When you are expecting and you first decide that you are going breastfeed, it can be super confusing to decide what you need to purchase. I mean, you've never tried to breastfeed something before, and there are about a billion products out there with clever marketing. How do you know what you are going to need? Personally, I went from thinking that I only needed the baby and myself to thinking I needed every gadget on the market. After a couple months, I feel like I've finally got a handle on breastfeeding and what products are actually useful. Below are products that I found to be a good investment and will continue to use as my little one grows older.
- Lanolin - Your nipples will thank you for this one, especially during the early days of breastfeeding when you and your baby are still learning how to breastfeed. My baby had a shallow latch for the first couple of days, which resulted in two very cracked nipples. My lactation consultant handed me Lanolin, and it made a huge difference. I'm still using Lanolin when I feel sore and before showers. I highly recommend keeping a tube of Lanolin where you breastfeed most often for easy access.
- Breast pads - Inevitably, you are going to have some leakage, and no one likes milk stains all over their clothes. You can find disposable and washable pads, depending on your preference. I like to wear washable pads around the house because they are cheaper, and disposable pads in public because they are less noticeable under clothing. I got my washable breast pads from breastpads.com. This site sells pads in a ton of cute designs, and typically offers your first 10 pads for free if you pay for shipping. What a deal!
- Nursing Bra - It's a huge pain to take your bra on and off for each feeding at home, and it's basically impossible to do so in a public area. Nursing bras are an absolute must. I recommend purchasing a nursing bra that does not have a wire, since the pressure from the wire can cause clogged milk ducts. My favorite nursing bra was actually the super affordable Nursing Seamless Bra by Gilligan & O'Malley from Target.
- Breastpump - This is a necessity if you are planning to go back to work and continue breastfeeding. However, it will also come in handy if you are planning to stay home. The pump will allow you to take a little time away from baby and will get you through breastfeeding issues if you happen to have them. Most insurance plans started covering breastpumps for expecting or lactating mothers a few years ago. If it's free, why not get one? I got my pump for free through insurance by contacting Aeroflow, and the process was amazingly simple. I sent a qualification form to Aeroflow, and within 24 hours they sent my an email with a list of free pumps. After I responded with my choice, my pump arrived on my doorstep within three days. The Aeroflow qualification form is here, if you want to see if your insurance covers breastpumps and works with Aeroflow.
- Formula - This may seem totally counter-intuitive, and I wouldn't be surprised if some people get upset about this one but formula has saved me on a couple occasions. On one occasion, my baby decided that he wasn't going to feed from one of my breasts for roughly twelve hours because it was too engorged. How's that for irony? My other breast couldn't keep up with the demand and the result was a very frustrated, hungry infant. Luckily, we had some Similac and Enfamil formula samples lying around to tide him over until he decided that both breasts were equal again. My baby also had a bit of formula when he had a ridiculous growth spurt and on one mommy and daddy date night. Thus, I think it's important to have a small emergency stash of formula laying around. You don't even have to buy anything to start a stash. You can sign up for free Similac samples here and Enfamil samples here that will be mailed to your doorstep. There really is no reason not to sign up!
- Boppy - The Boppy is a pillow that wraps around your waist and supports your infant for you while your feeding him. It may not seem like a big deal to hold your 8 lb infant in position, but holding him or her in that position for hours each day will take a toll on your back and shoulders. Moreover, the Boppy allows you to do something with your hands other than hold your baby, like eat, drink, or entertain yourself. I was told that the Boppy was less comfortable if you had a C-section, but I loved it. It was much more comfortable to have the Boppy pressed against my C-section scar than my baby kicking and kneeing it. Below is the adorable woodland Boppy I use from Babies-R-Us.
- Nursing tops - At some point, you are going to be caught out in public with a hungry baby. If your baby is anything like mine, you have about sixty seconds from the time he starts indicating that he wants food until a complete meltdown. Nursing tops make it so much easier to feed your baby when you aren't at home since they give you quick access but they still look cute. They do tend to be expensive, so I recommend buying a few staple pieces. Personally, I love the Nursing Henley Cami by Gilligan & O'Malley from Target. They clip down just as a nursing bras do, and they look cute by themselves or layered under a sweater. Not to mention, they are loose enough to hide a bit of a belly leftover from pregnancy.
I hope that you found this helpful. Let me know if there is anything
that you would add to the list; I'm always interested to learn what
helped others. Good luck to all the nursing mamas out there!
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