It is common for mothers to have difficulty with breastfeeding. It has been found that the difficulties encountered can often be attributed to a number of factors such as the position of the child while feeding, whether the baby achieves a deep or shallow latch onto the breast and the presence of external stimulants. For example, it has been found that the child should be close to the mother in good firm skin contact to prevent the child from slipping from the breast, with their weight supported and their mouth, nose and chin positioned correctly in respect to the mother's breast but without movement of the head being overly restricted. This ensures the baby can tilt their head back and open their mouth wide to take in the breast, not just the nipple. This is known as a deep latch. Also, it has been found that some children can be irritated by contact with the back of their head and that restriction of the head can compromise movement and restrict their ability to latch onto the breast resulting in a shallow latch, which in turn results in damaging the nipple and the baby taking in air which causes the baby pain.

Previous breastfeeding aids have been concerned with providing a hands-free device to assist a mother in performing other tasks at the same time as feeding, and have been generally ineffective in providing an aid that addresses problems associated with correctly positioning and supporting a baby's head while breastfeeding. For example, some previous breastfeeding aids support the baby's head by putting pressure on the back of the child's head causing irritation and pushing the child's chin towards their chest, which can inhibit the child's ability to achieve a deep latch, to feed and breathe. Examples of the invention seek to solve, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of previous breastfeeding aids.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aid for supporting a child while breastfeeding, comprising: a securement portion for securing the aid to a user near their waist; a first support for supporting the trunk of the child; and a second support for supporting the head of the child, wherein the first support and the second support are independently adjustable to vary the position of the trunk and vary the position of the head of the child.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second support is configured to support the head by contacting the upper back and/or the neck and/or the side of the head of the child. By the second support placing pressure on the upper back, the baby naturally tilts the head back enabling the baby to open their mouth wide. This helps the baby take in a large amount of the breast and not just the nipple, known as a deep latch, which prevents damaging the nipple and reduces the amount of air the baby takes in when feeding, which can cause the baby pain.

Preferably, the second support includes a strap having a pad for contacting the upper back, and/or neck and/or side of the child's head. Supporting the side of the baby's head mimic's what a mother's hand would naturally do whilst breastfeeding and prevents placing any pressure on the back of the baby's head, or pushing the baby's head into its chest which inhibits the baby's ability to achieve a deep latch, feed and breathe. In one embodiment, the strap extends over a shoulder, across the back and under an opposite armpit of the user to be securable to a portion of the aid which is forward of the user in use. A lower end of the strap can extend from the first support. Preferably, an upper end of the strap is securable to either an upper portion of the first support or a lower portion of the strap. In an alternative embodiment, the aid further comprises a padded loop extending from the first support for passing over a user's shoulder, and a strap extending from the loop for securing to the second support. Preferably, the location of the strap is movable on the loop. Advantageously, in such embodiments, the aid can be easily fitted to a user.

According to preferred embodiments, the first support includes a pouch in which the child can be received. Preferably, the pouch tapers upwardly from a base portion and sides of the pouch are puckered. Preferably, the securement portion is a strap configured to extend around the waist of the user and a lower portion of the first support is fixed to the securement portion.

The aid can further include a privacy shield to obscure view of the user's breast in use. The privacy shield may also prevent the feeding baby from viewing external distractions. Preferably, the privacy shield includes a cover extending from a rigid hoop, one end of the hoop being configured for fixing to the aid and an opposite end being configured for fixing to the user. The end of the privacy shield may be configured for fixing to the clothes of the user or for placing under the second support strap, with the pressure of the strap pressing against the privacy shield holding it in place. A privacy shield extending downwardly from the securement portion can also be provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aid for supporting a child while breastfeeding, comprising: a securement portion for securing the aid to a user near their waist; a first support for supporting the trunk of the child; and a second support for supporting the head by contacting the upper back, and/or neck and/or side of the child's head, the second support being in the form of a strap extending from the first support, over a shoulder and under an opposite armpit of the user to be securable to a portion of the aid which is forward of the user in use, wherein the first support and second support are independently adjustable to vary the position of the trunk and vary the position of the head of the child. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fixing an aid of the above described type to a user, the method comprising the steps of: fixing the securement portion to the user; placing the child on a breast of the user; passing the strap over the child, over a shoulder of the user and under an opposite armpit of the user; and fixing an end of the strap to the aid to support the child.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aid for supporting a child while breastfeeding, comprising: a securement portion for securing the aid to a user near their waist; a first support for supporting the trunk of the child; a padded loop extending from an upper portion of the first support for passing over a user's shoulder; and a second support for supporting the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head, the second support including a strap extending from the first support and under an armpit of the user to be securable to the padded loop, wherein the first support and second support are independently adjustable to vary the position of the trunk and vary the position of the head of the child.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fixing an aid of the above described type to a user, the method comprising the steps of: fixing the securement portion to the user; placing the child on a breast of the user; bringing the padded loop over the user's shoulder to bring the first support into engagement with the child; and fixing an end of the strap to secure the second support to the padded loop to support the child, prevent the padded loop from falling off the users shoulder and to provide the necessary tension in the second support to adequately support the baby's head and keep the baby from falling off the nipple whilst feeding.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of adjusting the first support and the second support to vary the position the child.

The method can further include the steps of: releasing the strap; removing the child from the breast and placing the child on the other breast; passing the strap over the child, over an opposite shoulder of the user and under an opposite armpit of the user; and fixing an end of the strap to the aid to support the child.

The method can further include the step of fixing a privacy shield to the aid to obscure view of the user's breast.

The method can further include lowering the privacy skirt to obscure the user's stomach from view should they lift their top up to breastfeed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be further described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures la and lb are respective external and internal plan views of a breastfeeding aid of one embodiment of the invention in a flat state;

Figure 2 is a front view of the aid fitted to a user;

Figure 3 is a front view of the aid fitted to a user, the aid having a privacy shield partially fixed thereto;

Figure 4 is a front view of the aid fitted to a user, the aid having a privacy shield fitted thereto and in an assembled condition;

Figure 5 is a side view of the aid fitted to a user;

Figure 6 is another side view of the aid fitted to a user;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a privacy shield for use with the breastfeeding aid;

Figure 8 is an external plan view of a breastfeeding aid of another embodiment of the invention in a flat state;

Figure 9 is a front view of the aid of Figure 8 fitted to a user;

Figure 10 is a rear view of the aid of Figure 8 fitted to a user;

Figure 11 is a side view of the aid;

Figure 12 is a front view of the aid fitted to a user, the aid having a privacy shield partially fixed thereto; and Figure 13 is a plan view of a privacy shield for use with the breastfeeding aid of Figure 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a breastfeeding aid 100. The aid 100 is configured for supporting a baby while breastfeeding.

The breastfeeding aid 100 includes a securement portion 112 for securing the aid 100 to a user near their waist, a first support 114 for supporting the trunk of the child, and a second support 116 for supporting the head of the child. The first support 114 and the second support 116 are independently adjustable to vary the position of the trunk and vary the position of the head of the child. The second support 116 is configured to support the head by contacting the upper back and/or the neck and/or the side of the head of the child.

It has been found that the position of a child while breastfeeding is very important. For example, the child should be held snug against a mother without overly restricting movement of the child's head, which can inhibit their ability to achieve a deep latch, breathe and feed. To enable effective latching onto the breast, the baby's nose, mouth and chin need to be in the right position in respect of the mother's nipple and the child should be able to tilt their head back and open their mouth widely. The support facilitates this by placing pressure on the upper back of the baby helps to encourage them to tilt their head back and open their mouth wide when latching onto the breast, enabling a deep latch. By independently supporting the trunk and head of the child, the position of the child can be varied as required to obtain a position in which feeding can effectively occur. The breastfeeding aid 100 allows a child to be held with a firm stable base to prevent the child from slipping from the breast, and held on a diagonal so that it's lower body sits under the breast snug against a user's stomach, in a manner which mimics how a mother would naturally hold her baby while breastfeeding. Furthermore, it has been found that with some children, touching the back of their head can cause aggravation, to the detriment of the feeding process. By supporting the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head, contact with the back of the head can be avoided whilst at the same time pressure on the upper back can enhance the baby's ability to achieve a deep latch and feed well.

In addition to addressing the above issues, in preferred embodiments the breastfeeding aid can provide the following advantages:

· allow a mother to breastfeed hands free;

• allow a mother to move around slowly while breastfeeding;

• allow a mother to change the child to each breast while feeding without removing the aid;

• reduces the strain on the mother's back, neck and shoulders;

· provide privacy while feeding; and

• shield the feeding baby from external distractions.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the first support 114 is in the form of a pouch 11 in which the child can be received. The pouch 11 tapers upwardly from a base portion 11a and sides of the pouch are puckered. To pucker the sides of the pouch 11, the sides are gathered and fixed to an edge panel 9 in a gathered state. Given that both the pouch 11 and the edge panel 9 will be in contact with the child, they are preferably formed from a soft material that will not irritate the child. To provide a pouch like construction, the first support portion 114 also includes a centre panel 8. It will be appreciated that the construction of the first support 114 may be varied to accommodate different sized children.

In one example, the pouch 11 is formed of a lightweight cotton material and the edge panel 9 formed of a jersey cotton material. An edge 10 of the edge panel 9 may be padded to provide additional comfort to the child. The pouch 11 is sized so as to accommodate a child of a size corresponding to an age of 0 to 6 months. By supporting the child on a diagonal, as it grows it can wrap around the mothers stomach, with its legs extending further from the pouch 11. The second support 116 includes a strap 4 having a pad 3 to support the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head. The pad 3 is preferably formed of a soft material to avoid irritation during skin contact. To provide further adjustment, the pad 3 may be configured so as to be movable along the strap 4. In use, the strap 4 extends over a shoulder and under an opposite armpit of the user to be securable to a portion of the aid 100 which is forward of the user in use. The aid includes a fixing device 1 at an end of the strap 4 which is furthermost from the first support 112. The fixing device 1 is configured for engagement to fixing point 7. The fixing point 7 is illustrated as being fixed to an upper portion of the first support 114, though in an alternative embodiment it may fitted directly to the second support 116. Also, although fixing device 1 is shown as a clip and fixing point 7 as a loop, it will be appreciated that other releasable fasteners may be used, such as a male/female clip pair, a swivel/snap hook and loop, a velcro fastener or a buckle, for example. As can be seen in Figures 1A and IB, the strap 4 is adjustable at a lower end thereof, between the shoulder pad 5 and the strap 4, to vary the first support portion 114. For example, for a larger child a larger pouch will be required and the strap 4 can be lengthened to vary how tightly the child is held to the user. The strap 4 also includes an adjustment means 2 which is disposed near the fixing device 1 and which allows, in use, adjustment of the second support portion 116, in particular the position of the pad 3. For example, for a larger child or a user having a longer trunk a larger pouch 11 is required and the strap 4 is required to be longer to extend around the mother to be secured back onto the aid 100. By lengthening the strap 4, the position of the pad 3 varies and the provided adjustment allows for correct positioning.

The aid 100 also includes a shoulder pad 5 which is configured, in use, to extend over the shoulder of the user to spread the load of the child and reduce contact pressure of the strap, thereby improving the comfort of the user. In some embodiments, the position of the shoulder pad 5 may be adjustable. In the illustrated embodiment, the breastfeeding aid 100 is integrally formed so that a lower end of the strap 4 extends from an upper end of the first support 114, an upper end of the strap 4 is securable to either an upper portion the first support 114 or a lower portion of the strap 4, and a lower portion of the first support 114 is fixed to the securement portion 112. It will be appreciated that other embodiments are possible where some or all of the discussed components are separately formed.

Furthermore, although the securement portion 112 is illustrated as a strap 12 configured to extend around the waist or a central portion of the user, the securement portion may include a fastener configured to engage a separate belt worn by the user.

Figure 3 illustrates the aid 100 having a privacy shield 118 fixed thereto. The privacy shield 118 is configured to obscure view of the user's breast in use, so as to provide privacy for a mother breastfeeding in public and to shield the feeding baby from external distractions. The privacy shield 118 includes a cover 13 extending from a rigid hoop 14. One end of the hoop 14 is configured for fixing to the aid 100 and an opposite end of the hoop 14 is configured for fixing to the clothes of the user or to be placed under the second support strap, with the pressure of the strap pressing against the user and in turn the privacy shield, holding it in place. The end of the privacy shield 1 18 which is fixed to the aid 100 is provided with a loop 17 which is configured to engage a fixing point 6 in the form of a hook on the aid 100. It will be appreciated that other fasteners and fastening means may also be provided for fixing the privacy shield 118 to the aid 100. As illustrated in Figure 7, the privacy shield 118 also includes a clip 16 at an end which is remote from the loop 17 to allow the privacy shield 118 to be fixed to the clothes of the user and bend outwardly. Again, it will be appreciated that alternative fixing means may be provided. The rigidity of the hoop 14 is achieved by providing internal plastic boning. Advantageously, in use the hoop 14 extends outwardly from the user, which acts to keep the cover 13 away from the head of the child and allows a mother to monitor progress of feeding. When not in the use, the boning can lie flat for storage.

A further lower privacy shield 15 extending downwardly from the securement portion 112 may also be provided for covering the lower abdomen of a user if they are required to lift their clothing to provide access to their breasts.

The aid 100 is used by first fixing the securement portion 112 to the user. Once secured, the child can be placed on a breast of the user. This may include moving or removing clothing to provide access to the breasts. The aid 100 can be used with differently configured breastfeeding garments.

Once the child has been placed on the breast, the strap 4 is passed over the child, over a shoulder of the user and under an opposite armpit of the user. This brings the first support 114 into contact with the child to support their trunk. An end of the strap 4 can then be secured to the aid 100 to support the child.

Once the aid 100 has been securely fixed to a user, the first support 114 and the second support 116 can be adjusted to vary the position the child. The aid 100 is preferably configured so as to be releasable without varying the adjustment so that the adjustment does not have to be varied with each use.

Once a child has fed from one breast, the strap 4 can be released, the child removed from the breast and placed on the other breast to continue feeding. Again, the strap is passed over the child, over an opposite shoulder of the user and under an opposite armpit of the user, and an end of the strap 4 fixed to the aid 100 to support the child.

Once the aid 100 has been fixed to the user, a privacy shield 118 can be fixed to the aid to obscure view of the user's breast. In addition the privacy skirt can be lowered to obscure the view of the user's stomach if they choose to lift their top to breastfeed.

With reference to Figure 8, there is shown a breastfeeding aid 200 according to another embodiment of the invention. The aid 200 is configured for supporting a baby while breastfeeding. The aid 200 is similarly configured to aid 100 and, where applicable, like reference numerals have been used, though incremented by 100.

The breastfeeding aid 200 includes a securement portion 212 for securing the aid 200 to a user near their waist. The securement portion 212 includes fasteners 240, 242 for securing the securement portion 212 to a user's waist. The aid 200 also includes a first support 214 for supporting the trunk of the child, and a second support 216 for supporting the head of the child. The first support 214 and the second support 216 are independently adjustable to vary the position of the trunk and vary the position of the head of the child.

As illustrated in Figure 8, the aid 200 is provided with two second supports 216, one on either side of the first support 214 for use when feeding from either breast. The second support 216 is configured to support the head by contacting the upper back and/or the neck and/or the side of the head of the child.

It has been found that the position of a child while breastfeeding is very important. For example, the child should be held snug against a mother without overly restricting movement of the child's head, which can inhibit their ability to achieve a deep latch, breathe and feed. To enable effective latching onto the breast, the baby's nose, mouth and chin need to be in the right position in respect of the mother's nipple and the child should be able to tilt their head back and open their mouth widely. The support facilitates this by placing pressure on the upper back of the baby helps to encourage them to tilt their head back and open their mouth wide when latching onto the breast, enabling a deep latch. By independently supporting the trunk and head of the child, the position of the child can be varied as required to obtain a position in which feeding can effectively occur. The breastfeeding aid 200 allows a child to be held with a firm stable base to prevent the child from slipping from the breast, and held on a diagonal so that it's lower body sits under the breast snug against a user's stomach, in a manner which mimics how a mother would naturally hold her baby while breastfeeding.

Furthermore, it has been found that with some children, touching the back of their head can cause aggravation, to the detriment of the feeding process. By supporting the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head, contact with the back of the head can be avoided whilst at the same time pressure on the upper back can enhance the baby's ability to achieve a deep latch and feed well.

In addition to addressing the above issues, in preferred embodiments the breastfeeding aid can provide the following advantages:

allow a mother to breastfeed hands free;

allow a mother to move around slowly while breastfeeding; allow a mother to change the child to each breast while feeding removing the aid;

reduces the strain on the mother's back, neck and shoulders; provide privacy while feeding; and

shield the feeding baby from external distractions.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the first support 214 is in the form of a pouch in which the child can be received. The first support 214 tapers upwardly from the securement portion 212 and has padded edges 209 for supporting the head of the child. Figure 11 provides a side view of the aid 200 which better illustrates one of the padded edges 209. The padded edges 209 include padding incorporated into the material of the first support 214 along a side edge. The padding is thicker at a portion which is lowermost in use and thins out as it extends upwardly. This provides, as the first support 214 is curved to wrap around a child, a support with a greater amount of padding below the child's head and a lesser amount of padding beside the child's head. This configuration allows for support of the child's head while allowing movement along the path X-X as indicated. Given that both the first support 214 and the padded edges 209 will be in contact with the child, they are preferably formed from a soft material that will not irritate the child. It will be appreciated that the construction of the first support 214 may be varied to accommodate different sized children. In one example, the first support 214 is formed of a lightweight cotton material and the padded edges 209 formed of a jersey cotton material.

The first support 214 is sized so as to accommodate a child of a size corresponding to an age of 0 to 6 months. By supporting the child diagonally with respect to a user, as it grows it can wrap around the mothers stomach, with its legs extending further from the first support 214.

The second support 216 is in the form of a strap that is positioned with respect to the first support portion 214 so that adjustment of the second support 216 varies the positon of the padded edges 209 to support the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head.

The aid 200 includes a padded loop 220 extending from the first support 214 for passing over a user's shoulder. The aid 200 also includes a strap 222 extending from the loop for securing to the second support 216. To facilitate securing the strap 222 to the second support 216, the strap 222 is provided with a fastener 224 which is configured for engagement with fastener 226 on the second support 216. The fastener 226 is provided on a portion of the aid 200 which is forward in use so as to be easily accessible by a user. To provide greater adjustment to accommodate different users, the location of the strap 222 is movable on the loop 220. In this regard, within the fabric of the loop 220 is a length of plastic ribbing or boning that is engaged by a generally 'C shaped portion of a corresponding fastener 230 on the strap 222, which allows the fastener, and thus the strap 222, to move along the loop 220.

The padded loop 220 is adjustable via buckles 228 provided at either end thereof. This allows the loop 220 to be readily adjustable no matter which shoulder the loop 220 is placed over. Adjustment of the padded loop 220 varies the position of the first support 214 to readily accommodate differently sized children and mothers. For example, for a larger child a larger pouch will be required and by adjusting the loop 220 a user can lengthen the pouch to vary how tightly the child is held to the user. For a larger child or a user having a longer trunk a larger pouch is required and the loop 220 is required to be longer to extend around a shoulder of the user.

Once the first support 214 has been adjusted, the length of strap 222 can be adjusted to vary the second support portion 216 and the position of the padded edges 209 so as to control the amount of support provided to the head by contacting the upper back and/or neck and/or side of the child's head.

In the illustrated embodiment, the breastfeeding aid 200 is integrally formed so that the first and second supports 214, 216 are coupled. In this regard, an end of the second support 216 is fixed to an upper portion of the first support 214. It will be appreciated that other embodiments are possible where some or all of the discussed components are separately formed. Furthermore, although the securement portion 212 is illustrated as a strap configured to extend around the waist or a central portion of the user, the securement portion may include a fastener configured to engage a separate belt worn by the user.

Figure 11 illustrates [padding to be further described on receipt of drawing].

Figure 12 illustrates the aid 200 having a privacy shield 218 fixed thereto. The privacy shield 218 is configured to obscure view of the user's breast in use, so as to provide privacy for a mother breastfeeding in public and to shield the feeding baby from external distractions. The privacy shield 218 includes a cover 213 extending from a rigid hoop 214. On either end of the hoop 214 there are disposed buttons 232 configured for fixing corresponding buttons 234 on the aid 200 to secure one end of the hoop 214. In use, one end of the hoop 214 will be fixed to the aid 200 and the other end can simply be positioned under strap 222 so as to be held in place yet easily removed. It will be appreciated that an opposite end of the hoop 214 may also be configured for fixing to the clothes of the user. The rigidity of the hoop 214 is achieved by providing internal plastic boning. Advantageously, in use the hoop 214 extends outwardly from the user, which acts to keep the cover 213 away from the head of the child and allows a mother to monitor progress of feeding. When not in the use, the boning can lie flat for storage. In accordance with aid 100, a further lower privacy shield (not shown) extending downwardly from the securement portion 212 may also be provided for covering the lower abdomen of a user if they are required to lift their clothing to provide access to their breasts. The aid 200 is used by first fixing the securement portion 212 to the user. Once secured, the child can be placed on a breast of the user. This may include moving or removing clothing to provide access to the breasts. The aid 200 can be used with differently configured breastfeeding garments. Once the child has been placed on the breast, the padded loop 220 is passed over the shoulder of a user to bring the first support 214 into engagement with the child to support their trunk. Strap 222 is then brought under an armpit of the user which is on an opposite side of the user from the shoulder used for the padded loop. Fasteners 224 and 226 are then brought into engagement to secure the strap 222 and the second portion 216 together.

Once the aid 200 has been securely fixed to a user, the first support 214 and the second support 216 can be adjusted to vary the position the child. The aid 200 is preferably configured so as to be releasable without varying the adjustment so that the adjustment does not have to be varied with each use.

Once a child has fed from one breast, the fasteners 224, 226 can be released and the child removed from the breast and placed on the other breast to continue feeding. Again, the loop 220 is passed over the shoulder of a user, the strap 222 is then brought under an opposite armpit of the user and fasteners 224 and 226 brought into engagement to secure the strap 222 and the second portion 216 together.

Once the aid 200 has been fixed to the user, a privacy shield 218, if used, can be fixed to the aid to obscure view of the user's breast. In addition, if a privacy skirt is used it can be lowered to obscure the view of the user's stomach if they choose to lift their top to breastfeed.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention disclosed. For example, various materials and constructions may be used. Also, further features may be added, such as storage pockets may be provided in the aid or the privacy shield to allow a user to stow items, such as wipe clothes, without disturbing the child.