Diane - how observant you are about new moms finding pillows useful for
positioning the baby, but later not needing them.  I see this all the time.
Actually I "promote" the use of pillows when I help new moms position babies
for breastfeeding in the first few days.  Without a pillow it seems that
those little arms and legs slither everywhere and the baby cannot organize
himself so well to focus on the feeding - and the mom feels she doesn't have
enough hands to prop everything up, or present the breast in the easiest
possible way for the baby to grasp.  Several months later the same mom will
perch on the edge of the chair and pop the baby on to the breast, or even
answer the door with the baby plugged in, not a pillow in sight.  Specially
tailored nursing pillows can be handy, but are not essential - in the
hospital (never enough pillows!) I use ordinary bed pillows, or rolled up
baby-blankets or towels, or the mother's dressing gown, it doesn't matter
what, as long as it stabilizes the baby at breast height and makes the whole
thing easier for the mom.

When we emigrated to Malawi 20 years ago with our six-week-old first-born I
remember taking pillows to the airport specially so I could feed him (in the
loo, such was my modesty in those days!) during the interminable check-in
time at the airport.  I couldn't do without them.  When it was time to board
the plane I just left the pillows behind.  I'd still love to know what
happened to them; it was during the war, it was a Saturday, and bomb-blasts
had occurred in town on each of the two previous Saturdays - I imagine they
were treated with some consternation!

Pamela, Zimbabwe