Its name suggests it is only for breastfeeding. Yet a nursing pillow is just as useful when bottle feeding, whether you bottle feed exclusively, alternate between breast and bottle, or the co-parent feeds baby.
Why use a nursing pillow for bottle feeding?
A bottle feed can last a good many minutes, several times a day and night. All that time, you hold baby with one arm and the bottle with the other. The pillow helps you support baby:
- your arms and shoulders get a rest, even during long feeds;
- baby stays comfortably positioned, semi-upright, at the right height;
- you keep a hand free if the pillow stays in place on its own.
How to position baby for a bottle feed
- Sit with your back well supported, then fasten the pillow around your waist with its belt.
- Adjust the shoulder strap so the pillow does not tip forward.
- Lay baby on the pillow with their head slightly higher than their tummy: they should be semi-upright, never flat.
- Hold the bottle tilted so that the teat stays full of milk.
Take time for breaks and to look at baby: the pillow frees your arms, not your attention.
A pillow for the whole family
With an adjustable belt, the same pillow adapts to each parent: handy for sharing the night feeds. The cotton covers are easy to wash, a real plus with the little milk accidents.
The safety reminder
Never leave baby alone on the pillow, or let them fall asleep on it. Once the bottle is finished and baby has been burped, lay them back down on their back in their cot.
Our pillows for breastfeeding and bottle feeding
Our hands-free nursing pillows stay in place on their own thanks to their clip belt and shoulder strap. Choose The Essential or the 3-in-1 Total Comfort with its small support cushion. To set it up properly, also read how to use a nursing pillow.