The Breastfeeding Infant Development Support Alliance is a growing community of manufacturers, retailers, breastfeeding advocates, maternal health advocates and healthcare professionals committed to ensuring the safety and continued availability of products used by parents and caregivers in support of breastfeeding and infant development. 

There are many ways to support based on your expertise and comfort level! Here are a few of the fastest, most important steps you can take: 

Send a letter to your elected officials voicing support for nursing pillows and everything they stand for. Share our content on your social media channels. Even better if you tag your Member of Congress and CPSC in those posts using the hashtag #SavethePillow! 

Share this information with moms you know, your pediatrician and healthcare representatives, and anyone you know who has ever benefited from a nursing pillow – and encourage them to do the same! 

You can also sign up to get involved with BFIDSA. When we have additional needs or specific calls to action, we will let you know. If you’re willing to speak publicly or have your story shared broadly as part of our campaign, please contact us directly. 

Consumer education and engagement are essential. We welcome conversations with the CPSC to collaborate on safety and education initiatives for parents and caregivers. This means safe sleep, infant feeding (including breastfeeding) and general product safety guidance. Parents and caregivers should always: 

• Read all product instructions to ensure safe product use. 
• Use infant products ONLY for supervised awake time. 
• NEVER use nursing pillows or any other infant feeding support product for sleep. 
• Follow safety guidance offered in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Safe Sleep Guidelines and the CPSC’s Bare is Best campaign. 
• Ask every caregiver you know to do the same. 

There are many studies that show the use of infant feeding support products increases breastfeeding rates, which in turn correlates with a positive trend in health data and milestone achievement. The best solution combines a product safety standard with continued consumer education about infant safety and development. 

A study published in Pediatric Reports further found that “the use of a breastfeeding pillow significantly decreases maternal discomfort experienced during the breastfeeding process. Maternal comfort is expected to enhance the quality of breastfeeding by improving the position and attachment of the mother-baby during the breastfeeding process, increasing the baby’s sucking ability and the period of baby’s breastfeeding to ensure optimal nutrition or improve the baby’s suckling needs. A comfortable and relaxed condition can also suppress the release of stress hormones and increase the hormones that play a role in breast milk production. Thus, it is important to implement the use of a breastfeeding pillow among postpartum mothers.” 

Infant feeding support products, otherwise known as nursing pillows, provide ergonomic support for caregivers while nursing or bottle feeding. Many have cited nursing pillows as immensely helpful throughout the bonding process, including for moms holding their babies while recovering from a C-section, reducing pressure on the mother’s incision site. Creating comfort in these situations enhances the bonding experience for both baby and mom, dad, or caregivers. 

It is estimated Nursing supports are used 2.5 million times a day. 

This question is best directed to CPSC. We know that safe sleep is a priority for CPSC and the agency has warned parents not to use nursing pillows for sleep in the past. We wholeheartedly agree with this warning and welcome the opportunity to collaborate on education campaigns about safe sleep, infant development and product safety. But we have serious concerns whether limiting their availability will have a measurable impact on sleep-related incidents.