Breastfeeding was definitely one of the “new mom” jobs that intimidated me the most when I was pregnant with our first. So many start their journey thinking that it will come naturally, when in fact it can be one of the most challenging aspects of new motherhood, if not THE most challenging for so many.
While I am not a lactation consultant, I did breastfeed my two boys for a combined total of 2.5 years and found it to be one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. From my experience, I’ve put together a list of breastfeeding essentials that definitely made my life a bit easier.
- Nursing Pillow :: I loved both the My Brest Friend and Boppy pillows. I used the My Brest Friend in the early newborn days and the Boppy pillow when the baby got older.
- Nursing Tank Tops and Bras {including a hands free pumping bra} :: My favorite nursing bras are from Cake Maternity and my favorite nursing tank tops, which I lived in the first few weeks, are from Target and Pea in the Pod.
- Comfortable chair and stool in nursery :: You’re going to be spending a lot of time breastfeeding, so you might as well put your feet up and get comfortable!
- Nursing pads :: I used both disposable and reusable nursing pads.
- Gel Pads/Nipple Cream :: These are both absolutely necessary in the first few, sometimes painful, weeks. I kept my cream in the fridge for extra relief and the Motherlove brand is my favorite because it’s organic and does not need to be washed off prior to feeding.
- A good pump {both hand and electric} :: Your insurance company will most likely cover an electric pump for you and Medela and Spectra are the brands that are most recommended. And even if you don’t plan to pump regularly, a hand pump is inexpensive yet effective tool to have around when you need it.
- Your smart phone or e-reader :: I would love to tell you that every time I fed my baby, I stared at him blissfully while pondering the meaning of life but let’s be serious. You spend most of your day and night breastfeeding in those first few weeks and it can get downright boring. I read books, caught up on the news and watched my fair share of Bravo TV while feeding my babies.
- Burp cloths :: I used them to clean up spit up and to help prop my little guy in the right position. I love the Aden and Anais Burpy Bibs, but also found the prefold cloth diaper burp cloths just as effective.
- Water Bottle/Jug :: I kept a 32 oz. jug with me at all times. Hydration is key to breastfeeding.
- Tea/Supplement {6+ months} :: My supply definitely started to dip when we introduced solid foods so I started drinking mother’s milk tea and taking some supplements to help keep up with demand.
- Breastfeeding App :: This is a great tool in the first few sleep deprived months and helps you keep track of timing, length of feeds, etc. There are several great free apps to download.
What else would you add to the list?
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