One item that I have never quite come to terms with is a nursing pillow. I have tried a couple different brands, those with the best reviews, and have not liked any of them! Yes, they serve a very good purpose and they do it well in some respects but they are very large, awkward to handle, add to my sense of nursing claustrophobia and take up lots of space when they are not in use. Despite my lack of success in the past, I have found myself on the hunt yet again as my shoulders ache and my back prepares to adopt a permanent arch. What to do!
My little guy seems to benefit greatly from eating in a slightly upright position as he loves to take a little air with his milk. This makes a typical flat nursing pillow a bad option for me as he would be mostly laying down. I have thought that a pillow in the shape of a "V" would be great to give my back a break while also providing a dip in the middle to keep him inclined. For days now I have been dreaming up the perfect pillow during feeding times. I know this sounds funny, but my inspiration came to my sleepy brain as I pulled my feather pillow onto my sleepy lap to help me snuggle my sleepy guy in the middle of the night. I poked and prodded the pillow into great form and the three of us had a cozy sleepy time together. The following day I added a few things to my feather pillow and now I have a great nursing pillow... at least one that works great for me!!! I like to call it the No-Sew Convertible Nursing Pillow. My kids like to call it Angel Wings.
Anyhow, here is how you can make one from items you already have! I know this sounds simplistic but I really like it!
- Take a feather pillow and put it in a pillow case of your choosing... here you have great opportunity to express your personal style!
- Now cinch the middle of the pillow with your hand while shaking the feathers to either end of the pillow.
- Take a ribbon, hair band, scarf or any other similar item and tie the middle of the pillow as tightly as you can. You can use a broad ribbon if you want a larger base in the "V".
Ta-da! You are done! If you are wondering, here are some of the perks of the Angel Wings No-Sew Convertible Nursing Pillow:
- It is super easy to make!
- It is super cheap!
- It is very easy to mold to the shape you need and can be re-molded to a new shape as needed!
- When you need to store it, simply toss it back on your guest bed or back into the pillow sham!
- You can change your style as easy as changing a pillow case!
- You can use it for front holds and football holds!
- You can pull it to the side and snuggle your baby on its back against you so they can look at you while you talk with your other children. They are close, safe, comfy and happy!
- It can turn on the center in almost any direction!
- You can adjust it as needed to create a great incline for nursing baby!
- It is lightweight and very easy to carry using the handy dandy ribbon handle in the middle.
The other item I have been thinking about is a nursing cover. Although I have not perfected this one (that would, of course, be my version of perfect as everyone is different) I have stumbled across another great inexpensive idea that was hanging in my closet! I was wanting a cover that would be lightweight, and provide lots of coverage along with easy access to the baby. I was thinking of making a cover that went all the way around sort of like a poncho. My plan was to disassemble a skirt I no longer wear, put some elastic in the back of the neck and some boning in the front. Well, my job was cut in half as I realized I had just the thing hanging in my closet! It was a lightweight cotton jersey knee-length skirt from Old Navy long ago. I just toss it over my head and, ta-da, I have a nursing cover! Eventually, I may add some boning to the neck (or what used to be the waist band) but I am enjoying it just as it is for now!
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