Learning to breastfeed (yes, you and your baby will be learning to feed) can be overwhelming and at times a challenge. Let me tell you now, a nursing pillow will help you make this journey more comfortable and easier to navigate. Nursing pillows have all the right things, in the right place to make feeding easier for both you and your baby. On top of that, you want to make sure you choose a non-toxic and organic nursing pillow.
What is a nursing pillow?
A nursing pillow is a pillow that usually wraps around your waist that supports your baby when feeding at the breast. The nursing pillow takes the weight of the baby (let’s be honest, feeding in the early days takes time!) and supports them.
It helps to free up your hands to help guide your baby to the breast so you can also have a drink or something to eat. It allows you both to get more comfortable and be able to stay in the position for a longer period of time.
A nursing pillow is also a great help if you bottle feed as well. It gives you the same support and can come in really handy with a newborn.
As your baby grows, you might find that you no longer need the nursing pillow but in the beginning, it’s gold! And once you don’t need it for feeding, it becomes a great tummy time pillow or even a body pillow for mom.
Why choose an organic nursing pillow?
Why would you want to spend the extra and get an organic and non-toxic nursing pillow?
To avoid the nasty hidden chemicals that everything seems to be laden within our modern world!
A nursing pillow usually consists of the inner pillow and the outer cover. When looking at the outer cover, you want to make sure that you’re avoiding synthetic and non-organic cotton fabrics by choosing certified, organic materials. On the inside, you need to avoid all synthetic, poly-fibre materials and polyurethane foam. Also, be on the lookout for additional chemicals and fire retardants that might be used within nursing pillows.
Fabrics to look for when choosing a non-toxic nursing pillow
Let’s dive into what you should be looking out for when choosing your organic nursing pillow.
GOTS certified cotton
GOTS certification is the world’s leading organic certification. It not only ensures that the fabric is 95% natural fibers, but it must also meet strict environmental and toxicology criteria, waste management plans and it must meet fair labor practices.
When a fabric is GOTS certified, you can be assured that you’re getting the best possible organic fabric and materials.
Organic Wool
Wool is a great material as an alternative for polyurethane foam. It provides the pillow with softness and yet is firm. Wool is also a natural fire retardant, eliminating the need for additional toxic chemicals.
When looking for wool in your nursing pillow make sure it’s organic, hasn’t been cleaned with toxic chemicals and doesn’t include any artificial fragrances. When choosing a wool-based nursing pillow, you may find it does have a smell initially, this will disappear quickly.
Organic Buckwheat Hulls
Organic buckwheat hulls are often used as a replacement for foam and poly fiber fillings. One of the great things about using buckwheat hulls is that it’s actually a waste product from the buckwheat industry, therefore you are helping to minimize waste.
It sounds strange but it actually makes quite a comfortable pillow! It moulds around the baby and they can really snuggle into it.
Organic Kapok
Organic Kapok is a natural and organic cotton/silk-like fiber that’s harvested from the Kapok Tree. It is used as a filler to create an incredibly soft cushion, it can be compared to down. The production of organic kapok is sustainable. The tree doesn’t need to be cut down to harvest the fibers. When the seed pods drop, they are collected and the kapok is removed. The trees do not need much water or the use of pesticides in their farming.
Once the product has reached its life end, the kapok can be returned to the earth and will break down.
The Best Organic Nursing Pillow Brands
The Sustainable Baby Co
The Sustainable Baby Co produces a range of pillows, including an organic nursing pillow. Their nursing pillow is called The Moon Womb™ Pillow. They claim that their pillow is the first ‘therapeutic’ nursing pillow due to the small, removable pocket with organic lavender and chamomile flowers to help calm your baby. They also stock a MoonWomb ™ Pregnancy pillow to help keep you comfortable as your belly grows.
The Sustainable Baby Co manufactures its products in Colorado with organic fabrics and materials that are free of chemicals and unethical practices. Their outer fabric is organic cotton knit, the pillow outer is 100% organic cotton canvas, the zipper is organic cotton and lead-free and the inner is filled with organic buckwheat hulls. And to top it all off, they keep their packaging minimal and earth-friendly. You can read about their sustainable practices here.
SnuggleMe Organic
SnuggleMe Organic make a moon-shaped organic nursing pillow. They manufacture their pillows in the USA with GOTS certified cotton fabric. Whilst their filling is polyester, they do claim that it’s hypoallergenic and free of chemicals and flame retardants. The polyester filling does make it the easiest to clean. Simply wash it in the washing machine and air dry for best results.
My Best Friend
The My Best Friend organic nursing pillow is a wrap-around design that has a firm cushion and adjustable straps for maximum comfort. It is chemical and preservative-free. The fabric that is used for the outer is extra soft for extra comfort for your baby.
The Nesting Pillow
The Nest Pillow is another moon-shaped nursing pillow and it creates the perfect ‘nest’ for the baby to snuggle into. The Nesting Pillow is made in the USA with 100% organic fabrics and materials.
Holy Lamb
The Holy Lamb nursing pillow, Bo Beep, is made for comfort, being ergonomic for both mom and baby. The Bo Peep is made with premium eco wool and is encased in organic cotton fabric. Their wool is also prepared without chemicals and is also organic.
Lifekind
The Lifekind Organic Nursing Pillow is a wrap-around style of nursing pillow. It is made entirely of organic cotton, both the outer and filling are made with organic cotton. It is also handmade in the USA. They use ‘colorgrown’ cotton which gives the cotton color without the use of additional chemicals within dyes.
Nook Sleep
Nook Sleep creates a wrap-around organic nursing pillow that has a large base at the front of the pillow. This creates a large platform for babies.
Within their nursing pillows, they use organic cotton and organic eucalyptus lyocell (Tencel) for the outer fabrics and organic kapok for the filling. All materials are 100% organic and the kapok is particularly sustainable.
The Best Organic Nursing Pillows
Our top picks for non-toxic nursing pillows have to be The Sustainable Baby Co pillow and the SnuggleMe Organic pillow.
We hope that this guide on organic nursing pillows helps you make an informed choice when choosing your nursing pillow.