Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows those last few months of pregnancy can get pretty uncomfortable, especially when you are trying to get a good nights sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the third trimester is the most sleep challenged stage of pregnancy.
How to Use a Boppy for Tummy Time – The Boppy Pillow provides a great alternative to traditional tummy time. While babies may not have the strength to lift their head enough to make tummy time “fun,” propping them up on the Boppy Pillow allows them to see the world from a new angle while still strengthening their neck, back, and arm muscles. Here’s how to use your Boppy safely for tummy time.
Boppy Nursing Pillows are great for supporting babies during feeding. But they can take up a lot of room for an item that most people believe serves only one purpose. Did you know that a Boppy can be used for way more than just nursing?
Using a pregnancy pillow
After the first trimester, when I was constantly in a state of nausea, my pregnancy has been pretty uneventful and not all that uncomfortable. I did, however, find that sleeping comfortably was difficult from early on unless I took some measures to help myself. I would often get hip pain, and just a general feeling of discomfort if I didn’t have the proper support; so using a pregnancy pillow was one thing I knew would help me.
What is a Boppy Pillow?
Boppy pillow is a nursing pillow which is a curved ‘C’ shaped pillow with a opening in the middle. It is convex and can be wrapped around your tummy. It is mostly used to prop the baby up during breastfeeding or bottle feeding.Boppy pillow also has many other uses and can last even after your nursing days are over.
Boppy® Multi-use Slipcovered Total Body Pillow
How to Use a Boppy for Nursing Support
- Sit in a comfortable place where your back is well-supported.
- Place the Boppy on your lap, and wrap it around your waist.
- Place your baby on their side on the Boppy, facing your body.
- Their mouth should be even with the breast you plan to nurse from. If it’s not, cradle the baby’s head and upper torso in your arm to bring them to your breast, and let your arm rest on the Boppy.
- Nurse your baby.
- Do not lower your torso or breast down to your baby. If the baby is not positioned high enough, raise them by adding another pillow for support below the Boppy, or lift them with your arms.
- You may also use the Boppy in conjunction with the football hold. In this hold, the baby will be positioned along the side of your body (with their feet pointing toward your back).
How to Use a Boppy for Tummy Time
The Boppy Pillow provides a great alternative to traditional tummy time. While babies may not have the strength to lift their head enough to make tummy time “fun,” propping them up on the Boppy Pillow allows them to see the world from a new angle while still strengthening their neck, back, and arm muscles.
Here’s how to use your Boppy safely for tummy time.
- Place a blanket on the floor.
- Put the Boppy Pillow on top of it.
- Place your baby inside the curve of the “C” in the pillow, with their arms and shoulders propped on top of the pillow.
- Place toys in front of the pillow to hold the baby’s attention.
- Allow the baby to play in this “tummy time” position until they show signs of fatigue (unable to hold their head up, crying, or fussing). This can be anywhere from 5–20 minutes, depending on your baby’s age, strength, and development.
- Supervise your baby at all times. If at any time your baby’s arms and shoulders slip off the top of the pillow, reposition them.
Is it safe to put a Boppy in a bassinet?
Proper Use of Boppy Pillows and Boppy Newborn Loungers > Proper Use of Boppy Pillows and Boppy Newborn Loungers The Boppy Pillows and Boppy Newborn Loungers are products that should only be enjoyed for awake time only. The reason we stress the importance of this is to prevent positional asphyxia. This will help keep baby’s airway open at all times. The Boppy Pillow is designed as a safe place to put baby while he or she is supervised and awake. The angle of the Boppy Pillow provides baby with a view of the world from a slightly elevated position, rather than lying flat.
The Boppy Company strictly adheres to the guidelines set forth by The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and several other organizations regarding these safe sleep points:
Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces, Do not use a boppy pillow in a crib, cradle, bassinet, playpen, play yard or bed. When using the boppy pillow do not leave baby unattended – adult supervision is always required.
How to Use a Boppy Pillow as a Sitting Aid
A Boppy Pillow makes a great tool to help young ones stay propped up in a sitting position before they have the core strength to sit fully on their own.
Even after their muscles have developed, the Boppy is still helpful to place around them as a cushion in the event they get tired and fall over.
Here’s how to use your Boppy as a sitting aid.
- Place the Boppy Pillow on the floor (never on a couch, chair, or elevated surface).
- Put baby in a sitting position in the center of the “C” shape of the Boppy Pillow. The baby’s back should be against the curve of the pillow, with their legs pointing toward the opening.
- Move the ends of the pillow toward each other until the pillow is cradling the baby on both sides, providing sitting support.
- As the baby gains strength, skill, and confidence, move the ends of the Boppy away from the baby, so they are not as tightly supported.
- Supervise your baby at all times while using the Boppy Pillow in this position. If at any time your baby falls over, reposition them or remove them from the Boppy. Remember, babies don’t have the strength to move themselves if they’re in a position where they can’t breathe well.
