I initially thought this to be a bit much.  A stool to rest your feet while you’re nursing?!  It seemed a little prissy.

But at my first appointment with the Lactation Consultant, in the suffocating thick of postpartum hormonal hell (will get to this later), she set me up with a pillow (My Breast Friend, will also get to this later) and a nursing stool.  Nursing was NOT going well, in fact I was apparently starving my baby.

I assumed the position and with my feet elevated, Sugarpie was automatically closer to the jackpot.  The relatively empty jackpot.  This meant less leaning and bad posture.  Any measure of comfort and help with positioning was crucial during the painful beginning of breastfeeding.

On the way home from the appointment, I stopped local nursing store and bought a stool.  It really made a difference.

Now that Sugarpie has become a nursing ninja (after LOTS of difficulty, pumping, tears, and scabs–ew), we still use it.  I don’t take it with me when I travel, but I miss it.

There are adjustable stools, but the angle of mine is perfect.  I’ve never felt a need to change it.

Here’s the breakdown:

Pros

*comfort

*lifts baby closer to boobies for hands-free breastfeeding

*lifts hubby’s lap too, for more comfortable play

*very small, doesn’t take much space

Cons

*none that I can think of

I bought Medela’s stool, and at about $25 it’s one of the cheaper ones out there.  The nice man at the store also assembled it for me.

Could you stack a couple of phone books and make a free support?  Sure!  But the stool has grip and won’t slip from the weight of your feet.  If your baby is 5 days old and you still have 2 working brain cells for a creative project, you are a better woman than I.

The answer is yes, hell yes.