Updated at: 24-02-2023 - By: Sienna Lewis

A simple positioning of the Boppy pillow and your baby will teach you how to utilize it for nursing. Keep in mind that the Boppy cushion can be a helpful addition to your nursing sessions to make both you and your baby more at ease. Regardless of how you choose to nurse, this handy pillow should be simple to use.

You should be able to figure out how to use the Boppy pillow for bottle-feeding after reading this article. You can teach a friend or family member how to feed your child and allow them to have a close relationship with your child. Feeding your infant is both a chore and an opportunity to get to know your child better. Ultimately,

How To Use A Boppy Pillow For Nursing And Bottle-Feeding

Positioning for breastfeeding

Step #1. Get situated

A Boppy cushion can make breastfeeding your baby more comfortable and safe. When your baby is close to you, the La Leche League International recommends that you choose a position with back support and flex your baby’s hips. Your baby’s mouth and nose should face your nipple, and you should make sure that your breast doesn’t touch his chin.

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Step #2. Check the placements

Take use of the curve of the Boppy Pillow by placing it around your hip. Then, with both of your tummies touching, place your infant on top of the pillow. When using the Boppy pillow to nurse your baby, keep in mind that this is a basic guideline.

Step #3. Modify accordingly

It’s important to keep in mind that as your baby develops, so will the nursing positions that work best for him. The Boppy cushion can assist you in cradle holding by raising your baby so that he or she has a better chance of latching on. This is a great position for newborns, but if your baby is in the football hold position, you can also support him with the cushion to the sides.

Positioning for bottle-feeding

The Boppy pillow, like all nursing pillows, can be used by caregivers while bonding with their child. Your infant may need to be bottle-fed if you are unable to do it yourself. The Boppy cushion can be used to help him settle in.

Step #1. Placing

Bottle-feeding your infant can be made easier with the aid of a Boppy cushion. Because holding a newborn can be daunting for some individuals, have your caregiver use the Boppy cushion instead. Ask them to place the pillow around their waist and settle into a comfortable supine position.

Step #2. Supporting

The caretaker will place the infant on his back on the pillow, just like with the Boppy pillow for breastfeeding. Your baby’s head and upper body, however, must be cradled by them. The pillow provides a place for their arm to rest so it won’t be sore.

The Boppy pillow can also be used to help alleviate spit-ups and prevent colic in babies. When bottle-feeding, try to simulate the milk flow you’d get from nursing. Lift your child 45 degrees with the help of the Boppy cushion.

How To Select A Breastfeeding Pillow

A breastfeeding pillow’s shape and design are likely to be the most important factors to keep in mind. It must fit your body type so that you may utilize it comfortably. U-shaped and O-shaped breastfeeding pillows are the most prevalent.

They are designed to wrap around your midsection and keep your baby’s head and neck supported as you nurse. Find the pillow with a size that fits your midsection, and if you can comfortably lay your arm over it. Generally speaking, C-shaped breast-feeding pillows are ideal for most women, but if you need more support or pressure relief, you can choose O-shaped pillows.

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Encouragement

Align his nose with your nipple by turning him so that his back is against your nipple. Because your baby’s neck muscles aren’t fully developed, you’ll need to prop up your breast to ensure a comfortable latch. You can use your nipple to contact your baby’s lips and then bring his chin first if he isn’t opening his mouth.

Reposition

Your infant will begin nursing if his bottom lip is slightly out of alignment with the areola. If either of you is comfortable, you can always reattach your child. Break the seal between his gums and your breast with a clean finger.

How to Use a Boppy for Nursing Support

  1. Sit with your back firmly supported in a comfortable position.
  2. Wrap your waist around the Boppy and place it on your lap.
  3. When using the Boppy, place your baby on their side, with their face toward yours.
  4. Breastfeeding through the lips of a baby is best. If it isn’t, place your arm on the Boppy and cradle the baby’s head and upper torso in your arm.
  5. Take care of your child when he or she is in your arms.
  6. Make sure you don’t bring your torso or breasts down to your child. To raise the baby if the Boppy isn’t high enough, you can either add another pillow for support underneath the Boppy or hoist them with your hands.
  7. The football hold can also be used with the Boppy. The infant will be placed on your side in this position (with their feet pointing toward your back).

How to Use a Boppy for Bottle Feeding

For breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, the Boppy is essentially comparable.

Priority Is Given to Security

No infant should ever be propped up to feed themselves using a Boppy. When a baby is unable to sit up or hold a bottle on his or her own, he or she may choke on the food.

  1. Sit with your back firmly supported in a comfortable position.
  2. Wrap your waist around the Boppy and place it on your lap.
  3. Your infant should be placed on the Boppy with their back resting on it.
  4. In one arm, cradle the head and torso of your baby. Your arm can rest on the Boppy if you’d like.
  5. By holding the bottle in your free hand, you can breastfeed your child.

How to Use a Boppy for Tummy Time

In lieu of traditional tummy time, parents can use the Boppy Pillow. The Boppy Pillow helps newborns to observe the world from a different perspective while still strengthening their neck, back, and arm muscles.

Using your Boppy for tummy time is safe if you follow these guidelines.

  1. Set down a blanket on the floor.
  2. On top of that, place the Boppy Pillow.
  3. Placing your baby’s arms and shoulders on top of the pillow will allow them to lie comfortably in the “C” shape.
  4. Keep the baby’s focus on the pillow by placing toys in front of it.
  5. Tummy time should be allowed until the baby shows indications of exhaustion (unable to hold their head up, crying, or fussing). Depending on your baby’s age, strength, and development, this could take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes.
  6. Always keep an eye on your child. You should reposition your baby’s arms and shoulders if they fall off of the pillow at any point.

How to Use a Boppy Pillow as a Sitting Aid

When a child lacks the core strength to sit upright on his or her own, a Boppy Pillow is an excellent aid for keeping them propped up in a sitting position.

The Boppy can still be used as a cushion if they get tired and fall over, even though their muscles have developed.

Here’s how to put your Boppy to good use as a seated assistance device.

  1. To use the Boppy Pillow, place it on the floor (never on a couch, chair, or elevated surface).
  2. Boppy Pillow’s “C” design can be used to put infant into a seated position in the middle. Back to the pillow, legs pointed toward the opening, is the best position for the infant.
  3. The pillow should be embracing the baby on both sides so that it may provide sitting support.
  4. Move the ends of the Boppy farther from the baby as they grow strength, skill, and self-assurance.
  5. When using the Boppy Pillow in this posture, always keep an eye on your child. Reposition your baby or remove them from the Boppy if they fall over at any point. It’s important to keep in mind that babies don’t have the strength to move themselves when they can’t breathe properly.

Using a Boppy for Pregnancy/Postpartum Sleep

Pregnant and postpartum mothers can use a Boppy Pillow to help them sleep more comfortably.

Priority Is Given to Security

Using a Boppy for baby sleep is not recommended.

The pillow’s flexible C-shape is ideal for placing under the pregnant belly of a woman sleeping on her side to provide additional sleep support.

Toward the conclusion of pregnancy, many women have hip pain or discomfort in their symphysis pubis (1). To facilitate birthing, two parts of a pubic bone are connected by a ligament known as a symphysis pubis. Pregnancy hormone relaxin can cause additional stretching and discomfort in several parts of the body during late pregnancy.

During this moment, the Boppy Pillow might help you feel more at ease. As a result, you can get a better night’s sleep by putting it between your knees or thighs as you sleep. As a result, you may require more hip, pelvic, or abdominal support while sleeping during the postpartum recovery phase.

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Boppy FAQs

What is a Boppy Pillow?

“Boppy” Nursing Pillows are one of the most popular options among a myriad of brands that make pillows for nursing mothers. Designed to go around a mother’s abdomen for comfort when breastfeeding, the Boppy is shaped like a “C.”

Both conventional and organic coverings can be purchased for the Boppy to enable for customization. Waterproof covers are also an option.

Do I Need a Boppy Pillow?

While most women buy a Boppy pillow with the intention of using it as a nursing positioner, this is not the only application for the product.

Using a positioner when nursing is a good idea. Nurses often don’t know how taxing nursing is on their backs, torsos, and shoulders until they are in the midst of the experience. When you’re fatigued and clutching a baby all day, it’s easy to fall into a slouched, slouched position.

In order to make feeding easier for both you and your baby, consider using a Boppy Pillow on your lap instead of slouching over to lower the height of your breast to the level of your infant.

However, it isn’t the end of its usefulness. As well as being a pillow, Boppy Pillows may be used for the following things.

  • Tummy time for the little one..
  • An help to sitting.
  • Pregnancy and postpartum sleep help for the mother (but never for baby).

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Is it Safe to Use a Boppy?

When used correctly, Boppy Pillows are completely safe. Babies in or on the Boppy should never be left unattended, regardless of how you choose to utilize them.

Boppy Pillows are adorable when they’re curled up, but newborns should never be permitted to sleep in or on them. Your baby will be safer resting in a bassinet or crib instead of the Boppy in case they fall asleep while playing on it.

You should never leave a Boppy in your baby’s crib while he or she is sleeping, as your baby’s crib should be free of blankets and pillows as well as crib bumpers.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding can be a wonderful way for a mother and her child to connect. With the help of a Boppy breastfeeding cushion, however, you can make the experience more enjoyable. Once you’ve found a comfortable posture, wrap the pillow over your body.

Lay your baby on the cushion in the position you prefer to nurse him in order to help him get the hang of it. While nursing, you can use the pillow to raise your baby’s head up. In addition, the pillow can be used in a similar fashion for bottle-feeding or timed feeding to prevent colic and spit-ups in your infant.