Undercover Mama Nursing Shirts + GIVEAWAY!

Once upon a time, I did a blog entry on nursing tanks (LINK).  The main benefit of nursing tanks are that they're great for nursing in public, since they cover your midsection and chest.  The downside to them is that they really don't support you much, as it's just a piece of tank top fabric.

When Peanut was born, I started out using these (much like when his older sister was small).  However, being four years older than I was when she was born, I felt quickly as if I needed some more support.  I found some good nursing bras, but they left my stomach exposed when I was nursing in public.  I could just wear a tank top over the top, but it meant pulling down or up a tank top to nurse and THEN unsnapping the nursing bra, which was just all-around a pain.  

Since neither solution was ideal, I've stuck with the nursing tanks and just resigned myself to my breasts chilling out somewhere near my ankles.  I did some searching around the internet for nursing tanks that had molded cups - I found one, but tanks ran about $60 each.  I really couldn't justify that, since I'd need more than one.  I don't think my husband would really be on board with that big of an investment in my boobs unless they're making gold or something.

Then I got the chance to try an Undercover Mama nursing shirt.  It's simplistic, yet brilliant - it's a tank top without straps that connects to your nursing bra.  when you fold down the cradle of the nursing bra, the nursing shirt folds down with it.

Image courtesy of Undercover Mama

The nursing shirt is cotton and spandex, so it's breathable; your level of support depends entirely on the type of nursing bra you use underneath it.  You can use a nursing bra with or without an underwire, and the function of the Undercover Mama is not dependent upon how wide your straps are.

There are two ways that the nursing shirt can be attached to your nursing bra. You can either use a little clip, or you can use the elastic ring to simply pop over the top of your nursing bra's clasp:

As you can see, there is a near-invisible elastic ring that connects the nursing shirt to my very beige nursing bra.  Since it hooks below the clasp, the nursing shirt just folds down when I unclasp my bra to nurse or pump.  It's super-convenient and discreet.  Nobody sees all of my postpartum belly flopping all over the place when I'm nursing!

I like the fit of the nursing shirt a lot, as well - their size guide is very similar to most regular shirts (LINK).  The shirt itself is cotton and spandex, so there's just enough stretch to it to not make it bulky and awkward underneath your clothes.  They have a huge range of sizes, so the Undercover Mama should be able to work for anyone.  

I just went with a plain white tank for my first one, but they have tons of colors and styles.  So... how would you like to test one out?  Check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/motherknowsbestreviews and like us!  And go HERE for the giveaway of a free Undercover Mama nursing shirt in your choice of size and color!  That's an awesome $24.99 value - but the convenience is priceless!

Check back here on 5/1/15 to see if you're the winner!

Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra

Pumping can be a huge part of a breastfeeding mother’s life.  I pump at work and occasionally at home to maintain/boost supply with our little Peanut.  When Pickle was little, I pumped for the first five months while her mouth grew big enough to be able to nurse.  I’ve spent hundreds of hours attached to a pump over the last five years – but both as a mother of two and an employee, I don’t have the time to just sit and devote time to pumping.  I have to be able to multitask while I am providing that nutrition for my child. 

When I was pumping with the Pickle back when she was a baby, I tried and ordered a very simple halter-style pumping bra.  It was a lot like a sports bra that had a halter strap that goes around the neck, and a cloth band that goes around the breasts, much like this.  

The practical problem with this is that I usually try to, you know, wear a shirt to work.  In order to use this bra, I had to take off my shirt (and usually my nursing bra) to wear it, or had to wear it underneath my clothes all day – and since it rides so high on the back of the neck, it was always visible.  As such, I ended up only using it a few times before giving up and just holding the flanges.

Now, I’ve been lucky enough to try the Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra (LINK)  It is a bustier-style pumping bra:

The first advantage of this is that I could simply pull up my shirt, put on the Simple Wishes bra over my nursing bra or tank, and still be warm (and as modest as possible while pumping) – no more stripping down.  I know this sounds like a small thing, but the pumping room at my office is freezing, so this is a huge benefit!

A really huge benefit of the Simple Wishes hands free bra is how it is sized.  The company provides a great tutorial video on how this works (LINK).  In essence, the back is similar to a regular bra, but it has Velcro instead of hooks, so that it can be resized up to ten inches to accommodate a wide range of sizes.  You can also resize it as you go through the course of nursing – changing breast sizes is a common issue as your supply adjusts and engorgement wanes, and you don’t have to go out and purchase a new pumping bra if/when it happens with this product.  There’s also a removable zippered panel in the front – this is great for if your breasts are closer together vs. further apart.  

My favorite part of the Simple Wishes bra is very basic – it gave me back time.  I had two hands free to work while pumping, or to hold/care for my little ones if I was at home.  I wasn’t tied down to the pump like I was in the past, I could type or read, use my phone, and so on.  I think that one of the big reasons that women discontinue pumping (and, in turn, breastfeeding) is just that they hate being stuck helpless while pumping, and this bra can really help avoid that from happening.

I washed this before wearing it, and had absolutely no issues while doing so – I just followed the instructions, washing it on cold and hanging to dry.  It’s been soft and comfortable, and not constrictive.  It’s done a great job at supporting the pump flanges – I’ve used both the standard Medela flanges and the Pumpin Pals flanges with it, and both have worked great.

I’d strongly recommend this pumping bra – for less than $40, which is less than you would spend on a single bra at Victoria’s Secret, you get a great pumping bra that should easily be able to last you the whole time you breastfeed/pump.  The company also has a great 30-day money-back guarantee, which is rare for such a product.  All in all, a great buy!

Ella Alana Pump Bags

Due to the Affordable Care Act changes to the health insurance industry, the way breast pumps are sold and purchased has changed a great deal.  The pump bags that used to be included with the bags is no longer covered by insurance – so the price of the ones from the pump manufacturers has skyrocketed.  Due to all of this, I did a whole bunch of research on other pump bags on the market before our Little Dude was born early this fall.  In my research, I came across a wonderful work-at-home mom, Amy Schendel of Ella Alana.  (https://www.etsy.com/shop/EllaAlana )  

Amy had a business already designing and making diaper bags, changing pads, and more for mamas when she was approached about making a pump bag from a customer, as there were so few on the market.  Her product is unique in that it can be entirely tailored to the individual customer!  Amy will quote customers for extras, since each bag is custom made for you, but here are a few of the customization options:

• Messenger flap or zip top
• Seat belt-style carrying strap is standard, but softer ones can be added.
• Possible to get extra bottle pockets on the inside of the bag.
• A sleek outside bottle pocket is standard, but an expandable one is available.
• A laptop sleeve on the inside is optional – which is great for multitasking in your pumping room at work.
• An outside back pocket is also available for your tablet or iPad.

I met with Amy, and she showed me bags with these different options.  She also showed me the incredible supply of fabric she has so that your bag can look just right – you can select exterior fabric and a complimentary interior fabric to get a fun look.  

I chose a grey fabric for the exterior, and a bright turquoise fabric for the interior, for a bright pop of color.  I have the exterior back pocket that I use for my iPad.  You can get an optional cooler from Ella Alana for your milk that is flexible, so it can be shaped to accommodate most bottles and can fit right next to the pump for storage. 

I have a Medela Pump In Style Advanced pump, which fits easily into the standard pocket of the Ella Alana bag – the Medelas have Velcro on the top that attaches right to the Velcro inside of the bag.  However, some other pump brands would need the pump hole area to be made taller, so that’s something to communicate during the purchase project.  It’s another added bonus of getting a custom bag rather than one off of the rack, that it can be made perfect just for your needs.

The bags are made of home décor fabric, so they wash really well (tumble dry low or hang dry) and are very sturdy.    I can’t possibly see needing to get another bag.  The quality of the workmanship is amazing – the stitching is perfect, and very strong.  As you can see from the photo below, it’s incredibly roomy – I could easily use this as our primary diaper bag if I were exclusively pumping and had to take my pump with us other places than to work and home.  (Amy also has bottle coolers, changing pads, and more available for purchase through her store.)

I’ve had the chance to compare this to some other pump bags, and this is easily the best pump bag I’ve encountered.  It’s the most fun and functional bag available, with countless customization that will make the bag work perfectly for anyone.  It’s fashionable yet totally practical.  Pumping at work and elsewhere is a lot more enjoyable when your bag streamlines the process!

Nurse Purse pump bag

Our little man is here!  He is amazing, and he is just perfect...  We do, however, have to pump on occasion after nursing due to a tongue tie - and we will be pumping daily once I return to work.  

I have a Medela Pump In Style Advanced breast pump.  Due to the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans do not cover the black backpack with new pumps; a bag must be purchased separately.  

I looked around and researched the available off-the-rack bags available.  Nurse Purse (LINK) and Juno Blu (LINK) are the two main ones, with Sarah Wells also available I off the rack.  

Here are some basics on how the different bags break down:

Nurse Purse:

Cost - $129

Material - cotton laminated canvas, water resistant lining. Easy to clean.  

Extra space - Rear pocket fits folders, exterior pockets fit bottles, interior storage for laptop, zippered interior pockets.

Juno Blu:

Cost - $185

Material - Vegan leatherette.  Harder to clean.

Extra space - exterior pockets are thermo-insulated, interior zipper pocket, cell phone pocket, key ring clasp.  

Sarah Wells:

Cost - $145

Material - Faux leather.  Harder to clean.

Extra space - Exterior pockets for bottles, interior zip pocket, padded pocket for iPad or small laptop.  

To me, the lower cost, spaciousness, and ease of cleaning made it an easy decision that the Nurse Purse was the most practical choice.  Like the others, it also has sufficient interior room for a cooler or baby items, and can transform to a tote when you are done pumping.  

I got the opportunity to try one out, and it is everything promised and more.  The spot for the pump in the front pocket is big enough that you can leave the Medela pump in its canvas case and still have storage space for the cord and plug.  You don't have to disassemble the whole thing every time you are done pumping - which, for a mama exclusively pumping, can be up to 12 times a day.  

There is awesome attention to detail in this bag.  My favorite part is that there is a little spot for a photo of your baby inside the zippered area for your pump - this tiny little addition aids in letdown, which is an added bonus for mom.   The canvas and cotton exterior is not only practical, but the brand has by far the most fun designs of the off-the-rack pump bags.  

My laptop fits perfectly in the exterior pocket, so this will be an easy bag to use when I return to work; I can get work done while pumping.  There is also just a ton of storage inside, due to the bag's size - I have an entire box of breast milk storage bags, pump parts, and much more inside of this bag, and still have ample room for more.

All in all, I think this is a great, efficient bag.  Of the three off-the-rack options for a pump bag I looked at, this one is the most economical, spacious, and practical.  

Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced Breast Pump

While nursing the Pickle, I used a Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced breast pump.  I pumped in varying degrees during the entire two years that she nursed, so I became very familiar with it.

The PISA is sort of known as one of the main workhorse pumps.  It's a dual pump, so if you're more coordinated than I am (this shouldn't be tough), you can pump both sides at the same time.  It has two speed settings - when you first begin pumping, it is a faster/harder suction to accommodate the initial letdown.  Then, after about two minutes, it slows down.  I ended up needing to press the button to go back to the first setting usually just to work with my particular needs, so I sort of wished at the time that it didn't automatically change the suction setting, but I think that would be a bonus to people with more standard needs.

With the pump, you get the following items (or at least you did 3.5 years ago) - cooler bag with ice pack, standard-sized flanges and connectors, tubing, an AC adapter unit for mobile use, and four Medela bottles.  Mine also came with a little sample of a few milk bags, and some Medela lanolin.  We didn't want to have to completely wash all bottles every single evening - since I was pumping multiple times a day at work and even more at home, this meant that we needed about 8 extra bottles.  The bottles have come down in price since then; at the time, this meant about $15 for three extra bottles.  I also needed a different sized flange.  Once I figured out the best system, it worked great.  Our daughter had a small mouth, so we pumped around the clock for the first few months - other than the fact that I felt like the pump was talking to me during the middle of the night pumping sessions on zero sleep, it worked really well despite all of the rigorous use I put it through with round-the-clock pumping.

I got my pump in July of 2010 - it worked great for about a year, and then the motor burnt out.  This was part of a big group of pumps that had this issue during that time frame, so I was able to contact Medela and get a new one sent out immediately.  Their customer service was great - they express sent me the new one and prepaid shipping packaging, so all I had to do was box up the old pump and send it back.  

I'll be using the same pump with our upcoming arrival.  I don't see any reason to change - the only reason I might have considered changing would be to get a hospital-grade pump, but I think those are much more expensive.  This one works great for the cost.

Bottle brushes

I know I went into great detail in my post about the microwave sterilizer, but I’m sort of a germ nut.  So, here’s how my process sort of went for cleaning bottles and nipples:

1    1.  First use a sponge brush on the bottles and nipples to clean them out.

      2.  Wash in dishwasher (use sterilize cycle, if possible).

      3.  Sterilize items in the microwave sterilizer.

      4.  When possible, allow items to dry inside of the microwave sterilizer or on the drying rack, rather than reintroducing germs by drying with a towel or paper towel.

The initial washing with the sponge brush was because breast milk separates when it sits (either at room temperature or in the fridge).  

Ideally, you can mix all of this fatty thick layer back in with the breast milk before feeding it to a baby, but there are times when there are some milk fat hangers-on that stay on the side of the bottle.  If they’ve been there all day (if, say, daycare didn’t get it out of there when they gave your child a bottle at 9 a.m., and it’s now 5 p.m. when you’re cleaning it), this doesn’t always rinse out all that well with just water – which is where the sponge brush comes in.

Originally we tried one of the really general, cheap sponge brushes that you can get – we used a Munchkin, runs about $3.80 at Target (LINK):

The problem with this is that it has bristles.  Bristles work great on something like, say, a griddle – you can easily access all areas on a griddle with your hand, everything that is on there really requires a lot of elbow grease to remove, and it’s okay if you leave some residue, as it will wash off easily if you put it in the dishwasher (or wash it in the sink).  A bottle isn’t really the same at all, in my opinion – even with my tiny little-kid-sized hands, I can’t get my hands all of the way into most bottles on the market, especially not while holding a rag or brush.  The creamy milk fat that gets stuck in there is gunky and slimy enough that it always seemed to me like the individual bristles of a brush would get most of it, but not all (unless I sat there and spun it around for 5 minutes straight).  I did not feel like it was a good idea to leave any of that residue inside of the bottle, because the sprayer jets in a dishwasher (see step 2) don’t usually spray at just the right angle to get inside of a bottle and clean the entire circumference. 

So, I scrapped the brush with bristles.  Since it was less than $4, I didn’t mind just keeping it as a backup, or to use on wine glasses (were we to ever drink or have people over who didn’t need to use sippy cups).  I did some research, and found this brush by Born Free (LINK):  

It’s a sponge wrapped around another sponge.  Since there are no individual bristles, this just swept the inside of the bottle as if I were able to get my hands down in there to clean it by hand with a rag.  Since it’s one contiguous piece, it grabs up all of the milk cream.  Rinse the sponge between bottles, and you can easily and quickly clean out several bottles’ worth in just a few seconds. 

If we had fed Pickle spaghetti sauce or something in her bottle, I think the bristle brush would have been more useful.  But since the milk cream is so filmy and slick, the sponge brush was a much, much better purchase, in my opinion.

Nursing bras and tanks

I've got big breasts, and I cannot lie.  Pregnancy and nursing sort of made the situation a little closer to critical mass.  I was afraid of hurting someone with them, poking an eye out or something.

I felt like I needed to somehow get some support when I was pregnant even while sleeping, so I did some research.  I found the Medela Sleep Bra (LINK).  

(Normally I would put a photo here, but the smiling chick in the link freaked me out.  Just click the link above.)

They run in the neighborhood of $15 to $20, depending on the size you want, the color, and so on.  Amazon didn't have them at the time I was pregnant, and I had only found them on the Gap's website in the nursing/maternity section.

As far as comfort goes - I'll be honest, I still wear these to bed even though I'm neither pregnant nor nursing.  They're very soft, stretchy.  They're not constricting like a sports bra, it's just a lot like wearing a really snug-fitting t-shirt.  On the other hand, it's not as supportive as a sports bra - but you're not running in it or anything, it's just making sure you don't hit yourself or your loved one(s) in the face with your boobs while you sleep.  

As far as nursing in this goes, it's really easy - it has a cross-body opening in the front, so you can just nurse really quickly and cover back up at 3 a.m.  I'm sure there are other nighttime nursing bras out there, but these were relatively cheap, worked well, and were from a brand I knew.  So, since it isn't broken, we haven't fixed it.

After Pickle was born, though, I needed to find a solution that worked well at home, and then again when I went back to work.  A girlfriend had recommended these nursing tanks (LINK), found at Target:

Although, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure that this is the right one, since I can't see the photos.  Depending on your preference, I would go into the store.  I say this because one of the nursing tanks was shaped like this (the orange part is the under-layer when you unsnap and then fold down the outside part of the tank you see above):

As you can sort of see (this is a terrible drawing), the bottom layer is just cut a lot lower so that you can pull your breast out.  

On the other hand, one of the tanks has the under-layer (again in orange) shaped like this:

Yeah, that would be a hole just a little bigger than your nipple that you're apparently supposed to thread your boob through.  Which, if you're nursing, is stupid and limits skin-to-skin.  And, if you're pumping, you're supposed to somehow fit the flange through there, or get enough of your breast out to get into the flange.  Just - no.  So be careful of what your preference is.  I couldn't take these seriously enough to use them when I accidentally ordered the wrong one, so I took it back.

I used the nursing tanks a ton, however - even after I went back to work, I continued to wear them (the top one, obviously) for a considerable amount of time.  I felt like I was more covered in my stomach area when I pumped, just on the off chance someone happened to walk into the room (which did happen once).  They're about $20 or so - I believe there are similar options elsewhere, we just had a Target local.  

I officially switched to a supportive bra later, however, as nursing tanks sort of leave you flopping around.  I did avoid an underwire (even though I need one for support) because it can affect production.

K'tanCloth vs. Udder Covers - and a GIVEAWAY!!

I'm sort of a shy breastfeeder.  I am incredibly supportive of nursing in public, as I think it re-normalizes and encourages breastfeeding... but I am admittedly just a little shy about it personally.  Mostly because the positions in which we nurse aren't incredibly easy to do discreetly in public, and I'm just a little shy.

Hence, when I received a promo for a free nursing cover with the cost of shipping (which was slightly exorbitant) from Udder Covers, I decided it was a wise choice.  Here is an example from their website:

I was still pregnant when I received it.  The first thing that I noticed was that it was actually sorta scratchy and stiff.  And I don't know if I mentioned it, but I'm nursing under there - both my chest AND my baby's face are going to have that rough fabric on them.  I washed it, and it was a tiny bit better, but still just not comfortable.  

I figured that comfort wasn't necessarily the point of the cover, so I used it - yes, it's discreet... because it's sort of a tent.  It doesn't let the baby see anything, I couldn't see my baby very well, and it got hot under there in the summer.  Also, and more importantly - there was just pretty much no way that I could effectively nurse while babywearing in there.  An active baby moves this around and wants to see, and it just wasn't comfortable.  We ended up only actually using it a few times.

Starting in 2011, the makers of the Baby K'tan developed the K'tanCloth (LINK).  They've improved it even more since then, but it's designed to be a 3-in-1 mama's little helper:  burp cloth, blankie/lovie, and nursing cover.

(Photo courtesy of the Baby K'tan website)

At first glance, it seems so simple - it's a strip of cloth that's roughly 2.5 feet long, maybe 10 inches wide.  One side is super-soft cotton (which is why it makes such a great blankie for your little one), and the other side is micro-fiber mesh (so you can use it as a burp cloth that is easily cleaned).  One of the ends is a pocket (which catches all of that spit up that otherwise would inevitably end up straight down your back), and the other end has a great Velcro attachment that allows you to attach it to whatever you might need.  This could be a stroller or car seat, but (in my opinion, more importantly) also a nursing tank or a baby carrier. 

"But why would you attach it to a nursing tank or baby carrier," you ask?  For easy nursing on-the-go!  You don't have a 3-foot-long scratchy cover making it so your baby can't see anything that you have to wear around your neck like a bib - instead, you just attach the Velcro around the carrier or nursing tank, put it just behind your baby's head, and tuck the other end into the other side.  That's all there is to it.  It's super-simple, incredibly portable, and so very soft.  It's small, so nobody is overheating under it.  

I'm in love with this item, and it's really inexpensive at $12.95.  I personally recommend carrying two - Baby K'tan doesn't include this as a feature, but we also use one as a diaper changing pad when out and about if we still have accidents.  We originally had used the vinyl diaper changers because they were easy to clean from accidents, but it bothered me that it's difficult to actually wash and sanitize these - so I was left with the choice of germs remaining on there if I just used baby wipes, or using something like a bleach wipe on it that was too harsh for baby skin.  The mesh is still easily wiped down, but this can be washed successfully without damaging it, which makes it a far better option for a changing pad.  

This is a silly added bonus, but Little A also likes to babywear in it!  The little velcro is just long enough to wrap around her body, so she puts one of her many dolls in there and walks around with it.  I attempted to get a photo of this in action, but she kept going all preschooler Sean Penn on me.

So...  here's the deal!  We are hosting a giveaway (thanks to the Baby K'tan team!) of one of the K'tanCloths.  Here are the ways you can enter - create a comment in our notes below for each criteria you meet (so you can have up to four comments):

1.  Comment below to say you have liked the Facebook page for Mother Knows Best at https://www.facebook.com/motherknowsbestreviews

2.  Visit Baby K'tan's shop at http://www.babyktan.com/shop.html.  Come back here and comment to mention what item interests you most.

3.  Share the MotherKnowsBestReviews Facebook page, and come back here to comment that you have done so!

4.  Share the pin for this blog post on Pinterest, then come back here to comment and mention that you have:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/132645151498615160/

You can enter up through noon Central time on Friday, September 20.  Come back that afternoon to see if you have won (winners will be chosen through an internet randomizer)!  If I am unfamiliar with the winner, I would likely need them to message me on the MKBR Facebook page.

Thanks, and good luck!

Boppy

Breastfeeding is HARD at first.  I can barely cook macaroni and cheese, it terrified me while pregnant to think my body was the sole source of nutrition for a whole other human on the planet.  That's sort of a lot of responsibility for someone who sometimes forgets to put on two of the same shoes.

I really, really wanted to make it work, though.  I had very few friends who had nursed, so I asked around on how they accomplished it at home.  Several had used a Boppy (LINK) because that's what was at Target, so I got two - since I had a medically-necessary C-section, we had one upstairs and one downstairs.  Here's a photo of one of the ones I had, which runs $39.94:

In case you're unfamiliar with the concept - basically, you put the pillow around your waist, put the baby on the pillow, and you put your boob on the baby (well, in his/her mouth).  This just is meant to make it easier to cuddle them to you and get a good hold while nursing.

I may have mentioned before that I'm pretty busty.  Not enormous, but healthy-sized.  More than I actually need.  I felt like this made it difficult to hold A in a traditional cradle hold, so we wound up using the football hold (where you hold the baby off to your right or left side, their feet behind you and head in front of your breast).  The Boppy really did not accommodate that very well once she got much beyond a few months old - the top of the Boppy is rounded and not incredibly wide, so I felt like she'd start to roll off unless I really held her pretty close to me.  Heaven forbid you need to take a drink of water while nursing, your beloved infant is going to land on the floor on their head.  Seriously not cool.

What I did like about the Boppy was that it was great for her to recline in when she was small (only when awake, never let them sleep in it, ESPECIALLY unattended), and was then good for helping support her when she was learning to sit by putting it behind her when she got a little older.  Here's a photo of her around 6 weeks chilling on the Boppy while I was pumping:

(Apparently unamused with my 9 a.m. witticisms)

So they had their value, but I'm guessing I'd likely use the football hold again on a second child.  Additionally, due to the fact that we have to do in-vitro fertilization, our chance of twins is a lot higher than the average person's.  Scary high, to be precise.  If one baby can barely balance on a Boppy after a few months, two sure couldn't simultaneously (unless they're born to circus performers and have natural acrobatic skills).  Due to all of that, I've done some additional research since and will probably go with a My Brest Friend pillow in the future (LINK to their products page).  Even their most basic pillow has a larger flat surface than the Boppy, which would be beneficial.  What's great about the My Brest Friend, though, is that you can also get different models - in particular, there's a model for twins or plus-size mamas:

Lots more surface area there, enough that you could put a baby on each side.  I also love that the My Brest Friend goes behind you, as well, so it gives your back support (really, 360 degree support, which is nice.  It's more ergonomic than the Boppy.  I also like to imagine that this is sort of like wearing a portable picnic table, which is awesome - I could fit some chicken wings, pasta salad, and a lemonade on there!  Their prints are very cool, too, if you're into looks (which I admittedly sometimes am).

So, overall - the Boppy was okay.  It worked when A was little, and it worked for non-nursing reasons pretty well, but I don't think it was the best system possible.  

Value:  $39.95.  This is pretty normal for a nursing pillow.  Heck, even if you just purchased two bed pillows and tried to develop some sort of system, it would still be at least $14 a pillow, even at Target or Wal-Mart.  So the value is pretty good - you want a specialty product, you pay a bit more.
Child entertainment level:  Oddly, pretty high for a nursing pillow.  You can use it quite a bit for them to recline or practice sitting.  5/10, maybe?
Practicality:  For me, this was fairly low.  4/10 or so.  I will be using a My Brest Friend in the future, if we have another baby.