I am a mother of three children but have never felt the pain of delivery, nor do I fully understand the emotional or physical toll breastfeeding can have on a new mom. But I have witnessed both, and, as a woman, I have great empathy for each labor of love. My partner gave birth to our daughter and then our twin boys. She breastfed after each pregnancy, but not without frustrations; milk flow, clogged ducts, and blisters were part of her experience.
Besides heating a damp washcloth or getting an ice pack out of the freezer, there was little I could do to help. I held my own breasts in sympathy pains, but I would have been way more helpful if I had known about the NuzzleHUG.
Created by breastfeeding mom and industrial engineer, Christine Enderby, the NuzzleHUG was made to ease nursing discomfort and help with lactation issues so moms can breastfeed comfortably for as long as they want.
The NuzzleHUG can be worn around the neck to sooth upper body pains or the waist to relieve lower back and pelvic tension. It is microwavable to ease pain from mastitis, maintain milk flow, and encourage let-down. It is freezable to reduce engorgement swelling or sooth the pelvic area after a C-section. It is currently available in two sizes: small and large. You are able to adjust neck length with each size, but the small is meant for cup sizes A-C and the large is for D-H.
The NuzzleHUG won the Cribsie New Arrival Award, which honors the year’s best products and are voted on by industry leaders, celebrities, and moms. It also won a Family Choice Award, one of the most reliable and sought-after consumer awards for family friendly products in the nation.
Awards or not, I would have purchased a NuzzleHUG for my partner or any of my breastfeeding friends based on description alone. It comes in several colors but only offered in one print. However, the exterior fabric is machine washable and the interior NuzzlePODs can be used while the exterior is being cleaned–because babies spit up, but the milk must go on.
The NuzzleHUG is a wonderful lactation aid and comfort to breastfeeding women, but professional help may be necessary too. To be sure you and your baby are achieving the proper latch and position, talk to a lactation consultant. La Leche League International is a good place to find one in your area.
Sources: Nuzzle, The Cribsie Awards, La Leche League International
