Nursing Pillow – Grey Stars, Breastfeeding Support with Washable Cover

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Never let a baby sleep on or in a nursing pillow, and never leave a baby on one unattended.

Nursing pillows are soft, curved and raised, which is exactly the shape that lets a young baby's chin drop onto their chest or their face turn into the fabric. Infant deaths have been linked to babies left to sleep on feeding pillows.

The pillow is for use while you are awake, holding your baby, and actively feeding. When the feed ends, move your baby to a firm flat surface — a cot, crib or Moses basket, on their back.

What it is for

Taking the baby's weight off your arms during a feed. That sounds minor until you have fed a newborn eight to twelve times a day for a fortnight — the shoulder, neck and lower back ache that most new mothers get comes almost entirely from holding a baby in a hunched position for hours.

The curved shape wraps around your waist so the baby sits at breast height without you leaning forward. Bringing the baby to the breast rather than the breast to the baby is also the single biggest factor in a comfortable latch.

Also useful for

• Bottle feeding — the same support applies
• Supported sitting practice at around 4-6 months, always supervised
• Tummy time, propped under the chest, always supervised

The cover

Removable and machine washable, which matters more than any other feature. Nursing pillows get milk, posset and worse on them constantly, and one that cannot be stripped and washed becomes unusable within weeks.

Replacement covers are sold separately — worth having a spare so the pillow is never out of action.

Care

Remove the cover and machine wash. Air the pillow itself regularly. Always use with a cover.

Safety summary

Supervised, awake use only. Never for sleep. Never leave a baby unattended on it. Remove it from the bed when you have finished feeding — a pillow left in an adult bed with a baby is a suffocation risk.