Do I Need A Nursing Pillow To Ease Breastfeeding? (2022)

Do I need a nursing pillow to make breastfeeding easier? Absolutely yes, it is a life saver.

I don’t know about you, but if there is one thing that was a must have in my registry was a nursing pillow. With my first born, it helped me learn how to hold a newborn baby properly when breastfeeding.

My second born had colic and hardly slept at night. He always wanted to nurse through the night. The bobby pillow helped me to hold him up high enough when breastfeeding, which prevented back pain.

Apart from breastfeeding, I used my pillow to prop my babies up when training them to sit. So it was really necessary.

Do I really need a nursing pillow?

There are several reasons why you may need a nursing pillow. Let’s look at some of the most important reasons and benefits of a nursing pillow.

• Ease breastfeeding

Most new moms expect breastfeeding to come naturally but at times we struggle to find the best position to hold the baby when nursing.

A bobby pillow promotes proper breastfeeding position in that it raises the baby high enough close to your breast. This gives you support and you do not have to bend or lean forward to feed the baby. So breastfeeding becomes easier and both you and the baby feel more comfortable and relaxed.

• Learn how to hold the baby

There are different ways that you can hold the baby when breastfeeding. You can use the laid-back position, side-lying position, cradle hold position, or the football hold position.

With a nursing pillow, you can learn how to hold the baby in a cradle position, football position or laid back.

• Get a good latch

Holding the baby high enough close to the breast also helps to get a good latch. Imagine having your baby on your laps and you have to bend or lean forward to reach him. You will not only get tired and have a backache but also start having sore nipples since the baby will not latch properly.

A good latch encourages more milk flow and baby feeds to satisfaction. A common problem that new moms face is breast engorgement, which occurs when milk ducts get blocked. When your baby latches and breastfeeds properly, this should not be an issue.

See how to use a breastfeeding pillow in the video below.

What to look for when choosing a nursing pillow

• Lightweight

It should be light in weight to help to carry it around. A lightweight bobby pillow will be easier to carry from the nursery to your room or sitting room. You can also carry it when visiting family and friends.

• Thickness 

It should be thick enough to allow you to raise the baby up to your breast so that you do not have to hunch over when breastfeeding. However, it should not be too thick that it raises the baby way too high up because it would be difficult to breastfeed.

• Firm yet soft

A good breastfeeding pillow needs to be firm (not hard) so that it can hold the baby without sinking. It should also be soft enough to offer comfort and make the baby feel cozy. Moreover, you do not want a pillow that will press on you so hard that it makes you uncomfortable.

• Washable cover 

A bobby pillow is bound to get dirty after some time. Milk may leak on it or your baby may have a blowout diaper lying on it. So you need to ensure that the cover is washable and can be removed and washed by hand or machine.

• Perfect fit

A good nursing pillow should fit you perfectly. There are pillows for different sizes, petite and plus size. So get one that is right for your size so that you will be comfortable when feeding the baby.

So why do you feel that a breastfeeding pillow is not necessary?

Price maybe?

One of the main reasons why some parents opt not to buy a breastfeeding pillow is due to the cost. They feel that since they will use it for a short time, it is not worth the money.

If cost is the reason why you feel that you do not need a nursing pillow, there are several ways you can get one at a very cheap price or absolutely free.

Lynn

Lynn is a freelance writer, a wife, and a mother of two beautiful kids. Lynn started Infant Empire with the aim of making parenting easier for fellow mums and dads. She believes the parenting tips provided here will be of great help to all parents.