Nursing Essentials – Must have breastfeeding items!

October 04, 2013

 

 

I am so blessed to be able to say that I was successfully able to breastfeed my son for 9 months. At 9 months, my son really weened himself. He was eating more food (he is an amazing eater!) and really only wanted to breastfeed at night. So we did that for a few months and then when we switched to milk, that was it. I can honestly say I loved breastfeeding. That is not to say it was not without its challenges. The first two weeks of breastfeeding was brutal. Everyday I was seconds away from quitting. It is a huge time commitment, very painful (in the beginning) and it can become very overwhelming. So with the help of one of my greatest friends and new mom, Debbie Hester, we came up with a nursing essentials list to help all moms.

 

 

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  • A nursing pillow is super helpful. It props the baby up and keeps your arms and hands free. This one shown above is amazing! It’s the San Diego Bebe Eco- Nursing Pillow. It actually has a detachable privacy cover that you can use if you are out and about or if you have company over and don’t want to expose yourself. They also have a pillow for twin babies!

 

 

white with petals

  • Nursing bras/tanks – Must haves in the first several weeks when you are nursing around the clock. You will live in these. My favorites are the Skinies Slimming Nursing Cami which allows you to nurse while still having coverage. And they act as a slimming garment! Who doesn’t need that! Another favorite would be Glamourmom Long Tanks because they are super soft.

 

 

Midnight by Carole Hochman 'Steal My Heart' Robe

  • A robe or comfortable lounging clothes with easy access – For the early days when you pretty much nurse around the clock and middle of the night feedings. I think buying something that you use even after nursing is the way to go here.  This one is really cute. Its called Steal My Heart.

 

 

  • Nursing cover – For nursing out in public or discreetly with guests at the hospital/at home. I love the great prints available by Bebe Au Lait. 

 

 

  • Nursing pads – Lilypadz are amazing! They are silicone nursing pads that are reusable and soft. They are thin and breathable but still prevent leaking. If you prefer a disposable kind. The best ones I have found are the Lansinoh Super soft Disposable Pads 

 

 

 

Natural Nipple Butter

  • Nipple butter – I did not use a nipple butter but my good friend, Debbie, loves Earth Mama Angel Baby. She especially loves that she don’t have to wipe it off before nursing. And its natural!

 

 

  • Breast pump – These are great so that you can store milk. Once I went back to work, this was my best friend. Even though pumping was not my favorite thing to do (I found it very boring and tedious) but this pump really did do a great job and I have no compliants. Medela Pump In Style.

 

 

  

 

 

  • Medela favorites  – The Medela Pump and Save bags are great. You can see exactly how much is in the bag. The next is thing from Medela is the nipple shield. This thing saved my life! In the beginning my nipples were so sore that I had to use this shield and it gave my nipples a break. I know some people say once they used it, their babies wouldn’t take the naked breast, but I never had that problem. The last product is probably my favorite. The Medela quick clean bags are amazing. They make cleaning super easy. I would throw all of my pacifiers, pumping stuff, bottles, etc… in this bag, microwave it for like 3 minutes and everything is sanitized. Super easy! and if you travel, you can easily take these with you.

 

 

  • Quick wipes for breasts – Nuk Breast Wipes are great for freshening up after feeding.  They are food grade, so they are safe for baby :-)

 

 

 

Ambience

  • A Mommy Necklace – its keeps the baby engaged and gives them something to play with. I found this helpful the older my son got with nursing.

 

 

  • A storage caddy – I needed a way to tote around all my essentials so that they weren’t spread out all over the nightstand or living room. These caddies by 3 Sprout are so cute.

 

 

  • Breast Therapy Pads – Your breast go through a lot! They need some pampering. These are great, can be used hot or cold. The little soft pearl beads feel so soothing.

 

 

Finally some last minute tips for breastfeeding: Keep a huge thing of water with you at all times, always have granola bars or snacks around to keep your energy levels up and because sometimes breastfeeding can get lonely and boring, keep your cell phone/Ipad or TV near by.

 

 

Breastfeeding really is one of the best gifts we can give our babies. I completely understand what a challenge it can be and I hope our suggestions make it a little easier. And remember no matter how long you are able to breastfeed, something is better than nothing at all!

 

 

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