Boppy Pillow - A Double Take

Bare Pillow: $29.99
Pillow Covers: $9.99-$25.99
Boppy w/Cover: $35.99 - $44.99



Alicia's Take: When I dropped the news that I was pregnant to a friend (a guy friend) the first thing he told me was “I’m going to buy you a boppy!”. Apparently he had one for his kids and swore by it (he never did buy it for me though). I personally have mainly used it for feedings, so I can not fully account for the other uses, but it was very helpful with feedings. When I first began breastfeeding, my husband and I had a system where I would sit down cross legged with the boppy on my legs and baby on top of the boppy. It put him at the perfect height for feedings and saved my arms from having to do all the work. Now that he is getting older we’ve gotten away from the regimented boppy feedings and I haven’t really touched the pillow much at all (mostly because the pillow is in his room and I do most of my feedings in the living room), but I still agree with many other parents that it really is a great product. For us, it really helped with the system and avoided needing three pillow to go around my body like some people told me they did.


Even though I very rarely used it for anything outside of feedings, the few times I put him in the center of the boppy while I was doing stuff around the house, it did give me piece of mind that he wouldn't roll off the couch or anything. So I could see why someone would love it for reasons beyond feeding.

As for the covers, mine came with a cover already on it. I have yet to wash it (does that make me dirty?), but I guess in my opinion it could be nice to have regardless. Specifically if your baby spits up on it – even though the pillow will still have the stain, at least your baby’s not laying directly on it AND can make cleaning quicker since pillows can take awhile to dry AND you can have one in the wash and a clean one on the pillow for much less than the cost of two pillows. Perhaps boppy should invest in making some water proof covers that absorb the mess, but keep it from getting on the pillow itself to make it a more practical purchase. _____________________________________________


Barbie's Take: I often hear people say, "the boppy pillow is god". While I do love my boppy, I do not feel like it is the #1 must-have of all time. Apparently Boppy pillows are great for helping an infant with tummy time and sitting up, but I never used it for these things. I used it solely for breast feeding. And like i said, I loved it! It allowed my hands to be free and it kept Trent high enough that I did not have to slouch (it saved my back!!!!). Mine was given to me (THANKS MEGAN!!) so I did not have to shell out any money, but based on the prices above I would definitely say they are reasonably priced and worth every penny....if you're going to breast feed. If you aren't, I wouldn't think it to be a top priority (again, this is just based on my experience. I've heard formula mothers swear by the boppy).

Often times my son would fall asleep right after nursing and I'd have to get up. The boppy, being a "C" shape, would fall to the floor. There are other nursing pillows out there (called My Breast Friend) that have a strap that goes all around mommy's torso, keeping the pillow in place. I have never tried this pillow but I would like to.

Bottom line is, if you're going to breast feed I would definitely recommend getting a nursing pillow of some sort, whether it's Boppy or not.

As for the boppy cases, I think they are unnecessary. I have one that I have never used. If spit up gets on the case it will soak through to the pillow, so you end up having to wash both items anyway. With that being said, my boppy is not plain white; it has a cute print on it. If yours is plain and you want to make it cute, by all means, get yourself a case.

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Pros:
- Helpful with feedings
- Many uses – feeding, sitting around, helps hold baby in cradle position, tummy time, etc.
- Reasonably priced
- Many attractive covers and options
- Appears to be durable and well made

Cons:
- Even with a cover, the spit up and other messes can leak through to the pillow

Do We Recommend: Yes.