Baby nursing pillow
During the first few months of life, a baby is exclusively fed either breast milk or formula. Formula fed infants are generally fed by placing the infants head in the crook of a care givers arm, and feeding the formula to the infant with a bottle. Many mothers breastfeed their babies. Mothers’ breast milk has been proven to be more beneficial to nursing babies than artificial milk formulations or cow’s milk. Unfortunately, breast feeding an infant can be both uncomfortable and tiring. As many who have experienced the art of breast-feeding know, a certain amount of dexterity, coordination, and often discomfort is associated with getting the infants head properly aligned with the breast and keeping it there during the feeding.
To breastfeed a baby, the mother must hold the baby across her chest, or at the side under the arm, with the baby’s head next to her breast. Alignment of the baby’s mouth and mother’s nipple is key to ensure proper breast feeding. If the alignment is incorrect, the baby may receive an inadequate supply of milk, or in the worst case, actually expend more calories in getting the milk than are contained in the milk received. This condition, know as “Insufficient Milk Syndrome”, may jeopardize the health and development of the baby. After feeding at one breast for fifteen to twenty minutes, the baby’s body is reversed and the baby feeds at the other breast for fifteen to twenty minutes. Once correct position is achieved, the mother can experience difficulty in maintaining it throughout the feeding due to factors such as fatigue, back ache and stress on arms and shoulders. Mothers often use support devices such as baby nursing pillows to reduce this fatigue.
A popular category of pillows are generally referred to as baby nursing pillows or infant support pillows. Infant support pillows can be used to provide support to an infant in a variety of positions. A newly born baby generally has a very soft skull that is liable to become disfigured by sleeping with its head turned to a side for a long period of time. The infant must be supported in a position with its head near one breast for an extended period of time. The process may then be repeated with the other breast. A number of pillows have been specifically designed for use during nursing. These pillows typically consist of a cushion with substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces. The pillow is placed with the lower surface on the mother’s lap and the infant is placed on the upper surface of the cushion. Some designs include a belt or waist strap to hold the front edge of the cushion against the mother’s stomach during use.