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Nursing Pillows 101

While creating your registry or picking out your must-haves for baby, there’s one item that shouldn’t be left out—the nursing pillow! Even if you don’t plan on nursing, it’s one item (with about a million uses) that you don’t want to go without! Now pregnant with baby #3, I’m proud to say I’ve tried almost all of them over the years. (And have the collection to show for it!) So I’m going to give you the CliffsNotes version of my favorite brands, and I’d love to hear your experiences too!


1. Boppy 2. Bosom Baby 3. Balboa Baby 4. My Brest Friend 5. Boppy Slipcover

 

1. Boppy Nursing Pillow: Who hasn’t heard of a Boppy, right? The Boppy was one of the first nursing pillows to make its way onto the market. With its doughnut shape and cute patterns, it was an instant success for nursing and bottle-fed babies. Pros: It works wonders as a baby positioner. I could easily flip my baby on his tummy or back, and the boppy perfectly supported him for play time on the floor. Cons: It’s one size fits MOST. You wrap the Boppy around your waist (or try to), and my only complaint was that I still had to keep one hand on baby. Its narrow, round shape made it hard to balance the baby on the pillow.

2. Bosom Baby: I discovered the Bosom Baby with baby #2. And let me tell you, it was love at first sight. Its wide design and pillow consistency was just what I was looking for! It’s squishy enough that baby settles in, wide enough that it’s a comfy fit around mommy (and daddy), and it works as a baby positioner later on! Pros: All of the above AND I used it as a maternity pillow before the baby arrived! Cons: Hmm, well, I guess it would have been nice to have some of those convenient pockets (see below).

3. Balboa Baby: This is a new one for me, so I can’t give my personal experience on it just yet. I have seen it in person, and its contoured shape and small size definitely caught my attention. I love the idea of using it as a lap pillow to help big sister/brother hold the infant, and it’s the perfect size/shape for daddy too.

4. My Brest Friend: I purchased “My Brest Friend” because it had a larger flat surface to lay the baby on during nursing. I loved the easily accessible pockets (to store breast pads and burp cloths), and its wider waist seemed to fit more naturally around my waist. Pros: The firm, flat cushion definitely kept baby from rolling and made breastfeeding more comfortable for me. Cons: The backrest (which really does help with good posture) sometimes got in the way when I wanted to quickly take off the pillow. In fact, I recall wearing it like a hula-hoop around the house on occasion.

So there it is! I guess I seem a little biased (can you guess which is my favorite?), but honestly, each pillow had something so great about it, it’d be hard for me to truly have just one. Now, the question is which to take to the hospital when baby #3 arrives.

Katy's Baby Registry Advice - Project Nursery

Tuesday 12th of August 2014

[…] They also make great baby positioners. There are so many to choose from, but these are some of my favorites. Finally, add a few different brands of swaddle blankets to your registry too, because just like […]

Chelsea

Tuesday 10th of July 2012

I found the jj Cole pillow and love it. It's shaped like a paisley/comma/apostrophe. I'm a bigger girl and it's great for large breasted women to support (I'm a DD since nursing) not only your arm but the baby's head. Plus, the fabric selections for this pillow are modern and perfect.

Dandelion

Sunday 8th of July 2012

Perfect baby shower present! I'd like to get a good friend one My Brest Friend. I hope it's not the most pricey of the bunch.

Martinique

Saturday 7th of July 2012

My sister swears by the My Brest Friend after using a boppy for a while.

BuenaMano

Saturday 7th of July 2012

I never had any of these nursing pillows. I guess if I have a baby again, I should get one. and maybe then my life as a nursing mom would be so much easier.