Best Nursing Pillow Reviewed 2023

What is a nursing pillow?

Before we can know exactly how to pick the best nursing pillows it would be nice to have an understanding of what the tool offers.

A nursing pillow is used by mothers to nurse their newborn children. The pillow acts as a device for the child to lay on while helping the mother hold the child up to a proper height. This is a more ergonomic way to nurse for the mother and a more comfortable experience for the child.

Now that we know what a nursing pillow is let us take a look at what you need to pay attention to when choosing your pillow. As you are about to find out there are many different ways to pick your next nursing pillow without sacrificing quality or comfort.

Best Nursing Pillows

My Brest Friend
This nursing pillow is one of the most popular and flexible options on the marketplace. it is made of 100% cotton and covered in extra soft, and plush, fabric. There is a strap/buckle built into the pillow to allow for easy attaching around waists of any size. The whole pillow is machine washable and can be bought in several different prints.

The Boppy
We covered this nursing pillow, briefly, but it is worth digging into a little bit. The Boppy is a super popular nursing pillow due to its simplicity and multiple use functions. You can buy the Boppy with a variety of different slip covers or merely get the cushion naked. The Boppy is a tighter fit for some mothers but it possesses a ‘stretch panel’ which allows for fits on tighter waists. The Boppy is machine washable and made of polyester and cotton.

Luna Lullaby Bosom Baby Nursing Pillow
The boomerang version of the nursing pillow has been both liked and disliked by mothers all over the place. The Luna Lullaby, specifically, has gotten nothing but good feedback from its customers. This is a large pillow that allows for growth and is exceedingly comfortable.

Comparing Nursing Pillows

Size
When choosing a nursing pillow most parents don’t realize that it needs to be big enough for the child to grow with. A newborn baby will quickly grow in size and put undersized nursing pillows behind them quickly. So, with that in mind you should get a nursing pillow that will allow your child to grow with for at least six months. According to pediatricians this is the optimum amount of time to use the nursing pillow with your child.

Cleanliness and Germs
When you are ready to choose your nursing pillow you must pay attention to how it will stay clean. It is not good enough to just have a removable cover. While a removable cover is absolute necessary, in order to clean up spills, spit ups, and leaky diapers, you will also need to be able to clean the pillow itself. A heavy cushion is very absorbent and if you can’t wash away the filth that accumulates underneath the cover then you will run into a smelly problem soon. So always look for a nursing pillow that will allow you to throw the whole thing inside of a washer. Speaking of the washer…

Washing Machine Safe
You may run across the most elegant, gorgeous, nursing pillow in the entire store. It might be the perfect fit for both you and the baby but there is a problem: the fine print on the package says that the cover can’t be thrown in the drier or washed in a machine. Yikes! So, unless you want to try to fit increasingly shrinking covers over expanding pillows it might be best to avoid this one. Always opt for simple cleanliness when the situation allows for it.

Body Fit and Baby Support
These two areas of concern have been combined due to how important they are. Many nursing pillows are designed to wrap around the mother in order to make for a convenient nursing session. What these nursing pillows fail to pay attention to is the waistline of new mothers. Many nursing pillows have tiny, unrealistic, waist openings. Rather than dealing with a sizing issue postpartum, make sure that your nursing pillow fits you. Try it on the store, nobody will care.The second part of this concept is the support system for the baby. The nursing pillow that you choose should sit at such perfect height on you that your child does not need to fight and reach during feeding. This calls for you to carefully choose the style of foam in the pillow. Some options, like foam wedges, are incredibly uncomfortable for newborn children and should be avoided. other options, like the boomerang pillows, are far too lenient in the amount of stuffing–they’ll go flat quickly.

Bang For The Buck

A nursing pillow, when carefully chosen, can also double as a support pillow for babies first learning how to sit up on their own. The wedge-shaped pillows aren’t any good for this and neither are some of the shelf shaped ones. Look for a bigger pillow with a wide fit for your child.

Physical Appearance

Last and least comes the physical appearance notion. While most parents probably don’t care how they look as long as their children eat, there are some that prefer to have an attractive nursing pillow. You’ll likely have this nursing pillow with you at all times for months. So make sure to pick a pillow that is both functional and attractive.

Flexibility

One of the most common nursing pillows used today is called the ‘Boppy’. It is a horseshoe-shaped pillow that fits around your waist. You can move it around until it fits perfectly and even adjust it to use at different angles. When you are done with it you can also use it as a sitter for your child. This gives you the most variety of usage with one device. Other nursing pillows come with clamps, buckles, and Velcro latches which means that you won’t be able to use them as freely.
Now that you have an understanding of what to look out for when choosing a nursing pillow we can dig a bit deeper. Let’s take a look at some of the most common complaints for nursing mothers. After that we will take a peak at some of the most popular brands of nursing pillows on the market.

Common Nursing Pillow Complaints

My baby almost fell through the pillow!
If the nursing pillow you are using is shaped haphazardly, or too loose on your body, your baby can roll. Keep an eye on them!

I can’t fit into my nursing pillow!
Not all nursing pillows are made equally! The ‘Boppy’, for example, requires an extremely slim waist to use. Other options like ‘My Breast Friend’ offer a little more leeway. test out the products at the store before committing to them.

The pillow is too stiff!
Sometimes certain brands of nursing pillows will be made of materials that don’t give way. This can cause your baby to be uncomfortable and refuse to nurse. Always look for a nursing pillow that has a little bit of cushion, but not so much so as to suck in the baby.