All you really need to breastfeed is a breast (or two!) and a baby who can suckle. But advertising is big business and there are lots of products on the market aimed at breastfeeding mothers—from nursing covers, creams and bras, to pumps, pacifiers and special pillows. Are they really needed? This article looks at the commercial breastfeeding pillow and whether it is a necessary purchase.
What is a breastfeeding pillow?
Breastfeeding pillows are specially made pillows for breastfeeding mothers that come in a variety of shapes, sizes and rigidity. They are intended to provide a platform in a mother’s lap to support her baby during a breastfeed and raise him to breast height. A pillow can prevent a mother having to slouch forward and strain her back or avoid her stressing her wrists, elbows or shoulders by having to hold her baby at the right height. However if a pillow is not a good fit for the mother and baby, or prevents baby getting a big mouthful of breast tissue along with the nipple to attach to the breast comfortably, the pillow may be more of a hindrance than a help.
Are breastfeeding pillows necessary?
Whether or not you need a breastfeeding pillow is very individual. There are lots of ways to hold a baby to breastfeed and many positions do not need a pillow. For instance, when your body takes your baby’s weight in more reclining positions, or if you are lying on your side, you won’t need a pillow in your lap at all. On the other hand a pillow can be really handy in rugby hold, or if you’re breastfeeding twins you may find a specialist twin breastfeeding pillow is indispensable. In other positions such as cradle hold or cross cradle, whether a pillow is helpful can vary mother to mother. Mothers, babies and breasts come in different shapes and sizes and what suits one mother baby pair won’t suit another. For instance, a mother with a long back and small breasts may find the right sized pillow is perfect to lift her baby to breast height while a mother with large breasts that hang low in her lap may find a pillow makes positioning more awkward.
Using pillows creatively
While a pillow or cushion may not be needed under your baby, it may be invaluable in the small of your back or to support your arms while you are nursing to avoid strains and sprains. If you do find a pillow useful to help with positioning yourself or your baby, there will usually be a convenient household alternative that can be used—without purchasing an expensive breastfeeding pillow—such as a rolled up blanket, firm pillow from your bed or even a lap tray, table or piece of flat board.
Positioning help
For much more help with finding a comfortable breastfeeding position without a pillow see the articles Breastfeeding Positions for Newborns, Breastfeeding Videos, and Latching Tips.
Potential problems with breastfeeding pillows
Issues that can arise with using breastfeeding pillows include:
The depth of the pillow
The physical presence of a pillow may interfere with a good latch (the way baby attaches to the breast) if baby is lifted higher than your breast or conversely not high enough. Generally a baby is able to get a better latch (the way baby attaches to the breast) if they are slightly lower than your breast and snuggled in close to you. Mysterious cases of sore nipples and “persistent thrush”—that wasn’t thrush—have been finally cured by throwing out the breastfeeding pillow.
Latching technique
It is important to pay careful attention to positioning when using a pillow and watch that baby is not on their back and expected to turn their head to reach the nipple. This makes latching and swallowing very difficult. A baby needs their head, neck and back in a straight line when they are positioned at the breast.
The softness of the pillow
Some breastfeeding pillows or a pillow off your bed may be too soft and not support the baby sufficiently. There are many alternatives to try such as a bolster cushion, or a rolled blanket or towel. Some mothers have successfully used other household items to make a firm support such as using a lap tray, upturned washing basket or table.
As baby grows
If you have got into the habit of popping a breastfeeding pillow in your lap before you breastfeed your newborn and it’s working well, watch out for a time in a few weeks or months when your baby has grown so much that the pillow may begin to get in the way. For example if the pillow lifts baby higher than the breast, you may find you begin to have sore nipples or that your baby begins to fuss during feeds as it will affect how easily they can latch on.
Safety Concerns?
Many mothers routinely use a pillow or pillows for support around their body or baby perfectly safely. However the authors of Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family 2014 are not fans of breastfeeding pillows and point out that in certain situations/positions, if a mother is very tired, they could be a suffocation risk:
Most breastfeeding helpers have seen breastfeeding pillows cause more breastfeeding problems than they solve. It’s well worth getting breastfeeding help if you think you need one.
And here’s something that might surprise you. A breastfeeding pillow can be a suffocation risk when you’re really tired. Picture the exhausted mother who has her baby on the pillow in her lap. Sitting upright in her chair or even in bed, she starts to droop forward more and more, until enough of her body or breast weight is on the baby to interfere with his breathing. Without the pillow, there’s more room for the baby to slide into her lap and there’s lots of body contact to waken her if that happens.
Summary
A breastfeeding pillow might be helpful for some breastfeeding mothers in the early weeks but for others it can hinder comfortable breastfeeding. How useful a pillow can be will depend on which breastfeeding positions are being used, individual anatomy and whether a particular pillow is a good fit for a mother and baby pair. A bespoke commercial breastfeeding pillow is not an essential item for breastfeeding a baby as existing cushions or household items can also serve this purpose. So long as breastfeeding is comfortable and baby is gaining weight, whether or not you use a breastfeeding pillow is personal choice.