Breastfeeding essentials
Breastfeeding essentials from a lactation consultant and mom of two! This may be more detailed than necessary, I just want to share anything and everything that can benefit your breastfeeding journey!
I have broken the list down into 3 categories:
“must haves”
“not quite necessities but 100% worth it”
“and a little bit “extra”’s“
Must haves
Breast pumps:
My favorite Primary Pump (if you don’t know what this means check out my post on Primary vs. Secondary pumps) is the Spectra S1: it is reliable, durable and powerful! I also appreciate that it has a battery, meaning as long as it is charged you aren’t stuck to a wall while pumping!
Babylist makes it easy to get your pump through insurance!
My other two favorite primary pumps are the Genie Advanced and Baby Buddha - these are much smaller, more portable primary pumps!
As for a Secondary Pump - there are a lot of options out there! My professional opinion will always be to be careful when using a secondary pump (see this post if you don’t know why) but my personal favorite when I was an exclusive pumper was the Eufy S1 Pro
As a backup pump, I always recommend having a hand pump! It is cheap, doesn’t require a charge and is great to through in your bag “just in case”
Nursing/Pumping Bras:
Love & Fit has my favorite bra: it is both a nursing AND pumping bra! I love that it’s both so you don’t have to buy several bras!
As for bras that are just for nursing (not pumping), I love any of the v-shape ones (easy access for breastfeeding)
An important thing to remember when purchasing either a nursing or pumping bras is avoiding wires or a bra that’s too tight, these can both contribute to clogged ducts!
For nipple pain:
I will always recommend addressing the root cause of the pain first, but if you are experiencing nipple pain my favorite choices for pain management are:
Check out my nipple pain post for more information on pain management options!
Breastfeeding Pillow:
I find that the My Brest Friend pillow has the best support for breastfeeding and is both my personal and professional choice for a breastfeeding pillow!
It is light weight, firm, has a back support and an adjustable waist strap!
Night Light/Sound Machine:
I didn’t see this as a necessity at first but swiftly learned how amazingly convenient it was to be able to turn on a soft light during night feedings.
I used the Hatch Sound Machine because you can pre-program settings with the phone app and then simply tap the top of the hatch to switch between settings. I had one setting for night feedings and one for sleeping.
Baby Bottles:
When looking for a baby bottle, the top ones I recommend as a lactation consultant are the Evenflo Balance + Wide Neck, Lansinoh, and Pigeon Wide Neck because all of these bottles have an ideal nipple shape, meaning baby can latch deeply, just as they should be latching at the breast
For a full list of all my favorites, including plastic and glass options, check out this post on choosing a baby bottle!
Bottle Drying Rack & Bottle Brush & Wash Basin
A drying rack gives your a place to put your bottle when they air dry. I love this one because it is vertical, so it saves a lot of counter space!
A bottle brush that is only used for your bottles/pump parts (no cross contamination with your other dishes)
A wash basin that is only used for bottles/pump parts to avoid contamination in the sink
Breastmilk storage bags:
If you plan to freeze any breastmilk, storage bags are a must!
Not quite necessities but 100% worth it
Breastmilk Chiller:
If you are planning on pumping AT ALL, especially when returning to work, a breastmilk chiller just makes everything easier!
It’s great for work, pumping away from home, travelling and more! I highly recommend one to any mom that may pump! It is my go-to baby shower gift!
Bottle Warmer:
Technically you can feed your baby cold milk! Some babies actually prefer this.
However, if you choose to warm baby’s bottle, be sure to choose a bottle warmer that will not heat the breastmilk above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (this can damage nutritional content of breastmilk). My all time favorite bottle warmer is Papablic. You can specify the amount of milk and the type of bottle you are using, and this warmer will actually tell you what temperature it is warming your milk to!
Milk Collector:
I recommend having a milk collector on hand, which can collect letdown but does not act as a pump
You can put it on the opposite side baby is breastfeeding to catch any leaking/letdown, and you can also wear it throughout the day if you find you leak often between nursing sessions
It is important to note that some women do not leak and this kind of device will not work for you if you don’t, since the whole purpose is to catch leaking milk! (I never leaked with my first so these were useless to me but other women find they can catch ounces of leakage a day!)
A couple other brands of milk collectors: boon trove, willow, elvie, momcozy
Nursing pads:
Nursing pads are meant to soak up any leaking milk to prevent it from staining your bra or clothes!
There are disposable nursing pads and reusable nursing pads
Again, not necessary for women that do not leak
Hot/cold packs:
Reusable hot/cold packs can be great to have on hand!
Heat can help promote milk flow and soothe painful nipple vasospasms if you have Raynaud’s (read more about this here)
Cold can help treat clogged ducts!
Sanitizer/dryer:
If you are planning on introducing pumping and bottles, both pump parts and bottles should be sanitized once daily if baby is under two months, immunocompromised or premature (according to the CDC)
I find a sanitizer to be the easiest way to do this - not quite a necessity but so worth it in my opinion! Bonus points if it dries too! Although I didn’t continue to sanitize my bottles daily after a few months, I still used the dryer function everyday (I was always washing things when I needed them so a dryer was a must)!
A little bit “extra”’s
Bottle Washer:
Definitely a splurge item but if you’re considering it, I 100% recommend.
I ended up exclusively pumping and was ready to quit. I ended up getting a bottle washer and was able to pump longer and meet my breastfeeding goals! It made the world of difference and made exclusive pumping way more doable.
I have the MomCozy bottle washer but have also used the Papablic bottle washer. Honestly there was no difference except how they look on the outside.
A breastfeeding chair:
Another splurge item! I found mine particularly useful because it ended up being the only chair in the house that was easy for me to get in and out of after my c-section!
For months this is where I sat every single time I breastfed, even at night, so it was definitely worth it to me!
This is the chair I went with, of course there are a lot of options out there! We still use it to this day with my toddler and I hope to keep it in good condition to resell it in the future when we no longer need it!
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