Items to Help With Your Breastfeeding Journey

In reality, all you really need to breastfeed is you and your baby.

All of the other things you are told to buy, are just to help improve your breastfeeding experience and help with any issues that arise.

I follow a Lactation Consultant on Facebook and she is very encouraging and supportive to all women no matter what type of way they feed their baby.

There is no right or wrong way to feed your baby!

If you decided to go on the breastfeeding journey, this post is here to help you with what to invest in.

Below I have listed items that can help make nursing your baby easier so you can continue breastfeeding as long as you and your baby choose to.  I also included pumping items to help out anyone that has plans of pumping as well.

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1. Maternity/Nursing Bras

I bought nursing bras and wore then through most of my pregnancies.  Make sure to get a few high-quality bras that will support you and keep you comfortable.  I have some I can wear to bed as well. You can also wear a nursing tank if you do not want to wear a nursing bra to bed. These nursing tanks from Undercover Mama are perfect to wear instead of a nursing bra..

2. Breastfeeding Pillow

There are many types of breastfeeding pillow and I believe it depends on the age and size of your baby.  Babies that cannot hold their heads up or you have to support their entire bodies will really benefit from the My Brest Friend Pillow that I purchased off of Amazon. This pillow snaps around your waste and is a solid surface for baby to lay on.  As your baby gets older, the Boppy Pillow is awesome to use, which can also be purchased off of Amazon.  The Boppy Pillow is useful in many different ways so it would not be a waste to invest in one.

3. Breast Pads

Leaking just comes with the territory of breastfeeding.  Almost all women will leak at some point or another and it would not be fun to have a milk-soaked shirt while out in public.  Breast pads help save your bra and your shirt by just inserting them right into your bra.  These come in disposable and reusable so pick what is best for you. I prefer these Lansinoh breast pads if you prefer disposable pads. If you would much rather go with reusable pads, check out these Organic Bamboo Breast Pads. You can find both of these breast pads on Amazon.

4. Nipple Cream

This cream helps with cracked or irritated nipples.  Before your breasts toughen up, there is a good chance your skin will crack or split or bleed. Creams or butters will help heal the skin and it is perfectly safe for babies.  Earth Mama® Organics has some amazing products you can try to help with any cracked or split skin. They sell an Organic Nipple Butter and a Vegan Nipple Butter that would be great for your skin and safe for your baby. You can also express breast milk and rub it on the irritated spot as well.

5. Milk Collection Cups

If you find you are leaking a lot while nursing, you can put a Breast Shells milk collection cup in your other bra and catch all of that extra milk.  You can put it right in a milk storage bag and save it for your baby for later.  No milk wasted and no leaking all over.

6. Breast Pump

It doesn’t hurt to have a breast pump to use so you have some extra milk stored.  If you are going back to work or plan on being away from your baby when they are supposed to nurse, having milk stored in your freezer would be a great idea.  My sister-in-law would have to pump every single day because she just produced so much milk and my niece did not need that much milk.  She had a huge supply of milk in case of emergencies and for when she returned to work.  Make sure to check with your insurance company to see if your breast pump is paid for.

7. Breastmilk Storage Bags

If you’re going to pump, you’ll need something to put all that milk in.  There are many different brands and styles of breastmilk storage bags.  Some will work with your breast pump and some you just pour the milk into.  Once you have a breast pump, you can look into which storage bags you want to get.  The best storage milk bags I found were Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags and Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags. You can find both of these brands on Amazon and have them shipped right to your house.

8. Breastfeeding App

With both of my children, I used a breastfeeding app on my phone.  Sometimes you get caught up in the day or lose track of time and you can’t remember what time it was when you last nursed your baby.  It is also a great way to keep track on which side you nursed on last.  I like to rotate which side I nurse my baby on first and breastfeeding apps will keep track of this for you.

9. Nursing Cover

There will come a time when you have to nurse your baby in public, unless you just stay home all the time, which I don’t recommend you doing.  I have found myself nursing in my car more times than I can count.  If you have a nursing cover in the diaper bag, you can just drape it over your baby’s head and no one will notice you breastfeeding.  Sometimes I just use them to get the baby latched on and then remove it from their head.

10. Nipple Shield

There’s a lot of debate about using nipple shields.  I had to use them for a week while nursing my daughter because my skin split really bad and the pain from her latching on was horrible.  The nipple shield covers over the nipple and your baby will latch onto the shield instead of your skin.  They are not recommended to use long term, but just long enough to allow your skin to heal. I found these Lansinoh Nipple Shields to be a great shield and it comes with a case to store them in.

Each of these items listed I have personally used or I know someone who has used them. You may not need to purchase all of them, but I hope this gives you an idea of what can help.

If you are having issues breastfeeding your baby, reach out to a lactation consultant to help. 

I’m so glad I was able to breastfeed my daughter and I am currently breastfeeding my son. 

Do you have any other suggestions of breastfeeding items that you used during your breastfeeding journey?

Feel free to share in the comments below!