Are you unsure what all you need to be prepared for your breastfeeding journey? I would venture to say most mothers are. Nursing a child is such an honorable thing to do, and it is my desire to help you be as prepared as you possibly can to set you off on a good note for your own breastfeeding journey. In this article, I will share with you some great essentials for breastfeeding and tell you which ones were life savers for me. I will also share with you which products I liked best and why. Are you ready? Let’s get to it!
Nursing Cover
Nursing covers are a necessity for breastfeeding mothers. Imagine being in public with your baby who needs to nurse and you don’t have a nursing cover! Pretty sure I’ve been in that situation a few times. A nursing cover will give you privacy while nursing your baby. These are great to have in public or around family.
The only time I haven’t used a nursing cover was in the privacy of my own home, while seeing a lactation consultant, or while visiting a really close friend who didn’t care if I had a nursing cover or not.
Now there are different kinds of nursing covers out there. My absolute favorite are the ones with the plastic ring that hold open while you nurse. This allows you to easily see your baby and make adjustments without the hassle of lifting the cover and trying to juggle that on top of everything else!
What We Love About It
- Holds open on its own
- One less thing to juggle while breastfeeding
- Allows you to see baby while still keeping you covered
What We Don’t Like About It
- Adjusting the cover to the right-sized “peek” hole for you can be a little bit of a challenge. At least it was for me. Once that’s adjusted right, it’s so wonderful to use!
Nursing Pillow
There are a couple nursing pillows I want to tell you about. I used both kinds while nursing. Each one has pros and cons, but I thought you should be educated on each of them.
Boppy Nursing Pillow
First on our list of essentials for breastfeeding is a nursing pillow. Above is a picture of the Boppy Pillow. It sits on your lap and gives comfort to your arms as you nurse. The pillow is soft and comfortable to use. It can also be used as a prop for the baby to lean on or be used as support during Tummy Time.
They come in a variety of styles and colors and are very easy to transport if needed.
What We Love About It
- Easy to use
- Super comfortable
- Multiple purpose – nursing and prop pillow
What We Don’t Love About It
- Doesn’t have a pocket to keep essentials close
My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
The My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow is another great option for mothers. What is unique about this pillow is that it offers back support from its wrap-around arm. It has a buck on the side to snap it in place.
What I loved about my Breast Friend pillow is the pocket on the front! I never saw another nursing pillow like it and loved how easy it was to access everything I needed in one easy pouch.
What We Love About It
- Offers back support
- Convenient pouch to keep essentials close
What We Don’t Love About It
- May be difficult snapping in and out of the pillow
- Does not bring baby as close to your breast as the Boppy pillow – at least that’s what I found
Read my experience with both of these nursing pillows below!
My Nursing Pillow Story
When I first started my nursing journey, I had no idea how important it was to choose a breastfeeding pillow that was comfortable. I just thought one was like the other.
The first nursing pillow I had was My Breast Friend nursing pillow. I liked it because of the back support and little pouch in the front to hold my nipple shield, lanolin, burp cloth and nursing pads! But I felt like my baby was never high enough to my chest.
Then a friend gave me the Boppy Pillow, which was a world better for me! I didn’t have to buckle it around myself or fight with the hight. For me, it was the perfect fit.
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Breast Shells/Milk Collectors
Now, let’s talk about breast shells or milk collectors. I really wish I knew about these during my first nursing experience! These are Milk Collectors. They are made out of silicone, have a plug for storage, and can hold up to 2 ounces of breast milk!
You wear them between you and your bra and go about your day. No need to worry about leaking through your tops or having to wear multiple breast pads to catch any extra drops.
What We Love About Them
- Made with food grade silicone
- Has plugs for storage
- There are little legs at the bottom to prop them up when done using
- BPA, PVC and phthalate-free!
- Dishwasher safe!
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Pretty large – may not want to wear them in public
- May not work for nighttime. Although some women have luck with it.
Lacti-Cup Milk Collectors
Lacti Cup milk collectors are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!! I have saved at least 40 ounces of milk just by wearing these at night! Yes, 40 ounces!
These milk collectors are a little different than the ones previously listed. This kind is able to be worn at night! They have color-coded stoppers to help prevent nightly spills. Another use for these color-coders is to help you remember which side you previously breastfed on. Super nice!
Just a note, you do need to wear a bra for these puppies to stay in place. However, they are suitable to be worn in public!
What We Love About Them
- Can be worn at night
- Color-coders to help nightly leaks
- Made from medical and food grade silicone
- BPA, PVC and phthalate-free!
- Easy to clean
- Saves you from needing to change your clothes in the middle of the night or washing your bed sheets!
What We Don’t Love About Them
- They don’t say they are dishwasher safe, but they can be easily cleaned in soap and water
LaVie Lactation Massager
The La Vie lactation massager is really a great tool to have for breastfeeding! You can turn on a vibration mode you like and rub up down your breasts before, after, or during breastfeeding. It aids in relieving clogged ducts, quicker let-downs, aids in milk production, and can help relieve mastitis and engorgement!
What We Love About Them
- BPA free!
- 100% waterproof
- Aids in milk production
- Easier let-downs
- Relieves and prevents engorgement and mastitis
- Designed to work on all breast shapes and sizes
- Has multiple vibration modes
- Long-lasting rechargeable battery with USB cord
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Using while breastfeeding may be challenging for some
Massager With Heat!
LaVie also has a lactation massager that includes heat! This is shown in the image below. With this massager, the heat adds to the ability to loosen clogged milk ducts and relieve engorgement! You can learn more about it here.
Pumps
Pumps are great to use if you want to bottle feed your baby your breast milk. Breast pumps are also great for trying to increase lactation. If you are engorged or produce an excessive amount of milk, definitely purchase yourself a quality breast pump!
What kind of breast pump should you get? The options are endless, but it really depends on your own situation. If you are a working mother, or don’t want to be tied down to a chair and cords, then you will want a wearable breast pump.
However, if you find that you would rather go with a budget-friendly breast pump, a more traditional breast pump, or one that can store everything and be used for travel, then you may want a portable breast pump.
Since this topic is so broad and in-depth, I have written an entire article dedicated to breast pumps. Click here to read this article. Or click the button below!
Breastmilk Storage Bags
If you are keeping your breastmilk from pumping or from the Milk Catchers, you will need to add breastmilk storage bags to your list of essentials for breastfeeding!
When I was nursing, these were on my list of breastfeeding essentials! The brand listed above were amazing. For a good price, I could get 100 bags, write the date and amount of milk on each bag and freeze it or store it in the fridge.
I would highly recommend these storage bags for any breastfeeding mother! They are wonderful.
What We Love About Them
- Easy to use
- Keep record of date pumped and amount stored
- Money efficient – Comes in a pack of 100 or more!
- Able to store in freezer or fridge
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Not reusable
Lanolin
What is Lanolin Nipple Cream? It is a natural oil derived from sheep whole that has healing properties for nipples. It is safe if baby ingests it and can be applied before and after nursing to help protect and heal cracked, bleeding nipples.
How do you use it? First, you apply a pea size amount to your nipples. Then you can nurse your baby. Afterwords, you can apply the lanolin again to help heal your nipples.
I used Lanolin a few days leading up to my delivery to help prepare my nipples for their first breastfeeding experience. It really helped that first latch not be super painful.
During the first week of nursing, I developed terrible cracked, bleeding nipples and I would use Lanolin to help heal them. It really was such a useful thing to have!
Any nursing mother should have Lanolin on her essentials for breastfeeding list!
What We Love About Them
- Safe for baby to ingest
- Helps protect nipples from soreness
- Replenishes the nipple skin
- Natural – made from an oil from sheep wool
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Honestly can’t think of much!
Nursing Pads
Ladies, add these puppies to your essentials for breastfeeding! Seriously, these Bamboobie reusable pads were my all time favorite nursing pads! They are made from bamboo and are super absorbent. Also, they have a built-in leak proof layer as well.
I found these Bamboobie pads way more absorbent and comfortable to wear at night or in the day than any other nursing pad. I also loved knowing that I was saving money using these reusable pads than the disposable ones.
P.S. Bamboobies also carry disposable bamboo nursing pads!
What We Love About Them
- Made from bamboo
- Super absorbant
- Has a leak-proof backing
- Reusable
- Financially fit – saves money
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Need to be sure to do laundry to have enough of these puppies on hand
The other type of nursing pad I really liked were the Lansinoh disposable nursing pads. These had sticky backs that stuck to my bra and helped keep them in one place.
These were great to have as I was just learning how to breastfeed. I loved how I could just throw them away when done and didn’t have to worry about doing laundry to have enough clean nursing pads.
What We Love About Them
- Disposable and easy to use
- Has sticky backing to help keep in one place
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Soaks through pretty fast
Burp Cloths
Burp cloths are definitely an breastfeeding essential! They can be used to clean up spit-up, keep your clothes dry while nursing, or something to lay the baby on. Some babies spit up a lot, but even for those babies that don’t, you still need and use burp cloths every single day.
What I like about the Burt’s Bees burp cloths is that they are extra absorbent and made from 100% organic material. They are also cute and come in a variety of colors or patterns to suit a baby boy or a baby girl.
What We Love About Them
- Come in packs of 5
- Super absorbant
- Made from 100% organic material
- Comes in a variety of colors for a baby girl or baby boy
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Honestly, not much!
Nipple Shield
A Word Of Caution
A word of caution right off the bat about nipple shields. They are wonderful, but it is easy for the baby to become dependent on them as they get milk easier from sucking on the shield than from you! So be sure to introduce the bare breast frequently to avoid refusing the breast.
My lactation consultant gave me a nipple shield to help breastfeed while allowing my bleeding nipples to heal. However, she did not warn me about my baby developing dependence on the shield! You could imagine my horror when a week later I couldn’t get my baby to latch onto my bare breast!
What Are Nipple Shields Used For?
A nipple shield offers protection to the cracked, bleeding nipple and allows it to heal while still offering breastmilk to the baby. They should definitely be put on your list of essentials for breastfeeding if you either struggle with sore nipples or are afraid of dealing with them.
Now, you STILL have to make sure the baby’s latch is on correctly. The shield does NOT offer “any latch will be a good latch” kind of deal. Your nipple will still feel pinched or uncomfortable if your baby doesn’t have a good latch with the shield.
Additionally, nipple shields come in various sizes, so keep that in mind when picking on out.
However, these are a good option for mothers who still desire to breastfeed while dealing with hurting nipples.
What We Love About Them
- Allows babies to breastfeed while also giving nipples time to heal
- Comes in various sizes to fit different nipple sizes
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Sometimes hard to keep in place
- Baby still needs to latch on correctly
Sanitizing Plug-in System
Breastfeeding supplies that touch you, your breastmilk or your baby should be sanitized at least once a week (or every day if you have a baby whose immune system is compromised in some way).
Sanitizing ensures that bacteria growth stays low and keeps your breastmilk and baby healthier.
Having a sanitizing system, like the electric sanitizer and dryer, is super convenient for mothers. The one listed below is well loved, can hold TONS of baby products to sanitize, and has a drying and deodorizing cycle!
You simply load up the items you want to sanitize, fill the machine with water, and start your cycle!
What We Love About Them
- Easy to use machine
- Weighs only 4 pounds
- BPA free
- Sanitizes with very hot steam for deep clean
- You can sterilize, dry and deoderize!
- Large interior. Can hold up to eleven baby bottles plus accessories!
- Any baby bottle size will fit inside!
- Can be used to sterilize other baby products like plastic toys and pacifiers!
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Be careful of the steam! It gets very hot! Don’t want anyone getting burned.
- Does not work with batteries. Needs to be plugged in.
- There’s no “cycle done” light or button that comes on. You’ll have to use sticky notes to remind yourself or your spouse that you started the machine.
- Although not a frequent complaint, some users have said this machine lasted them 2 years.
Sanitizing Microwavable Bags
Having microwavable bags on hand to sanitize your baby products can come in handy. If your dishwasher isn’t ready to run and you don’t feel like boiling your baby items, just pull out one of these bags, add water and stick it in the microwave!
These are great to have on hand for traveling! Most hotels have microwaves, so you can be sure your baby products get sanitized wherever you are.
What We Love About Them
- Each bag can be reused up to 20 times!
- Simple to use
- Quick
- Bags are BPA free
- Good for traveling
- Can be used for baby bottles, breast pump supplies, nipples, pacifiers and cups.
What We Don’t Love About Them
- Some moms may not like their parts coming out wet from the microwave as opposed to mostly dry as in the plug-in system
Leave A Comment!
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Want To Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about breastfeeding, check out these other related articles below!
The Breastfeeding Accelerator Course
Best Nursing Bras That Won’t Break The Bank
10 Tips To Overcome Exhaustion While Breastfeeding
How To Naturally Boost Your Milk Supply
Essential Oil For Breastfeeding