12: Why I Don’t Like Feeding Pillows

Hey mama, today we're going to talk about breastfeeding pillows and props and why most of the time I do not like feeding props in general.  Now, I know I'm going to catch a ton of guff from this, but hear me out. It's mainly because they are misused and often cause more confusion than actual support when feeding your baby.

So, what happens is, in my experience, I talk to a mom and she wants to know what is the best breastfeeding pillow or bottle feeding prop is. She has received many recommendations from so many friends, and a lot of marketing on this already. So, for example, you might have a friend who's swears by the Boppy or swears by My Brestfriend, for example. Then of course you have marketing constantly about what these things are doing for your baby.

But the fact of the matter is that pillows and props are very specific to the person feeding and the baby's body. So, let me give you an example. If you are a mom with a long torso and you have a little tiny baby, you might need something to fill some space.

If you're sitting in a chair with low arms or high arms, that's going to change what type of support you need. If dad's feeding the baby versus grandma's feeding the baby. Those might be very different bodies in very different spaces and a prop is meant to be supportive of the feeder. It's not meant to be a feeding chair for your baby.

So, what happens is props end up promoting poor alignment for the baby, and they actually reduce the likelihood that the baby's weight is going to be on your body (which is ideal). For example, they start kind of rolling into the pillow or they're sat down right on the pillow instead of on the feeder. Now you can imagine that being held in someone's arms or snuggling up on someone's body feels very different than laying on a cushy pillow or soft surface. They can both be comfortable, but they're just very different experiences.

When we get hyper focused on the gadget and how to use the gadget for feeding rather than allowing the gadget to fill a need or space this can also feeding more confusing than necessary. 

Here's a simple way to determine if you might need some kind of prop and how to use it properly,  “prop”erly haha.  Okay. So first you set up your nest (and your nest is what I call that space that you spend a lot of time feeding and holding your baby in). So maybe it's the couch, maybe it's your bed, maybe it's a special chair. Set up your nest. Get really comfortable in some kind of comfortable feeding position with your baby. And make sure that your baby and you are in good alignment. See if you can make sure that your baby's weight is mostly on you and your body.

Then you see if your body needs a prop or a pillow to support you rather than your baby's body. So for example, if I have my feeding chair, that's my nest, and I have my baby in my arms and I'm leaned back a little bit. Baby’s weight is mostly on me but my elbow doesn't really quite reach the arm, or there's a gap in my back or something like that. That's where I'm going to put the prop (pillow). That's where I'm going to stick a pillow, or something to make sure that I feel very secure and supported. And then my baby is very secure and supported on me.

I hope that that clears up why I typically don't like feeding props and pillows. It's not that they can't be fantastic, it's that they've somehow become a necessary feeding item and a huge focus. Something to spend money on, rather than something that fills the need or a necessary gap filler.

If you have any other questions or ideas for the podcast, please shoot me an email at Barbara@FeedingByJanuary.com and I'll see you next week!