My Brest Friend Deluxe Pillow, Light Green
by Zenoff Products
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List Price: Our Price: $33.95 You Save: $11.04 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of My Brest Friend Deluxe Pillow, Light Green
Customer Review: Best money I ever spent!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my third baby and while I made a valiant effort to nurse my two older daughters, breastfeeding for me was a COMPLETE failure. I wound up giving both my older girls bottles of formula as well as expressed breast milk. I pumped for 5 months with my oldest daughter and for 4 months with my youngest daughter. Back then I used a boppy pillow and I never felt like the girls were in a proper position and I sure as heck was uncomfortable. For a variety of reasons, I wound up with bleeding and cracked nipples, severe breast infections and clogged ducts and if was for me just too damn painful to nurse, so I resorted to pumping.
With my third child, who just turned 5 weeks old, I've been able to breastfeed with relative ease and I know that this pillow has been part of the solution. The baby and I are perfectly positioned. I do not have to hunch over, or hang on for dear life to pillows. I am hands-free to stroke my baby's cheek, or reach for the remote control. I wish this pillow had been around when I was attempting to breastfeed my other daughters.
I would highly recommend buying an extra cover. Breastfeeding is messy due to leakage and spit-ups. You might even want to buy two, so you'll have one for the pillow, one in the laundry and one in the drawer ready to swap out!!
Also, the pillow will fit anyone. I first tried it on when I was 2 weeks overdue and thus hugely pregnant and the buckle had plenty of room and I'm not a tiny woman. I wore a size 12 prior to this pregnancy and got up to a size 14/16 in my last month. The buckle will easily expand, or now (thank goodness) contract to fit your ever changing shape.
Lastly, I bought mine on Craig's list. It had never been used and I only spent $10.00, but having used it for the past 5 weeks, I would certainly have spent the $60.00 and it would have been worth every penny.
Buy this. I cannot understand the negative reviews, they must be from the maker of the boppy!!!
Customer Review: I loved this, but it is made of polyurathane which is not healthy for your baby
Summary: 1 Stars
Updated review:
I wrote a glowing review of this earlier, below. I am going to leave it, because it was very helpful for nursing. However, I later discovered that it is made of polyurathane which disintegrates over time, breaking down into small particles. The neurotoxin toluene offgases from polyurathane. The manufacturers list some of the hazards of polyurathane on material safety data sheets - they include: possible cardiac arrhythmias, breathlessness, chest discomfort, irritation of mucous membranes, headache, coughing, asthma-like allergic reaction, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, and reduced pulmonary function. So, even though it worked well, I changed my review to one star because it just isn't worth exposing my little baby to toxic chemicals when he is so young. I ordered the The Nesting Pillow - Organic Nursing Pillow with Washable Slip Cover. I know, I know, it is insanely expensive and not an option for many families. But I wish I would have known ahead of time and I would have found some sort of other option.
Old review:
I found this to be amazingly helpful with breast feeding. Somehow the boppy has never been at all helpful for me. One of the slight downsides to the Brest Friend (aside from the unfortunate name) is that it is somewhat of a hassle to get on and off, but it is worth it with the help in positioning and making breastfeeding easier. It is not meant to replace positioning your baby with your hands and holding on to him or her while they are feeding (another reviewer wrote that she thought the baby might fall off of this - of course, you should hold on to your baby while he or she is on it). This helps in terms your arms not getting tired, and for first-time moms who are learning how to breast feed it is particularly helpful in the transition during the first few weeks. I strongly recommend this to any new mom who will be breastfeeding.
Customer Review: Breastfeeding Essential - LOVE IT!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Breastfeeding is tough, especially for first-time moms. This pillow really made it easier for me, by supporting the baby so that my arms, back and neck didn't have to do the work. It puts her in the right position for feeding, and the fleece cover is warm and comfy for her as well. The deluxe cover has nice strong Velcro for the buckle so you can position it easily to fit around your waist. I've also washed/dried it a few times and it fits nicely and the zipper is high quality.
We still use it and my baby is 25 inches/17lbs at 5 months so it's been a great investment. I can use it to feed her anywhere - upright in a chair, reclining on the couch, or in bed. It fit around me immediately after she was born, unlike the Boppy which seems like it expects women to recover their shape right after giving birth. (And I'm not tiny, by any means.)
The foam is really firm, and doesn't get flat like the Boppy I have. I do need two hands to fasten it so I have to put the baby down somewhere safe first, get the pillow on, then pick her up. But it only takes a few seconds.
The only drawback is that you can't wash the foam inside (or at least, I'm too scared to try it) so it would be better to put down a blanket or burp cloth in case your baby spits up on it. I'd recommend getting a second cover (maybe a lighter cotton one) so that you have a cover while one is in the wash.
I'd recommend this for anyone new to breastfeeding, especially if you're prone to tendonitis or back pain. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the positioning and lets moms focus on the other parts of feeding. Our hospital's lactation consultants all recommend this pillow as well.
Customer Review: Essential for the first weeks of Breast Feeding
Summary: 4 Stars
I recieved this pillow, in addition to a Boppy pillow for my baby shower. I chose to take this one to the hospital with me and it turned out to me the best choice I could have made. I ended up with a C section, and my baby and I had a really hard time with nursing. The lactation consultant at the hospital said that this was the very best pillow for me in my situation. It helped me to feed well while sitting up in a chair as well as in bed, while keeping my baby and the pressure off of my very sore tummy. My son had to be nursed in the football position which places his body along my sides rather than across the front of me. I was able to turn the Breast Friend sideways and had great support so that I could nurse him with one hand.
Once we arrived home from the hospital, I used this exclusively for the first 4 weeks. On a couple occasions I used it to allow me to nurse at the table while I ate dinner. Now that my son is 16 lbs, we have mostly outgrown the need to use this pillow but it was very well worth having it, even if it was mostly in the first 4 weeks.
I would spend the money to purchase this pillow just for the help it gave me in the hospital. Breast Feeding was and is so important to me and having the right tools is what enabled us to get through those first challenging days.
The only con I would say is that it needs to be buckled in order to stay in place. I tried using it a couple times without buckling it and it kept slipping away from my body and my son was sinking into the crack. Not a huge deal because it only takes a moment to buckle but in the middle of the night it's just one more thing to have to focus on. Still, it was great having it!
Customer Review: Great product for easier breastfeeding
Summary: 5 Stars
I used a Boppy for the first 10 weeks after my son was born until I finally found the My Brest Friend deluxe pillow. With the Boppy, I had trouble with getting myself and the baby into the right position for nursing. It seemed like he was always sliding down between me and the pillow and I had to sit up at an awkward angle that often gave me a backache.
When I switched to the My Brest Friend, our breastfeeding experience drastically improved. The flat surface was much more comfortable for the baby and I love the back support of the Brest Friend. He stays latched on much better and I have more freedom in where I can nurse comfortably (no longer needing a back support).
While I love the Brest Friend, it does have some drawbacks. It is definitely more cumbersome to put on if you are already holding the baby. Also, if you're like me and have a baby that spits up a lot or an overactive let-down, this pillow is harder to clean than the Boppy. The washing instructions say to hang-dry the cover (which is somewhat of a pain to put back on after washing), though I've put it in the dryer on low for short times and seen no negative effects. My solution is to put a folded receiving blanket over the pillow to keep from having to wash it so often.
I do still use my Boppy for lots of other things, such as propping up the baby and for his tummy time. It's also easier to travel with and feed in the parked car than the Brest Friend. If you already have a Boppy or have the option to purchase both, I would recommend having one of each. But if you only get one nursing pillow, get the My Brest Friend.