Has anyone else noticed that they've seen an increased # of "painful BFing"
or other problems in women who habitually use these "boppies" and other
pillow-like devices for nursing? I've always instictively disliked them, but
figured I was just an old crank (as in "heck, I never had one & I did just
fine"), but yesterday I saw my most recent in a string of sore-nippled moms
and it dawned on me that they've all been using those pillows. Seems to be
becoming the new "must-have" for breastfeeding.

I think the problem may be that they tend to lay the babies down on the
pillows, with both hands/arms essentially free and the baby just sort of
lying there like a beached fish. The babies are way too far away from the
breast & mom's body to really be where they need to be for a good feed, and
generally too low as well. I can see how these "nursing pillows" might be at
least sort of useful, if the mom used them to support her arms as they hold
the baby, rather than just to plop the baby onto.

Anybody else noticed this? Or am I just being anti-gizmo, as I know I have a
tendency to be?

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC
Ithaca NY

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