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Best Breastfeeding Support Pillows

By Heather Corley, About.com

Breastfeeding often involves slouching, scooching and wiggling into a position where baby can stay latched properly. This position may not always be comfortable for mom, however. Thankfully, breastfeeding support pillows can help baby stay in a good nursing position and also help keep mom's back and arms from getting tired and sore. These breastfeeding pillows are each designed differently, so there's a nursing pillow that will be comfortable for any mom!

1. My Brest Friend Breastfeeding Pillow

My Brest Friend Breastfeeding Support PillowPhoto courtesy of Pricegrabber.com.
My Brest Friend nursing support pillow has a sturdy foam cushion and an adjustable back support that can be made to fit a variety of body shapes and sizes. For moms who have a hard time getting a Boppy to fit properly, My Brest Friend may be a better pillow for you. This pillow can be rotated around mom's body to accommodate different breastfeeding positions, and has even been used to breastfeed twins at the same time. The cover can be removed and machine washed.

2. Viva Breastfeeding Pillow

Viva Breastfeeding PillowPhoto courtesy of Pricegrabber.com.
Washability and portability are the best features of the Viva breastfeeding pillow, which has inflatable cushions that can easily be wiped clean and zip-off covers that are machine-washable. A hand pump is included so you can inflate or deflate the pillows quickly for travel or storage, and you can adjust the inflation perfectly so that it's comfortable for you and baby. The back support attaches to the front pillow by an adjustable strap that can be snugged or loosened to fit a variety of body shapes, and an extra length strap is available separately for plus-sized moms.

3. Natural Boost Adjustable Nursing Pillow

Natural Boost Adjustable Nursing PillowPhoto courtesy of Pricegrabber.com
The Natural Boost Adjustable Nursing Pillow is designed simply but effectively. The bottom piece is just a cushion with some shaping so that it lays close to mom's body, while the upper piece is a wedge shaped cushion that can be moved to either side to support baby's head. The cushions are thick and comfortable, but the instructions say not to machine-wash, so you may want to cover the Natural Boost Nursing Pillow with a blanket to avoid messes and stains.

4. Boppy Bare Naked Support Pillow

Boppy Bare Naked Support PillowPhoto courtesy of Pricegrabber.com.
The Boppy pillow is by far the most well-known breastfeeding support pillow, and it certainly fills the role of "basic nursing pillow" very well. The Boppy Bare Naked is a semi-circular cushion covered in basic white fabric that is sold with a colorful slipcover, which can be machine washed. This is a huge step up from the original Boppy pillows that had cute covers but could only be spot cleaned. Some moms have a hard time getting this pillow to sit close to their body, but many are able to fill that gap with a rolled blanket to achieve comfortable nursing positions. The Boppy also wins the award for most useful in the long run, since it can be used for baby's tummy time and as a support for baby when he or she begins to sit up.

5. Bela Baby Nurse N Glow Nighttime Breastfeeding Pillow

Bela Baby Nurse N GlowPhoto courtesy of Pricegrabber.com.
The Nurse N Glow is made specifically for nighttime nursing in bed. The compact pillow has a curved section that keeps baby turned in towards mom for proper nursing positioning, and mom can push the top of the pillow to activate a built-in night light. The night light automatically turns off after 30 minutes. This pillow also acts as a safety barrier, alerting other bed partners to baby's presence. Nurse N Glow is sized appropriately for night nursing, but is too small to be useful for nursing while sitting up.

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