Breastfeeding and Pumping Essentials for New Moms

All the breastfeeding and pumping items you will actually use for feeding your baby.

Breastfeeding is a full time job! You might thing you don’t need much, just yourself and your baby. While that is true to some extent, there are a few things you can stock up on to make your life easier.

Breastfeeding can be difficult at first. You and your new baby are learning a completely new skill together. I have breastfed two babies and I remember each experience feeling exciting, nerve wracking and a bit confusing at times.

Even though it can be challenging, it can also be so rewarding! I loved breastfeeding for so many different reasons.

The things in this list are things that I have personally used and loved. The items on this list will help you with establishing breastfeeding, relieve you of any initial pain, and offer comfort for you and your baby through long nights (and days) of feeding. They will really set you up for success!

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RELATED: 10 WAYS TO SOOTHE YOUR BABY’S REFLUX

1. Silverette Nipple Cups

This is the number one item I wish I had gotten with my first breastfed baby, but saved me with my second. If there is only one thing you get to make your breastfeeding journey successful let it be these!

Silverette nipple cups are shields that go over your nipples between breastfeeding sessions. They are made of sterling silver, which is naturally antifungal and antibacterial, and has anti-inflammatory properties. The company recommends you put a little bit of breastmilk in the shield and then put it over your nipples.

Silverettes help heal and protect you while you learn to breastfeed (yes, breastfeeding, although natural, is a learning experience for both you and your baby!). Breastfeeding can sometimes be a little painful at first while your baby learns to latch properly, so these come in handy to heal you quick and help the pain. No nipple creams needed!

2. Haakaa

If you have are pregnant or have a baby you have probably heard of a haakaa. They are a pretty popular company that makes an amazing product. It is a hands-free pump that you put on the side you are not breastfeeding on to catch extra letdown while your baby is feeding on the opposite side.

I built up a great freezer stash this way without even actually pumping! It is a great way to save time and make sure you are not wasting any precious breastmilk.

3. Hands-free Pump

Hands-free pumps are absolute lifesavers for busy, multi-tasking moms (so basically every mom ever).

I really liked the Momcozy hands free pump. It has a bunch of different levels to choose from to best suit you and your body. It has different flange sizes and I would definitely recommend using a measuring guide for flange size so you have the right size for your pump. It can make all the difference for how well the breast pump works for you.

4. Travel Manual Pump

Although electric and hands-free pumps are amazing, a lot of women respond better to manual pumps. You can control the pressure and speed yourself.

I personally loved my Philips Avent Manual Pump, as I tended to get more milk faster using it, even though I only used it on one side at a time. Sometimes I would even use it on one side while breastfeeding my baby on the other. It didn’t make much sound so it didn’t bother my baby to use.

It was also a great option for traveling with, since it is smaller and easier to pack than an electric pump.

5. Nursing Pillow

Nursing pillows are great for holding your baby in place while you breastfeed and giving you support. Proper support while you feed your baby can really help with getting a proper latch.

It can also help with posture and arm pain. Babies get heavy after holding them for so long while feeding!

6. Nipple Cream

Now if you get the Silverette nipple cups you probably will not need this, but it’s always good to have just in case. I LOVE the Lansinoh brand. It is probably the most popular and I found it worked so well to help with nipple cracks and pain.

7. Breast pads

Some women don’t leak but a lot do, especially as your milk supply is establishing. It’s common to have so much milk you are bursting in the first few weeks. That’s when breast pads come in handy! You just stick them in your bra and replace as needed.

You can get reusable breast pads or disposable ones, it just depends on preference.

8. Nursing Bras

Nursing bras are great because they have little clips at the top of each side for you to take one side down at a time. They’re great for being discreet and not having to fiddle around with a regular bra.

They just make your life easier! And what mom wouldn’t be happy about that!?

9. Lactation Cookies and Teas

These are particularly helpful if you have some issues with milk supply, or even just to maintain a good supply.

I loved grabbing these cookies for a quick snack or sweet tooth craving. When you are breastfeeding you are often more hungry than usual, so you might as well grab a snack that will help you with your milk supply. These cookies have oats, brewer’s yeast powder and flax, which are all naturally great for boosting milk supply!

Organic Mother’s Milk Tea is great as well! It has no caffeine and uses herbs that are traditionally used to improve milk supply.

There are a few foods that can naturally help with supply also. These include:

• Oatmeal
• Protein-rich foods like chicken, eggs and low-mercury fish
• Brewer’s yeast
• Barley

10. Touch Lamp Night Light

I loved having one of these for middle of the nights feeds. An awesome one is the Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine and Night Light. It has different light settings, you can use it as a sound machine for your baby, and it links to your phone.

I also love it because as your baby turns into a toddler you can set it to turn different colors at different times, for a built in time-to-rise or time-for-bed clock light.

I recommend setting the color to red so that it does not disturb you or your baby’s natural circadian rhythm and melatonin production, making it easier for you both to go back to sleep.

If you click the link there are tons of different versions of color changing lights for nurseries to choose from.

11. Breast Freezer Packs

These are absolute lifesavers when you are feeling engorged and swollen. They really helped with comfort when I was weaning my babies.

These Lansinoh ones are my favorite because they are meant specifically for breastfeeding mamas, so they fit around you perfectly. You can also heat them to use them as heating pads. This would be helpful to loosen up clogged ducts and increase milk flow.

12. Breast Massager

This breast massager is amazing for clogged ducts or a slow letdown. It helps to get the milk flowing to unclog ducts or get your letdown moving, especially if you have an impatient baby or are still working on proper latches.

13. Sunflower Lecithin

Sunflower lecithin is a supplement that makes breastmilk thinner, smoother, and less sticky. You can get it in powder form, gummy form, as a pill or even a liquid.

Many women use it when they get recurring clogged ducts or are having particular difficulty getting one out. It is useful to prevent clogged ducts as well, especially if you are someone who gets them often, as clogged ducts can lead to mastitis.

Last notes on breastfeeding

While breastfeeding is natural, that does not mean it will always come naturally right away! No matter how your breastfeeding journey goes, whether you decide to supplement or cut your journey short all together, if your baby is fed you are doing great!

The only breastfeeding and pumping essentials all new moms will actually need.