A pregnancy and nursing pillow? Here's what you need to know.
- Desiree Bobby
- Jan 14
- 7 min read
During pregnancy and the period afterward, your body requires a lot of support. Your posture changes, you sleep differently, and your shoulders, back, and arms are put under intense strain during breastfeeding.
To prevent complaints and overload, it is therefore wise to consciously respond to this with a nursing and pregnancy pillow.
But anyone who delves deeper into this topic will quickly realize that the selection is vast. There are many different shapes, materials, and claims. What are the real differences? And how do you determine which pillow is right for your body and specific situation?
I think that during pregnancy and around the time of a baby's arrival, many products are spent unnecessarily. With nursing or pregnancy pillows, I see it the other way around.
This is a product you use daily, often several times a day. Good support during pregnancy and breastfeeding helps prevent strain. If you don't have a suitable and comfortable pillow, it can lead to complaints or injuries that can continue to bother you in the long run.
A newborn baby drinks on average 8 to 12 times a day.
During breastfeeding, you often sit or lie in the same position for extended periods, putting particular strain on your shoulders, arms, and neck. When you're largely carrying your baby's weight, your shoulders curl up and your arms become tired. This is especially true in the first few weeks, when you might still be practicing good posture. This is prone to injury and can lead to tense shoulders and wrists, tired arms, and aches that build up throughout the day. Pain during breastfeeding also significantly impacts your let-down reflex.
A nursing pillow distributes your baby's weight better, allowing your shoulders to relax and your focus to remain on contact and correct technique.
During pregnancy, you usually sleep on your side. Without proper support, your hips and pelvis can tilt, which can cause back and pelvic pain and restless nights. A long pregnancy pillow supports your belly and hips, fills the space between your knees, and helps your body maintain a stable, relaxed position, even after delivery, when recovery is paramount.
A good nursing and pregnancy pillow not only protects your body from strain but also helps you relax. This relaxation plays a crucial role in the success and maintenance of breastfeeding.
But as soon as you actually want to buy a pillow, you quickly notice how overwhelming the selection is.
When choosing a nursing or pregnancy pillow, it's important to look beyond just the name or the promises on the packaging. Therefore, I advise you to pay attention to:
Shape/length: long enough to support multiple body parts
Material filling: the cushion should not collapse immediately
Type of cover: should move with your posture and be washable
Comfort for your body: no two bodies are the same
Generally speaking, there are three common types of nursing and pregnancy pillows:
Small, round nursing pillows:
These pillows are usually filled with loose balls and have a compact, firm shape. They are primarily intended to support your arms during feeding. Due to their limited size, they offer little support for your back, hips, or posture and are generally not suitable for sleeping.
Half-moon / C-shaped cushions:
These pillows are often made of foam and have a firm shape. They provide reasonable support during breastfeeding, but are less adaptable to different positions. This makes them less suitable for sleeping or for long-term full-body support.
Long nursing or pregnancy pillows:
These pillows are filled with loose balls and have a long, flexible shape. They are large enough to support multiple body parts simultaneously, such as the stomach, back, hips, knees, and arms. This flexibility makes them suitable for use during pregnancy, sleep, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding.
In my experience, it's often more comfortable to choose one large pillow that you can use during both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Instead of buying two separate pillows, you'll often save money with a single multifunctional pillow.
What are most nursing pillows made of?
Most nursing and pregnancy pillows are filled with EPS beads (small polystyrene-like balls) or foam .
Foam (often found in C-shaped pillows)
Has a fixed shape
Provides a lot of support in the beginning
Less able to conform to your posture
Both materials have their function, but they behave differently over time.
EPS beads (most common)
Lightweight and easily moldable
Make the pillow flexible and easy to adjust
Often used in long pregnancy pillows and nursing pillows
EPS beads lose volume over time.
Over time, your pillow will feel deflated. It will still look the same, but it won't be as supportive as it once was, making it feel like you're still using a cover. This is normal for EPS, but it happens faster than you might expect, and the difference can be noticeable within a few weeks.
There are a few clear reasons for this:
1. Compression through use
EPS beads are compressed at each feeding by:
the weight of your baby or your body
repeated use, often several times a day
This pressure causes the balls to lose their volume, making the pillow flatter.
2. Quality and filling
Not all EPS fillings are created equal. Cheaper pillows often contain:
Lower quality EPS filling which deforms and shrinks more quickly
smaller balls
less filling
This causes the firmness to decrease more quickly.
3. Heat and moisture
Body heat and (light) moisture make the pillows softer. This is great for comfort, but also causes the pillow to sink faster.
Do you plan to use one pillow during both pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Then it is important that you choose a pillow with high-quality EPS filling that is adjustable or refillable.
Lower-quality EPS filling loses volume more quickly and requires more maintenance; refilling is then almost unavoidable. Cushions with high-quality EPS beads generally retain their shape longer and provide better support.
The cover may seem like a minor detail, but in practice it determines a large part of the ease of use and comfort.
You use the pillow intensively, often several times a day and night, so the material and finish really make a difference.
A good cover for a nursing or pregnancy pillow:
is made of breathable and skin-friendly material (such as cotton or bamboo)
is slightly elastic , so that the cushion conforms well to your posture
is firm enough to support the filling and not collapse quickly
is adjustable , so you can make the pillow firmer again when the filling loses some volume
is removable and washable (preferably at 40 or 60 degrees)
has a comfortable finish without hard seams, zippers or sharp parts
offers the option of purchasing an extra cover (although it is often cheaper and just as good in practice to simply place a hydrophilic cloth over the pillow during feeding)
Bobby's Fave: BBhugme
The BBhugme is without a doubt my favorite pillow on the market. The EPS microbeads are high-quality, and the adjustable, slightly elastic cover conforms perfectly to your body. This makes it suitable for both pregnancy and breastfeeding. Of all the pillows I've tried, I find this one by far the most user-friendly. It's a bit more expensive, but because you don't need extra pillows or refills and you use it intensively every day, it's an investment that pays for itself.
Great news: I took the plunge and messaged BBhugme, and they said yes! We received a discount code!
Use BobbyMaternity at checkout and get 15% off .
Budget option: Snoozzz
The Snoozzz is an accessible, budget-friendly option suitable for both sleeping and breastfeeding. The pillow is highly conformable, but it's good to know that the EPS filling can lose volume a little more quickly with intensive use. The cover is standardly non-adjustable and non-elastic, making the pillow a little more difficult to adapt to different positions. You can secure the empty part with an elastic band to keep the balls more to one side and temporarily make the pillow a bit firmer. If you use the pillow during both pregnancy and breastfeeding, refilling will often be necessary over time. Refilling requires some skill (the balls are static) and comes at an additional cost, usually around €20–€40 . The purchase price is lower, but the pillow will require a bit more maintenance in the long run.
Budget tip: If you want to keep costs down further, consider buying a secondhand cover (or perhaps you can borrow one) and refilling the cushion yourself with a bag of EPS beads . Always wash the cover at 60 degrees Celsius before use.
Specs: Snoozzz vs Bbhugme
Feature | BBhugme | Snooz |
Type of pillow | Long nursing & pregnancy pillow | Long nursing & pregnancy pillow |
Suitable for pregnancy | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Suitable for breastfeeding | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Filling | EPS microbeads (high quality) | EPS beads (coarser, lower quality) |
Malleability | Very good formability | Fairly malleable |
Retention of volume | Remains under tension for a long time | Sinks faster with intensive use |
Cover material | Cotton / spandex (slightly elastic) | Not elastic |
Adjustable cover | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Refill needed | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (usually) |
Maintenance | Maintenance-free | Top up regularly |
Top up costs | — | ± €20–€40 |
Ease of use | Very user-friendly | User-friendly |
Intensive daily use | Very suitable | Suitable |
Extra covers available | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Zippers / hard parts | ❌ No | Depending on model |
Purchase price | €189.00 | €75 + refill |
You now know everything you need to know to make a well-informed choice. Good support may seem like a minor detail, but in practice, it makes a world of difference. A nursing pillow supports not only your baby, but also you, your body, your recovery, and your rest.
The right pillow is not necessarily the most expensive one, but the pillow that suits your specific situation.
By consciously choosing what works for you, you give yourself space to relax, feel, and trust. And it's precisely in that relaxation that the most valuable things often arise: peace, connection, and gentleness in feeding.
Love,
Bobby
