As a follow up of my breastfeeding journey post, I thought I would share my list of vitals for breastfeeding. Before I had children I never knew half of these products even existed, nor how important they would be to breastfeeding.
1) Nipple Shield – For me this is vital. I think I will be taking one with me to the hospital when I have another child, as I never plan on breastfeeding without one ever again. A nipple shield is what helped me bear through breastfeeding Drake for the 3 months that I breastfed him before I moved on to pumping. For Juliet, I think the reason we were able to push through and make it breastfeeding is because of the shield. While the shield doesn’t take away all the pain, at least not at first, it certainly takes away some of it and any less pain in such a sensitive area is worth it in my book.
2) Boppy – I love my Boppy. I like that I can lay Juliet on something that will keep her close to me and still raised up to feed. I like that it fits around me so I can easily lift it up and move it with me as I now have a toddler to supervise too, and sometimes this requires me to feed on the go. I like that when I’m done feeding, I can place Juliet in it and it holds her up nicely where she can still see and look around. I like that I can use it for tummy time to help her learn to support her head more. I like that when I’m tired and she wont sleep, I can use it as a pillow for me as I lay her on my chest. All in all I think it’s wonderful and I can’t imagine breastfeeding without it.
3) Phone App – I downloaded a phone app to help me keep track of how long Juliet feeds and also which side, as I found that in the middle of the night I am too bleary eyed and tired to remember these things or write them down. I like having a log of this information, especially when she was losing weight, so I can show the doctor if needed. I also like being sure that I’m alternating sides after each feed so that both sides have a good supply.
4) Burp Cloths – I leak a lot so burp cloths help save me from getting drenched. I place one under my shirt on the side she isn’t feeding off to stem the flow so I don’t have to change my shirt every time she eats. Also they are handy for cleaning up the milk that dribbles out of her mouth or when she spits up after being burped.
5) Lansinoh – When I was at the hospital with Juliet, the nurse provided me with some samples of this cream to help repair the damage Juliet inflicted on me. I used it religiously after every feeding on both nipples, even the side she didn’t feed. I think it helped a lot in repairing the damage, as well as possibly toughening up everything as I currently don’t use it anymore and now the feedings don’t hurt either. I still have some stocked up in case anything changes, but this might have been the difference between why the pain stopped this time and didn’t with Drake. Next time I also plan on using this right away.
These are my essentials and every time I feed I have these close at hand to use.
In addition to those items, these are a few other things I like to have around. They are nice to have, but not needed for every feed.
1) Breast pump I am breastfeeding for the most part, but there have been a few times when I woke up in the middle of the night so engorged only to see Juliet fast asleep in her bassinet with no signs of waking up. Because of this I always have my breast pump handy so if she does sleep longer and I need to release some milk, I can without having to worry about waking up the baby. Also once in a while she will only eat for a short time before falling asleep again or only on one side and I feel like I need to release more milk to be comfortable, so a pump is always nice to have in those moments too. I think eventually I might want to pump at least once a day so that Mr. Chocolate can bottle feed her once a day to give me a break and also allow them to bond a little too.
2) Nursing Cover – I haven’t ventured out much yet and we haven’t had a ton of visitors either, but once in a while I do nurse in the backyard when Drake is playing outside. While we have a fence and it is my own backyard, I still feel funny about just sitting outside without any cover so in those times a nursing cover is perfect. If anything, it also helps keep the bugs away from Juliet’s face and helps her get used to the cover. I’m sure as Juliet gets older and we go out more this will come in handy.
3) Swaddles – I prefer feeding when baby is nice and swaddled. It keeps roving hands out of the way which can scratch me or knock baby off of my breast. It also keeps them nice and cozy, so I feel as they get fuller it helps them to drift off to sleep easier. It’s also nice since once they do fall asleep they are already swaddled, so I can place them down for bed quickly and easily and go back to sleep quicker myself. I prefer the Aden and Anais ones personally.
4) Mittens – If Juliet isn’t swaddled when it’s time to eat, I put mittens on her hands as she has scratched me several times when feeding and her nails are super sharp even after I file them down. I like these as they have velcro to make sure they stay on. I had another set that wasn’t velcro, and she would have them off within seconds sometimes, and it was too frustrating for both of us to constantly try placing them on only to have her fling them off so quickly.
What were some of your breastfeeding essentials?
Breastfeeding Essentials part 1 of 2
1. Breastfeeding Essentials by Mrs. Chocolate2. Breastfeeding - Our Essentials by Mrs. Deer
cherry / 141 posts
boppy and phone app were definitely top on my list in the early months of breastfeeding too. I stopped using the boppy after about 6 months I think. I stopped using lanolin the first week and I’m glad I never bought any…I used breastmilk instead. You can see my list here: http://foxesinthegraveyard.blogspot.com/2013/02/nursing-essential-guide.html
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
@kellyrae: Oooh I love your list. I love the idea of the button down shirt and cardigans!
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hi there … read your email and thought, breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt!! Can you find a lactation consultant to see whether there’s a problem with baby’s latch? Often when it’s very painful the baby could have a lip tie or tongue tie – worth googling – often this goes undiagnosed and when treated there’s no more pain for the nursing mother – improving the whole experience for mum & baby. For any other b’feeding mothers out there I’d also recommend the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International – a good reference book for any problems you hit along the way.
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A mom, a baby, whole foods, a water bottle, and somewhere to sit with maybe an extra pillow. But now, with something like 5 years of nursing (two kids) under my, uh, shirt, well all we need now are the people, food and water.
Don’t forget the snacks.
blogger / persimmon / 1231 posts
Great list! My babe is 7 months and we are still using the nipple shields… Would not have made it this far without them! Having an app for keeping stats is handy, but I think having a smart phone in general is great with breastfeeding. I still love on her and enjoy our bonding time together, but when breastfeeding sessions were super long and painful it was sure a nice distraction to be able to peruse Facebook or Pinterest
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
@Sparks: Oh yes I agree it is nice to have something to entertain you when your just sitting around.
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Love the mittens idea, my little girl scratches me all the time too!
cherry / 110 posts
Yay! Who would have ever thought you’d do a fun post on breastfeeding? Glad to hear it is going well.
grapefruit / 4923 posts
i was obsessed with my babyconnect app to time our feedings because of all our feeding issues–it was so liberating, about 4 months later, to finally stop timing each session. but it was vital in those early months, as it helped me gauge whether LO was getting enough milk.
pomegranate / 3414 posts
I still use the boppy at 10months, plus my breastpump since I work full time.
clementine / 750 posts
My Brestfriend Pillow — It was great especially for the first 4 to5 months.
If you’re pumping at work the a Hands Free Brea is a must — I like the simple wishes one.
Water Bottle — with straw
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Lily Padz – silicone nursing pads that prevented leaks. Best thing ever!
apricot / 347 posts
I LOVED this post – thank you so much. I’m due with my first baby in Nov and feeling sooo anxious about breastfeeding – I thought your breastfeeding journey post was so brave and honest and I love these tips to make a difficult experience more bearable.
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For the love of all the new breastfeeding Mommies! Please remove the nipple shield as a must have on your list! They should never be instituted by ones self, they should be given out by a lactation specialist or other, equally qualified healthcare provider. Babies who use shields need to be monitored for weight and other things multiple times a WEEK! And let’s not get started on trying to wean your LO off a shield as they are for temporary relief of very specific problems, not meant to be long term solutions. Nor are they for the problems that can be worked out by learning a proper latch, temporary discomfort until you loose nipple sensitivity, etc. they can do more harm than good, especially if used improperly.
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
@Catherine: Thank you for your input but as this is my own personal list based on my own opinions and experiences for me at least a nipple shield is vital and necessary. I started with one on day five with my son day one with my daughter and we never weaned off of one for as long as I was actually breastfeeding. For some people, myself included it is not a temporary thing rather a necessity to be able to breastfeed