Mamas & Papas Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow review

The Mamas & Papas Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow: at a glance

• Five uses in one – can be used for sleeping, resting, bottle-feeding, breastfeeding and general support

• Cover feels cosy and comforting

• Moulds to your shape

Key specs

Pillow type: V-shaped pregnancy pillow | Outer material: 100% cotton | Inner filling: 100% polyester | Dimensions: Approximately 19 × 19 × 143cm | Weight: 898g

Pros

• Designed to support your bump, back and knees

• Narrow design

• Lovely and soft to the touch

Cons

• Only available in two colours

• No option to buy additional covers

How comfortable and safe is the Mamas & Papas Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow?

This Mamas & Papas Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow is soft and comfortable – it’s pleasant to lie on and to have close to your skin. It feels quite luxurious and is lovely and plump, and there are no tags or seams that could irritate the skin - it's not hard to see why it was among the top performers in our best pregnancy pillow buyers' guide.

The cover is soft to the touch and feels very good quality. It’s big enough to provide lots of support wherever you need it, but not too big that it feels cumbersome or unwieldy.

Our tester, Laura, felt that some of the bigger pregnancy pillows she tested, like the Love2Sleep U-Shaped Pillow, the Love2Sleep Bolster Pillow and the Bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow, were a bit claustrophobic and restricted her movement too much, especially when in bed. The Mamas & Papas pillow, however, was neither claustrophobic or restrictive.

It’s easy to manoeuvre the pillow into the position you need, it doesn’t make you hot, sweaty or uncomfortable, and it provides plenty of support – and there’s also enough room in the bed for you, the pillow and your partner. Win.

Due to its malleability, the pillow can also be used on the sofa (whether lying down or sitting up) or on longer car journeys. It also provides support for your back, neck and hips.

How easy is it to use and clean?

There’s nothing complicated about this pillow. Moulding itself into whatever position you need, it keeps you supported and comfortable at all times, and looks good too.

It’s ready to use straight out of the packaging. You can lay your head on one end and then bend the pillow around you, with the end of the pillow between your thighs or knees. The main part of the pillow moulds around your bump gently, but firmly, holding you in a safe position.

The cover is easily removable – it zips off, and can be washed and tumble dried, so it’s simple to keep clean. There are clear and concise washing instructions too.

It’s a shame that you can’t buy additional covers as this would mean you could have one cover on the pillow while you were washing the other one.

The pillow washes really well though and maintains its softness even after washing, with no bobbling or fading. Tea and milk spills washed out easily, with no marks left behind, as did a smudge of dark chocolate. (Great news if applying stretch mark cream is part of your nightly routine!)

There isn’t a great deal of information about this full body pillow on the Mamas & Papas website, but, to be honest, there isn’t a lot that could be said. There’s information about delivery and returns, stores and stockists, FAQs and contact details. There are also some informative and interesting blog posts about pregnancy and parenthood.

Overall, while the pillow's simple design is great as it makes it easy to use, the pillow only comes in two colours and pattern, unlike other pillows we tested, such as the The Original Theraline and The Plushy Moon.

With that said, the colours are fairly neutral so the pillow should pretty much go with anything. Laura tested the soft grey version.

What about day-to-day?

The Mamas & Papas is a versatile pillow that can be used almost everywhere – in bed, in a chair, on the sofa and in the car. It's on the larger side, just like the BellaMoon Full Moon, but it’s soft and malleable and moulds to your shape whatever position you're in.

Laura found that the pillow really helped with her general aches and pains, particularly as she was in her third trimester at the time of testing, and it also helped her to get a good, restful night’s sleep.

While it did take up a lot of room in the bed, there was still room for her partner. And, in the daytime, it gave great support on the sofa, in the car and while propped up in bed.

Its size wasn’t an issue for Laura at all – the pillow provided all the full body support she needed, while also being versatile and lightweight enough to use just about anywhere.

Because it's long, it was a bit tricky to store, but Laura was happy to keep it on her bed when not in use as the neutral, attractive design blended in well with her decor.

Once your baby is born, the pillow can be used for support during breast or bottle feeding, and for extra support when reading in bed or just watching TV.

Does it offer good value for money?

The pillow is currently on the Mamas & Papas website for £45, which is an increase compared to several years ago.

With that said, this is such a lovely pillow that the £45 price tag seems more than reasonable when compared to the likes of the pricey bbhugme.

Final verdict?

Soft, versatile in style and providing a good night's sleep, the Mamas & Papas Pregnancy and Nursing Pillow is a sound investment from day one after your positive pregnancy test and beyond – and attractive enough not to have to hide it away when the inevitable visitors come calling.

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