How to Position a Plus Size Nursing Pillow for Comfortable Feeding

Quick answer

Put the pillow on before you sit down, with the firm cushion sitting level under your breasts and the backrest flat against your lower back. Tighten the waist strap until the pillow cannot slide, then bring your baby to the pillow rather than leaning forward. If you feel a gap between the pillow and your body, readjust the strap before you start feeding.

A plus size nursing pillow only works when it stays put. If it slides, tilts, or leaves a gap under your baby, you end up hunching forward and taking the weight in your neck and shoulders. The fix is not more strength or a different chair. It is the order you put the pillow on and how you tighten it.

This guide walks through a repeatable positioning routine using a wraparound pillow with a firm cushion and adjustable straps. Each step includes a checkpoint so you can catch the common mistakes before they turn into a painful feed.

Before you start: what to check

Positioning starts before the baby is in your arms. Sit in a chair with a firm seat and a backrest you can lean against. Your feet should rest flat on the floor, and your knees should be level with or slightly below your hips. A soft sofa or a bed with too much give lets the pillow sink, which creates the gap you are trying to avoid.

Have a slipcover already on the pillow and a burp cloth within reach. If you are using a pillow with an adjustable strap, loosen it fully before you put it on so you can slide it into place without twisting. A pillow that is already tightened is harder to center, and you will be tempted to leave it crooked.

• Checkpoint: if your knees are higher than your hips, add a firm cushion under your feet or change chairs before positioning the pillow.

Step 1: Put the pillow on before you sit down

Slide the pillow around your waist while you are standing, then sit down and let the cushion settle. This is the opposite of how many people use a throw pillow, and it matters for a wraparound design. If you sit first and then try to push the pillow into place, the backrest gets caught behind you and the front cushion ends up too low.

Once you are seated, check that the firm front cushion sits level under your breasts and the backrest rests flat against your lower back. The pillow should feel like it is part of the chair, not balanced on your lap. If it is riding up, stand and start again rather than tugging at it while seated.

• Common mistake: sitting first and then wrestling the pillow around your back. Stand, position, then sit.

Step 2: Tighten the strap until the pillow cannot slide

Pull the adjustable strap snug around your waist. You want the pillow held firmly enough that it does not shift when you press down on the front cushion with your hand. For larger moms, the wraparound design and adjustable straps are what keep the pillow from rotating or gaping at the sides, so this is the step that does most of the work.

Do not overtighten to the point of pinching. The goal is stability, not compression. If the strap digs in, loosen it one notch and test the pillow again by pressing down. A pillow that moves a little is fine; a pillow that slides forward when you lean back is not.

• Checkpoint: press the front cushion with your palm. If it slides toward your knees, tighten the strap before you pick up your baby.

Step 3: Bring your baby to the pillow, not your body to your baby

Lift your baby and place them on the front cushion so their head is in the crook of your elbow and their body faces your chest, ear to shoulder and hip to hip. The top of the cushion should bring your baby up to breast level without you leaning down. If you have to bend your neck or round your shoulders, the pillow is sitting too low.

This is where plus size breastfeeding support differs from a quick lap pillow. The firm cushion is meant to close the distance between your lap and your breasts so your back stays neutral. If your baby feels far away, check the strap and the pillow height before you adjust your own posture.

• Common mistake: hunching forward to reach the baby. Raise the pillow or bring the baby closer instead.

Step 4: Check for gaps and pressure points

Once your baby is latched, look for gaps between the pillow and your body, especially at the sides and under your ribs. A gap means the pillow is not fully wrapped, and your baby will slowly roll into it. You can usually fix this by loosening the strap, reseating the backrest, and tightening again.

Also check your own pressure points. If the strap is digging into your waist or the backrest is pressing into your spine, readjust before the feed continues. Discomfort makes you shift, and shifting breaks the latch. A two-minute reset is faster than a full re-latch.

• Checkpoint: if you feel pressure on your spine, the backrest is too high or too low. Center it on your lower back.

Step 5: Reset between sides and after feeds

When you switch sides, do not just slide the baby across. Loosen the strap, rotate the pillow so the firm cushion is centered again, and retighten. The pillow will have shifted during the first feed, and a small correction now prevents the same gap from forming on the other side.

After the feed, take the pillow off before you stand up. This keeps the strap from catching on the chair and keeps the slipcover from stretching. If spit-up or a leaky diaper happens, having a spare slipcover ready means you can swap it and keep the pillow in rotation instead of waiting on laundry.

• Common mistake: skipping the reset because the baby is calm. A shifted pillow is the most common cause of a shallow latch on the second side.

Positioning steps at a glance

1. Stand and slide the pillow on: Put the pillow around your waist while standing, then sit down so the backrest settles against your lower back. Checkpoint: the firm front cushion should sit level under your breasts.
2. Tighten the strap until it holds: Pull the adjustable strap snug, then press the front cushion with your palm to test for sliding. If it slides toward your knees, tighten one more notch.
3. Bring your baby to breast level: Place your baby on the cushion with ear to shoulder and hip to hip, without leaning your neck or rounding your shoulders. If you have to hunch, the pillow is too low.
4. Check for gaps and pressure: Look for gaps at the sides and under your ribs, and check that the strap is not digging into your waist. Fix gaps before the feed continues.
5. Reset for the second side: Loosen, rotate the pillow back to center, and retighten before switching sides. Skipping this reset is the most common cause of a shallow latch on the second side.

Product facts that affect positioning

• Plus Size Nursing Pillow: Developed in a laboratory of new moms, babies, and breastfeeding experts, the My Brest Friend Plus-size Nursing Pillow has an expanded wraparound design, a firm cushion, adjustable straps, and a backrest. The wraparound shape and adjustable strap are what let larger moms tighten the pillow until it stays level, which is the core of stable positioning.
• Super Deluxe Nursing Pillow: The Super Deluxe Nursing Pillow was developed from feedback over 25 years from millions of moms using the original and deluxe nursing pillows, with the goal of providing support and comfort to mom and baby. If you want the same wraparound positioning routine with a different feature set, this is the model to compare against the plus size version.
• Twin & Plus Nursing Pillow Slipcover: The Twin & Plus Nursing Pillow Slipcover is designed so that when spit-up or a leaky diaper happens, you can toss the slipcover into the washer without missing a beat. A spare slipcover keeps your positioning routine intact after a mess, so you are not stuck without a pillow during the next feed.

Positioning a plus size nursing pillow is mostly about order and tension: put it on standing, tighten until it holds, and bring your baby to the cushion instead of leaning in. Run through the checkpoints once and the routine becomes automatic, which means fewer sore shoulders and more comfortable feeds.