Some of our favorite ways to use the Nesting Pillow and Nest Egg

The following post was written by Code Name: Mama. Thank you ladies for sharing how much you love our Nesting Pillow!

I am in love with the Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest. I received it in the second trimester of my pregnancy with Ailia, and it has been used nightly - and now daily - ever since. It's not only a phenomenal nursing pillow, it also provides wonderful support during pregnancy. I decided to share some of our favorite ways to use the Nesting Pillow and Nest Egg (the smaller pillow available from Blessed Nest). Be sure to visit Code Name: Mama and Natural Parent Network this Saturday, January 7 - we'll be opening up a giveaway so that you can win your own Nesting Pillow from Blessed Nest! Enjoy the pictures! And feel free to share your own favorite Nesting Pillow or Nest Egg positions in the comments.

17. Nursing Support (Cradle Hold)

Of course! Use this pillow the same way you'd use any nursing pillow, but this one is even better since you can reposition the pillow thanks to the insides full of buckwheat hulls. Read more at Blessed Nest's website.

Cradle Hold

16. Knee Relief and Back Support

Tuck the Nesting Pillow behind your back and put the Nest Egg in between your knees for support during pregnancy.

Knee support and back relief

15. Squatting Support

Practice your squats with the Nesting Pillow underneath your tush for support. Why squat? "Squatting stretches the calves of your legs so that getting into a good pushing position will be easier. . . . In contrast to lying on her back, a woman in a squatting position allows gravity to help move the baby through the birth canal." There are many more reasons to practice squatting every day - pregnant or not - read about them at Birthing Naturally, and find out how at Aligned and Well.

Squatting support

14.  Nap Time for Baby

We wedge the Nesting Pillow behind Ailia's back during her naps. Like Kieran, Ailia does not like to sleep on her back, she prefers to sleep on her side. This gives her support and lets us tilt her somewhat backwards while lying on her side.

Naptime for baby

13. Big Pillow

If you're stuck in bed with lots of pillows behind your head, use this one!

Big pillow

12. Massage Support

Prenatal massage is so relaxing, but you'll need plenty of support on either side of your growing belly. Check out Prenatal Massage Techniques for tips, and use the Nesting Pillow for support.

Massage Support

11. Knee Relief

Put the pillow squarely between your knees for back and leg relief.

knee and leg relief

10. Newborn Nursing

The Nesting Pillow is great to use with newborns, see instructions at the Blessed Nest Perch.

Newborn nursing

9. Yoga Help

There are several yoga positions you might appreciate some soft support for - this is a picture of me using the Nesting Pillow to help me in Child's Pose.

Yoga Help

8. Child Pillow- Nest Egg

The Nest Egg makes a perfect pillow for your little one!

Nest Egg Child Pillow

7. Front Support and Knee Relief

If you'd rather have support on your belly side, you can either use the Nesting Pillow between your knees and curve it up in front of your belly, or use the Nest Egg for your knees and the Nesting Pillow for your stomach.

Front Supporrt and Knee relief 

6. Naptime for Baby + Beanbag Prop

Reminder: Never leave a baby unattended with anything loose such as blankets or pillows until they are over the age of two.

When I was a baby, my mama had a frog beanbag that she would slowly set on my back in place of her hand as I drifted off to sleep. With Ailia, if we can manage to lay her on her side, we attempt to slip the Nest Egg against her belly so that she doesn't realize that we're not lying right next to her. Obviously we are careful not to put it near her face, and we're vigilant while she is sleeping that she does not pull it up.

Nap time for baby and bean bag prop

5. Hugs for a Sleeping Child

Give some back support to the big brother or sister by hugging them with the Nesting Pillow during naptime or nighttime.

Hugs for a sleeping child

4. Nursing (Football Hold)

The Nesting Pillow makes nursing in the football hold incredibly easy!

Footbal Hold

3. Arm Support for Older Sibling

Big brothers and sisters always want to hold baby, but they may need a little help. Use the Nesting Pillow as a way to prop up little arms so that baby heads are held up properly.

Arm support for older sibling

2. Co-Sleeping

Ailia, like Kieran, sleeps cuddled up on my chest. In order to keep her up there, I have to prop my arm on a pillow - the Nesting Pillow is ideal!

co-sleeping support

1. Awesome Baby Photo Prop

And my favorite way to use the Nesting Pillow? Well, it's my favorite way for posterity's sake anyway - use the pillow for super sweet baby pictures. Check out Miss Ailia when she was only a week old! How do you use your Nesting Pillow? _________________________ Dionna is a lawyer turned work at home mama of her amazing son, Kieran, and a beautiful new daughter, Ailia. You can normally find Dionna over at Code Name: Mama where she shares information, resources, and her thoughts on natural parenting and life with a little one.

Blessed Nest Love Note

Another wonderful love note from a sweet customer.  Thank you Becki for taking the time to write!

I ordered a nesting egg from you last fall to go with the nesting pillow I was using to nurse my baby.  I just found the postcard you included with my order and thought I would finally write to tell you how much I have loved your products over the past 13 months.  I have used my nesting pillow almost every single day since Bennett was born over a year ago (the exceptions being the days I have traveled out of town - which is why I ordered the egg to bring on the trips I took!).  It is a fabulous nursing pillow.  Never have I had a hard time getting him situated and he has always been very comfortable and secure laying on it.  My sister used a different nursing pillow and has already given that away (her boy is 21 months old) and has emphatically said that should she have another child, she will definitely be getting a nesting pillow.  (Actually, I know she will, since the second I find out she's pregnant, I'm getting her one!)

Just wanted you to know how very much I have and still am enjoying your products. 
Best,
Becky

Blessed Nest Perch~ Breastfeeding~736 Days and Counting

Today's post written by Integrative Mom

For those of you who over the course of the last 17 months have written to ask me how long I planned to breastfeed my son- I made it to two years!

And quite honestly, I don’t see an end in sight anytime soon.

Now my biggest hurdle is knowing what to say when friends, family, and perfect strangers ask me that question they’ve asked since he was 6 months old. I suppose since only 27% of moms are still breastfeeding past 6 months of age, it is definitely not the norm to see a mom of a toddler whip out a nursing cover during lunch at a restaurant.

But since the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least the first two years of life, I had always planned to make it this far.

And though it hasn’t always been easy, it has flown by and I find it to be very convenient…and since I see no signs of slowing down, tapering off, or loss of interest, you might find me in Mongolia.



We're one Blessed Nest

Oh, my! We've had so many wonderful reviews...press with so much love wrapped around the words describing our Nesting Pillows that our hearts can hardly contain it.  The nurturing that we receive from YOU is unbelievable. Then, we get another love note in our (e) mail box. A customer, a joy giver, has blessed us once again.

Meet Beckie. She is one beautiful new momma to  sweet baby Evelyn. (love... the name. My baby Sophie's middle name is Evelyn ...sqeee)

Beckie purchased a Nesting Pillow then took the time to write a review after giving birth. All during the season of having "mommy brain" which is really no different then pregnancy brain... 

( I should know, 7 years after giving birth, I still have mommy brain!)

Becki says:

"Of all the items that we would be purchasing for Mini, the nursing pillow was one that I knew would have alot of baby time. This lead me to look into organic, health friendly options. Boppy offers an organic pillow cover. As one reviewer pointed out: the cover may be organic but the pillow is still filled with the sort of chemicals that you're most likely trying to avoid in purchasing an organic cover.

And so the search continued. I don't remember how I stumbled onto the Blessed Nest web site. It was probably the fateful result of a google search. After about 15 minutes on the site, I knew this was the pillow for me."

read complete review here.

Becki concludes:

This is the single most useful baby product we own. It has been used multiple times a day, every day, since E made her way out into the world. I can see this becoming a snuggle buddy for E when she's bigger. Love love love it.

 We love you to the moon and back Beckie! Thank you for taking the time to tell us how much you love your Nesting Pillow! 

 

With All the Conflicting Advice, What’s a Mom To Do?

As in every area of nutrition, there is lots of conflicting information concerning breast milk. Some examples of highly debated topics are:

The importance of breast milk after the first year- some say babies should breastfeed until age 2 while others deem breast milk unnecessary in the 2nd year of life.

How the mother’s diet affects breast milk- Some say it doesn’t matter what you eat, the milk will contain what it needs, while others say the quality of the mother’s diet has everything to do with the quality of breast milk. (This week alone I've read that calcium levels are always the same in breast milk, and your body will pull from bones and teeth what it needs to make sure your baby is nourished, while in another respected publication I read that your milk will be completely void of calcium unless you're supplementing and drinking cow milk.)

The safety of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding:  the advice ranges from, “Don't drink a drop of alcohol while you are breastfeeding” to “the main reason you shouldn't drink is because you can’t take care of your baby if you’re under the influence of alcohol.”

Many times these recommendations are based more on opinion and societal norms than fact.  You can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what to do in the face of all of this conflicting information.  My advice?  Listen to your maternal instincts and do what’s best for your baby.  And when in doubt, as in the case of whether or not you can alter your milk’s calcium content, eat those extra leafy greens.  I err on the side of, “it can’t hurt, and might actually help!”

The time my baby is breastfeeding is so short in relation to the rest of his life, and I want to look back knowing I did the best I possibly could have done- even when that meant choking down the fermented cod liver oil in hopes of increasing the omega 3 content of his milk.

Today's post by Holly Shore from Integrative Mom