NURSING PILLOW WITH LIGHT

Abstract

A nursing pillow including a pillow body having at least one lighting mechanism embedded therein. A mobile application for use with the nursing pillow. A method of using the mobile application with the nursing pillow. A method of using the nursing pillow, by activating a lighting mechanism on the nursing pillow and illuminating the nursing pillow, using the nursing pillow for nursing an individual, and deactivating the lighting mechanism. A nursing pillow including a pillow body having a timekeeping mechanism integrated therein showing how long a mother is breastfeeding per side and per nursing session. A method of using the nursing pillow and timing a feeding session.

Claims

1. A nursing pillow comprising a pillow body having at least one lighting mechanism embedded therein.

2. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said pillow body includes a top side and a bottom side.

3. The nursing pillow of claim 2, wherein said top side is concave, and wherein said bottom side is flat.

4. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said lighting mechanism is a halo around an outer rim of said pillow body.

5. The nursing pillow of claim 4, wherein said halo is on said top side.

6. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said lighting mechanism is chosen from the group consisting of an LED strip and individual LEDs.

7. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said lighting mechanism is activated by an actuation mechanism chosen from the group consisting of an on/off switch, and a display panel.

8. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said lighting mechanism includes a dimming function.

9. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said lighting mechanism includes lights chosen from the group consisting of white lights, colored lights, and color changing lights.

10. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said pillow body is in a shape chosen from the group consisting of C shape, rectangle, square, and circle.

11. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said pillow body is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of foam, synthetic down, down and feather, Styrofoam, ethylene-vinyl acetate, synthetic cotton, and cotton.

12. The nursing pillow of claim 1, further including a removable outer cover.

13. The nursing pillow of claim 12, wherein said removable outer cover provides light diffusion of said lighting mechanism.

14. The nursing pillow of claim 1, further including a battery, BLUETOOTH hardware, a weight measurement system, a strain gauge, a Wheatstone bridge system, and display panel.

15. The nursing pillow of claim 14, wherein said display panel is operatively attached on said top side and includes indicators chosen from the group consisting of left breast, syncing, OK, battery status, right breast, stop, scale, and combinations thereof.

16. The nursing pillow of claim 14, wherein said display panel includes a timekeeping mechanism chosen from the group consisting of a single timer and a timer for left side and a timer for right side.

17. The nursing pillow of claim 16, wherein said timekeeping mechanism displays an amount of time spent nursing on a left side and a right side and wherein said timekeeping mechanism is operated by at least one push button to start, pause, and stop said timekeeping mechanism.

18. The nursing pillow of claim 14, wherein said display panel displays how long it has been since an individual last fed, what time the individual last fed, which side a mother finished feeding on at her last feeding session, which side to start feeding, total duration of the last feeding session, duration of feed per side, and combinations thereof.

19. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said nursing pillow collects, and measures information on non-transitory computer readable media during use chosen from the group consisting of weight of the individual before and after feeding, feed time, feed date, duration of the feed, which side the mother fed, individual's weight not related to feeding, and combinations thereof.

20. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said nursing pillow determines how much the individual drank during a feeding session.

21. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said nursing pillow is capable of syncing any data to a mobile application stored on non-transitory computer readable memory.

22. The nursing pillow of claim 1, wherein said nursing pillow is used with an individual chosen from the group consisting of an animal and human baby.

23. A mobile application for use with the nursing pillow of claim 1, comprising an onboarding module, a home screen module, a Record a Feed module, a Feeding Dashboard, a Growing Dashboard, a Tutorial/Content Dashboard, and a Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard stored on non-transitory computer readable media.

24. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application includes a log of all feeding activity of the time the individual ate, side(s) fed on, duration of feed per side, and how much the individual drank every feeding session.

25. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application includes a log of tracking weight gain over time with comparison to general weight percentiles.

26. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application records bottle feeding sessions.

27. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application allows for multiple caregivers to log in.

28. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application includes data sharing with healthcare professionals.

29. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application includes an alert module triggered by data.

30. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said mobile application includes a feed predictor and creates a personalized feeding schedule for an individual.

31. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said onboarding module includes a user profile, log in information, caregiver details, baby details, access terms and contracts, privacy policy, and onboarding education for first use.

32. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said home screen module includes quick stats of time last fed, amount of time since last feed, oz ate at last weighted feed, side started nursing on last feed, side ended nursing on last feed, total time spent eating in the last 24 hours, bottle versus breast breakdown over last 24 hours, and log any weight taken as real weight.

33. The mobile application of claim 32, wherein said home screen module provides access to said Record a Feed module, Feeding Dashboard, Growing Dashboard, Tutorial/Content Dashboard, and Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard.

34. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said Record a Feed module allows for a user to manually enter a breastfeeding session that took place in the past, manually enter a bottle feeding session that took place in the past, record a breastfeeding session from a smartphone, and record a bottle feeding session from a smartphone.

35. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said Feeding Dashboard allows a user to access a feeding log, a summary dashboard including average number of feedings per day, average time between feeding, and average time baby spends feeding, per breast, and a feeding statistics dashboard displaying data.

36. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said Growing Dashboard allows a user to manually e6ter a weight on a smartphone, access a weight log, and a weight statistics dashboard.

37. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said Tutorial/Content Dashboard provides a list of breastfeeding questions and answers.

38. The mobile application of claim 23, wherein said Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard includes battery level, reset option, technology and material details, and troubleshooting.

39. A method of using an application with the nursing pillow of claim 1, including the steps of: a user accessing the onboarding module and creating a profile and adding individual details; accessing a home screen module and reviewing quick stats; accessing a Record a Feed module and entering or recording a feed; accessing a Feeding Dashboard and accessing a feeding log; accessing a Growing Dashboard and accessing a weight log; accessing a Tutorial/Content Dashboard for questions and answers; and accessing a Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard and reviewing nursing pillow device details.

40. A method of using a nursing pillow, including the steps of: activating a lighting mechanism on the nursing pillow; illuminating the nursing pillow; using the nursing pillow for nursing an individual; and deactivating the lighting mechanism.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said activation and deactivation steps are performed by a method chosen from the group consisting of activating an on/off switch and using a display panel.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the individual is chosen from the group consisting of an animal and human baby.

43. The method of claim 40, further including before said using step, the step of reviewing data on a display panel.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said data includes data chosen from the group consisting of last feed time, total duration of feeding session, an indication of which side to start feeding, what side was fed on last, duration of feed per side, and combinations thereof.

45. The method of claim 40, further including the step of weighing the individual before and after a feeding session and includes pressing a scale button on a display panel, and capturing the weight by pressing the scale button.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein said using step includes pressing right breast or left breast buttons to start feeding on one side, capturing the time of feeding, pressing stop to stop the side, and repeating with the opposite side breast.

47. The method of claim 40, further including the step of displaying feed times for each breast side with a timekeeping mechanism.

48. The method of claim 40, further including the step of collecting data chosen from the group consisting of the feed time, the feed date, the duration of the feed per side, and which side the mother fed, total duration of feeding session, and combinations thereof.

49. The method of claim 40, further including the step of sending collected data to an application stored on non-transitory computer readable media and reviewing the data on a smartphone.

50. The method of claim 49, further including the step of sending the data to a physician's office software.

51. The method of claim 50, further including the step of triggering an alert on the application or the physician's office software.

52. A nursing pillow including a pillow body having a timekeeping mechanism integrated therein showing how long a mother is breastfeeding per side and per nursing session.

53. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said timekeeping mechanism is part of a display panel.

54. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said timekeeping mechanism is chosen from the group consisting of a single timer and a timer for left side and a timer for right side.

55. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said timekeeping mechanism displays an amount of time spent nursing on a left side and a right side and wherein said timekeeping mechanism is operated by at least one push button to start, pause, and stop said timekeeping mechanism.

56. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said pillow body includes a top side and a bottom side.

57. The nursing pillow of claim 56, wherein said top side is concave, and wherein said bottom side is flat.

58. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said pillow body is in a shape chosen from the group consisting of C shape, rectangle, square, and circle.

59. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said pillow body is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of foam, synthetic down, down and feather, Styrofoam, ethylene-vinyl acetate, synthetic cotton, and cotton.

60. The nursing pillow of claim 52, further including a removable outer cover.

61. The nursing pillow of claim 52, further including a battery, BLUETOOTH hardware, a weight measurement system, a strain gauge, and a Wheatstone bridge system.

62. The nursing pillow of claim 61, wherein said display panel is operatively attached on said top side and includes indicators chosen from the group consisting of left breast, syncing, OK, battery status, right breast, stop, scale, and combinations thereof.

63. The nursing pillow of claim 61, wherein said display panel displays how long it has been since an individual last fed, what time the individual last fed, which side a mother finished feeding on at her last feeding session, which side to start feeding, total duration of the last feeding session, duration of feed per side, and combinations thereof.

64. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said nursing pillow collects, and measures information on non-transitory computer readable media during use chosen from the group consisting of weight of the individual before and after feeding, feed time, feed date, duration of the feed, which side the mother fed, individual's weight not related to feeding, and combinations thereof.

65. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said nursing pillow determines how much the individual drank during a feeding session.

66. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said nursing pillow is capable of syncing any data to a mobile application stored on non-transitory computer readable memory.

67. The nursing pillow of claim 52, wherein said nursing pillow is used with an individual chosen from the group consisting of an animal and human baby.

68. A method of using a nursing pillow and timing a feeding session, including the steps of: activating a timekeeping mechanism and displaying an amount of time of a first side a mother is nursing on; using the nursing pillow for nursing an individual on the first side; switching the timekeeping mechanism to a second side the mother is nursing on and displaying an amount of time of the second side the mother is nursing on; using the nursing pillow for nursing the individual on the second side; and stopping the timekeeping mechanism and ending the feeding session.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the timekeeping mechanism is part of a display panel.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the timekeeping mechanism is chosen from the group consisting of a single timer and a timer for left side and a timer for right side.

71. The method of claim 68, wherein the individual is chosen from the group consisting of an animal and human baby.

72. The method of claim 68, further including before said using step, the step of reviewing data on a display panel.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein said data includes data chosen from the group consisting of last feed time, total duration of feeding session, an indication of which side to start feeding, what side was fed on last, duration of feed per side, and combinations thereof.

74. The method of claim 68, further including the step of weighing the individual before and after a feeding session and includes pressing a scale button on a display panel, and capturing the weight by pressing the scale button.

75. The method of claim 68, further including the step of displaying feed times for each breast side.

76. The method of claim 68, further including the step of collecting data chosen from the group consisting of the feed time, the feed date, the duration of the feed per side, and which side the mother fed, total duration of feeding session, and combinations thereof.

77. The method of claim 68, further including the step of sending collected data to an application stored on non-transitory computer readable media and reviewing the data on a smartphone.

78. The method of claim 77, further including the step of sending the data to a physician's office software.

79. The method of claim 78, further including the step of triggering an alert on the application or the physician's office software.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Other advantages of the present invention are readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a photograph of a top view of a nursing pillow that is illuminated with a lighting mechanism;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a nursing pillow;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an LED stripe in the nursing pillow without a memory foam top;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a LED stripe with an upward light direction;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a side view of the nursing pillow showing memory foam diffusing light;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a top view of the nursing pillow showing a position of the LED stripe;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a top view of the nursing pillow showing light being diffused through a memory foam top and cover; and

[0019] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of information in an application for use with the nursing pillow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention provides generally for a nursing pillow, shown generally at 10 in the FIGURES, that includes a body 12 having at least one lighting mechanism 14 embedded therein that provides illumination in the dark or low light when using the nursing pillow 10. FIG. 1 shows the nursing pillow 10 providing light in the dark.

[0021] In general, the nursing pillow 10 can be any nursing pillow or cushion that allows a baby to rest comfortably while nursing, and includes a top side 16 that the baby rests on and a bottom side 18 that can rest on a mother/caregiver's lap or on a table or chair.

[0022] The lighting mechanism 14 can be embedded in any suitable place or places along the pillow body 12 to provide sufficient illumination to feed/nurse a baby as well as use the nursing pillow 10. In other words, the lighting mechanism 14 provides enough light that a mother can clearly see the baby and the nursing pillow 10. The lighting mechanism 14 can generally be arranged as a halo 24 around an outer rim 26 of the pillow body 12, and preferably on the top side 16 of the nursing pillow 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7.

[0023] Most preferably, the lighting mechanism 14 is an LED strip shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Other types of lighting can also be used such as individual LEDs. The lighting mechanism 14 can be activated by any suitable actuation mechanism, such as an on/off switch, or through the use of a display panel 22 further described below. The lighting mechanism 14 can include a dimming function to reduce or increase the intensity or brightness of light emitted as needed. The lighting mechanism 14 can include white lights, colored lights, or color changing lights.

[0024] The nursing pillow 10 is preferably in a C shape for ease of use of a mother in feeding a baby, but other shapes can be used such as a rectangle, square, or circle for other uses.

[0025] The body 12 can be made of the all of the same or different materials and can be made of the same or different materials and can be made of soft synthetic materials (such as foam (polyurethane memory foam, shredded memory foam, shredded foam) or synthetic down), down/feather, Styrofoam, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), synthetic cotton, or cotton. Any portion of the body 12 can also be firmer than others such as to support the mother's arm and increase control and stability. Corners can be rounded for more comfort on the body 12 or sharper for allowing more space for the baby. The top side 16 can be concave to securely hold a baby. The bottom side 18 preferably has a flat bottom surface to avoid tilts. Overall, the dimensions of the nursing pillow 10 can be 27 inches by 15 inches by 6 inches, but it can be sized to fit smaller or larger babies as well as animals. The material of the body 12 (such as memory foam) allows the light from the lighting mechanism 14 to diffuse and reduce brightness as shown in FIG. 5.

[0026] The nursing pillow 10 can include an outer cover 28 that can be made of fabric and can be removable for cleaning. The outer cover 28 can be made in different colors or patterns. FIG. 2 shows the nursing pillow 10 without an outer cover 28, and FIG. 7 shows the lighting mechanism 14 being able to provide light through the outer cover 28. The outer cover 28 can further provide light diffusion properties in addition to the light diffusion provided by the body 12 itself.

[0027] The nursing pillow 10 includes any necessary electronics and hardware to function, such as a battery (replaceable or rechargeable, lithium battery, LiFePo4 battery, Li-ion battery, AA battery, AAA battery, or CR2032 battery), hardware for BLUETOOTH (antenna (monopole or dipole), BLE module, infrared (IR) transmitter, WI-FI, or other wireless transmission, computer storage, circuits (main circuit board including integrated circuit (IC) and amplifier), weight measurement system (4 load cell, 2 load cell, 1 load cell), strain gauge and Wheatstone bridge system, or features for the display panel 34 (such as an liquid-crystal display (LCD), twisted nematic (TN), organic light emitting diode (OLED), in-plane switching (IPS), or light-emitting diode (LED) screen).

[0028] The display panel 22 can be located any suitable place, such as on the top side 16 and can be analog or digital. The display panel 22 can include enclosed in a housing and include a PCBA. The display panel 22 can be lit by an illumination mechanism. The display panel 22 can include indicators and/or buttons as described also in PCT/US23/60092 (herein incorporated by reference) for left breast, syncing, OK, battery status, and right breast as well as stop and scale (when the nursing pillow 10 includes a scale). One button can perform multiple functions, such as OK, stop, and scale. The display panel 22 can include a timekeeping mechanism 30 for both the left and the right side (either a single timer or a timer for each side (a timer for left side and a timer for right side)), so the mother can record the amount of time nursing on the nursing pillow 10. The timekeeping mechanism 30 can be triggered by the mother pressing a button signifying left side or right side. The display panel 22 can show the baby weight before the baby is fed and the baby weight at any increment of time during the feeding, so the amount of breast milk/formula the baby has eaten can be extrapolated. When the nursing pillow 10 is turned on, the display panel 22 can show any type of information about previous feeding sessions such as how long it has been since the baby last fed, what time the baby last fed, which side the mother finished feeding on at her last feeding session (as well as indicating which side to start feeding), the total duration of the last feeding session, the duration of feed per side, or combinations thereof. The display panel 22 can also show an error message to indicate an issue with the scale or other functions (including syncing) of the nursing pillow 10. These features are further described in PCT/US23/60092.

[0029] Alternatively, the nursing pillow 10 can include the display panel 22 having the timekeeping mechanism but without the lighting mechanism 14. The nursing pillow 10 can include any of the other features described herein. Therefore, the present invention also provides for a nursing pillow 10 including a pillow body 12 having a timekeeping mechanism 30 integrated therein showing how long a mother is breastfeeding per side and per nursing session.

[0030] The nursing pillow 10 can collect, measure, and optionally record various information on non-transitory computer readable media during use such as, but not limited to, the weight of the baby before and after feeding, the feed time, the feed date, the total duration of the feed and the duration of the feed per side, and which side the mother fed (left or right), as well as the baby's weight not related to feeding, and combinations thereof. The weight of the baby can then be used to determine how much milk the baby drank during the feeding session with an algorithm. All data can be stored on the nursing pillow 10 and synced automatically with a mobile application (app) 100 on a smartphone, tablet, or computer through telemetry (BLUETOOTH, WI-FI, or other mechanisms) as shown in FIG. 8. The data can either be analyzed on the nursing pillow 10 and be stored thereon or be sent to the app 100 for analysis and storage. If the nursing pillow 10 does not store the data itself for later transmission to the app 100, the app 100 can record all data collected while using the nursing pillow 10 if the smartphone or other device is within transmission distance.

[0031] The app 100 can include a log of all feeding related activity, including the time the baby ate, side(s) fed on, duration of feed per side (i.e., the length the baby ate for on the left side, the length the baby ate for on the right side), and how much the baby drank every feeding session if the weighing function is utilized. The app 100 can quickly and easily inform the user how long it has been since the baby ate last and which breast side the baby fed from at the last feeding. The user can categorize on the app 100 whether the baby breastfed on the pillow or bottle-fed. The app 100 includes a log for tracking the baby's weight gain over time (such as first year of life), with comparison to general weight percentiles. The app 100 allows for easy tracking of infant metrics and analyzes data collected, highlights the day at a glance, spots trends quickly with easy to read charts, and syncs across all platforms and smartphones for easy sharing with family members or care givers. The app 100 can include a log tracking true baby weight (i.e., weight taken not during a feeding session, while the baby is in only a diaper) logged over time with percentile information and graphs/charts. The log of all the baby weight measurements allows the caretaker to see the baby's growth and general statistics around the baby's weight-including but not restricted to percentiles, other items/mammals weighing the same as the baby, etc. (for example: Your baby now weights the same as a baby seal!). The app 100 can include a telehealth component in which the infant health and feeding data are shared safely with a medical provider (nurse or pediatrician or other). The app 100 can include the ability for the user to connect directly with a medical provider through the app 100 to help support and troubleshoot the mom in her breastfeeding journey with the help of the data recorded from the nursing pillow 10 and logged on the app 100.

[0032] The app 100 can include the ability to record bottle feeding sessions, and to assign a caretaker to a bottle feeding session. The app 100 can include the ability to have multiple caretakers logging into the app 100. The app 100 can include the ability to record a feeding in the app 100, for when baby is being fed in a location without the nursing pillow 10. This includes sides being fed on.

[0033] The app 100 can include a rigorous on-boarding function to educate the parents on how to utilize the nursing pillow 10.

[0034] The app 100 can include data sharing capabilities with healthcare professionals and caretakers so that the app 100 can be in electronic communication with software at a physician's office for a nurse, doctor, or lactation consultant to review, or with a caretaker. Data can trigger alerts with an alert module on the mobile application 100 for the parent to call the physician's office or on the physician software for the nurse or doctor to contact the parents regarding any problems/issues. The app 100 can include a concierge professional network, connecting parents to field professionals (lactation consultants, nurses, pediatricians etc.) for telehealth or in-person appointment scheduling.

[0035] The app 100 can include general information and tips related to breastfeeding.

[0036] The app 100 can include a feed predictor, which is an algorithm that measures the baby's unique feeding pattern over times and creates a personalized feeding schedule for the baby, based on the baby's own feeding history. This can be particularly helpful for babies whose breastfeeding moms are beginning to go into work, to formulate a schedule for secondary caretaker.

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of information and screens found in the app 100. At an onboarding module screen 102, a user (not shown) can create a profile (signing up with their phone number or email address, Auths OTP, passcode creation, user creation in DB), log in, fill in caregiver details (full name of caregiver and avatar, ability to add additional caregivers and avatar, code share to quickly onboard additional caregivers, primary user can control additional caregiver accounts), fill in baby details (full name, nickname and avatar, weight at birth, length at birth, gender assigned at birth, due date, birth date), access terms and contracts, privacy policy and other pages (user can sign contract), and onboarding education for first use of the pillow (guiding the user for the initial charging of the pillow, guiding the user on initial BLUETOOTH connection to smart nursing pillow 10, live prompting through different methods of using the pillow (prompt through basic feed, prompt through weighted feed and providing notice that for 100% accuracy, weight should be taken on flat surface, prompt through basic weight), quick tips, and visual tutorial of different functions in the app 100).

[0038] At a home screen module 104, quick stats can be provided so that the user can see quick relative stats. This includes but is not limited to time baby last fed, amount of time since baby's last feed, oz baby ate at last weighted feed, side baby started nursing on last feed, side baby ended nursing on last feed, total time baby has spent eating in the last 24 hours, bottle versus breast breakdown over last 24 hours, and option to log any weight taken as real weight (as opposed to weight recorded for weighted feed). The quick stats can be compiled from data from the nursing pillow 10 or data that is manually entered by the user. The home screen 104 provides access to additional screens/modules (Record a Feed module 106, Feeding Dashboard 108, Growing Dashboard 110, Tutorial/Content Dashboard 112, and Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard 114), and the user can click on a button or widget to go to each of these screens.

[0039] At the Record a Feed module screen 106, the user can choose to manually enter a breastfeeding session that took place in the past (the user can input details such as time baby was fed, sides baby fed from, duration of feeding (per side), and oz baby drank). The user can manually enter a bottle feeding session that took place in the past (the user can input details such as time baby was fed, duration of feeding, oz baby drank, breastmilk versus formula, and formula brand). The user can choose to record a breastfeeding session from a smartphone (this screen can mirror the buttons on the nursing pillow 10 in some fashion, with an L and R and a timekeeping mechanism 30 related to each side to record side and time in real time). The user can choose to record a bottle feeding session from the phone (the user can use timekeeping mechanism 30 to time feed and the user can also input details such as oz baby drank, breastmilk versus formula, and formula brand).

[0040] At the Feeding Dashboard screen 108, a feeding log can be accessed, and for every feeding the user can see bottle versus breast, time feeding began, duration of feeding, sides fed on and duration per side (if breastfeeding), oz drank (if available), breastmilk or formula (for bottle feeding), formula brand (for bottle feeding), option to log a weight taken as a true weight (it will then shift to the Growing Dashboard 110), and option to see feeding target based on age and weight and if baby ate enough. A summary dashboard can be provided that can include average number of feedings per day, average time between feeding, and average time baby spends feeding, per breast. A feeding statistics dashboard can be provided that can include cute data, i.e., time spent at the breast=amount of hours it takes to fly around the world, 100 times or baby has drunk the equivalent to half a standard size swimming pool since birth, etc., and bell curves on baby feeding times, with user's baby stat, bell curves on baby feeding amounts, with user's baby stat. The feeding log can be populated with data taken from the nursing pillow 10 and/or from the data manually entered in on the Record a Feeding Module screen 108.

[0041] At the Growing Dashboard screen 110, the user can choose to manually enter a weight on the smartphone (weight, time and date taken, and optionally baby length) or sync weight related data from the nursing pillow 10. A weight log can be provided that can include log of true baby weight recorded on the nursing pillow 10, and a log of baby length recorded by caretaker. A weight statistics dashboard can be provided and include weight percentile data, with the baby's stats plotted over time, length percentile data, with baby's stats plotted over time, BMI percentile data, with baby's stats plotted over time, and cute data, i.e., baby is now the size of a newborn dolphin. The weight log can include weight related data taken from the nursing pillow 10 or manually entered by the user.

[0042] At the Tutorial/Content Dashboard screen 112, a Feeding FAQs Widget can provide a comprehensive list of breastfeeding questions and answers. Video content can provide a library of tutorial and tip videos from lactation consultants.

[0043] At the Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard screen 114, a pillow details dashboard can include battery level, reset option, and technology and material details. An onboarding click through can allow a user to always access the onboard clickthrough that they were prompted through at first use. A troubleshooting FAQ can provide a comprehensive list of troubleshooting frequently asked questions, along with an email and number to call for lasting issues. The Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard screen 114 can also allow the user to manually sync the smart nursing pillow 10 with the app 100.

[0044] The present invention provides for a method of using the app 100, by a user accessing the onboarding module 102 and creating a profile and adding baby details, accessing a home screen module 104 and reviewing quick stats, accessing a Record a Feed module 106 and entering or recording a feed, accessing a Feeding Dashboard 108 and accessing a feeding log, accessing a Growing Dashboard 110 and accessing a weight log, accessing a Tutorial/Content Dashboard 112 for questions and answers, and accessing a Smart Nursing Pillow Device Dashboard 114 and reviewing smart nursing pillow device 10 details. Any of the additional details and steps described above can be included in this method.

[0045] While the description refers to a human baby, the nursing pillow 10 can also be used with animals in veterinary situations, such as use in feeding an animal and thus in general the nursing pillow 10 can be used for an individual. The nursing pillow 10 can also be configured for other applications, or embedded in other surfaces as needed.

[0046] The present invention also provides for a method of using the nursing pillow 10, by activating the lighting mechanism 14 on the nursing pillow 10 and illuminating the nursing pillow 10, using the nursing pillow 10 for feeding/nursing a baby, and deactivating the lighting mechanism 14 when finished using the nursing pillow 10. Activation/deactivation can be performed through an on/off switch or through use of the display panel 22. When performing the step of nursing the baby, any other steps or functions with the nursing pillow 10 can be performed as described in PCT/US23/60092, such as sending any data to an application, etc. Use of the lighting mechanism allows a mother/caregiver to easily feed/nurse a baby in low light.

[0047] The method can further include turning on the nursing pillow 10 before the feeding session and reviewing data on the display panel 22. The last feed time can be displayed (i.e. Baby's last feeding started 2 hours and 32 minutes ago), total duration of last feed time, there can be an indication of which side to start feeding (if the mother started nursing last session on her left side the display panel 22 can indicate a right breast button to remind the mother that she is up to starting on the right side), what side was fed on last, the duration of the last feed per side, and combinations thereof. If breastfeeding, the mother can press either the right breast or left breast buttons to start feeding on one side. The time of feeding is captured, and the mother can press stop to stop that side. The opposite breast button can be pressed, the time of feeding is captured, and stop is pressed to stop that side. Either side can be repeated, as necessary. After the feeding session, the display panel 22 can show the feed times for each breast side.

[0048] The method can further include the step of collecting data including the feed time, the feed date, the duration of the feed per side, which side the mother fed (left or right), the total duration of the feeding session from start to finish, and combinations thereof. The data can also include time fed on each breast as well as total elapsed feeding time. The method can further include the step of sending the collected data to the app 100 and reviewing the data on a smartphone or other device. The method can further include sending the data to a physician's office software. The method can further include triggering an alert on the app 100 or the physician's office software.

[0049] The present invention further provides for a method of using the nursing pillow 10 and timing a feeding session, by activating a timekeeping mechanism 30 and displaying an amount of time of a first side a mother is nursing on (either the left or the right side), using the nursing pillow 10 for nursing a baby on the first side, switching the timekeeping mechanism to a second side the mother is nursing on (i.e. whichever side was not chosen first between the left and right side) and displaying an amount of time of the second side the mother is nursing on, using the nursing pillow 10 for nursing the baby on the second side, and stopping the timekeeping mechanism and ending the feeding session. In other words, this method makes it simple for a mother to keep track of how long a feeding session is on each side through the use of the timekeeping mechanism 30 displaying how much time has passed while feeding on each side. The mother can decide when an appropriate time to stop on the first side is and then switch to the second side. The method can include any of the other steps described herein. This method can also be used without the lighting mechanism 14.

[0050] Throughout this application, various publications, including United States patents, are referenced by author and year and patents by number. Full citations for the publications are listed herein. The disclosures of these publications and patents in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.

[0051] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

[0052] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.