I have spent a loooootttt of time over the last 3.5 years
breastfeeding. Like 2,100 hours a
lot. That’s an estimate from the
breastfeeding app I use on my phone. Max
just weaned at 15 months, Aidan nursed for 14 months. I experienced quite a few setbacks during my
breastfeeding journey with both boys – over supply, dairy intolerance, reflux,
over active letdown, clogged ducts, recurrent thrush, having to use a nipple
shield the entire time Aidan was nursing, pumping while at work, nursing
strikes… and on and on and on… But, I powered through them all and I couldn’t
be happier with the breastfeeding experience I had with both boys.
While I’m not a lactation consultant (yet!), I have learned
a thing or two about breastfeeding. Here
are my top 10 breastfeeding must-have products, with a little mom to mom advice thrown
in there.
·
Boppy: This thing is awesome for breastfeeding
younger babies, but also has a ton of other uses. You can use it when your baby is learning to
sit up to help support and cushion behind them.
You can use it for tummy time when they’re younger, especially if your
baby has reflux and immediately pukes when you lay them flat on their
stomach. I’ve also been known to use the
Boppy to sit my plate on while trying to grab a meal during the blurry newborn
period or using the Boppy to nap on a long car ride.
·
Gilligan O’Malley Nursing Tank Top: I probably
have about 15 of these tank tops in varying colors and sizes. Be forewarned, these run small as far as
boob-size. I definitely needed a size XL
right after my babies were born and I was in the uncomfortable porn-star boob
stage (normal people call it engorgement).
I was a solid L for most of the remainder of breastfeeding. These are so comfortable and very
durable. I still have and use the nursing
tanks I bought before Aidan was born.
Yes, you read correctly, I DO still wear nursing tank tops from time to
time. Sorry not sorry.
·
Medela Pump in Style: This pump has gotten me
through thick and thin. Medela pump
parts are easy to find and replace in stores like Walmart and Target. Medela also has awesome customer
service. My pump was having an issue
while we were out of town on vacation and they overnighted me a brand new pump,
no questions asked!
·
Pumpin’ Pals Flanges: These are SO much more comfortable
than the flanges that come with the pump! I got more milk out, less
painfully. Coat them with a little
coconut oil before pumping and you’ll thank me forever.
·
Up and Up Milk Storage Bags: These are the best
milk storage bags I’ve found. They’re
thicker than the Lansinoh ones. They
don’t leave a nasty plastic-y smell on your milk like the Ameda ones. Just don’t overfill and remember to defrost
them upside down in a cup of water or in a container so that if they leak your
precious boob juice doesn’t go to waste!
· Nursing Notebook App: My personal favorite is
just called, “Nursing.” It can be hard
to find on the app store, so here’s what the icon looks like so you can find
it. It’s way more simplified than most
of the other apps. In the middle of the
night when I’m waking up for the 4th time to nurse a hungry baby, I
don’t care what kind of diaper the baby had or how much longer than baby’s
average sleeping stretch this past stretch was… I just want to know which boob
to give the baby first.
·
Burp cloths: When your milk first comes in
there’s milk spraying everywhere… a lot of the time. It’s messy, stinky, and it smells after a few
hours. Glamourous, right? When I fed the
boys, I pretty much had one burp cloth tucked in the side I wasn’t nursing on,
and one tucked into the band of my bra on the side I was nursing on, and
another in stand by for spit up. The
cloth diaper kind are the best ones because they’re really absorbent and you
can wash them in super-hot water.
They’re wide enough to actually catch spit up, those ones that are about
the width of a roll of toilet paper are a joke.
·
Lansinoh Nursing Pads: Let’s face it. Nursing pads are the worst. It’s wonderful once your supple regulates and
you don’t have to use them anymore.
These ones are the least of all the evils. I’ve tried reusable ones and
they didn’t work well for me. These ones
are the least conspicuous and least-itchy of the disposable ones I’ve tried.
·
Medela Lanolin: Other brands of Lanolin are SO
thick and sticky. I just hated applying
them and it felt like you couldn’t wash it off your fingers even with soap and
water. I also tried plain coconut oil
and Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter and neither worked well for me. The Medela lanolin is less sticky and easier
to apply.
·
Latched Mama Clothing: Dressing when
breastfeeding can be hard. You want to
look somewhat put together, but still have easy access to nurse. Most days I’d wear a nursing cami and another
shirt over the top, so that my stomach would stay covered when I needed to
breastfeed (my personal preference), but there are some instances where that’s
not convenient. I nursed both kiddos
through HOT and miserable summer weather and wearing 2 shirts was NOT
appealing. Enter Latched Mama. Their shirts have easy access for
breastfeeding without having to wear a nursing cami underneath. I also love their maxi dresses; unless a Maxi
dress had a low neckline that could be pulled down to nurse, they were
off-limits. I was not comfortable
pulling my whole skirt up around my neck to breastfeed, hahaha. Latched Mama pieces are affordable as nursing
clothing goes and they have AMAZING customer service. It’s also a small business owned by a mama
in the Richmond, VA area; I love supporting small businesses!
·
Breastmilk Jewelry: Okay, so I had to throw in a bonus item. It's definitely not a must-have, but it's something Ive really enjoyed. I got a breastmilk necklace
pendant made from breastmilk pumped on Max’s first birthday to celebrate
nursing both my babies. The necklace
wasn’t cheap, but the craftsmanship is impeccable. They also keep you updated every step of the
way from letting you know that they’ve received your order to when they ship
your completed piece to you. They make
also make rings, earrings and beads.
