Nursing Pillow vs Boppy: Which Works Better For Breastfeeding
For first-time moms, every single aspect of pregnancy and early childcare qualifies as a standalone research project, and breastfeeding is no exception.
How long should I breastfeed my baby? Is breastfeeding painful? How long can I store my breast milk from a breast pump? While the barrage of new questions can be bothersome, you can solve most of them with a quick query on Google.
A more bewildering point of difficulty is finding the right tools to accomplish your goals of being the best mom you can be.
One popular recommendation on breastfeeding you will get from many mothers is to pick up a nursing pillow like Boppy to significantly improve the experience by increasing the comfort levels of both you and your baby.
However, the questions begin to fester. What is a nursing pillow? Do I really need one? What type should I get?
What is a Nursing Pillow?
Nursing pillows are among the most popular products available to expectant and new mothers for a good reason. These cushioning pads can take most of the pain and discomfort out of breastfeeding.
Yes, several research studies point to the fact that breastfeeding is the best feeding method you can adopt in the first year of your baby’s life, as it provides both physical and emotional benefits to your suckling. Still, the practice is by no means an easy one.
In addition to potential complications like thrush infections, mastitis, and breast abscess, nursing mothers have to deal with postural problems like back pain, resulting from the unusual positions they have to assume to effectively feed their baby.
A nursing pillow aims to fix this problem by providing support to the child’s body, improving the infant’s position relative to the mother, and reducing the strain on the mother’s frame.
These pillows are often C-shaped, U-shaped, or O-shaped pads that sit close to the mother or wrap around her body while propping the child and supporting its weight. This setup can significantly reduce the tension on the mother’s neck and back and prevent potential issues in those regions.
Like most regular pillows, nursing pillows often feature foam or some polyfill core housed in cotton, wool, or a blended fabric case.
However, nursing pillows can come in a large variety of designs and feature different fill tips, material constructions, and shapes. The form factor and other design properties of a nursing pillow will determine whether it is a good fit for your body type, match your specific needs, and how well that unit will support you and your baby.
Some of the most popular nursing pillow options include the Boppy pillow, Ergobaby pillow, Reese, and the Nook Niche pillow.
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What is a Boppy?
Boppy is a specific brand name run by The Boppy Company that offers C-shaped nursing pillows. The popularity of their cushions makes them the most recognizable brand in the space, and many nursing moms now consider Boppy a pillow category of its own.
Since its launch in 1989, the Boppy pillow has held its reputation for high-end design and quality and remains the premier name when it comes to nursing pillows.
The Boppy’s key selling point is its versatility and ease of use. This cushion is a simple C-shaped pad that wraps around the mother and braces the child during nursing. The basic design of this pillow means that it can work with moms of various sizes.
Plus, Boppy can double as a support pad for other situations like tummy time and as sitting support for your kid when it gets to that stage.
Note: The Boppy Company continuously reiterates that children should never be left unattended with a Boppy, amidst rising concerns that some parents are letting their infants nap or lounge on their own with the pillows.
Like many other nursing pillows, the Boppy features a polyester fiberfill foam slab and a removable, machine-washable slipcover.
Pros
- Super-versatile pillow, suitable for nursing, tummy time, and sitting support
- Streamlined, ultra-portable design
- Works with most body types
- Removable cover
Cons
- Soft, may not firm enough to support heavier babies
- No strap for a more secure fit or lumbar support
- Flattens after prolonged use
Nursing Pillow vs. Boppy
While Boppy may be the most popular nursing pillow, you should by no means restrict your buying decision to just this option. The Boppy is one in a sea of many, and you can find hundreds of nursing pillows with varying shapes, sizes, and form factors.
Another nursing pillow style that is almost as popular as Boppy is the form factor you get with My Brest Friend Pillow. This option includes a strap around the back for a secure fit, extra cushioning for lumbar support, and a side pocket to keep some of your maternity supplies within reach at all times.
My Brest Friend Pillow also features a more expansive, flat top and a firmer cushion, making for a significantly more stable surface for your baby than the Boppy and many other nursing pillows that follow a similar form factor. This sturdier surface can be particularly useful for supporting delicate newborns.
So, which option should you pick?
Figuring out the right nursing pillow for you isn’t as simple as figuring out the “best” one. Your choice of pillows depends significantly on your size, the size of your baby, and your particular needs and personal preferences.
Hence, depending on your tastes, either the reliable and versatile Boppy or the more feature-rich and high supporting My Brest Friend Pillow may be the best pick for you.
Furthermore, if you scour the market, you will find a host of other nursing pillow types that pack extra features or unique designs. Some options available to you include the squarish funky form factor of the Nook Sleep Niche Nursing Pillow or the adaptable Beaba Big Flopsy Maternity and Nursing Pillow that doubles as a maternity and nursing pillow.
When it comes to choosing a nursing pillow, getting the right one for you always comes down to fit and personal preference, and for many American moms, the Boppy gets the job done.
Read More: 5 Best Nursing Sleep Bras in 2021
