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I had my fourth child this past December and found myself again, for the fourth time, looking up lists of breastfeeding essentials. There are always new breastfeeding products on the market or products that we just haven’t heard of. But, let’s face it! All you really NEED to successfully breastfeed are your breasts! But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it in comfort or style. Here’s a list of things I have found very useful for breastfeeding.
1. Boppy Pillow
The Boppy Pillowis my absolute favorite item for breastfeeding. Learning how to breastfeed can be very straining on your muscles. When I breastfed my first child I found myself hunched over to feed my baby, instead of bringing him closer to me, and that caused a lot of neck and back pain. My arms would also ache because he would nurse for an hour at a time. With the Boppy Pillow, you have extra support. You can still hold your baby in your arms without having aching arms because you will have extra support. And with that extra support, you won’t hunch over and strain your neck and back. Also, when you’re not breastfeeding this comes in great hand when working on tummy time! (I even use it as a neck pillow, but we will keep that between us.)
2. Haakaa
The Haakaa breast pumpis one of the greatest new breastfeeding inventions. It is perfect for breastfeeding moms who just want to start an “in case of an emergency” milk stash! Or moms who leak a lot during letdown, like myself, and don’t want to waste the milk or get it all over EV-ER-Y-THING. You just suction the pump to your breast and take it off when it’s full or when you’re ready. I know some moms who respond to the Haakaa better than an electric pump and have built their whole milk stash by just using this!
3. Washable Nursing Pads
Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads are THE most comfortable nursing pads! When I was using disposable nursing pads, I had to go through SO MANY different brands before I found the right brand. Us moms with skin sensitivities have to watch out what we put on our skin. All but one brand of disposable pads made me itch like crazy! And the ones that didn’t make me itch, leaked really bad. >insert eye roll< Another plus to washable nursing pads is that you don’t have to worry about running to the store when you run out. You can just hand wash or throw them in the wash with your clothes, throw them in the dryer or air dry, then stuff them in your bra.
4. Nursing Cover
I personally don’t use a nursing cover, but if I did I would use the Nursing Cover Scarf. Not only can you use this as a nursing over, but you can also use it as an infinity scarf AND car seat cover. That’s THREE different uses! And I am ALL about multi-use items! Plus, it’s super cute!
5. Nipple Butter
Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter is by FAR one of the BEST nipple creams. Not only does it help sore, dry, and cracked nipples, it’s also good for cradle cap, dry skin, and rashes. Earth mama Angel Baby nipple butter is also non-GMO, gluten free, lanolin free, and vegan. You can apply this before and/or after breastfeeding, as it is safe for baby to consume.
6. Nursing Necklace
If you have a baby like mine, you deal with a lot of pinching, grabbing, scratching, and hair pulling. Sometimes when babies nurse they get bored or they’re beating up your breasts to help encourage letdown. As important as that is, sometimes it’s very painful! Having a nursing necklace really helps with keeping your sweet little babe occupied. This necklacealso doubles as a teething necklace! So awesome!!
I hope this checklist helps you while starting your breastfeeding journey! If you’re having trouble with breastfeeding, join a breastfeeding support group on Facebook to troubleshoot your problems and contact your local lactation consultant to get hands on help. There are so many resources out there to set yourself up for SUCCESS.
What are your favorite breastfeeding products?
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