Marni wrote,
<<  I love my nursing pillows and I make them for friends as well.  I don't
just
 lay the baby on it like a beached fish, I hold the baby is proper tummy to
 tummy position or in football hold.  I'm very large breasted and I never have
 a free hand as I support my breast with my opposite hand.  These pillows are
 very useful if used properly IMO. >>

The several mothers I have seen recently whose nursing relationships were
more or less saved by these pillows have all been similarly quite large
breasted, and in serious need of a third (or fourth!) hand.    As always,
useful for some, not for others.

Mostly I think the people who are using poor positioning with the pillow are
also positioning poorly without it -- basically, they just don't have good
positioning, and the pillow is beside the point.   But if it gives them less
backache, or a free hand that they need to support the breast, or whatever,
fine -- as long as they can learn to position well with it.

Here's another reason for sore nipples for some dyads with the pillow:
oversupply (our favorite culprit!).   Babies facing very strong let-down
often nurse better if mom leans back a little.   If she does that with the
pillow, she tugs, and the nipples get sore; if she uses the pillow properly,
straight up or even leaning a little forward, the baby may try to pinch off
the flow -- ouch.  (Can you tell there's personal experience behind this
insight:) ?)

Elisheva Urbas
editor, writer, and lay bf busybody in nyc

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