You’re a first time mom planning to breastfeed your baby when they arrive.
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You’ve even seen breastfeeding mothers and watched the way they do it.
But the truth is, you know little to nothing about what you need to breastfeed your baby properly apart from the breasts.
Not to worry, I put together this guide to breastfeeding must-haves just for you.
Breastfeeding looks easy at first glance. But unless you have been there before, you will not know the struggles you will meet as you breastfeed your baby for the first time. Not to worry, there are several breastfeeding products that you can use to make it easy for you and the baby.
Let’s get started.
Breastfeeding must-haves for babies
1. Breastfeeding must-haves: Nursing pillows
A nursing pillow is a round shape breastfeeding pillow. It helps to position your baby in the right way they can easily nurse. The key thing in a nursing pillow is the support it offers. A good nursing pillow saves your back and shoulders from aching and helps you relax so that your breast milk can flow easily. One good nursing pillow that has this unique quality is the Boppy nursing pillow shown in the image above. It provides excellent support for you and the baby. It has a firm cushion which is a firm foam that provides support for your arm and elbow. It is highly recommended for all moms.
2. Breastfeeding must-have: Nursing bras
Do you need a nursing bra for your baby? You sure do. I thought I could use my normal bra. Boy! Was I wrong? When you nurse your baby, your breast will increase, leak, and be unpredictable. You don’t Wanna know. When your baby is hungry and angry, you need a bra that will give you quick access to the breast. The nursing bra is comfortable and makes it easy to nurse your baby during the day and at night. Bravado maternity and nursing bra (shown above) is one bra you want to use for breastfeeding purposes.
3. Breastfeeding must-haves: Nursing pads
Most often than not, first time moms require nursing pads in the early days of breastfeeding. It helps to absorb the excess milk that comes out of the breast after nursing the baby. This helps to protect your cloth from wetness and stains. They are of different sizes and shapes.
They are of two types – reusable and disposables.
Reusable nursing pad
These are nursing pads you can wash and use again. It saves money in the long run. The disposable nursing pad is also good and comfortable.
Disposable nursing pad
But the disposables are more absorbent but if you are looking to save money, you will want to use the washable nursing pad. However, you can mix the two together. Use disposables when you are out of the house and use the washable in the house. Check them out here.
4. Breastfeeding must-haves: Nursing covers
One thing I disliked is exposing my breasts in the public or to strangers when they come to visit in the house. But nursing covers solve the problem easily. It is one breastfeeding must-have you need to add to your diaper bag when going out of the house. It helps you to stay covered while you breastfeed your baby in public.
The baby nursing covers and nursing Poncho come in handy. The open neckline at the top is big enough for you to constantly make eye contact with your baby. The opening also makes it easy for ventilation. It is made of a safe material that is good on the skin. It is lightweight and comfortable for both you and the baby.
Apart from serving as a nursing cover, it is also useful as a car seat cover, baby stroller cover, baby blanket, and more.
5. Breastfeeding must-haves: Breast pump
Breastfeeding is one of the most important activities to keep your baby alive and healthy. It is almost the same thing as your baby sucking. A breast pump helps to increase milk supply because of its sucking motion. It is very useful whenever your baby is not latching on correctly as it helps to prevent the accumulation of milk that can cause pain. It is also useful when you are at work, traveling, or just want to have time to yourself. Someone else can help feed the baby with your breast milk at such a time.
There are two types of breast pumps – manual and electric.
Manual Breastpump
The manual breast pump is cheap compared to the electric pump. It doesn’t produce much noise like the electric pumps. It is handy and you can take it with you wherever you are going. However, you will need to press the pump level to achieve suction and this requires squeezing that can cause cramping. It is also slow, so it is best to use it at home.
A good example of a manual breast pump is the New Medela Harmony breast pump.
Electric Breast Pump
The electric breast pump is expensive but very effective. It pumps very fast and you can have a higher volume of milk than the manual pump. It takes only 15 minutes to pump with the electric pump while it takes 45 minutes to do with a manual pump. You can pump your breasts hands-free with the electric pump.
The New Medela Pump in Style with MaxFlow is designed for moms who pump several times daily. It comes with a microfiber bag, double pumping kit, cooler system, etc. The electric pump helps to increase your milk production greatly.
6. Breastfeeding must-haves: Pumping bra
If you are using a breast pump machine, a pumping bra will save you a lot of time. With it, you can use your hands to multi-task such as chat or answer phone calls, and do other chores around the house. It saves you the time you need to hold the bottles to your breast while you pump. A good pumping bra you can use is the Simple Wishes pumping bra (shown above).
The Kindred Bravely Sublime hands-free pumping bra provides maximum comfort to help you relax as you pump. You can adjust the velcro back panel to ensure that it fits. It works with major breast pumps such as Medela, Philips AVENT, Lansinoh, Spectra Baby etc.
7. Breastfeeding must-haves: Wearable breast pump
As the name suggests the wearable breast pump allows you to pump on the go. This is specially made for working moms who have no time to sit in one place and pump. With a wearable breast pump, you can pump milk at any time and anywhere as you slip the cup inside your bra. You can pump while you drive, attend meetings at work, during break time, while you nurse your baby, cook, clean the house, etc. You can even pump as you take a nap in a prop-up position. You don’t even need a pumping bra with the wearable breast pump. A good wearable breast pump you can invest in the popular Elvie Elvie Pump Single Silent Wearable Breast Pump with App – Electric Hands-Free Portable Breast that can be worn in-bra.
It is effective, efficient, and has all the qualities listed above.
8. Breastfeeding must-haves: Breast milk storage containers
These are containers you use to store the breast milk you expressed through the breast pump. You will need it to keep the milk away from bacteria.
9. Breastfeeding must-haves: Nursing station
Breastfeeding your baby is a lot of work. A nursing station is a designated place where you will nurse the baby or pumping breast milk during the first few months of their lives. This means you will sit down more often to nurse. You need a comfortable chair to nurse your baby.
10. Breastfeeding must-haves: Nipple cream
Babies suck a lot especially in the early days of their lives when they find it difficult to latch properly. This may cause your nipples to be sore, dry and cracked. It can be very painful. This is where you need a nipple cream that will help to soothe the nipple and prevent or relieve the soreness and the pain associated with it. You will want to use a cream that is non-toxic and safe for the baby. This way, you need not wipe it off before breastfeeding your baby.
11. Breastfeeding essentials: Cotton baby bibs
Cotton baby bibs are breastfeeding must-haves for babies. The thing is, a baby can spit-up, drool and spit food on you. If you want to prevent your clothes from being messy, you need cotton baby bibs. They are also comfortable for babies to wear.
12. Breastfeeding essentials: Burp cloths
Burp cloths are breastfeeding must-haves for nursing mothers. After feeding your baby, it is a good practice to allow them to burp to release the gas in their stomach. When they do, they spat. The burp cloth is the cloth you place on your shoulder as you hold the baby to burp. The baby burps on the cloth instead of your dress.
13. Baby bottles and nipples (for pumped breast milk)
Even though you are breastfeeding, you may still need baby bottles and nipples for the expressed milk.
Breastfeeding must-haves for the first time mom
Now you have the list of the breastfeeding must-haves. The products listed above make it easy for you to breastfeed your baby without struggling. It doesn’t matter whether you are a stay-at-home mom or working at home due to the COVID-19 situation, the breastfeeding must-haves above will help you tremendously.
Check out the Ultimate Breastfeeding class to become a pro at breastfeeding within 90 minutes!
