When my friend told me she didn't use a Boppy to breastfeed her son, I thought she was a glutton for punishment. Then she told me about My Brest Friend. Well, the name was enough to make me want to see it, then when I saw how useful it was I was like my daughter at the toy store, asking my husband, "Can we please get one when we have the next baby?"

Lucky for me, since my husband didn't want to buy anything we didn't need for the first two babies, another friend of mine gave me a hand-me-down. This product is my favorite so far of the "I wish they had this five years ago" baby product club.

What is My Brest Friend?
It is basically a large piece of foam (almost a complete circle) that wraps around your body to aid you in positioning your baby while breastfeeding. As with a Boppy, it comes with a cover on it (mine happens to be a light blue fleece cover).

The front part is about eight inches wide and three inches thick, giving baby lots of room to lay while he eats. It also has a round, raised lump on each side, about where Mom's breast should be, to give baby's head extra support. The part that wraps around Mom's back is thinner, about an inch and a half wide.

There is a buckle on the outside where the foam should connect into a full circle, allowing you to close up the gap and hold My Brest Friend in place. At first, I thought this buckle was only positioned for very skinny moms, until I realized one part of the buckle was actually velcroed onto My Brest Friend. Genius! I know I can not be the only person who gets tired of having to readjust straps that use a pulley-type system (I think the worst is on my daughter's bike helmet). This velcro system is wonderful for avoiding the frustration and is incredibly easy to adjust. As someone who has been operating under a severe lack of sleep the past couple weeks, I especially appreciated the velcro adjustments.

My Brest Friend also has a pouch that hangs from the front, so Mom can put in some tools that she likes to keep handy when breastfeeding. I put the pacifier, burp rag and baby nail file in mine. The pouch has a velcro spot to close it in the middle, so you don't have to worry about everything falling out.

How Does My Brest Friend Compare to the Boppy?
For those who don't know, the Boppy is the mainstream nursing pillow, and for years was the only one I knew existed. It is stuffed and in the shape of a horseshoe, with rounded edges. In my experience with the Boppy (I have used two, one with each of my first two children), the stuffing got knocked flat within the first month of use. Not flat as a pancake, but flat enough that I needed to use a few pillows to prop up the baby so that I wasn't hunched over her to feed her, along with some pillows in the back to support me. With My Brest Friend this is not necessary. Since it wraps completely around your body, it pretty much stays in place. Also, the foam does not deflate and flatten. I know this because I am using one that my friend used for several months, and her son has consistently been in the 100th percentile for weight, so if it was going to flatten, it would have flattened with him well before it got to me. The hand-me-down Boppy I used with my first daughter flattened enough that I asked for and received a new one for my second, something that so far does not appear would be necessary with My Brest Friend.

Another advantage this has over the Boppy is that, with its squared edges, it gives baby a wide enough perch to stay resting on for a while after eating. My kids frequently have fallen asleep while breastfeeding, and I like to let them stay in place to rest for a few minutes before moving them. With the Boppy this could sometimes be challenging, as their bodies would be tempted to roll backwards off the rounded edges. With My Brest Friend, my son has a level place to rest and he stays there easily.

On the other hand, the Boppy's soft horseshoe shape and rounded edges provided a great place for my daughters to have propped up tummy time. For me, that is not enough reason to leave My Brest Friend. Between my bouncer, swing and Super Deluxe Play Mat From Tiny Love, I have enough places to give my son tummy time or prop him up.

What Else Is There to Know?
Five years ago, when I had to see a lactation consultant following the birth of my first daughter, the Boppy was the only nursing pillow they used or recommended. Last week, when I went to the lactation consultant with my son, the office had one or two Boppys out and countless My Brest Friends. In fact, the hospital's baby supply store only offered My Brest Friend for sale, no Boppys. This led me to believe that plenty of nurses are now preferring My Brest Friend to the Boppy, at least in my neck of the woods.

My Brest Friend will run you about $35, while you can get a decent Boppy for about $20, but in my opinion the extra $15 is worth it.

Some Other Things I wish I Had Five Years Ago:
Hooter Hider
Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags

Recommended: Yes