Is it worth buying a breastfeeding pillow?

[octanegirl]

I'm due in a week or so with DC1 and wondering whether or not to buy a special pillow/cushion?
If so which ones are good? I've seen V shaped ones, squared off ones.....allsorts.
I guess anything that helps with breastfeeding is good but am a total novice so am relying on your wise advice ladies!

Definitely get one, someone bought me one when DS was a few days old and I couldn't believe how much easier it made feeding! I had a c shaped one.

I thought they were ridiculous and screwing money out of unsuspecting pregnant women, when I was a pregnant woman. Ho ho ho. Never managed comfortably with a stack of normal pillows (and carting three pillows around the house was not much fun either) and at 2wo got a widgey - brilliant. Didn't use it for long at all (maybe to 8wo at a push) but have had some use out of it for DS to sit in etc and it was such a godsend that it was still worth it.

I'd maybe buy one and not unwrap it til you've tried with normal pillows, though - some women clearly are totally fine without so you could return it if you turn out to be one of them!

absolutely. had a widgey u-shaped one. without it I got very tense in my shoulders from holding baby with the arm and I could easily read or mn with it as had both arms free

Spent £30 on one from mothercare. Used it for a few days only whilst establishing BF. Complete waste of money and currently cluttering our tiny flat.

Not as much of a waste as my breast pump though. £70 and used a few times. I'm not BF anymore so it's completely redundant.

Gutted for my bank account

Never used my fat or thin v shaped pillows, as normal pillows were five to lean on, but I couldn't get ds up to the right height with normal or v pillows as he'd roll down the slope where they met my body.
So after a week bfing at the computer so the desk held pillows in place, I got a My Brest Friend, or the mummy shelf as it's called round here. Enabled one handed feeding as I need to hold a breast with my hand to point it in the right direction.

Another fan of the My Brest Friend (and heh, like the idea of it being a "mummy shelf") - allows for one handed feeding, nice and firm, baby doesn't end up rolling towards me, and also props baby at just the right height. I have a very long torso and often end up in really uncomfortable positions trying to hoist DS in the vague direction of boobs. I can manage with a pile of pillows in bed and just make do when I'm out and about, but the shelf is a godsend for most feeds.

I love the Brest Friend. I think it's useful in the early days when the baby is very "floppy" and needs to be supported/ held in the right position. The real benefit of it vs other cushions is that you strap it on so you can then pick the baby up and sit down to feed rather than holding the baby and trying to arrange the cushions around you. They last forever and the sover is washable so maybe look online for a second hand one. Mine has been used by me, then two of my friends, then back to me for DC2 and then going back to one of the friends who is due her second, and is still in perfect condition

i have found mine to be great and would definitely recomend one - it keeps me ion the right shape when feeding and stops my back and arms getting sore. i would say a nice firm one is essential to keep the baby at the right height. i bought a widgey from amazon and highly recommend!

ps I dont ever take it out with me- I just make do - but if you have a squirmy/fussy feeder, I think a cushion like the BF does make things easier

You can also buy spare covers for the Brest Friend (argh, ridiculous name), I got one on EBay. V handy for when one cover gets urped/explodey pooed on.

Never bought one and have bf both of mine. Just bought some nursing bras and breastpads and eventually bought a 2nd hand pump, well after a few months. I do tend to only buy baby stuff as and when I need it though, if I bought too much I wouldn't have been able to stay off work for so long and we'd have a house full of even more crap

It's got to be the Thrupenny Bits breastfeeding pillows every time! www.thrupennybits.co.uk I'm currently scouring the internet looking for a good twins breastfeeding pillow as I'm expecting twins in November (eek!!) and this is the second thread I've come across asking which is the 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 (tried the enormous my breastfriend as well!) 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!

My local baby cafe lends out pillows - I borrowed a My Brest Friend for six months totally free. Perhaps see if that's an option where you are? I have a long sausage beanbag (thermaline I think) which I love for feeding in bed and I now use it all the time for sleeping too. BF pillows aren't essential by any means but if you have space and the money then I'd certainly recommend. DH keeps saying "when youre done bf the pillow will go won't it?". Out of my cold dead hands.

Oops sorry didn't realise zombie thread!

Forgive my ignorance something witty but what is a zombie thread? Just wanted to say that the genius of the Thrupenny Bits cushions are that they convert to a bag after breastfeeding, I still use mine 7 years on as a bag and when I have my twins will re-insert the inner cushion and carry on using it for individual feeding, well that's my plan anyway!