Nursing Pillow - how to use it?

Discussion in 'The First Year' started by PurplePenguin, Jul 15, 2011.

  1. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    I've been using the My Brest Friend Nursing pillow for two months now (two month old twins), but every time I use it my back is in excruciating pain. I have to lean forward to have my breast reach my girls, and by the time the 30 minute feeding is over, I've been hunched over and in pain.

    Maybe I'm not using the pillow correctly?

    I try to sit cross-legged on the couch to help raise their heads up, but then whoever's on the side with the clasp ends up falling through the space between the front and back of the pillow.

    Any advice?

    Please help, I'm exclusively breast-feeding in tandem and I need to be able to feed them comfortably for them and me too!
     
  2. miss_bossy18

    miss_bossy18 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    We definitely need to figure out how to get you sitting up straight! It's important that you get comfortable first & then figure out how to get the girls to you (not the other way around). Have you tried tucking folded towels or receiving blankets under the front of the pillow to lift it up? Do you have a pillow or two tucked behind your back to help support? Or you could try a footstool (they have special angled ones for nursing, but honestly, any type would do)?

    It'll seem like a total PITA to get all set up for now, but it won't be forever. As they get bigger & have better head control they'll be able to nurse without all the extra pillows/blankets/towels/etc. In fact, they'll be nursing upside down before you know it & you'll look back on these snuggly infant days with fondness. ;)
     
  3. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    I have tried towels, and pillows behind me - I think the problem is the couch is angled back really far - I can try sitting on a different couch and maybe a footstool will work. I'll have to keep playing with it, but yes, I agree that I need to be comfortable too!
    I'm most comfortable when I'm feeding them individually, but that would take up all of my time if I were to do that every time I need to nurse them!

     
  4. cheezewhiz24

    cheezewhiz24 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Ooh, ouch!

    I would change couches this is a pic of my 'chair and a 1/2' that was my BF'ing couch. It fit both boys, the pillow and me +. It leans back a little, but it also came with about 50 pillows.

    I think you have the right idea- more support is better. Have you tried using the pillow in your bed? Is it more comfortable there?
     
  5. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    I tried the bed but it's not as comfy and then of course there's the problem of puke and spitup on the bed....

     
  6. cheezewhiz24

    cheezewhiz24 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Ok, how about thin couch pillows underneath it to raise it up, or even bed pillows? Hand towels or kitchen towels would be about the right size to stuff in the gaps between you and the pillow.

    Do you have it cinched around yourself tightly? I liked mine very tight (it left a mark on my back when I didn't wear a shirt). It was the only way I felt secure.
     
  7. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    I'll try that - maybe more propping would help - and closing the gap would make me feel better for sure.

    Thanks!

     
  8. cheezewhiz24

    cheezewhiz24 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I hope it works for you. :) Please also excuse the horrible grammar in my unedited post. :lol:
     
  9. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    haha, no problem. I was typing with one hand, as I was holding a baby in the other, so I'm happy I got anything spelled correctly!

     
  10. annahs

    annahs Well-Known Member

    It's already been mentioned, but I wanted to second cinching it up tight and putting a pillow (or towel, although I've never tried towels) under each side. I typically tandem nurse on the bed or couch and I toss two pillows down, buckle on the nursing pillow and then sit between them so the sides of the Brest Friend rest on the pillows. I also found that up to about 3 months their legs would sometimes slip into the gap, or jam up on it, but once they grew a bit more that problem disappeared.

    hope that helps! (and that it's comprehensible, I have a baby in one arm here too :) )
     
  11. slugrad1998

    slugrad1998 Well-Known Member

    I agree with propping. I used bed or couch pillows to hold up the pillow. I also made sure I had a few pillows in the small of my back so that I was comfortable. In bed I found I could recline with my head resting on the wall and pull the babies and the pillow into me. On the couch I was more upright but definitely not bending over!
     
  12. PurplePenguin

    PurplePenguin Active Member

    Thank you everyone for the advice! I will try using pillows to prop the feeding pillow up and lots of pillows for my back - I've been playing around with it and sometimes I find that when I am comfortable, the babies are not and won't eat. I'll keep playing with it though and hopefully something will work soon! Until then I'm doing lots of stretches and strengthening exercises in between feedings!
     
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