Nursing Pillow

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a nursing pillow that positions the baby in an ergonomically beneficial position. Embodiments of such a nursing pillow may have a pillow body with a medial region and two arms. Medial region and arms may partially surround and define a central opening open between the arms so that the pillow may be worn around a mother's torso with the central opening encompassing the mother's torso. An inner surface is disposed between the central opening and the outer side. The inner surface faces the central opening and is sloped from a low point of the inner surface proximate the central opening to a high point of the inner surface proximate the outer side. As such, the inner surface is adapted to place a child in an ergonomic position facing a wearer with the head of the child above the stomach of the child

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pillow, comprising:
 a pillow body, including:   a medial region;   a first arm;   a second arm opposing the first arm, wherein the medial region, first arm and second arm define a central opening;   an outer side of the pillow body distal the central opening; and   an inner surface between the central opening and the outer side, the inner surface facing the central opening and sloped from a low point of the inner surface proximate the central opening to a high point of the inner surface proximate the outer side.   
     
     
         2 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface adapted to place a child in an ergonomic position facing a wearer with the head of the child above the stomach of the child 
     
     
         3 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface adapted to place a child in an ergonomic position with the child's stomach contacting the torso of the wearer 
     
     
         4 . The pillow of  claim 1 , the inner surface adapted to maintain the child in an ergonomic position without requiring use of the wearer's arms. 
     
     
         5 . The pillow of  claim 1 , comprising a top surface between the outer side and the inner surface, wherein the top surface has substantially a height of the high point of the inner surface at the inner surface. 
     
     
         6 . The pillow of  claim 5 , wherein the inner surface has a first slope at a center of the medial region and a second slope at the end of each of the first arm and second arm and the second slope is greater than the first slope. 
     
     
         7 . The pillow of  claim 6 , wherein the first slope is between about 25 degrees and 33 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The pillow of  claim 7 , wherein the second slope is between about 55 and 65 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The pillow of  claim 8 , wherein the inner surface has a third slope between the center of the medial region and the end of each arm that is between about 38 and 42 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The pillow of  claim 6 , wherein the slope of the inner surface increases linearly from the first slope to the second slope 
     
     
         11 . The pillow of  claim 5 , wherein the high point of the inner surface includes a first high point of the inner surface at the center of the medial region between 10 and 14 cm and a second high point of the inner surface at an end of each of the first arm and second arm is between 16 and 20 cm. 
     
     
         12 . The pillow of  claim 11 , wherein the high point of the inner surface increases linearly from the first high point to the second high point. 
     
     
         13 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the pillow body is comprised of polyurethane foam with a durometer of around 45-65 on the Shore A scale. 
     
     
         14 . The pillow of  claim 13 , wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of around 2.8-3.4 pounds per cubic foot. 
     
     
         15 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is concave. 
     
     
         16 . A method of positioning a child in a pillow, comprising,
 placing a first arm, a second arm and a medial region of a pillow body around a torso of a wearer such that the torso of the wearer is positioned in a central opening defined by the first arm, second arm and medial region, wherein the pillow body further comprises an outer side of distal the central opening and an inner surface between the central opening and the outer side, the inner surface facing the central opening and sloped from a low point of the inner surface proximate the central opening to a high point of the inner surface proximate the outer side; and   positioning a child between the torso of the wearer and the inner surface such that the child is in an ergonomic position.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the ergonomic position includes the child facing the wearer with the head of the child above the stomach of the child. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the ergonomic position includes the child's stomach contacting the torso of the wearer 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the child is maintained in the ergonomic position without requiring use of the wearer's arms. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the inner surface has a first slope at a center of the medial region and a second slope at the end of each of the first arm and second arm and the second slope is greater than the first slope. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the child's head is positioned on the first arm or the second arm of the pillow body. 
     
     
         22 . A pillow, comprising:
 a bilaterally symmetric pillow body, including:   a medial region;   a first arm;   a second arm opposing the first arm, wherein the medial region, first arm and second arm define a central opening;   an outer side of the pillow body distal the central opening; and   an inner surface between the central opening and the outer side, the inner surface facing the central opening and sloped from the central opening to the outer side, wherein the inner surface has a greater slope at an end of the first arm and second arm than at a center of the medial region and wherein a first high point of the inner surface at the center of the medial region is lower than a second high point of the inner surface at each of the first arm and the second arm and the inner surface is adapted to place a child in an ergonomic position facing a wearer with the head of the child positioned on the first arm or the second arm above the stomach of the child with the child canted toward the wearer.