted or he would nurse for so long that I would start watching something on TV. :)

Good luck! Stick with it while your body gets used to nursing. Teaching your baby a proper latch on can be a painful process. Hang in there. You do get used to it and soon enough it won't hurt at all. I loved nursing so much, but had to ween my son at 4 months because of medication I had to go onto that was dangerous to take while nursing. I'm still sad about it. I miss it so much.

Best wishes!!

-Alana
http://waterspiper.com

Your friend is right- you will be nursing all the time. I had a rocking chair in the bedroom for quiet time nursing, and I used a huge balance ball [yoga ball] in the living room in front of the TV to bounce & nurse. Worked great for me. Best of luck!

When I was breastfeeding, I really liked using a Medela nursing stool. It's tilted so that your knees are slightly elevated. That plus the boppy really helped me feel that my daughter was secure and I was comfortable. I also really liked to use the computer or watch TV when nursing in the early days.

With a two story house, I had two nursing stations. I nursed in a glider in the nursery or lying down in my own bed when upstairs and downstairs I nursed either in the corner of the couch or in a rolling office chair (the arms help support in both places) in the family room.
- Support - I used the Breast Friend pillow. Since it belts on, it stays put and it was easy to stand up and switch locations with the baby still latched on (while I held on to the pillow securely, of course.) Foot support (a diaper box works in a pinch) helped get my lap elevated and in the right position in the glider but I just sat indian style or with one crossed leg elsewhere.
- Light - I tried to keep things quiet and dark for nightime feedings, so a small dim lamp or glowing, poratable night light was crucial so I could see if the latch was correct.
- Clock - A large digital clock someplace in the room. In the haze of sleep deprivation, you can doze off while nursing and wake up still nursing and feel like it has been hours when it really has only been five minutes.
- To Do - At night, I used my ipod with one earpiece in and listened to either music or podcasts. During daytime, TV, magazines, baby books, and the phone at first. Once I got more skilled at balancing the baby on the pillow, I could use the computer.
- Water - Tried to always have a small reusable bottle with a cap (like a Sigg) nearby filled with water since glasses of water are easy to spill and I was often thirsty.
- Blanket or wrap -- I was always cold with my upper half exposed and also sometimes felt the need for modesty when someone came to visit who I didn't want to flash while I nursed (like my husband's friends or my boss).
Good luck!

Whew - too many other posts to read. This will probably duplicate others' posts.

I had a portable "kit" that I carried with me...I used a metal mesh CD holder that contained a small water bottle, pen and paper (writing down start times, durations), cell phone (iPhone = lifesaver), little glowing clock, nursing pads, chap stick, lanolin, whatever else I'd need. I nursed all over the place--in bed, on the couch, and on the rocker in the nursery. I didn't want to keep things all over the house.

I preferred having the rocker in the nursery. I didn't use it as much at first, because I had a C-section and it was more comfortable to nurse with multiple pillows either in bed or on the couch. Then later, it was great to be in the nursery when nursing late at night, first thing in the morning...bedtime...

Small table - place to set water, and keep kleenex, etc.

Small, dim light - I used a $2 battery-powered touch light that was just enough to see to nurse, change a diaper, etc. Kept it on the floor and used my foot to turn on/off.

Footrest - I'm not tall enough to have my knees up high enough to support the baby. The ottoman that matches our rocker didn't lock in place so it wasn't useful as a footrest.

Water bottle - I used a Camelbak bottle because it has a bite valve, and can be used one-handed.

Good luck to you!!

I had a few nursing baskets throughout the house. One in the living room, one in the nursery, and one in our bedroom. In each:

-nursing pads

-burp cloth (those flannel receiving blankets work beautifully in the early days if you have a fast flow and a baby who can't handle it!)

-a bottle of water

-snacks (my favorite was trailmix - good protein and a little something sweet that was still healthy)

-a book (of poetry or short stories - my baby brain made me unable to remember what had happened in novels!), magazine, and my traveling ipod.

-a $1 touch light for late night nursing sessions

-lanolin(!!!!)

-baby nasal aspirator, lip balm for both of us, and hand lotion

-a phone and the number of a lactation consultant or La Leche League in the beginning

- a nursing reference book in the early days

As someone else said, your needs will change as the baby ages. Some things will become distracting, and you'll get better at working with just one hand.

Good luck to you! Stick with it - sometimes it's not easy. While it's natural and what our bodies are created to do, it takes some work!

I ended up moving the rocking chair into the living room so I could nurse and watch TV, but to make things easier, I also repurposed a diaper caddy as my nursing caddy, and carried it around the house with me as needed so I could nurse anywhere. After a couple of weeks of nursing and tweaking the contents, it contained the following:

Nursing reference book
A book to read for fun
Lanolin, lip balm, and hand lotion
My journal and a pen
My Nintendo DS
Baby nail clippers
My own nail file and clippers
Breast pads
A water bottle
Burp cloth
Granola bars or trail mix
Cell phone

My baby is nine weeks old now, and we're both better at nursing and less tied to one spot while we fumble around with stuff, so the nursing caddy doesn't follow me around as much and it has less items (but a greater variety of books) in it now. That said, it was a life-saver in the first six weeks or so.

Different babies need different things. First baby would always nurse to sleep either on the boppy or on the bed. The most important things were water and a neck pillow so I could shut my eyes. Second baby rarely falls asleep nursing. She needs more movement and likes either a excercise ball or the sling.

Either way, I think the boppy is a lousy early nursing pillow. The My Best Friend is much better for an infant and a dining room chair or even a folded pillow on the bed. Boppy is great later on though.

Definitely recommend the "breast friend" (sp? Brest?) nursing pillow over the Boppy. It provided much more support in a variety of chairs than the Boppy, which just made my LO fall toward me & not onto the boob. Also, a PP recommended the medela nursing stool, which is cheaper by far than an ottoman for a glider!! It can be tucked under the chair when not needed thus freeing up floorspace. Water-- very important; I put a straw in a reusable spillproof type bottle & left it on the floor. The breast friend pillow has a pocket for some of the things people mentioned. It sounds all very intense, and it is at first-- especially if it's your first child. But it gets better, & you get more comfortable, and then you can move around & nurse wherever you like. I'd skip the TV until you're comfortable nursing and don't need to focus on latching technique. PS use any and every breast feeding resource you can LL League, lactation dept @ hospital, whatever-- best of luck!

I wrote about my daughter in a small notebook when she drifted off to sleep, originally to transfer to a baby book but now it stands alone. When she had her eyes open, I made an effort to look back at her and sing. When she drifted off, my laptop or a book - never have I read more than those early days nursing 24/7.

To be honest, a breastfeeding class taught me about the water/pillow/brest friend/nursing stool - might want to take one of those, then you'll know a lactation consultant too.

Good luck, if you can accept doing nothing else some peaceful hours await you!

I nurse on the couch in our living room, and the thing that has been the most helpful for me is a side table that extends over the couch.

We have this Ikea one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20146676 Or, a C-shaped table like this would work too: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=114&f=5317

I put it up against the couch so the tabletop extends over the couch cushion next to me. That way I can have the phone, tv remote, glass of water, etc., right next to me in easy reach. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing in the middle of a 30-minute nursing session that my water glass is on the coffee table in front of me, 2 feet out of my reach!

I practically lived in my glider for the first five months because my baby wasn't a good sleeper - I can't tell you how many hours of television I watched on mute! I was given wireless headphones late in the game, so I'll be able to use them for my next baby. I couldn't have lived without my iPod, though looking back I wished I had bought an iTouch for the games. Also, I did not like My Brest Friend - the Boppy was my best friend. Good luck to you!

Good for you for choosing to nurse! I agree with the PPs that you should nurse wherever is most comfy for you, including in front of the tv.

When my Jack was new, he took a lot longer over his nursing, including in the middle of the night. In those days I often came down to the tv and nursed on the couch. I made sure I had a caddy of essentials (snacks, drink, Lansinoh lanolin cream) both by the tv and by the glider upstairs in the nursery. I preferred the caddy to a table because how I could reach for a table depended on which boob he was nursing from, whereas a caddy I could place right in front of me.

I mostly used the glider to nurse Jack down for naps early on, and now I use it in the night when he wakes (ah, the four-month sleep regression!) because he can nurse and be back asleep within 15-20 minutes, instead of the hour or more it took when he was tiny.

I never used my boppy/brest friend as I found a good quality down pillow worked the best; I would put him on it in my lap and it would conform to his shape and hold him more secure than any of those breastfeeding pillows.

Also, amen to co-sleeping for naps and middle of the night nursing. It took until my son was about three months old to be able to effectively nurse lying down but now it is a lifesaver.

Information on safe co-sleeping and nursing info/support/forums in general can be found at Kellymom.com.

Great to see all the excellent advice! Just wanted to add one more piece of advice re: TV - figure out the settings to view the closed captions. Once I did that I would put the TV on mute and read the captions of whatever I was watching. As baby got older and more distractable this was very useful!

There is alot of good info here. Pull out whatever works for you and ignore the rest (including this post)!

I moved my glider in front of the tv for the first few months, as he would nurse for a long time and nursing in bed didn't work really work for us. Next kid, we're getting a DVR as the commercials at 2 a.m. were really annoying. I had a table next to the glider where I could put water, phone, tissue, paper and pen to write down times, something to eat with one hand (fruit salad and yogurt were great!), etc. I originally bought a gliding ottoman, but it gave my knees trouble and so switched to the medela nursing stool which was more comfortable (original ottoman would have worked if I had gotten the nursing stool part of it, but I thought I could save a little money and not get it).

Once the baby became too distracted by the tv, (I can't remember when - maybe 4 months?) the glider moved up to his room where it was quiet and dark.

I second the recommendation for a nursing class/breastfeeding support group - mine was great for the advice, but also as a first time mom I needed an excuse to get out of the house, a place to practice nursing in public (where no one cared what they saw!), and a chance to meet other moms going through the same thing I was.

Besides the baby, the glider, nursing stool and APNO (all purpose nipple ointment) were key to our successful nursing experience.

Congratulations on your pending arrival, and good luck with breastfeeding!

i have a rocking chair glider and i hate it. my daughters feet touch the sides and she doesn't like it so i have to sit sideways in it! i would love to get one of those comfy chair rockers! not sure if someone mentioned this but there is a bracelet that you can wear that will mark the last time you nursed so you never forget! enjoy!

There are lots of great recommendations here! I follow many of them. The ones that are key to me are multiple setups, water, and reading. But to get into some specifics...

After I started leaving the haze of the first few weeks I began leaving various child/infant development books all over the house. "First Feelings" in the living room, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby" in the nursery, and then a pleasure reading book in my bedroom. I find that I nurse in all three places, and having different reading material keeps things interesting. And once you've got your wits about you again, it is a great time to get back to reading about your baby's development and learning how you can support it.

I didn't find that I used either of my nursing pillows a ton. In the beginning when nursing was tough, we did a lot of side-lying (a great position, worth trying!) Once I was more comfortable nursing upright he was too big for either of those pillows to work well. Also, our lactation consultant didn't recommend them (ps-get a lactation consultant. Super helpful!!)

Start feeding around friends and family early. Yes, it takes time to be comfortable breastfeeding around others. But the earlier you can get used to it the better...that way you won't feel so trapped in one room (or even in your house!)

Best of luck. Breast feeding is not easy in the first few weeks. Having support is super helpful. If you can find a breastfeeding support group near you take advantage of it! Once you get past the first two to three weeks, it gets much easier!

Laptop and book stands help with that one handed thing ...
I used one my MIL had from her childhood, but there are modern versions out there like these:
http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/NAVIGATION/Preview.asp?Params=category=17-148%7Clevel=2-3

my daughter is almost 6 weeks old, so this is a pretty relevant topic for me.

during the day, i usually just feed her on the couch. when we were first getting the hang of it, i used the 'my brest friend' pillow, which was really helpful (i also have a boppy but the mbf is definitely better). now, i just use a regular pillow in my lap. i try to have water, the tv remote (the dvr is my friend), and the itzbeen -- a timer that a friend gave me for tracking time since beginning of feed (and which side). we don't feed her on a schedule but it's good to know how long it's been to guess whether she's hungry or not, especially during the first couple of weeks.

we also nurse in our bedroom at night & i use the mbf pillow there. we co-sleep (using the 'snuggle nest' in our king sized bed -- i highly recommend it if you're thinking of co-sleeping), so it's nice to not have to get out of bed. at night, i usually read a book while nursing. i recommend a light book -- both in subject matter & physical size.

At the risk of incurring the wrath, just please promise me that regardless of set-up, it won't occur during a one-on-one client consultation, with a client I had met, oh, I don't know, perhaps ELEVEN MINUTES prior. At the same SMALL table. While her husband was just dumping his work stuff in the other room before joining us.

It was a tad odd.