Nursing Pillows

I got a used one with my first baby, but I found it too awkward to use. I tried it again with my 2nd baby, but she was very colicy and I had to keep her in an upright position to feed her, so the pillow actually made things worse! But I know several friends who used the pillow after they had a c-section and could not live without it.

I had a c-section with my first, and the nursing pillow really made nursing a lot more manageable. Also, I didn't really know what I was doing with the first one, and not having to worry about dropping him made it a lot easier for me to position his head and make sure he had a good latch. As he got bigger, I developed tendinitis from holding him (he was a large baby). The nursing pillow was very convenient to use as sort of a table top to hold him.

I used the pillow a lot less with my second one (VBAC, smaller baby, I already knew what I was doing re: nursing), but it was great for me as a first-time mom.

If you don't need one, that's great. I used one because my older sister gave it to me along with all the other hand-me-down baby stuff. I found it very difficult to nurse without it -- my breasts are really large and droopy (sorry, TMI!) and it was super hard to hold both my breast and the baby. if I let go of my breast at any time, my boob would drop out of the baby's mouth and break the latch. In my (unscientific, very anecdotal) investigation, it's usually large breasted women that use nursing pillows. Now, on my third baby, I can nurse fine without it -- but I still prefer to use it so I can have a free hand.

I used the my Breast Friend pillow with both of my boys for a year and I loved it. It allowed me to have my hands free to stroke their back or head and move a blanket or burping cloth or take a drink etc. I used a glider chair and he always seem to wiggle down in between the arm of the chair and me at some awkward angle without it. It allowed me to vary his position more trying different latch methods in those first few weeks until you find what they like. I did have a c-section with both so maybe that had something to do with it.

I didn't use a nursing pillow with my first child but did with my second and it made a big difference on how my back felt. With my first I had alot of trouble nursing in the beginning and could never seem to get my son in the right position. Nursing got easier but I still found myself nursing many times in a "bad positon" for my back. With my second I bought a nursing pillow and used it for the first three months. It was just the perfect height to positon my baby and I didn't end up bent over to nurse. As he got bigger I moved away from the "designed nursing pillow" to just using a bed pillow.

The only girls I know that used a pillow were the ones that had C sections. I never saw a need for my baby to be on a pillow. They fit perfectly on your body just the way they are.... at least in my experience.

--Comfort--for some it is more comfortable at first to have the extra support underneath. I often had to nurse while sitting on the floor to watch the other daycare kiddo so it was more comfortable to have a pillow underneath when trying to keep my nursing cover in place

-Commercialism--like many other aspects of childrearing there are a multitude of devices and products that entice us into thinking we need all this stuff:)...

I know I loved mine and used it all the time for 15 months of nursing with each of my kids. My sister in law nursed her kids and never used one. I think for me it was about comfort. I have a large and naturally saggy chest (sorry tmi) and it was difficult for me to hold my baby in the right position with out suffocating them in the large amount of breast tissue. It helped my back to be able to relax in the chair while nursing. My sis in law is small chested and it didn't work for her to use one because the baby couldn't lay and reach her chest. That is my reason.

I have a very long body (am tall) and a very slow eater -- plus my baby and I preferred the football hold so it would have been tough without any support under that arm (like doing a bicep curl for several HOURS a day) -- and I ended up with a c-section too (surprise since the first was vaginal) due to his short umbilical cord (6")....I really did not use one with my first that I nursed off and on for 4 mos due to her faulty latch but I could not have lived without mine for baby #2 that I nursed a year. Oh- and it made positioning easier when I fed him on one side and nursed on the other at the same time :)

I nursed both of my children for about 6-8 months each and I swear by my nusing pillow. However, nursing pillows are not all the same. I tried the Boppy and hated it. I used My Breast Friend and loved it. It helps with positioning of the baby and gives your arms a break. My arms would get tired and my hands would even fall asleep holding the baby without the pillow. Each to their own I guess!

Nursing pillows are good support for one baby or multiples. They allow you to get the baby up, closer to the breast. Many nursing moms often are sporting poor posture because they are slumped over in order to get the breast closer to the baby. To get a good latch and ensure the baby will learn to nurse effectively and efficiently as well as helping mom maintain good support, you need to bring baby to the breast, not the other way around.

Even if you start holding baby nice and high, often slipping occurs which pulls on the nipple and affects the latch baby has on the breast. Both of these things can cause damage to the nipple tissue and make the nursing relationship painful.

If you have been able to effectively nurse your baby without a pillow, that's great. I just would encourage you to make sure your posture is good. Nursing can cause muscle cramps etc... in the upper back. Baby gets heavy while you hold him/her and even when you don't think you are slipping you often are slipping. Having never used a nursing pillow, I'm guessing you have not experienced the increased comfort that comes from using one. It's a tool. Just like anything else. Is it NECESSARY? In most cases, no. But it does make life easier.

And, as others have said, it is an huge help for moms who have had a c/s.