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Friday, August 30, 2013

My breastfeeding must haves

Ford and I are slowly getting into a breastfeeding routine and I feel more and more confident each day that we are getting the hang of it. At first, breastfeeding was a 3 person job, not including baby, and takes a lot of effort. I can see how people give up so easily because it is tough! Mama and baby are both learning and yes it is painful at the beginning but I know it is all so worth it. I wanted to share some of the essentials that helped make our breastfeeding experience more enjoyable.



Boppy pillow- a must have! Baby can fit right in the nook of your arms so you aren't having to support them on your own. The boppy is also awesome for others to hold baby.

Lansinoh Breast Therapy- these suckers are amazing! You can heat them up in the microwave or freeze them in the freezer for instant engorgement relief

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets- perfect for covering up if people are in the room or added support/warmth for baby

Breast pump- I have the Ameda Purely Yours (provided by my insurance) and really like it! I am pumping once a day and hope to feed Ford 1 bottle a day so daddy can help.

Medela hands free pumping bra- saves you from having to hold the pump for 15 minutes. Order it a size bigger since your breasts will be large and in charge. 

Lanolin- I have both the Medela and Lansinoh brands of lanolin and really like both. I have a tube at each of my breast feeding stations and use it after all feedings, it is instant relief and helps with healing. 

Nursing tanks- these are a must. I wear them with breast pads and nothing more. Makes it so easy to pop out the food for Ford quickly. I have a few brands but these from Target are my favorite. 

Gerber cloth diaper burp cloths- cheap, absorbent and nice to have lots around.

Bottle sterilizer- this is a lifesaver! Pre baby I sterilized all of our bottles, pacis, etc in it and it saves you from having to hand wash everything after use. I throw it in the microwave for 2 minutes with my pump supplies and then dry them on the drying rack. I  have this Avent one

Nursing pads- I actually use these NUK washable pads and they are great! I also have disposables for on the run. You will go through lots of them since new mamas tend to leak a lot. I have 30 reusable and go through 4-6 a day and throw them in the wash. 

Medela Breast Shells- I used these the whole time we were in the hospital since my nipples were rocked going from nothing to full time nursing. I haven't used them since we've been home but they are awesome when you don't have breast pads (the hospital didn't have pads).

Rocking chair- my grandparents (Ford's namesake) gifted us an antique rocking chair and it is perfect for nursing! I nurse in it during the day and in my bed at night. 

Extra pillows- we use a small heart shaped pillow for added support around Ford's head in the Boppy and when I nurse in bed, we use couch pillows for back support. You can never have enough pillows!

Not pictured...
Target nursing sports bras
Target soft nursing bras


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16 comments:

Lauren H Edmondson said...

pillow are seriously the breast-feeding mom's best friend! I sent Josh out as soon as we got home from the hospital to buy 4 more pillows haha, we found a great companion pillow for our boppy called the newborn booster that I used a lot during breast-feeding too, it fit just right under Sawyer's head. Glad to hear breast-feeding is going well!

Carly said...

Yay I registered for a boppy, heard its the best!

Carly
www.lipglossandcrayons.com

Unknown said...

What a great list !

We actually do a BreastfeedingBundle and it has nursing pads, wipes, a nursing cover, tea, and balm too! If only there was room in there for the boppy pillow - ha !

Candice Williams said...

It's so funny because this will change as he gets older to one pillow from your bed and that's it. When I first had James I used pretty much all of these plus talcom powder... But now it's just a pillow and that's all. It all goes uphill! So uphill that once baby two comes around I'm going to be like listen nurses- I've got this.. Let me teach you something! Haha. You are a rock star for breast feeding and it's going to keep getting better and better!!

Carolyn said...

Great list! I am going to need to remember this when baby boy gets here! HAHA

Ashley Brickner said...

Great picks, it is hard but good for you for doing it! :)

Hang in there, it only gets better!

wordsaboutwaverly.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Awesome post! I bookmarked it for future reference for when I become pregnant someday! : )

Angelica Louis said...

thank you for posting this! im 4 months along today and starting to create 'must have' lists for everything im going to need! this definitely will come in handy!

jessi bridges said...

Yes to pillows! My lactation consultant recommended to us to just use regular pillows, not to buy all the fancy nursing pillows and they worked great. Although, it would be nice to have the bobby for sitting up baby. With Isaac I always had a million around me and under me. With Eli, they kept asking me if I needed a pillow when I would nurse him in the NICU and I was always like, no I'm good. It's so funny with the second how much more comfortable with breastfeeding you are. I basically walk around and do dishes and other things with one hand and hold him while he nurses with the other arm.

And can you believe I still don't have a nursing tank? I'm thinking for the 3rd one I should finally get one. ;)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting this! This is such a great post for new moms out there. I'm going to pass it along to all my pregger friends!

Diana said...

Just a quick tip... I wish I had known about the travel boppy earlier! Just got one for my baby (3 mo) and it works great for nursing in places other than home, like the car, in baby stores, or on planes. It folds up to look like a purse and I can stash it under the stroller. Yes, I can feed him without it now that his head control is better, but it's easier (and more comfortable) for everyone involved to have the travel hoppy around. It especially would have been nice when he was a newborn.

Pandorah's Box said...

Large and in charge...haha!

You seem like you are doing great mama, and Ford is just the most precious little guy!!!

KRISTIN said...

Awesome stuff! Glad to hear nursing is going well - it definitely takes some time to get in a groove and for your poor nips to get used to it! :) It is so rewarding though!

Anonymous said...

Great list!! I'm going to have to revisit this as my due date nears. I'm currently 27 weeks and it's all starting to feel very real!

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