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The World Health Organization recommends that women exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6-months of their life, but breastfeeding can be really tough and you will likely face situations that will make you want to give up.
That’s why I’ve put together a list of items that will ease your breastfeeding journey. Some of these I came across by chance, but wish I’d known about before even giving birth! So here goes:
1. Nursing cover
Before having children, I was terrified by the idea of breastfeeding in public. I thought I’d never have the courage to do it. I knew breastfeeding was what was best for babies though, so I still wanted to give it a try once I’d have children of my own.
After giving birth, breastfeeding actually felt like a very natural thing to do, but it still felt awkward to do it in front of other people. Luckily within my first week of being a mom, one of the midwives told me about an awesome nursing cover from mamastore.ch
This cover has a simple yet very ingenious system built in that keeps you covered up entirely while allowing you to still see your baby while feeding. The strengthened neckline at the top of the cover allows the air to flow through so that your baby gets enough oxygen and is not overheating (like it might be if you try to use a regular blanket as a nursing cover). It also means you can maintain eye-contact with your baby without anyone else being able to see.
The nursing cover comes in various prints and colors, and also includes a small pouch in which you can store the cover and even a few other on-the-go items if needed. It’s very compact when folded, so easily fits in a handbag or diaper bag.
2. Nursing pads
One of the joys (not so much…) of breastfeeding is that your breasts can start leaking at the most random moments – perhaps because you heard a baby crying, perhaps because your breasts are too full or maybe just because something accidentally brushed against you.
Either way, the result is that your bra and shirt will likely get soaked if you don’t have some nursing pads in place. For the first few days it can be handy to use disposable nursing pads as your body is still figuring out the right amount of milk it needs to produce and you may need pads with a slightly higher absorbency.
After those initial days or weeks, I recommend to quickly switch to reusable washable nursing pads (for the sake of the environment mostly!). There are many options out there, such as the Philips Avent nursing pads. They even come with a small laundry bag and can be put in the washing machine as well as in the dryer.
3. Silverette Nursing Cups
Many women are not aware of the existence of this product, but especially for the first couple of weeks, this item is a life saver and a good way to ensure you don’t give up on breastfeeding due to painful nipples. The Silverettes are small nipple shields made of pure silver. Why silver? Because it has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
The Silverettes are very easy to use: just add a drop of breast milk in them and place them on your nipples in between feeds. As breast milk has healing properties, these little nursing cups will do miracles for sore or cracked nipples. You don’t even need to use any lotions or other products in combination with these cups.
You should wash them daily with warm water and can also clean them with a bit of baking soda and a drop of water to keep them shiny. As they are made of pure silver, they do not loose their efficacy over time, which means you can re-use them for several babies.
Practical tip: even if you will probably only use these for a couple of weeks at most, they are well worth the investment and I recommend you get them before giving birth so that you can use them from day 1. If you find them a bit pricey, perhaps you can also borrow them from a friend or buy them second hand.
4. Electric breast pump
If you are planning to breastfeed your baby, it’s worth investing in a breast pump. Sooner or later you will end up using it: perhaps because you want to enjoy a night out, go on a short trip without the little one, start building a reserve of breast milk for when you need to go back to work or even just to ease the pressure in case your milk supply exceeds your baby’s appetite.
I recommend getting the Philips Avent Easy Comfort electric breast pump: it has various settings and speeds, is relatively quiet and best of all, is very compact so you can easily take it with you when you travel.
5. Breast milk storage bags
If you are planning to build up a breast milk reserve in your fridge or freezer, then I recommend getting these Medela breast milk storage bags.
They are very practical: totally flat so easy for transportation, they have a good closing mechanism (never had any leaks!), a small area to write key information (name, quantity, date – make sure to always note this down so that you know how long the milk has been stored and whether you can still use it) and sufficient capacity.
They’re also perfect for storing in your freezer as they don’t take up too much space and the thin texture of the bag means that you can easily heat the milk to the right temperature by simply placing it in a bowl with warm water.
6. Nursing bra
An absolute must-have in your wardrobe. It might seem obvious, but you need to ensure quick and easy breast access in order to make breastfeeding a piece of cake! So get yourself some nice breastfeeding-friendly bras and make sure you have at least one with you before giving birth as it will come in handy as of day 1.
7. Nursing tops
If you are going to breastfeed on the go, make sure you get some nursing tops to always have easy access to your breasts without having to undress. There are lots of different options out there, but some brands I recommend for affordable yet qualitative and practical nursing clothes are: Envie de Fraise, H&M and Mamalicious.
Practical tip: get nursing tops with stripes or with a pattern on them – they are great at camouflaging milk stains (mono-colored tops don’t have this advantage), which will come in handy when you’re breastfeeding on the go and don’t have an extra top with you.
8. Swaddles / burp cloths
Always handy to have with you, swaddles are a must-have item. They are so versatile and can be used for many purposes such as: burp cloth, nursing cover, changing table cover, swaddling blanket, playing blanket, shade blanket, bib and as a regular blanket just to name a few.
I highly recommend the Aden + Anais classic muslin swaddles (get several!). They are lightweight so easy to pack, they exist in various sizes and designs, they are easily washable and can also go in the dryer. Young babies often spit up when they burp after breastfeeding, so it’s good to always have a swaddle near you to protect your and the baby’s clothes.
9. Nursing app
I always breastfed on demand and never stuck to a strict feeding schedule, but I still found it very useful to download a nursing app on my phone that would help me keep track of things. There are many apps available and I haven’t tried them all, but I’m pleased with The Best Baby Tracker, which is free and easy to use.
This nursing app also allows you to keep track of other information such as diaper changes, bath time, weight, height and sleep time. Time flies when you’re on maternity leave and I found it hard to remember exactly how long ago I fed my baby and which breast was emptied last, so having an app that can keep track of such information for you truly takes a load off your mind.
10. A Bottle of water
You should always have a bottle of water nearby when you are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding will make you incredibly thirsty and you should drink a lot of water as it has a direct impact on your milk supply. Think of it as water going in, milk coming out!
What items have you tried out? Any other ones that made a huge difference to your breastfeeding journey?
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