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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Are My Brest Friend cushions worth it? Does the travel one work?

24 replies

ilovemyoboe · 26/02/2009 21:29

I'm 32 weeks and hoping to breast feed. Have read that the My Brest Friend support pillows are very good, but they're a bit pricey! Are they any good?

The travel ones are a bit cheaper - do they work?

Not sure what to get, if anything.

OP posts:

Yurtgirl · 26/02/2009 21:33

I had a special breast feeding cushion (cant remember the brand) It was a complete waste of money!

Maybe these are better?

mistlethrush · 26/02/2009 21:34

I had a Blooming Marvellous one which I found really useful, particularly early on after emergency cs. Ds was large and I would have struggled to have him at a good level comfortably...

Good luck - hope it goes well for you

barbareebaa · 26/02/2009 21:52

I was given one from a friend who had just finished bf-ing - she said it was the best bit of equipment she bought for the baby. i am using it and really miss it when I'm washing the cover. It's so convenient and easy - totally recommend (although I didn't have to buy mine )

barbareebaa · 26/02/2009 21:53

Sorry - it's a 'my brest friend' btw

babyOcho · 26/02/2009 21:58

When I was in San Francisco I met a lot of people who used my breast friend pillows. Everyone raved about them.

I think that they were good because of the way it strapped as well as supported the back.

I had a widgy, but didnt really use it as I found DD kept slipping down between the cushion.

MamaHobgoblin · 26/02/2009 22:03

Never tried it, but they always look so flat to me, like laying your baby out on the dining table! I know they have their followers though.

Lots of people do without special cushions, or can't get on with them, but I couldn't do without them, even now at 12 m. I used a normal pillow for first few weeks because of gap between tummy and Widgey, then Widgey, and now I use a Mothercare U shaped one downstairs and my widgey upstairs at bedtime. Never really got the hang of cradling DS in my arms, and besides, if you use a cushion you have hands free for a book, cuppa, MN, etc!

bzzbee · 26/02/2009 23:45

I bought one of these, not sure it's worth the expense to be honest. I often used a v-shaped pillow or just normal pillows instead. One thing I found annoying about the Brest friend was the buckle, it was loud enough when unclicking to wake the baby (who as a newborn usually fell asleep at the end of each feed during the night), and it was also a bit awkward to click on and unclick - bearing in mind it's the middle of the night and i was a zombie of course...!

I would pay up to £20 for it, but as I recall it was over £40 I think..? And it is flat, as someone else pointed out, whereas a normal pillow can form more of a cocoon around the baby...

Marthasmama · 26/02/2009 23:54

I found my 'Brest Friend' really difficult. I am particulalry short of body so when I use it DD ends up too high so she can't latch on. If I was taller or didn't have duch a stupid short body then it would be great. Also, I had a c-section and it really hurt my scar for the first 5 weeks or so. I use a V cushion I stole from my mum. Much more comfortable for me and DD.

Marthasmama · 26/02/2009 23:56

If I had my time again I'd have got one of these

notcitrus · 27/02/2009 12:17

I love my Brest Friend (except the name...), as without it I wouldn't have managed 3 weeks of feeding.

Pillows on my lap and V-shaped ones didn't get my baby in the right place - my nipples stick out to the side a lot. And my arms/wrists/hands are crap so I can't hold him in the right place. I still need both hands as well to feed though.

Assuming you have a partner who can go to a shop easily, I'd wait until you have the baby and see if you need anything. Wodging a fleecy blanket under the baby works well for me when I'm out.

domesticallychallenged · 27/02/2009 12:54

I use a Boppy cushion. It's great, wouldn't be without it when feeding! Half the price of a MBF too!!

MamacitaGordita · 27/02/2009 13:13

I was given a Thrupenny Bits cushion (as linked to by Marthasmama) and it is very pretty, ties around you so baby can't slip down between you and the cushion, and it's easy to transport (looks like a bag, indeed it can be used as a bag after you've finished feeding!)

But the drawbacks are that it can't be machine washed and my poly-whatever filling (little ball things) are squishing down so it's not as plump as it was. But you can get a different filling which might not compact as much, and you can buy new inserts as well (£10 though!)

I'd advise waiting to see if you really need a special bf cushion- use pillows etc til then.

Original poster

ilovemyoboe · 27/02/2009 19:25

Thanks for your advice everyone. Won't rush out and buy one then; will wait a bit and see if either someone gives me any sort of cushion like that, or if I happen to find a very cheap one!

OP posts:

wombleprincess · 27/02/2009 19:34

i think the MBF is the best cushion around, i've had them all!! you can get them cheaply on ebay, i got mine for £12.

seeker · 27/02/2009 19:41

[http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001501&langId=- 1&searchTerms=V+pillow&Submit=GO+%3E this] is what you need. Only 8 quid and brilliant. Buy 2. Useful for propping babies up later as well. And for reading in bed. My 13 and 8 year olds still use theirs!

seeker · 27/02/2009 19:45

Can't make the link work. It's a V shaped pillow from Argos - £7.70something. Brilliant.

Original poster

ilovemyoboe · 27/02/2009 19:57

Got the link to work by copying without the ' this' at the end. Thanks. Will remember that one - certainly loads cheaper than any pillows advertised as specifically for breast feeding.
www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001501&langId=-%201&sea rchTerms=V+pillow&Submit=GO+%3E

OP posts:

cakewench · 28/02/2009 17:13

I'd keep in mind your torso length etc when shopping for one of these pillows. I've got both a Boppy and the MBF, and MBF is better by far for me. I'm 5'8" and the Boppy (and similar pillows) is too low to use for breastfeeding when in a sitting position. MBF has made BF very easy for me. My baby is also large (just under 9lbs) and holding him up that high for a half hour + would be tiring. If you're interested in it you could use the suggestion above and check out Ebay.

It's a good idea to wait and see what you'll still need after the birth!

insertwittynicknameHERE · 28/02/2009 17:18

marthasmama, those pillows look perfect, gawd I wish I had known about them when I was bf DD.

I bought a my breast friend pillow and couldnt get to grips with it as I am so large in the nork dept. I am selling mine as I only used it once.

Marthasmama · 28/02/2009 18:07

iwnnH - I too am large of nork so that probably doesn't help me get on with my Breast Friend pillow.

Turniphead1 · 01/03/2009 20:06

I have a MBF. i found it useful with DC2 but funnily enough not so much with DC3 who is currently 9 weeks. I actually found the back bit in conjunction with a Hauk rcoker chair was making my back sorer - so adapted it and took the back bit out so the strap bit is just flat at the back. Also found that having it there when latching wasn't good and so I would latch, keep it between my knees and then grab it and insert it under babe when feeding commenced if that makes sense.
In general, I think if you can feed well w/o a pillow then its better as you feel less reliant and uncomortable when feeding out and about.

Jennylee · 02/03/2009 14:10

I got a c shapepd cushion out of argos for 12.50 and it has done me fine, sometimes it is 20 quid though.

jonalex · 02/03/2009 15:00

I used Thrupenny Bits breastfeeding pillows which I loved, they were really pretty and didn't in fact look like a breastfeeding cushion at all. They tied on so my boy didn't slip off during feeding. I had a little cord one filled with polystyrene beads for out and about and larger one filled with Buck wheat hulls for home. Mine were both fine for washing, in fact they just went in with my whites, I suppose it depends which colour you go for. I did actually own a boppy with my first son but it was huge so not portable and not particularly attractive. The Thrupenny Bits pillow made all the difference to successful breastfeeding second time round, well worth the money!

Turniphead1 · 02/03/2009 20:28

I have ordered a Thrupenny Bit one to see what it is like. The woman who runs the company is excellent - personal emails about delivery etc - so will let the OP know what it is like when it arrives. I also have a Boppy and find its main use is for the baby to lie on (as a prop) - its fairly rubbish as a BF cushion ime.

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