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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Breast feeding pillows? Worth it? And which are good?

14 replies

Samraves · 15/12/2010 21:14

As the title says really...

I have a 4 week old dd and I am breastfeeding using a normal pillow or cushion, but starting to get back ache so wondered whether a 'proper breast feeding pillow would help this?

If so what do you recommend?

Thanks

Sam

OP posts:

dottyhenson · 15/12/2010 21:19

i love my breastfeeding pillow- its a basic mothercare one, but is one of the few 'baby' things i have used religiously. have used it with all 3 dc, and during labour with all of them, and also like sleeping with it , infact i'm very attached to it!
although don't find it any problem when out and about breastfeeding without it, but just like to be extra specially comfortable at home, as have always found that this is when they do the longest feeds anyway.

blueberrysantabait · 15/12/2010 21:20

I have a firm 'c' pillow which I have borrowed from our local children's centre and it is great. With DD! I have a MyBreastFriend pillow and it was the best one I have ever used. It has a band you fix at the right level for you around your middle and then provides a firm stable place to put DD.

mousesma · 15/12/2010 21:20

I found the my brest friend pillow really useful as it allowed me to feed DD and keep my hands free. It wraps round the body and includes a back support.

I used it from when DD was 6 weeks until she was 20 weeks old. I consider it well worth the investment and wish I had bought it earlier instead of struggling with a normal vshape pillow.

They are expensive but you can pick them up cheaply from eBay.

mistletoeploppy · 15/12/2010 21:23

I had a Widgey and it was the best thing ever - used it many many times a day for a full year!

clarabellarocks · 16/12/2010 11:37

I've got a 2 week old and am using my brestfriend cushion and it's fab.

Newmumlondon · 16/12/2010 12:56

I have a mybreastfriend pillow but found it a bit awkward to be honest. I went to a breast feeding support group who showed me how to hold her comfortably without a pillow and I stopped using it after that - just increased the faff and delay before feeding. If you are lucky enough to have one in your area and haven't gone along yet, I would go even if you don't have any great issues, because they are nice places to chat to other mums and they can give you tips to improve how your feeding which can make a big difference, even if you don't think you have a problem IFCWIM

HereMeRoar · 16/12/2010 17:29

It totally depends on how high up your boobs are and what angle your nipples are at . I found the best one was the one that naturally supported my baby at the right height I needed to hold her at to feed comfortably. Have you checked you're not leaning forward or hunching, as that can really make your back ache after a while. My SIL suggested using a rolled up towel, which was cheaper than buying a special cushion, and I could roll it to just the right height.

Rhian82 · 16/12/2010 17:32

I didn't use one and never felt the need for one.

However, a friend has a blow-up one that she takes everywhere and uses whenever she feeds, whether in public, friend's houses etc. She swears by it and thinks it's the best thing ever.

lifeistooshort · 16/12/2010 17:45

I have a bopsy and it is great I supports DS and means he is at the right height and that I am not slouching. DS is nearly 5 months and my third DC and I can only say this is one of the best baby items I ever bought, I use it all the time

Original poster

Samraves · 16/12/2010 18:28

Thanks :-) I think I may give a pillow a go...

OP posts:

plupervert · 16/12/2010 18:41

HereMeRoar has spotted the information gap in most advice - size and height of person/boobs! So many people with advice fail to take this into account.

Being tall but, well, well-endowed myself I found MyBreastFriend very useful (saved my arms and shoulders). For out and about, I used an inflatable bath pillow from the Body Shop (took up no space in the bag, but really helped when I was feeding). The downside of this was feeling a bit out of puff and light-headed before starting some feeds!

Petsville · 16/12/2010 21:16

I had a Widgey that I got on Ebay - it was brilliant for the first few weeks of DS's life, as I could feed and have both hands free and it reduced the backache. I'm short with big boobs and when he was tiny it put him at exactly the right height to feed. Alas, now he's bigger (4 months) I've had to give it away, so it's probably not worth paying full price for it.

trixymalixy · 16/12/2010 21:19

Mybreastfriend pillow. It saved my back when feeding at night.

My friend who was having latch/positioning problems said it saved her from giving up breastfeeding.

TheBlondeMilitia1 · 01/05/2015 10:32

It's got to be the Thrupenny Bits breastfeeding pillows every time! I was scouring the internet looking for a good twins breastfeeding pillow as I'm expecting twins in November (eek!!) and came across this thread on the top page of google for best breastfeeding pillow. Although I see this is an old thread I felt compelled to comment as I really struggled with feeding first time round until I found these pillows which seem to be very much under the radar for some reason. I fed both my boys using the gorgeous Thrupenny Bits breastfeeding pillows, I too had a widgey to begin with which was great at home but far too awkward to carry around and I'm sorry to say rather ugly on my sofa! I just couldn't feed without a decent pillow and needed a portable one, these were my life saviour at home and in the park, in a cafe, at friends houses, on a plane, well everywhere! Just couldn't have managed without them and I wish they did a decent twins pillow because if they did i'd buy one. I hope that helps any new Mums who don't know what to buy, I know it's minefield out there! Anyone else on still on this thread, I'm assuming breastfeeding is long past and if anyone can recommend a good twins pillow I'd be really grateful!

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