What's the best... Boppy or My Brest Friend nursing pillows???

[duein june2003]

I've heard great things about MBF, but can't find one locally... anyone have any thoughts?? Thanks Ruth

[egoldber]

I had one and I loved it. I like that it secures around your waist and doesn't slip. It also provides back support. And it keeps your baby's head slightly elevated, which I found helpful.

The biggest complaint I hear is about the velcro in the back. Some babies wake up when you remove the pillow to lay them down for a nap. I solved this problem by not taking the pillow off until after I had laid DD down for a nap. I may have looked a little funny, but it worked great!

I actually bought mine in the hospital that I delivered at. They had a lactation/breastfeeding center there that sold nursing supplies. The price was competitive. My pediatrician also sells them at his office. And many lactation consultants sell them.

HTH,

[etwahl]

I know you can also get them at Babycenter.com and I believe they have 10% off right now (until Friday).

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Momof3Labs]

I loved MBF also, for all the reason Beth mentioned. The Boppy didn't work for me - it didn't fit right, and Colin tended to roll down into me. The MBF has a flat surface and kept Colin where he needed to be to nurse.

I also bought mine from our hospital's lactation consultant.

[atlbaby]

Beth,
I loved my MBF too, but would also end up trying to reach into the crib (I'm 5'2!) to put Arielle down *while* still wearing it, so the velcro wouldn't wake her up! That was very hard to do--it comes out a way from one's stomach! I would be standing on my tip toes, trying to lower her *all* the way down into the crib, but I could barely reach! Much easier if I was putting her into her carseat or bassinet...But that aside I loved it! :)
-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[August Mom]

I bought the My Brest Friend pillow through Baby Center after reading all of its positive reviews. Unfortunately, it didn't work for us. I'm not sure what it was, but DS didn't like being on it. Also, I found that it was not particularly comfortable to use when sitting in my glider. Because of the padding on the pillow behind my back, I felt that I needed a pillow behind my upper back in order to sit up straight. Also, as many reviews of this product noted, the velcro is very loud when undone. Because the MBF wasn't working for us and we still didn't have the hang of nursing without pillows, I bought a Boppy. The Boppy is wonderful! DS didn't protest when I started using it at all. I ended up getting 2 - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I still use the upstairs Boppy for nursing in bed, but primarily use the downstairs Boppy for DS on the floor. We used it to prop DS up for tummy time and had him sit inside the Boppy when he was just learning to sit to cushion his falls. It works well for these purposes as well. Overall, I think that the Boppy is more versatile than the MBF. Just my opinion. I know others swear by the MBF.

[Andrea S]

I used and still use MBF. I had problems with BFing in the beginning and this saved me. I liked the firm flat surface. Now I only use it if I am in the nursey. Andrew starts flapping his arms and legs when he sees it. I got my at Right Start, but my LC also sold them they were out when I needed one. I wish I had heard about them before I had the baby and had it in the hospital with me.

Andrea
Mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[COElizabeth]

I have both and like them for different reasons. The MBF does offer good back support, but I find it a little hard for James to lie on. I usually use the Boppy in bed and the MBF in the glider or on the couch. With both of them I often use other cushioning to get him at the right height and angle. We have two of those Bucky travel pillows, which act like miniature Boppies, and I often stuff one of those under the side of the Boppy James is nursing on to raise up his head a little. If I had to choose one it would probably be the Boppy.

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[MinnieMouse]

I used the boppy and loved it. I was turned off by the fact that with the MBF you had to put it "on"...with the boppy I just sat down and sat it in my lap. Dd nursed great with it.

HTH

Christine

[juliasdad]

The Boppy worked fairly well for DW. Specifically for bf-ing, I can see how the MBF pillow might have some advantages.

But the Boppy has come in handy for a couple of other things, too, as someone else here mentioned. We used it for tummy time, and it's absolutely perfect right now for using as a seating prop for Julia while she's learning to sit on her own. Its size and shape is just right to allow her to sit independently and provide support if she starts to lean to far back or to the side.

-dan

[jeneli]

I received both the boppy and the deluxe hugster at my shower. In the beginning, I found that the best pillow for nursing was just a regular bed pillow. My son was on the small side, and when I first tried the hugster, he got kind of swallowed up in it. The boppy never fit me at all -- it just wouldn't stay in place -- so I returned that. After I got better at nursing, I tried the hugster again, and I've been using it ever since (my son is now 5 months old). For those not familiar with it, the hugster is kind of a combo between the boppy & MBF. It's soft and cushiony like the boppy (same crescent shape) but it fastens in the back with velcro to stay in place. The whole thing can go in the washer and dryer. One negative is the noise the velcro makes during middle of the night feedings (which I was worried would wake the baby and/or my husband!), but I usually just stepped out into the hallway to try to be quieter. Like the boppy, the hugster can be used as a pillow to lean on, for tummy time, etc. Anyway, that's my comparison of the boppy vs. hugster. I do know other moms who swear by the boppy, but it just didn't work for me (and I'm average-sized). I've never used MBF, but I know someone who has one and likes it. HTH

[hellokitty1]

You can get the MBF from the Baby Depot (Burlington Coat Factory) if you want to see it in person before purchasing.

[suzette]

I used MBF and really liked it. My only complaint was that the velcro was SO LOUD I stopped using it (the velcro).

I actually only used the pillow for the first two months or so...especially for night feedings because I could be relatively hands-free and could read :-)

[nitaghei]

Hi!
I'm using the MBF, and it's working for us. I just wanted to suggest a third option - the Boston Billow. I used it when I saw a LC last week, and I LOVED it. Very light and quiet, and it has beads that you can use to position the baby, which stay in place. I think the URL is
http://nursingbillows.com/index.htm

It was mentioned on another thread on this board as well.

Nita
mom to Neel 01/05/03
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[pshontz]

I can't comment on MBF because I didn't try it. The Boppy didn't work for me at all -- I guess I'm too big in the waist to make it fit around me. :-) But it has worked well for tummy time and especially for learning to sit -- right now my baby is learning to sit and it's like a little recliner that wraps around her and supports her as she practices. But some friends of mine never got their babies to sit in it, they would arch their backs and slide out.

Priscilla & Laura 09/14/02

[katzenkowz]

I sat on my Boppy for 6 months & now use it for neck/shoulder support in my cheap Walmart rocker; My Breast Friend was THE BEST hand-me-down I received--I am small chested even lactating & they just don't hang down far enough for us to be comfy with a Bobby on my lap (well--especially after I sat on it to comfort my stitches for 6 weeks) My Breast Friend could be snugged up enough around my ribs to hold it in place if I propped my feet up. & it's so solid, I could walk around the house, & even get up/down with Becca nursing.

[cha552]

http://www.motheringwithease.com/nurpilmybesf.html

is where I bought mine on clearance.

[duein june2003]

Thanks everyone!! Sounds like I'll get both- the MBF for feeding and the Boppy for tummy time/sitting up... I appreciate the feedback, especially the link to purchase the MBF for $18!! :-) Ruth, due June 2