Essentials for Breastfeeding

My cousin recently had her second child, another girl just like us, and she is trying breasting feeding for the first time and that got me to thinking; I haven't talked about breast feeding.

Both times that I have breastfed, I dried up after three to four months.  I tried to have the milk supply stay, but I couldn't.  It was just gone.  Even though I wasn't able to feed that long, I still learned a lot.  Now I am passing some of that onto you!

There are some things that every breastfeeding mother should have, even more so if this is your first time.

These are my essentials to breastfeeding.

Nursing Bras.

These Lamaze nursing bras are what I used this last time with Raven.  They are lacy which means they are still sexy (sometimes you really don't feel sexy when you can't stop dripping milk) and they have an underwire, that is still comfortable, for support.  Buy several of these, about five or more.  I bought only two and they wore out too quickly for the time I breastfed.

Nipple Shields

After I couldn't breastfeed Evelyn anymore, I was told about these nipple shields so I made sure to get one the second time around.  The hospital gave me this one; the Medela nipple shield.  They told me to only use it for no more than two weeks but I used it for about two months.  Raven didn't get confused and it helped me so much.  The nipple shield is used on inverted nipples, cracked nipples and used for babies that have a hard time latching.  Breast feeding becomes more tolerable at the beginning when using a nipple shield.

Nipple Cream

Use this nipple cream.  Really.  Truly take the time and use it.  I was so tired when breastfeeding Evelyn that I would so often just skip over this and because of that my left nipple cracked and bled.  I know now that not having this and the nipple shield, together, was the reason I cracked because I made sure that I used the nipple cream and shield with Raven and I didn't have a problem at all with cracking.  This cream is safe for baby.  Just make sure there are no globs of it when you start feeding.

Nipple Wipes

These nipple wipes are nice to have near by when breast feeding because they clean you up without drying you out like a burp cloth would.  This could be a one time buy that you use only when you first start breast feeding.  You can also use these occasionally to wipe off extra nipple cream if you just put some on and the baby wants to eat again.  You could always use regular baby wipes also but I like the feel of these better as well as the results.

Breast Pads

I got these Loving Moments washable breast pads from Walmart and they have been my favorite.  I have used Medela washable breast pads, Lansinoh disposables, Ameda washable pads, Avent washable pads and a couple other disposable but can't remember which brands they were.  The Loving Moments have been my favorite because they are the softest from what I've tried as well as the thickest.  I don't like disposable because with the few I've tried, the milk dried on me and then when I open to breast feed, it pulls on my nipple and before I even start feeding, my nipple hurts already.

Breast Pump

The electric pump by Ameda, above, is what I have.  I didn't have it for Evelyn, just Raven.  I don't have all too much experience with pumps but a double electric was so helpful and I think helped me feed for an extra two weeks or so because of it.

This manual Medela Harmony is what I used with Evelyn and even though it worked very well, it tired me out even more trying to pump with it.  I gave up using it after a few weeks since it would also hurt my hands.

Milk Bags

These are the Ameda Store-N-Pour milk bags and they are so cool!  You attach the plastic adapters to the pump and you pump straight into the bags.  So awesome!!!  Easier to store and you save more milk that way.  When you have as hard a time as me getting milk out, you are grateful for every drop you can save.

Documenting

Something I didn't have with Evelyn was an iPad.  I'm not saying, at all, that you need a tablet or smartphone when breast feeding, but using an app to keep tabs on how everything is going is so much easier than trying to write it all down.  This is what I used.

The Similac Baby Journal can be found on the App Store and Google Play or you can find the link at the bottom of their website.  This app is for breast feeding, bottle feeding, to track sleeping and also track diapers.  I only used it to track feeding.  I wasn't ever too concerned about sleep or exiting.  Other apps like this can be found for free, just like this one is, by doing a simple search.

Regularly Eat Snacks and Stay Hydrated with Water

I want you to notice that I said water.  Drinking lots of juice or soda just doesn't do as well for your body as water does because of how much sugar they have.  Same as drinking electrolyte drinks.  Lots of sugar.  Milk is good to drink, but I know that sometimes, you can't because Baby has a sensitivity, or you have been.

Kind Bars are expensive but they are so good to eat and I notice a difference in myself after I've been regularly eating them.  I have more energy than I usually do and more than what I get from other bars I've tried.

Infuser water bottles are an easy way to change up your water.  Add strawberries or lime or even both to keep your self from getting bored.

A one touch open water bottle is great also if you're like me and don't like to add anything to your water.  One touch makes it much easier to use and since it has a straw you don't have to tilt your head back, which when it was my very first time breast feeding, any small movement ruined the latch.  I know now the latch wasn't right at the time but that's part of the learning process.

Protein snack bars, like these Nature Valley type, are a cheaper alternative to the Kind bars.  When you pick your snacks while breast feeding, try to find snacks that are packed with protein.  It helps keep your energy levels up and when you get them in forms like these they taste so good.

Milk Supply Pills

Mother Love is meant to help you keep your milk supply.  I'm not entirely sure how well these worked but I started to take them when my supply started to drop but I probably should've taken them from the time we first got home from the hospital.  My cousin, the pediatric cardiologist, suggested these and Walgreens was the only place in our little town that had them.  Even though I took them, I still lost my milk eventually but it looks as if that's just me.

Prenatal Vitamins with DHA

I wasn't the best at taking my prenatal multi after delivery but this is something that was important for me to take when breastfeeding.

Nature Made Prenatal with DHA is what I start to use when we first start trying to conceive and I use it all through the pregnancy.  I also try to use it after delivery.  DHA is important for brain development and why not make sure you have enough to give to your baby?  When you are pregnant, they baby takes from you what ever it needs even if it leaves you on empty.  When you breastfeed it doesn't work quite the same.  You need to make sure, as your baby's only food supply, to be as healthy as you can be and provide as much nutrition as you can to her.

Mom's Entertainment

You will be breastfeeding at all times of night and day so you will need entertainment of your own.  Books and Netflix were my go to.

Nursing Beads

These Sassy silicone teething/nursing beads are not something I did get to use specifically but having something for the baby to grip and entertain herself is important.  Baby will eat longer and get less distracted if something is right there in front of her.  I always wanted to get some like this but they can be expensive and in some places, not easy to find in stores.  You could always make your own like this woman did here.  I should have found that earlier.  Maybe I'll make one of those for myself!  Raven is still teething.

These are the Extras

Pillow

Now the Boppy isn't a necessity but to me was such a back saver.  If I didn't use the pillow at first, when they are so tiny, then I never was in the right position and would get tired faster.  This cover was the cover we used for Evelyn.  When we discovered Raven was going to be a girl, I took off this cover and set it aside to be put in a quilt for Evelyn.  We got a soft pink polky dot cover for Raven that will later go into her quilt just like Evelyn's.

Nursing Cover

This Udder Covers was one that I got for free, just paid shipping, which was over priced but over all I still paid less for it than ones this nice.  I only used it when at my parents, who are uncomfortable seeing me breastfeed, and if we were out shopping.

Breast Pump and Accessory Wipes

These are not necessary at all but it helps with quick clean up.  It's just nice for convince between sterilizing.  You could also just use your nipple wipes to do the same thing.  You could use baby wipes for this also but they would always leave fuzzy lint behind when I would do that.

As you may have noticed, I didn't list a rocker.  I tried that with Evelyn, having a specific spot in the house that I breastfeed, but I didn't like it.  Breastfeeding is about freedom and ease for baby and mom.  Making a one spot for me to feed just didn't make sense to me.  It may work for you but for us it didn't.

I hope this all helped you.  What did I leave out that you use?  Or what of this list do you not like to use?  Let me know, I like to know how other Moms do things!