What’s the best pillow for breastfeeding?
A nursing pillow is a
I used both and today I’m going to let you know which I think is the best in this head to head review post. I’ve gotten opinions from some other moms as well. Let’s find the best
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Nursing Pillows
What is a nursing pillow?
A nursing pillow is a specially designed pillow to use while breastfeeding your baby. Most have a sort of a U shape to help fit around you. They help to support your babies weight while you feed them.
Your baby will nurse a lot in the first few months. You will not want to have to hold your baby in your arms for nursing sessions that can be 30-60 minutes and will be frequent, especially if it’s your first baby and you haven’t built up arm strength yet!
When your baby is cluster feeding they will nurse almost non-stop. You will want your hands free to play on your phone, eat, drink, and text your spouse or significant other to bring you things lol. A nursing pillow is a perfect solution! They are designed to help support your baby while they nurse. That’s why it’s one of my
Can’t I just use a regular pillow? Do I need a “nursing” pillow for breastfeeding?
You can put a regular pillow on your lap to use as a prop. However, I think it’s nice to have one that fits around you, this also makes it more suitable for some feeding positions, like the football hold pictured above.
It’s also nice to have a designated nursing pillow. That way you know it’s not had random things spilled on it and won’t get mixed up with other pillows. It will be used just for your infant and kept clean for them.
Can a nursing pillow be used for sleep?
NO! Babies should not sleep propped up on a nursing pillow. Boppy also makes a lounge pillow which can be used for baby to lounge on while awake but again should not be used for sleep.
Many products for babies are designed for lounging and NOT for sleeping. Two other such products are the DockATot and the Rock n Play. Click the names to read a full safety review of these two products.
The best nursing pillow for breastfeeding moms
So, which nursing pillow is best to use as a
Boppy nursing pillow review
The Boppy nursing pillow is the most versatile of the two. I’m all about baby items that you can get the most use out of. I want the most bang for my buck!
A boppy pillow is great for helping your baby tolerate tummy time as you can prop them with their belly over it. When they are ready to start sitting up closer to 6 months a boppy can be used to help support them. It’s a versatile item that you won’t use solely for breastfeeding.
As for use during breastfeeding. The boppy pillow is very lightweight, it can easily be moved from place to place and can easily be taken with you. Its curved shape allows you to wrap it around your torso slightly.
The pillow can easily support your small infant while they nurse with minimal support from you. The covers come in lots of fun colors and can be easily zipped off and washed which is another great feature!
The only issue I really encountered was that sometimes baby’s weight can push the pillow away from you and baby would start to fall into the gap a bit. This especially becomes an issue as they get busier and heaver.
What do other moms think:
I wanted to see what other moms thought so I asked in one of my mom groups!
My main concern was that larger women may have trouble wrapping it around themselves as the pillows are not very big. Many reported that this was an issue and may not be the best nursing pillow for plus size moms. Unfortunately, the pillow she recommended has been discontinued.
One woman also mentioned that as she is quite tall she had to lean over a lot which gave her a backache. Many reported that they still loved the boppy pillow as a prop/positioner for baby!
Be sure to check out all my tips for preparing to breastfeed successfully. I’m telling you everything I wish I’d known!
My brest friend nursing pillow review
What’s unique about the My Brest Friend nursing pillow is that it has a strap and buckle on it. It also has a back support piece. I loved this nursing pillow specifically for nursing in bed at night.
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The pillow itself is a bit wider and flatter on top creating a secure resting place for
At night when you’re nursing in a half-awake state, I found the extra stability and security helpful. It even has a little pocket where you can store a nipple shield, nipple cream, or a beverage if you’re using it in the daytime.
I saw a woman at a breastfeeding group get up and walk with the pillow still attached. It may be a good nursing pillow for tall moms as it can be secured higher up on the torso with the latch. You’d likely need a secondary pillow under it for extra support.
The downside is it’s larger and bulkier than the boppy pillow, so I wouldn’t fancy trying to move it around my home throughout the day or take it with me on trips.
It also doesn’t have much use other than as a nursing pillow. It’s not suitable for propping baby for tummy time like the boppy to make it more versatile and long-lasting.
These too come in a wide variety of colors and the covers can be removed and washed, just not as easily since they’re a bit of an odd shape.
Feel free to share your favorite nursing pillow in the comments! I’d love to hear about your experience!
Which is the best breastfeeding pillow for you?
As I said, in my experience I liked having two options as I favored each for different circumstances.
Money and space wise this may not be practical. Ideally, you should try them out. Borrow them from a friend or buy a few and return what won’t work. See which one fits your body best.
This can be a bit challenging with the Babies R Us stores closing :(. If money is a concern I’d recommend checking your local mom’s group to try to buy one second hand or even join a Buy Nothing group on Facebook for your neighborhood! It never hurts to have options.
But, if you have to choose one, I’d try the original boppy pillow to start, if nothing else you can use it for tummy time for your little one.
Check out my full list of essential items for your baby registry and must have breastfeeding products for more great suggestions!
I wish I’ve found out about this pillow when my friend gave birth last year! This seems very useful.
I never had a chance to try either of these, but they both sound good. I ended up exclusively pumping. Although I bet it is still a nice thing to have for setting baby in your lap.
My friend just gave birth to her first little girl and I am SO excited to get her this pillow after reading your great article!
I bet they are both really helpful, I enjoyed reading your comparison
These sound like great products that really helped you with nursing