If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, finding a good organic nursing pillow is essential. Trust me — you will love having a good nursing pillow, especially during those early days of nursing your baby.
A good nursing pillow can make breastfeeding much more comfortable for both mom and baby, providing comfort and closeness during breastfeeding. If you’re new to breastfeeding, you’ll likely find that there is a learning curve. It takes time and practice for you and your baby to find a comfortable position. Nursing pillows are designed to make it a lot easier to support, comfort, and be close to your baby while you feed him/her.
All nursing pillows sit on your lap and are made to be used while you sit upright. The pillow then hugs or wraps around your waist to provide a stable surface for your baby to lie on, propping your little one right next to you. Like most new moms, you’ll probably use your nursing pillow a lot. You can use it for breastfeeding but also for bottle feeding, tummy time, and later, sitting support and other playtime activities.
Here’s what to look for when choosing a nursing pillow and our picks for the best organic nursing pillows.
Materials to Look for in a Nursing Pillow
One of the most important things to be aware of when choosing a nursing pillow is the materials they are made with. Most conventional nursing pillows are made from polyester or polyurethane foam. These traditional nursing pillows might be popular and inexpensive, but they may contain flame retardants or other harsh chemicals. I don’t recommend using them!
Organic nursing pillows, on the other hand, are made from cotton and/or other natural materials. They won’t contain harsh or toxic chemicals, so you can rest assured they are safe for your little one.
Unfortunately, another thing you need to be aware of is greenwashing. Many mainstream brands may label their nursing pillows “organic” but not be entirely organic. Often, the only thing that is organic is the cotton cover itself. The pillow fill and the pillow surface material is often not organic, so don’t be tricked and be sure to choose from one of the pillows we recommend below.
Here are some ingredients to look for when buying a nursing pillow:
- Organic Cotton or Linen: Organic cotton that is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified is ideal. This means that the cotton has been grown and harvested without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or any other hazardous chemicals. Organic cotton is breathable and provides a smooth surface and filling for a nursing pillow, perfect for cuddling up with your little one to nurse or play.
- Organic Wool: Wool has great properties that work extremely well for a nursing pillow. First, it’s naturally temperature regulating, so both you and your baby won’t get too hot or too cold when you’re cuddled up next to wool. It is also dust, mite, mold, and mildew resistant, so it won’t harbor any unsavory elements. Again, opt for organic to confirm there are no extra pesticides or chemicals in the materials (which are typically the cause of reactions to wool).
- Consider the Fill: It’s important to know what kind of fill is used in the pillow. The organic nursing pillows on this list use natural and organic pillow fillings like buckwheat hulls, kapok, wool, and cotton.
Best Organic Nursing Pillows
I’ve done some research to round up the top organic nursing pillows you can trust and know are safe to use with your baby! Here are the brands of organic nursing pillows that we love and recommend.
1. The Nesting Pillow by Blessed Nest
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Made in the USA. The Nesting Pillow is our top choice for an organic nursing pillow. It is crescent-shaped, which makes it easy to bring your baby close to you. It’s filled with organic buckwheat hulls, which allows you to shift the contents around, much like a beanbag. This can be useful to redistribute weight and give more customized support to your baby. This pillow comes with a washable slipcover made from 100% organic cotton canvas milled in the US and is all-around wonderful, although a little on the heavy side.
As you might guess because you can shift the contents around in the pillow, the Nesting Pillow isn’t as useful for tummy time and other playtime activities, so consider this if you want to use the pillow for more than nursing.
Materials: GOTS-certified organic cotton canvas slipcover. Filled with organic buckwheat hulls.
Dimensions: 26” x 16” x 5” quarter moon-shaped. It weighs 5.5 lbs.
2. Holy Lamb Organics Nursing Pillow
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Made in the USA. The Holy Lamb Organics Nursing Pillow is another great choice for an organic nursing pillow. This u-shaped pillow is made with an organic cotton cover and eco-wool batting. If you have your heart set on a Boppy but prefer one made with natural materials, this may be the best option for you. It is compatible with muslin slipcover.
Materials: 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton sateen cover and eco-wool batting.
Dimensions: 19” x 23” x 9″
3. The MoonWomb by Sustainable Baby Co.
Buy on Etsy
Made in the USA. This is another crescent-shaped organic nursing pillow! The MoonWomb is made with all organic materials (organic cotton canvas and organic buckwheat hulls). The pillows are also beautiful, and a nice addition to any nursery. They have numerous different outer fabrics to choose from, so if you’re looking for a stylish organic nursing pillow, this may be the right one for you.
It also includes a small pocket with a removable sachet of organic lavender and chamomile flowers, that can help to calm you and your baby. This is probably the only pillow on the list that would nicely double as a pregnancy pillow.
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Keep in mind this pillow is also filled with organic buckwheat hulls that will move around and shift contents, so this will not be good for some of the playtime activities with the baby like tummy time.
Materials: Organic cotton canvas, organic buckwheat hulls.
Dimensions: 33″x 16″x 9″
4. Organic Caboose Cotton Nursing Pillow
Made in the USA. The Organic Caboose nursing pillow is made from 100% certified organic cotton grown in the US. It is a great pillow but may not be as firm as the other options on the list, since it is only filled with cotton. This product may be discontinued or difficult to find.
Materials: 100% organic cotton.
Dimensions: 25” x 16” x 6”, 2 lbs, spot-clean only.
5. MILDUKU Nursing Pillow
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Made in Lithuania. This nursing pillow feels incredibly smooth and natural. The outer Oeko-Tex certified linen cover is easy to care for: unzip and throw in the washing machine. The inner fill is composed of buckwheat hulls for optimal support that truly melds to the baby’s natural positioning.
This particular pillow doesn’t go around you completely but sits more in front of you. It offers a large amount of space for your baby to sprawl out as much as he/she needs. Many people find that this pillow has the perfect amount of fill; it doesn’t flatten and it’s not overstuffed while also feeling firm but not too resistant.
I really love the combination of linen cover with the buckwheat hull fill. They seem to provide the perfect temperature for both mom and baby.
Materials: Oeko-Tex certified pre-washed linen, buckwheat hulls.
Dimensions: 190 cm x 38 cm
6. Home of Wool Nursing Pillow
Buy on Etsy
Made in Bulgaria. Home of Wool has an awesome nursing pillow that is filled with wool. Wool has many amazing properties. Not only is it soft and comfortable, but it helps regulate body temperature, so you can be sure your baby won’t feel overheated or too cold. Wool also is naturally resistant to mold, mildew, bacteria, and dust. You’ll also love that the cover is made of wool and is completely machine washable! Know that you can customize this pillow, including upgrading to Oeko-Tex certified wool or organic wool. The cover’s fabric can also be changed to cotton, linen, or wool.
Materials: Organic wool. (There are other options to change the outer cover fabric).
Dimensions: 20 x 27.6″ and 3.6 pounds
7. Magnolia Organics Nursing Nest Pillow
Made in the USA. Magnolia Organics has a great c-shaped nursing pillow! The exterior of the pillow has a really durable GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric to keep the pillow clean. Filled with buckwheat hulls, it is very malleable and can be shaped however you like. This one is also pretty densely filled, so it can still be used for various baby activities like sitting up, tummy time, and general support.
Materials: organic cotton, buckwheat hulls.
Dimensions: 20″ x 18″x 5″
Brands We Didn’t Include:
You may want to take note that we didn’t include many of the mainstream brands you’ve probably seen. While these brands seem to provide adequate support, I don’t recommend them due to their materials. You’ll find polyester filling, polyurethane foam, synthetics, and other conventional, non-organic materials.
- Design Dua
- Snuggle Me
- Boppy
- My Brest Friend
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