Nursing Pillow - Do you need one?

Do I need a nursing pillow? What type should I buy?

This is often a question that people ask when they are getting ready to have a baby. If you have never nursed before, you might wonder if you will even be able to....and spending an extra $50 on a nursing pillow doesn't sound likely. So what is the point of having one anyway?
When I had my first baby, I didn't have a nursing pillow right away - and within a week I had to have one! Many women nurse exclusively, as I have with all of my children. When you are holding a baby in your arms for a few minutes at a time, you might not think about having a 'helper' to hold up your baby....but When your baby has been nursing for 30-50 minutes, you quickly realize how badly your back, shoulders and arms hurt!
The point of a nursing pillow is to help you hold your baby. It eases pressure on your back and shoulders and allows you to sit straighter and more comfortably. Your baby can rest in your arms at a height that is comfortable for you to hold him while he is breastfeeding.
If you decide not to breastfeed, a nursing pillow is still a great way to be comfortable while snuggling your baby. You will be holding your baby day in and day out for the first couple months...do It comfortably with good posture - use a nursing pillow.
There are other great ways to use a nursing pillow as well. One way to use a nursing pillow is to lay it on the floor. Then place your swaddled baby in a semi-upright position. This allows your baby to see around the room (and see you) while you are doing all the things new parents have to do. Another way to use the nursing pillow is when your baby starts to sit. Simply place the pillow on the floor around your sitting baby. This will help them stay upright as well as be a soft place to land when they inevitably topple over.
If you are looking into purchasing a nursing pillow, there are a number of brands available. Through experience however, we have come to see that they are all very similar. The generic pillows are identical in functionality as the big brand names yet offer a lesser cost.
The brand name pillows have some pretty cute covers though - for the solution to this, I recommend either sewing a nursing pillow cover yourself, or going to Etsy.com and buying a handmade, great quality cover that will fit your pillow.
If you are at all crafty, you can easily sew a nursing pillow for free or for just a couple dollars. I bet you have all the necessary tools/supplies needed in your home to sew one of these yourself by re-purposing a couple things that you don't use anymore (old pillows, stuffed animals, sheets...etc).
When shopping for or sewing new baby items, you can do without a lot of things. However, make a nursing pillow a priority. You'll be glad you did.