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Breastfeeding in the early days can be an uncomfortable process to get used to: both you and your baby are learning a skill and while your nipples adjust to the increased level of attention you may find your arms, back and neck aching due to holding your little bundle in position once you’ve found the perfect latch. This is where breastfeeding pillows can really help both of you out. A nursing pillow is specifically designed to primarily support you and baby in various positions while your breastfeed.
Of course, these pillows can help make you comfortable if you are bottle feeding too. In fact, many mums find multiple uses for the pillow even when not breastfeeding: they can be great support for your baby during tummy time and for propping them up once they’re sitting up. Investing in a high quality nursing pillow can help make your experience of breastfeeding far more enjoyable and comfortable: this is our guide to the best nursing pillows available on the market.
Best Breastfeeding Pillow UK Reviews
Contents
1. Niimo Nursing Pillow
Overall, the best nursing pillow is the Niimo pillow: it is comfortable, versatile and made from high quality materials inside and out to support yours and your baby’s breastfeeding journey. The Niimo nursing pillow provides comfort for your little one: the pillow will wrap the baby in a soft embrace whilst you are feeding them. So while the feeding pillow helps support and cradle your baby: it leaves your hands free to make any adjustments to support the latch or even grab yourself a drink or the TV remote if it’s going to be a long feed. For us, the Niimo cushions are the best nursing pillows thanks to the versatility that the product offers; thanks to its shape and design, the Niimo cushion will become a useful tool for your child when they are practising tummy time and starting to sit up. As your baby gets older and perhaps doesn’t need to have a feeding pillow beneath them whilst feeding, the cushion will offer great support for your neck and back.
Materials, design and price
In terms of the materials used for these pillows: both the filling and the external cover are machine washable which is a really handy feature for a pillow that is going to be used for breast or bottle feeding. The 100% siliconised polyester filling will remain soft after several washes and the 100% high quality soft cotton cover can be removed and washed alone more regularly if necessary. An added bonus of this nursing pillow is that it is available to order in over 11 stylish designs: from plain grey to jungle theme to red hearts, you will be able to find a design to suit your nursery decor or keep it neutral to fit in anywhere. The Niimo pillow is very reasonably priced – for under £30 you will have a comfortable and stylish nursing pillow that can offer support to your baby beyond just supporting you in having the best breastfeeding experience.
2. Lansinoh Breastfeeding Pillow for the Arm
Lansinoh are a well known, trustworthy and award winning company specialising in breastfeeding items: their supersoft breast feeding pillow aims to support both mum and baby in their breastfeeding journey. The pillow is comfortable, portable and helps support a comfortable breastfeeding position. These pillows work slightly differently to the other models in that you slide the pillow onto your arm which then allows you to naturally bring your baby up to you to nurse rather than leaning over to your baby which is ideal for positioning, latch and avoiding back pain. Although the cover cannot be removed from the pillow – the entire cushion is machine washable on a delicate cycle.
Size, design and price
The smaller size of this pillow means that it comfortably fits in most changing bags; thanks to the nursing pillow being compact and portable it makes breastfeeding on the go just as easy as in your home. The neutral design of this nursing pillow is cute: the middle section (where your arm will be) is a soft grey material and the outer (where your baby’s head will rest) is a soft, organic, white cotton with grey stars and moons. This nursing pillow is best for when your baby is newborn and upto 6 months, once they are older you are less likely to use the item once your baby is around 6 months old. Although it hasn’t been advertised for this use, we actually think the Lansinoh cushion would be really useful to support your baby in tummy time as they get older too. The Lansinoh pillows for the arms are very reasonably priced: the pillow will cost you £15 and is the best one to support your back, neck and shoulders as you adjust to feeding your baby.
3. Bamibi Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow
The Bamibi multifunctional pillow offers you support in pregnancy, whilst feeding your baby and can even be used as a baby nest and as an aid once they are starting to sit up. If you’re currently pregnant and searching for the best nursing pillow for once your baby arrives, then this pillow by Bamibi can be of use to you right now and will help make your last few weeks and months of pregnancy more comfortable. The pillow can be untoggled and then becomes a longer, soft maternity pillow which will help support your neck, shoulders, arms, side and legs and ensure you get the best night’s sleep possible ahead of your baby’s arrival. When you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby, the cushion fits around you thus allowing your baby to be surrounded in cosiness whilst feeding.
Versatility, materials and price
When using the pillow for breast feeding, it will allow you to have your hands free which can be really handy during a longer feed. As your baby gets older, the clasps at the end of the pillow can be fastened together to create an anti-roll cushion for them to lie or sit in safely. The cosy organic cotton nursing pillow cover is machine washable and can be easily removed with the hidden zip so there’s no risk of catching on yours or your baby’s clothing. The pillow comes in 3 different designs, all of which are neutral and cute so you can select the one that best suits your taste or nursery decor. The pillow costs between £30 to £35 depending on the style you choose. With over 2000 Amazon reviews, and an average rating of 4.6, you know you’re getting one of the best pillows around to support your breastfeeding journey.
4. KAKIBLIN Elevate Adjustable Nursing Pillow
The adjustable nursing pillow by Kakiblin is quite unique in its shape and design compared to the others on our list. Where the other pillows have multiple functions for use outside of breastfeeding, the Kakiblin model is more focussed on adjusting itself to make breastfeeding easier. By moving parts of the feeding pillow across and stacking them up, there are three adjustable heights possible to support a variety of nursing positions including cross-cradle or rugby ball hold. The nursing pillows elevate your baby to breast height for improved latching; we think this pillow is especially useful with a newborn baby as you can really bring the baby in close to you whilst providing them with soft and comfortable support.
Reviews, materials and price
Many of the Amazon reviews do praise the product for helping to relieve neck and back pain in nursing mums. The nursing pillow is made of polyester cloth and PP cotton padding; all materials are skin-friendly, soft and comfortable. One of the main downsides to this product is that it is wipe clean only and is not machine washable. The Kakiblin breast feeding pillows’ unique design make them best to support a newborn who is learning to latch; the lack of versatility and the fact that they are wipe clean only may put you off but the support it will offer you whilst breastfeeding could be priceless if it allows you to continue your feeding journey in comfort. We think at below £30 this is great value for money.
5. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
The nursing pillows by My Brest Friend are the most expensive on our list but come with some fantastic and unique features that might just make them the best one for you and your baby. When you first look at the nursing pillow, you can see that it is a sturdy one with a few added extras; it is clear that your comfort is at the forefront of their design as well as your baby’s comfort. The entire pillow encases your body and fastens at your side with a simple clip on an adjustable strap; the back rest helps you to maintain good posture whilst feeding to prevent your back or neck from becoming sore. The strap can be easily adjusted with one hand and features a silent release clip which lets you remove the pillow without startling your baby if they are sleepy or have even fallen asleep feeding. Sometimes you will be feeding your baby for a long period of time, the whole time focussing on your baby’s positioning, but if you are not positioned correctly yourself then that’s where problems can develop so it’s great that this pillow will support you with your posture.
Design, materials and price
For the baby, the main cushion area is firm and flat and big enough for your baby’s feet to rest on while they feed. Thanks to the fastening on these nursing pillows, there is no gap between you and your baby which helps to prevent your little one from rolling in or away to a space whilst feeding. You’ll notice that the design of the cushion is a beautiful green paisley print but the cushions are available in a range of designs and colours. All of the designs of the deluxe covers are made from 100% baby soft organic cotton which is removable and machine washable. One of the unique features we love on this pillow is the convenient pocket; allowing you to keep a baby toy, your phone or a bottle of water close by whilst feeding. We think the foam cushions would also support your baby with tummy time and sitting up as they get older. This is the most expensive nursing cushion option on our list but we think the high quality design, for both you and your baby, makes it a really great investment.
Summary
Having a really good breastfeeding pillow can support you and your baby throughout your breastfeeding journey and help to make the experience more pleasant and comfortable for you both. In terms of selecting the best cushion it is worth considering what features are most important to you. Below we have summarised the key ways each of our chosen pillows will best support you and your baby. We hope you are able to find the perfect pillow and we look forward to hearing your feedback or any alternative pillows that you would recommend.
Support with feeding, tummy time and sitting – Niimo
The classic crescent moon shape and soft design means this cushion fits around your middle and your baby can rest on the cushion whilst feeding. The Niimo cushion then provides support around your baby as they begin lying on their tummy and sitting up.
Support with pregnancy and feeding – Bamibi
The Bamibi cushion shape can be changed depending on how you want to use it. Unfastened, it opens out into a long sausage shape which is ideal in pregnancy – especially for helping you to get into a comfortable position whilst sleeping. Then, the Bamibi cushion can be fastened around your middle to allow your baby to rest on the pillow whilst feeding.
Support with adjustable positions – Kakiblin
The ‘book’ style means you can turn the sections of the cushion across to alter the shape and height of the pillow for your baby. This cushion allows you to alter the shape for your baby as they grow.
Support with positioning – Lansinoh
The only arm cushion on the list has been designed to help support the mum’s position whilst feeding. Lansinoh designed the arm cushion so that you bring the baby to you rather than arch your back over whilst feeding your baby.
Support for you as well as baby – My brest friend
The My Brest Friend cushion is the only one to offer back support for mum as well as a comfortable surface for the baby. The adjustable and silent clip fastens at your side and even has a pocket for your essentials.
