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How to Use a Pregnancy Pillow for Breastfeeding
If you spent the last trimester relying on your pregnancy pillow to get through the night, the good news is that you don't need to put it away the moment your baby arrives. That same full-body support that kept you comfortable through the third trimester turns out to be surprisingly practical once you're in the thick of feeding sessions, and most Australian mums discover this by accident rather than by design.
Here's how to actually use it.
Why Use a Pregnancy Pillow for Breastfeeding?
Feeding a newborn takes time. A lot of it. And when you're sitting in the same position for extended periods, multiple times a day and through the night, what's supporting your body matters more than most people expect before they've done it.
A pregnancy pillow may give your arms somewhere to rest and your back something to lean against during feeds, so you're not carrying the full physical load of the session through your own muscles alone. It may also help bring your baby to a more comfortable feeding position without you needing to hunch forward to reach them.
The important thing is that the pillow is for you. Your arms and hands remain in contact with your baby throughout every feed - the pillow is supporting your body, not your baby.
1. Cross-Cradle Hold
The cross-cradle hold is often one of the first feeding positions Australian midwives and lactation consultants demonstrate, particularly in the early days of establishing breastfeeding.
Using the Pain Free Aussies Pregnancy Pillow across your lap may help support your arms during the feed, reducing the effort of holding your baby's weight over longer sessions.
Try this setup:
- Sit somewhere with a solid back - a chair with support, or propped up comfortably in bed.
- Place the pillow across your lap before you start.
- Position your baby with their tummy facing toward you, cradling their head with the opposite arm to the breast you're feeding from.
- Use the pillow underneath to support your arm and reduce the load on your shoulder and neck throughout.
- Bring your baby toward you rather than leaning your whole body down to meet them.
If positioning or latch is presenting challenges, a lactation consultant or midwife can provide hands-on guidance specific to you and your baby.
2. Football Hold
The football hold positions the baby alongside your body rather than across your front, which may be particularly useful in the weeks after a caesarean section - keeping the baby away from the incision area.
Place the pregnancy pillow beside your body or underneath your arm for support throughout the feed.
Try this setup:
- Sit upright with your back comfortably supported.
- Position your baby to one side with their legs tucked back under your arm.
- Use the pillow along that side to support your arm and the back of your baby's head.
- Bring your baby's mouth to the breast rather than leaning the breast toward them.
Every mum and baby is different. It may take a few attempts to find the right position, and that's completely normal in the early weeks.
3. Reclined Breastfeeding
Some feeding sessions are better approached from a reclined rather than fully upright position - particularly during the early postpartum days when the body is still recovering and energy is limited.
The pregnancy pillow may work well placed behind your back or under your arms while you feed in a gentle recline. The key is that you remain comfortable, fully awake, and in active contact with your baby throughout.
This position may feel more restful than sitting rigidly upright, which makes it a practical option for night feeds or during periods of recovery.
One caution worth taking seriously: reclined and restful is exactly the state in which people drift off. Red Nose guidance is that falling asleep holding a baby on a couch or chair is always unsafe. If you think you might fall asleep, move your baby to their own safe sleep space first.
4. Side-Lying Breastfeeding
Side-lying feeding is an option some mums find useful for night feeds once they've been shown how to position themselves and their baby safely by a midwife or lactation consultant.
The pregnancy pillow may be used to support your own back or between your knees during a side-lying feed, but should never be placed around or underneath your baby.
A few important points for this position:
- Keep your baby's face and airway fully clear at all times. Red Nose advises keeping pillows and adult bedding away from your baby.
- Stay awake and alert throughout the entire feed.
- Once the feed is finished, place your baby in their own safe sleep space - not on the adult bed or near the pregnancy pillow.
- Take the pillow out of the bed once you've finished, so it isn't there if you fall asleep later.
If you're unsure about safe positioning for side-lying feeds, ask your midwife or lactation consultant to walk you through it before trying it independently.
Don't Forget About Your Own Comfort
It's easy to spend the entire feed focused on your baby's positioning and forget that your own body needs support too. When a feed runs for 20 to 40 minutes - which is common in the early weeks - the physical demand on your shoulders, neck, and lower back adds up quickly.
A few things worth keeping in mind during feeds:
Lower back support. The pregnancy pillow tucked behind your lower back may take some of the load off during long seated feeds.
Bring your baby to you. Avoiding a sustained forward lean throughout the feed is easier when your arms are resting on something rather than holding your baby's full weight unsupported.
Shoulder tension. It's easy to unconsciously raise the shoulders when concentrating on a latch. Noticing and releasing that tension during feeds may make longer sessions more comfortable.
Set up before you start. Water, snacks, phone - have everything in reach before settling in. Once a baby is feeding well, disrupting the setup often isn't worth it.
Can a Pregnancy Pillow Replace a Nursing Pillow?
It can, though it doesn't have to.
A purpose-designed nursing pillow is compact and shaped to wrap around the waist specifically for feeding. A pregnancy pillow is larger and more versatile - it may support different areas of the body in different configurations, which makes it useful across a wider range of situations beyond dedicated feeding.
There's no universal right answer here. If you already have a pregnancy pillow you're comfortable with, trying it for feeding support before buying a separate nursing product makes practical sense. The Pain Free Aussies Pregnancy Pillow is designed with exactly this kind of extended, multi-stage use in mind - supporting you through pregnancy and remaining useful well after the birth.
What Else Can You Use It For After Birth?
Breastfeeding is far from the only reason the pillow earns its space after the baby arrives.
The same pillow may also help with:
- Supporting your back during bottle feeding
- Extended newborn cuddles on the couch
- General postpartum rest during the day
- Making overnight feeds a little more manageable
- Providing arm and back support during the many sitting and holding hours of the early weeks
Those first weeks involve a great deal of time in one position. Having something comfortable to lean against or rest your arms on may make those stretches considerably easier to get through.
A Note About Safety
The Pain Free Aussies Pregnancy Pillow is designed to support you - not as a sleep surface for your baby.
Never use a pregnancy pillow as somewhere to place your baby unsupervised, and don't allow your baby to sleep on or near one without you present and alert. During any breastfeeding session, stay awake and actively supervise your baby. If you feel you might drift off during a feed, follow current Australian safe sleep guidance and move your baby to their own safe sleep space as soon as you can.
If you're unsure about safe feeding or sleeping positions, speak with your midwife, child health nurse, or a lactation consultant.