There are hundreds of things a new mom has to learn as soon as holding her little bundle of joy in her arms, one of them learning to keep her posture as healthy as possible while breastfeeding or using a bottle. 

Holding their baby in a wrong posture causes new moms a lot of aches and pains, which can drive the need for a nursing pillow. By fitting around your waist while you breastfeed or use a bottle, nursing pillows provide you with support and more importantly comfort for your baby while she enjoys her lunchtime.

 When you start looking for a nursing pillow, how can you tell what the best nursing pillow is? With that in mind, we have compiled a list of our 10 Best Nursing Pillows of 2020 for you, as there are several options on the market that can confuse you. 

We hope that with our recommendations, we can make your shopping process easier.

The-Best-Nursing-Pillow

How To Choose A Nursing Pillow – Buying Guide

After giving birth, a new mom can spend a lot of time breastfeeding her child to help him get stronger while creating the biggest bond in the world. To make this unique connection, moms want to make sure that the nursing pillow they’re picking fits all the needs they are looking for. With that in mind, we have decided on a specific set of criteria for the best breastfeeding pillow before recommending it. 

A Proper Fit

When you go to the store to choose your nursing pillow, if they have samples available, try them on to see how different ones fit. It’s not incorrect to say in the least that mom’s are going to have different waist sizes. For your waist, you want to have a pillow that fits not only around your waist, but also stays in place while you feed your little one. A good way to tell this in the store is to grab a doll, sit in a chair and put the doll in a feeding position. Finding the one that feels right and isn’t too snug is what you should be looking for.

Shape & Firmness

When you’re in the store trying, hold the doll on the pillow and check out how you have positioned it. A newborn baby should lie on the pillow with her neck straight and facing your breast. While some moms prefer a curved pillow, some choose a firmer and a flat one. What you want to make sure of is that the doll isn’t too high or sinking too low. If that’s the case, the pillow may not be the right breast-feeding pillow for you.

Belt or Strap

If you are planning to breastfeed, it’s likely that you’re going to be breastfeeding a good 8 to 12 times a day. During these times, you will have to reposition the pillow every time or have it fall off when you stand up. In order to prevent this, some nursing pillows come equipped with a belt or a strap you can latch around your waist to keep it in place. Most moms find this feature really helpful.

Special Features

While some parents may want special features like a bottle holder built into the pillow, it can be much more common to see pillows that are designed to accommodate feeding twins, or can help prop your child up into a semi-upright position. Some other special features include a travel pillow that can be folded and put into a portable bag or a pillow large enough to be both a nursing pillow and body pillow.

Style and Washability

Style can be a big factor for some moms who are into fashion. Many pillows on the market today come with a slipcover so that you can combine them with the decoration of the nursery if you want to. No matter which cover you choose, you want to make sure that the cover is machine-washable. This will make the covers last longer and make them easier to clean.

Different Nursing Pillow Shapes

During both pregnancy and postpartum recovery, a mom’s body goes through a lot of changes and the first pillow you buy, may not always be the best option for you or your baby. Having realized this fact, manufacturers offer different shapes to help accommodate the changing needs of the mother as her pregnancy continues.

Crescent Roll

Shaped like a crescent moon, a crescent roll nursing pillow can be much softer than other nursing pillows with its concentrated amount of padding where your baby’s head rests during feeding times. If it is the right filling, your little one will feel like she is lying on a cloud.

O-Shaped

O-Shaped pillows wrap around your body and have an adjustable waist-belt to ensure the best fit when using to feed your little one. To help save moms back from the aches and pains while using it, a cushioned back support is also included.

C-Shaped

A C-Shaped pillow is what is typically thought of when it comes to nursing pillows. While it doesn’t wrap around your body like an O-Shaped one, the stuffing is soft enough for your little one to rest comfortably while eating.

FAQ

Q: What are the benefits of a nursing pillow?

When feeding a newborn, holding them while breastfeeding can put a lot of strain on your muscles. Using a nursing pillow can offer a lot of different benefits, not only for mom, but for your little one as well. Those benefits include:

  • Body Support: Breastfeeding can put a lot of strain on a mom’s shoulders, back and arms from holding their baby in the correct feeding position. A nursing pillow can give mom’s muscles some relief by taking the strain off and having the baby resting on the pillow instead of in mom’s arms.
  • Longevity: A nursing pillow can have a long life even when you’re not using it to feed your little one. A nursing pillow can be used to prop up your little one once they are big enough to hold their head up or as a barrier to keep them from rolling off the bed or couch if they are laying down to have their diaper changed.
  • Comfort: With the comfortable materials that a lot of nursing pillows on the market use today, not only can they offer a lot of comfort for expectant moms during pregnancy, a lot of parents may find that a nursing pillow can offer a lot of comfort after the baby is born as well. The maneuverability of the pillow to fit your needs or support your baby while feeding can make each time they feed much easier.
  • Portability: Just because you go out of town, doesn’t mean that your child is not going to want to eat. Some nursing pillows are small enough to be packed into a small bag to take with you so all of the benefits that come with having and using a nursing pillow and save yourself from any related aches and pains that may come with breastfeeding.

Q: Do you really need a nursing pillow?

A: Yes, a nursing pillow provides a much-needed helping hand to breastfeeding mothers, especially in initial 4 to 5 months.

While breastfeeding, you need to make sure that with your position, the baby is also positioned in the right manner. If you or baby is in an unsettled position, the baby might not be able to latch on properly and remains hungry. 

On the other hand, during frequent but uncomfortable sessions of breastfeeding, you may start having strains in the body and eventually result in aches around back or neck. As, nursing pillows are designed to put your baby in right position, they allow a proper breastfeeding session without any discomfort to you or baby. 

Q: Are nursing pillows worth it?

A: Yes. Most of the moms use a nursing pillow and find them very useful and a worth product to have. 

Nursing pillows provide an elevated platform for the babies, which helps moms to breastfeed their child in comfortable manner without and body strains and enjoy the joy of nursing. Due to their design they are also useful in feeding a baby away from home, such as in cars, thus making them a must have baby care product for moms.

Q: What are nursing pillows for?

A: Nursing pillows are primarily used for having a proper breastfeeding session in a comfortable position. They provide a stable surface with enough elevation, so that a newborn is able to latch on properly. On the other hand, they are helpful in reducing stains from back, neck and arms for feeding moms. 

Apart from supporting a baby during breastfeeding, they can also be used for tummy time of babies and also help in making babies sit.

Q: Is it OK to let baby sleep on a nursing pillow?

A: No, it is not OK to let baby sleep on a nursing pillow. 

In fact, pediatricians suggest that no pillow should be used with the babies for the purpose of sleep. Using a pillow not only restricts the moment of the baby while they are in sleep but also can be fatal as it brings the risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with it.

Q: How can I breastfeed without a pillow?

A: For breastfeeding without a pillow, first you need to decide on a comfortable position in which you are able to bring the baby to your breast. The right way to do so is by crossing your leg in a manner that you obtain elevation on the nursing side. 

With this, make sure your body remains in a straight position. Leaning fore or back makes it difficult for the baby to latch on. Keep in mind, while breastfeeding; you need to keep you, baby, near to breast but not the opposite. 

Q: How do you use a nursing pillow?

A: First, place the nursing pillow on your lap, after sitting in a comfortable position. After placing its U Shape in the right direction, adjust its elevation as per a comfortable position, and tie it along your waist. Once the surface is ready to place the baby on it and introduces your breast to the baby’s mouth and make sure the baby is able to latch with comfort.

My Babies Planet Overview

Choosing the right breastfeeding pillow is an important decision as it will directly affect the posture of your body by supporting it in a healthy position as well as providing the comfy area for your baby to latch on your breast. The best feeding pillow is the one that supports both the mom and her baby. 

Our hope is that with our list of the 10 Best Nursing Pillows of 2020, our recommendations have given you an idea of what to look for and that you can make an easier decision now.

More Baby Reviews:

My Babies Planet Nursing Pillow Review
★★★★★
“ The Comfortable Nursing Pillow by Bamboo has saved my back from pain. Excellent product.”
- Nicole Berg

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Sarah Nielsen
https://www.mybabiesplanet.com
Hello Mother's and Father's of the world. My name is Sarah Nielsen is this is my passion MyBabiesPlanet.com, as I am a mother of two beautiful babies and they are my world. Also I love blogging and sharing my experiences of what has worked for me when raising my kids. When I'm not juggling the madness at home, or working on my blog. You will find me product researching and keeping the site freshly updated with the latest baby gear and helpful articles for my readers!