Boppy Original v My Brest Friend - Nursing Pillow Comparison
Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed your baby, meal time is an important bonding experience for parents and their babies. A nursing pillow is a great option to ensure this time is comfortable for both you and your baby. These help to ensure baby is in the right position for your comfort and theirs, help to minimize poor posture and help to prevent your arm from going numb.
There are TONS of nursing pillow options out there. After a ton of research, I narrowed it down to a Boppy pillow and a My Brest Friend as the two that would work best for my needs, which included a combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding. I was lucky in that my friend gave me her old Boppy pillow before R was born, so I already had that on hand. Shortly after, I picked up a My Brest Friend directly from the hospital gift shop after a lactation appointment. Between the Boppy pillow and the My Brest Friend, I knew I had my bases covered and could now see which was ultimately going to work better for me when it came to a nursing pillow. Here are the things I considered when making my decision:
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Functionality
The Boppy Pillow and the My Brest Friend have similar functionality when it comes to nursing. They are both designed to provide support for both the mother and child when feeding.
The Boppy Original is one solid C shaped pillow that fits nicely around your waist, creating a "bed" for your baby to lay on. There are no straps or secondary parts needed. The Boppy Pillow serves an additional purpose in that it can be used beyond just a nursing pillow. The C shaped pillow is great to be used during tummy time and also to help provide support for your baby when they are learning to sit unassisted.
The My Brest Friend is a similar C shape to the Boppy in front, but includes a back support cushion that wraps fully around your back and buckles to the front. This aids in proper posture while feeding your baby and also tightens to fit your waist a bit more snug. This means there is less give in shifting with the babies weight. I love the My Brest Friend nursing pillow for breastfeeding for this reason. It allows me to have it stay snug a bit higher or lower on my body depending on how baby is feeding, but I don't feel this feature adds anything for bottle feeding and sometimes find it too restrictive for a comfortable position for me or baby.
Nursing Pillow Design
Both the Boppy Pillow and My Brest Friend come in multiple patterns and colors. The Boppy Pillow has multiple replacement covers available that are machine washable for easy cleaning. These are easy to remove, wash and put back on the Boppy due to the easy shape. The My Brest Friend offers additional slip covers as well, but I did not find them nearly as easy to remove and replace once cleaned. The Boppy also offers abundantly more cover options, many of which are available on Amazon.
Additional Features
As I mentioned above, the biggest additional features that the Boppy Original provides vs the My Brest Friend is the ability to continue using this pillow for your babies development as they grow. It's perfect for resting your baby on, using for tummy time, and later using as support for sitting. The My Brest Friend doesn't have these capabilities and is designed for use during the nursing process only.
One feature the My Brest Friend does provide that the Boppy Original does not is a convenient pocket on the nursing pillow. This is great for holding a bottle, burp cloth, snack for you, etc. and providing easy access during feedings.
Cost
Always one of the biggest considerations when making any purchase is the cost. The Boppy vs. My Brest Friend costs are similar enough that it probably won't be a huge sway one way or the other.
The Boppy Original is available PILLOW ONLY for $35. Purchasing the Boppy pillow with an included Cover, which most people opt to do, brings the price up about $10 to $45, such as with this Blue Herringbone design. You can also purchase additional slipcovers for anywhere from $15-$25, many of which come in a 2-pack.
My Brest Friend does not have a pillow only option so all choices include a slipcover and range cost $45-50. You can buy extra covers on Amazon for about $20, but they come in a 1-pack vs the Boppy covers that tend to come in a 2-pack.
THE NURSING PILLOW WINNER
This was a hard choice, but ultimately the BOPPY ORIGINAL PILLOW is our winner for the best nursing pillow. While I love the support provided by the My Brest Friend for breastfeeding, I don't love it for bottle feeding and it's not as user friendly or multi-purpose as the Boppy. Here's more detial on why the Boppy wins out v. the My Brest Friend in my book.
Ease of use - the Boppy pillow can be pulled up into possition with one hand, making it great for when you already have a baby in your arms. Since the My Breast Friend has the back cushion and buckle, it's hard to put on appropriately without a free hand.
Multi-Use - the Boppy Original is an awesome long term option since it can be used throughout so many of your babies stages, whereas the My Brest Friend is really only beneficial during nursing.
Dad Friendly - my husband took an active part in feeding our son since we did a mix of bottle and breast. The My Brest Friend wasn't something he needed and the comfort the Boppy provided was perfect for him. He also continued to use this when rocking our son at night as a stabilization and comfort piece for him.
Personalization - the Boppy has SO many colors to match any personality, preference or theme. It's definitely not a needed item, but it is fun to have designs you love. The slipcovers are also more cost-effective and I would always recommend a back up so you have one to put on while the other is in the wash.
Overall, I think both the Boppy and MY Brest Friend are great choices for nursing pillows. I have both and will continue to use both when we have number 2, but the Boppy will be my go-to for long-term and bottle feeding.
