The Essential Nursing Pillow by Tessa Little

One only has to search ‘baby items’ to be submerged in a world of pushchairs, nursery furniture, feeding equipment and the like. In the midst of all of these there has been one item that both my daughter and I were able to use and that I would wholeheartedly recommend that you get while still pregnant.  This item is what I term ‘the essential nursing pillow’.

 

The nursing pillow, as its name would suggest, is used during nursing or feeding your little one.  It usefully supports mama’s arms or a tiny new body. When I added it to my baby items wish list, I only expected to use it to perform this primary function.  However, in the past months, I have been pleasantly surprised at how much mileage I am getting out of this fabulous item.  I was gifted mine late in my pregnancy and after admiring how lovely it was, I put it in a safe place with the intention of taking it out again once the baby arrived. As the third trimester rolled on, sleep became increasingly elusive and I tossed, turned, and generally struggled to get comfortable. In utter desperation, I got the pillow from storage and added it to the ever-growing collection of pillows on the bed. It did an amazing job of supporting my legs/knees/shoulders/bump depending on which night it was.  It was hugged, squished, and laid upon - quite possibly going where no nursing pillow had been called upon to go before.

 

Eventually, the weeks that seemed to drag on for eternity finally ended and baby arrived. The nursing pillow finally had a chance to perform its intended function of supporting the baby and mama during feeding.  Post-partum is a challenging time but of all those challenges, achy arms while feeding was not one I had to endure. I had already used the pillow so much it felt like an extension of me, just the purpose had changed.

 

The days and weeks seemed to simultaneously drag and fly by! Before I knew it, our little bubba was growing and starting to sit upright with support. The essential nursing pillow had changed its spots once again and was now a useful part of our play time. Baby would enjoy being sat up and the nursing pillow had just the right shape to support her as she gained muscle strength. If your baby is partial to a bit of tummy time (mine wasn’t), the nursing pillow works well for this when core strength and neck control develops.

 

When my daughter could sit up on her own, the nursing pillow remained part of her play area. She would enjoy lounging on it when the pressures of playing became too much. She would lay against it while she examined a toy or chewed a toy. As she started to crawl, it was a familiar object to return to as she worked out the mechanics of moving forward.                                 

 

Now that she has perfected her crawling, almost everywhere is her play area as she explores. I was tempted to pass on the nursing pillow but I think I will hold on to it for a bit longer. Summer is round the corner! I have already imagined myself laying under a shady tree and reading a good book. The nursing pillow will be the ideal support for this activity. I know the harsh reality is that I am more likely to be running around the garden chasing a one-year-old. However, I am hoping that one of us will have the opportunity to use this wonderful product again.

 

At this stage, after being used every day for nearly a year, the nursing pillow has managed to maintain its firmness and shape. As is inevitable from daily use, it acquired a chocolate stain (I accept responsibility for this) which has been spot cleaned. It now looks nearly as good as new. If you have the option you can get a nursing pillow with a removable cover, but this isn’t entirely necessary. Enjoy choosing a pattern you like though, as you will be using this bit of essential baby kit for some time to come.