breastfeeding, Motherhood, must haves
Breastfeeding Essentials
A few weeks ago I posted my Newborn and Momma Must Haves and I figured it was time to address my breastfeeding must haves!
Okay, so I thought the first time around breastfeeding would be simple and what more could you possibly need other than my boobs.
Boy was I wrong. I mean there might be some ‘naturals’ out there where breastfeeding is a piece of cake and requires no effort (if that’s you, I’m insanely jealous) but for me it took a decent amount of work. Even with a lot of work, it wasn’t meant to be with Mabel and with Millie it was a challenge in the beginning.
I figured I’d share some of the things that helped us to be successful (at the time of this post, we’ve been breastfeeding for four months) and honestly a lot of these items helped to make things a bit more comfortable too! 😉
- Bebe au Lait Nursing Pillow in Chateau Silver – I have tried a TON of nursing pillows out there and this pillow was by far my favorite! It’s shape accommodates lots of belly sizes and has a strap that is adjustable. The strap goes around your back and makes it so the pillow doesn’t move around while baby is on it (nothing is worse than a pillow that pulls away from you while you’re trying to get your baby adjusted!). There are several different pattern choices to choose from.
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes – I absolutely love these! They help soothe your breasts when your milk comes in…basically you warm them in your microwave and put them in your bra. The heat helps to relieve any pain and discomfort you might have…AND you can also use them when you’re ready to wean your baby. You just stick them in the fridge to make them cold to help dry up your milk!
- Philips Avent Comfort Breast Shells – These are another awesome product I was surprised to learn that a lot of moms didn’t know about! When you first start nursing, you might get irritated and sore nipples while your baby is learning to latch. You can stick these in your bra between nursing sessions to help your nipples heal/not have fabric pressing up against them. ALSO you can use them while nursing on the breast that your baby is not feeding on to collect extra milk that is released during letdown!
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter – The best nipple butter out there for sore nipples! Hands down!
- Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads – If you want to go the washable route…these are great nursing pads! They are made out of bamboo, absorb a lot, and are cute!
- Philips Avent Nipple Protector – Nipple shields are awesome if you’re suffering from cracked nipples…they also help women who have flat nipples so that their little one can feed more easily. They can be lifesavers!
- Lansinoh Ultra Soft Disposable Nursing Pads – If you’re going the disposable route, these are my favorites! I buy them in bulk on Amazon and save a lot!
- Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags – No explanation needed here…if you pump, you need storage bags!
- Medela Pump In Style – My FAVORTE pump and also a must have for working moms. The pump comes with a travel bag and is very easy to take on the go with you (has a car adapter too!). I also like that it has a suction setting so that it’s easy to find what’s most comfortable for you.
- Philips Avent Double Electric Comfort Breast Pump – My second favorite pump. I used this one when I was exclusively pumping for Mabel. It’s not that easy to travel with though so I would say it’s more for a mom who doesn’t need it for on the go.
- Bravado Silk Seamless Nursing Bra – This is my go to bra! It’s very comfortable and has light padding (that is removable) so that you have some extra coverage. 😉 Worth every penny!
- Gilligan & O’Malley Nursing Tank (Target) – I stocked up on these! They are $19.99 and come in a lot of colors. They are also very nicely made for being at a lower price point. Who wants to spend almost $50 on a nursing tank if you can get a quality one for $20?!
- aden + anais Bamboo Swaddle Blankets – If you’re like me and you like a little bit of coverage while nursing in public, I’ve found these swaddle blankets work perfectly. They are super light weight and can be draped over baby without making it hot and stuffy underneath while he/she nurses.
Do you have any ‘must haves’ that I left off the list? Please share!
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Catching up on your blog and I think it’s so great you have gotten to breastfeed for this long!! It was so hard for me too and I’m glad it’s working out better with Millie! I used the earth mama angel baby nipple butter too and really liked it. Wanted to share another one that I loved and was a bit smoother to put on is the mothers love nipple butter! Have you tried it?? Love reading your updates!!
I was desperate for stylish nursing tops when I was breastfeeding my first baby. So I decided to just design my own. Now I’ve been using them with my second baby and they’ve made all the difference. I needed more than tank tops…I wanted actual shirts I could wear every day without feeling like I was just a breastfeeding machine. I really feel beautiful when I put on Udderly Hot Mama.