The Sewing Place

Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!

sewingj

Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« on: November 06, 2018, 10:01:18 AM »
Daughter is expecting her first baby at Christmas and has asked if I could make one of these

https://www.mothercare.com/feeding-pillows/dreamgenii-feeding-pillow---grey-star-colour-exclusive-to-mothercare/411801.html?cgid=feeding_breastfeeding_pillows#start=1

She tried one at her NCT class but she is very much a plus-sized lady and would like one that is bigger.She thinks it was filled with microfibre type stuff (presumably you can buy that?).  I have a sheet which I could use for the cover but I think this one has a removable cover and I don`t know if I would be up to that.  I`m not sure how we`d get the right shape either - I don`t have a Mothercare nearby so can`t easily get hold of one to copy
Help!

BrendaP

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2018, 10:20:59 AM »
John Lewis sell them
also Matalan
and probably lots of other places.

Looks as though it's just a horseshoe shape filled with soft stuffing.  Maybe a bit of trial and error to get the exact size/shape she wants, but it's only a soft support to prop the baby against so doesn't need to be fit precisely.

Buy a cheap polyfil regular pillow and use that for the stuffing.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

sewingj

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2018, 10:28:07 AM »
@BrendaP   (and others)  I`m wondering if I would get a better shape by using polystyrene beans - any thoughts?

Samantha

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2018, 13:44:43 PM »
I think you'd need some sort of removable cover as there's a good chance that it will get milky baby sick on it  :x

sewingj

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2018, 14:31:23 PM »
I`ve found a good tutorial with a free pattern and a link to another pattern for a removable cover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjKW5X0xpXs

I`ve just got to work out how to adapt it to daughter`s measurements!

fajita

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2018, 15:14:16 PM »
Poly beads can be ingested by a child if the pillow seams break, and they don't show up on X-rays.

sewingj

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2018, 16:17:31 PM »
Poly beads can be ingested by a child if the pillow seams break, and they don't show up on X-rays.

Message received and taken note of - will avoid them

HenriettaMaria

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2018, 19:44:50 PM »
I don't get that - the woman in the photo has the baby far too high to feed it - BF is a low-slung enterprise!

Bogwoppit

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2018, 08:24:53 AM »
I had a friend who was given one of those. She was larger than me and neither of us found it comfortable. We both used standard V shaped pillows or whatever cushions were available. Best to have two, one to support your back.

I fully recommend going along to a breastfeeding group while still pregnant.

Woman in picture is only advertising product, she might not even be the child's mum.
Lurking in Lancashire, improving my sewing when life gives me time.

Hummingbird

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2018, 09:15:28 AM »
And the baby in the photo is quite old (big) - when I was feeding my sons years ago I found it was when they were first born that I needed a cushion (just an ordinary pillow did the trick to start with....)

sewingj

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2018, 10:18:50 AM »
I think I am going to hold off until the baby is actually here.  It is looking quite likely that it will be a caesarian birth and I should think an ordinary pillow would be more comfortable than something that wraps around your waist

Bogwoppit

Re: Could I make a breast-feeding pillow?!
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2018, 14:34:39 PM »
I'd suggest a cover for a V pillow to go in her lounge then, I breastfed my second after a c section, used lots of cushions to prop me up to a comfortable position as any movement that put strain on my middle was agony for the first couple of weeks.
Lurking in Lancashire, improving my sewing when life gives me time.