One of the challenges that new mothers experience is breastfeeding their baby. Sometimes, it can be difficult for both mother and child to be in an uncomfortable position or have an incorrect latching. Nursing pillows have made this easy for you. Let’s have a look at what nursing pillow is and how to use it.
What is a nursing pillow?
Nursing pillows, also known as breastfeeding pillows are a U-shaped pillow, made to help mothers to feed and nurse their baby. It usually goes around mom’s waist or upper belly to provide a raised surface for the baby to lie on, while enjoying their milk. Breastfeeding pillows can come in different size and shapes. They’re usually filled with soft yet firm fillings to be comfortable but also be able to support the baby’s weight. Some of them come with a strap that can go around the mother’s waist to ensure stability.
Why should you use nursing pillows?
There are several benefits in using nursing pillows to breastfeed or bottle feed your new-born. This pillow allows the baby to get closer to the breast’s level and have a more comfortable position. Nursing pillows can also make the mom’s job easier by maintaining a good feeding posture without any pain or strain sustained to your hand, back or shoulder.
They can be a very good support if you have twins as they give very comfortable support for both babies for feeding.
Nursing pillows give you the ability to breastfeed your baby without having to support their weight with your hands. So you have a hand-free device that makes the feeding much easier and with less discomfort.
Nursing pillows can give you many benefits:
- Improved comfort
- Proper positioning for baby and mom
- Support for twins or premature babies
- Reduced strain in hands, shoulders and back
- Hand-free feeding
How to pick your perfect nursing pillow
There are some differences between nursing pillows. Here are a few things you should pay attention to, while choosing your pillow:
- Material and quality. It’s important to have a soft pillow to ensure your baby’s comfort. Cotton or polyblend can be a good choice of material.
- Strap or no strap. you can get a nursing pillow with strap to rap around your waist or a no-strap pillow. It depends on your preference.
- C-shape or U-shape. There are two different shape of nursing pillows. The U-shape goes all the way around and back of your body. The C-shaped pillows, on the other hand, only cover the front and sides of your waist.
- Easy to wash. When choosing your pillow, make sure the cover is washable since it might get messy with milk spills while feeding your baby.
Other preferences. Breastfeeding pillows come in different colors and styles that you can pick based on your preference you can check out different nursing pillows by clicking here.
How to use your breastfeeding pillow
Using nursing pillows is pretty straight forward. These are the steps to make sure you and your baby have a nice experience.
1. Choose a position you and your baby are comfortable in.
2. Adjust your nursing pillow around your waist.
3. Position your new-born on the pillow.
4. Latch your baby.
5. Relax and enjoy
Now that everything and everyone is in place, relax and enjoy your comfortable experience with your precious baby.
Other ways to use your nursing pillow
Even though nursing pillows are primarily designed for breastfeeding, there are various ways you can use this pillow for different situations. Here are some of the other uses of nursing pillows:
- Support during pregnancy. Nursing pillows can be used during your pregnancy to have a more comfortable sleep. You can place the pillow between your knees or under your belly. This way you can decrease some of the pressure to your hip or back.
- Bottle feeding. Even if you don’t breastfeed your little one, nursing pillows provide great support for bottle feeding as it lifts the baby up.
- Great for postpartum recovery. Nursing pillows can also assist you during your postpartum recovery. You can put the pillow under your knees while lying down to relieve the pressure to your lower back. You can also sit on it if you have perineal pain for the first few weeks.
- Baby lounger. when you’re done feeding your baby, you can use the pillow as a lounger for the baby to lie down on and rest or play.
- Neck pillows! Nursing pillows can also be a great travel companion and play the role of a neck pillow. You can use it in long journeys to have a more comfortable head placement while sleeping or resting.
Using nursing pillows can be a great help for new mothers. It can give you a better experience when you feed or interact with your little one. it’s great investment for you and your baby.
