UCB Parents Recommendations

Nursing Pillows

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3/27/00

Does anyone know which nursing pillow is a good one to buy? I am thinking of My Brest Friend Feeding Pillow. Any recommendations is greatly appreciated.

Lisa
I don't know which pillow is "My Brest Friend Feeding Pillow", but I tried several and found a simple foam almost wedge shaped one to work best for me. This was actually a hand me down, and I don't know where to get it, but there are lots of baby stores in Berkeley to try (Babyworld, Rockrigde kids, and Cotton and Co are favorites on College, there are others). My mother in law bought me a fancy one that straps around the body, but it was too much of a big deal to get on and off, and I couldn't do that with one hand (sometimes I just couldn't put down my crying and starving baby). However, I did use this pillow eventually to help support the baby, whom I carried almost all the time. Sort of as an alternative to the sling, which I found hard to use with the newborn, but more useful later. I found my comfortable nursing pillow to be essential, I know other moms used their regular bed pillows. It's a very personal thing. You may have to try several to find the right one.
Christina
I didn't like the My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow, primarily for two reasons. (1) The pillow wraps around your back and secures with heavy-duty velcro. When your baby falls asleep after nursing you can't get the darn thing off without waking your kid up, a real bummer at 3:30 am! I also found it cumbersome to put on while holding my baby--I needed two hands to secure it. Just try putting your baby on the floor, securing this pillow, and trying to bend over to pick your baby up with the pillow around your waist. Doesn't work! (2) The foam in the pillow is, in my mind, too firm. It doesn't allow for much conforming to your body, or adjusting for arm height. I found my arms rested too high on the pillow and my shoulders hunched up while nursing, making me really uncomfortable.

I did use and loved the Boppy pillow. It's shaped like a "U" and you slide it onto your lap and around your sides, but not behind your back (if that makes sense). It is not foam filled but filled with cotton or polyester batting material which makes it easier to mold to your preference. And it slips right off your lap after nursing with one hand, making it great to transition your kid to the crib or whatever. It's also machine washable. My daughter, now 2, still sits in it to read--it's a comforting little cocoon of a place. It's available at RockridgeKids (wide variety of colors/prints) and ToysRUs (cheaper but more limited selection).

Sorent
"My Brest friend" was great as a nursing pillow. I took it everywhere. It's sturdy enough to balance the baby with one hand while you carefully check your email with your other hand.
Hadley
I TOTALLY recommend the Boppy pillow for many reasons. First of all, I sat on it before I gave birth to relieve pressure from my tail bone. Second, it is more adjustable than the "My Breast Friend" pillow in the sense that it isn't a flat shelf that the baby can sort of roll off of. Boppy is so soft and works really well to cuddle baby towards your body. The third reason is that the Boppy is half the cost. And last but not least it makes a great support cushion for baby when he begins to sit up. I love this pillow so much I bought 2, one for each floor of my house. The thing about the MBF cushion is that it straps around you so you can walk around I guess, but from my experience I wasn't walking around while feeding my son. Hope this helps!
jhelwig
I used the "My Breast Friend" pillow. I loved it because it strapped around my waist and easily went with me when I moved from one chair to the next. My husband also used it when giving our son a bottle. Other friends used the "Boppy" pillow and seemed to like that fine. That pillow also doubles as an infant support pillow when your baby is learning to sit up.
Wendy
I just used a cheap-o, fairly firm, fiberfill pillow that we bought at Target or Costco or something. With a case on it, it worked just fine and was easily washable (unlike the My Brest Friend which is too firm to wash well).
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