A Savvy Mom

You need gear to breastfeed. I mean you really don’t … the boob is the thing … but the accessories make it easier to get through the day (at first) and establish a great breastfeeding relationship with your baby. If you are a pumping mom, or if you want to stay dry while breastfeeding, or if you want the most comfortable position, you need some breastfeeding gear. I’m here to report on my absolute favorite supplies. Put these on your registry or your wish list on Amazon. These will help you out immensely!

1. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

I know the Boppy is the in thing to have these days. I didn’t know that there was an alternative to the Boppy when I first created my registry. So now I have both a Boppy and a My Brest Friend. I actually like the My Brest Friend so much more than the Boppy that I have it downstairs on our sofa, which is where I spend the majority of my time feeding Sam. The Boppy is upstairs in the nursery, and in our bedroom (where Sam still sleeps), I use the side-lying position (learn this RIGHT AWAY, new moms … it means sleep for you and your baby and whoever else sleeps in your room!). I like the My Brest Friend best of all because the surface where the baby lies is wider and flatter than on the Boppy. It also buckles around your waist so that it doesn’t shift and slip forward while you are feeding a squirmy little one. For those who have twins, the My Brest Friend is particularly recommended! I’ve even seen Michelle Duggar walking around with two babies attached to her and chilling out on the My Brest Friend. I can’t carry Sam like this because he’s too big … but you sure could with a smaller little one! You can find these used on eBay or Craigslist. (Mine is on loan from a friend.)

2. Milkies the Milk Saver!

Milkies collects your milk while you nurse!

I wish I’d purchased my Milkies before Sam was born. I would have been able to store a ton of milk over the past three months. This piece of equipment is pure brilliance. It is designed around one of the physiological oddities of nursing — when you nurse from one breast, milk comes into the other and leaks, usually onto your shirt or a nursing pad. That milk is usually lost forever. Milkies remedies that sad situation — it slips into your bra and onto the breast you are not nursing from, and it collects the milk. You can then pour it into a container to refrigerate or freeze — over the course of a day, I can collect about two ounces this way. For Sam, that’s about 1/3 of a feeding at this point. Over three or four days, I can collect enough to give to Eric or my parents to go out on my own and have some valuable me time. It’s brilliant! No pumping involved. If you are going back to work, it is a crime not to have one of these. You can start freezing milk almost right away — and in this way, you can provide for your little one longer without having to switch to formula. Great idea, great product. Put it on your registry right away!

3. Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump

Manual Breast Pump -- It's all you really need!

So far, this is all I have really used. I haven’t had luck with my inherited electric pump — it doesn’t get enough suction and doesn’t seem to fit me properly. The soft cup on this breast pump is very comfortable, and it works really well. The fact that it is manual also allows me to customize how quickly I can pump. As for the double action, I just put the Milkies on one breast and pump from the other. This has been all I’ve needed in the past three months — and especially for a mom staying home, this is all you will need altogether. I promise. I know you feel like you NEED an electric pump, but trust me, you do not. This will get just as much in just as short a time, but it will indeed take up one of your hands. For work, you might want to invest in a good electric pump, but I haven’t needed one yet. I’m even going to try this as my main work pump — we’ll see how it goes. You can’t beat this for price or for quality. It rules. (By the way, new moms, don’t expect to be able to pump a lot when you are nursing your babe. Sam drains me at every feeding, and I cannot get the pump to work between feedings. It will take time for this method to work, or you’ll need to pump at night after the babe goes to sleep for a few hours and your milk comes in a bit better. A pump is best for when you skip feedings and want to relieve engorgement — like when you return to work.)

4. Milk Diapers Cloth Nursing Pads

Milk Diapers -- Soft and comfortable!

I LOVE these nursing pads. I have the four layer and five layer variety, all ordered from For Mom and Keiki (an online store based in Virginia — the owner provides free shipping on everything!). After using Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads (absolutely the best disposable pads), I got sick of how uncomfortable the disposable feel is. They scratched my skin, sensitive from thrush, and felt sticky all the time. They also got caught in my washing machine more than once and got the paper and SAP all over everything. Ugh. Cloth pads are much much softer, and these in particular are the best! I love that they are contoured too, and don’t show through clothes as much as some cloth pads.

5. Majamas Chloe Top

Majamas Nursing Top

This is the very best nursing top I have — you can simply lift the band of the shirt to breastfeed. I am super all for breastfeeding in public, but I like to balance being discreet in certain situations. I think this is a very attractive, slimming top that accomplishes ease of breastfeeding as well as discretion. And it’s not the samey samey v-neck cut of a lot of nursing tops — in fact, it doesn’t really look like a nursing top at all. I love it. In my estimation, you only need a few nursing tops for going out. The rest of the time, you can lift up your normal shirts or use your stretchy maternity wear for nursing at home. For going out, I have three nursing tops. This is by far the best! I snagged it on a Black Friday sale — look out for deals on diapers.com. Gotta love deals!

6. A Pea in the Pod Nursing Bra

Soft Cup Nursing Bra

I haven’t strayed from my original love of A Pea in the Pod nursing bras. Yes, they are expensive. And yes, they are absolutely worth it. My craptastic Medela sleep bra conked out after repeated washings — like it ripped apart and the elastic came out. That’s what you get for $9.99. (For sleep, by the way, a friend recommended the Majamas Easy Bra … it is the bomb diggity for chillin at home!) This bra, though pricey, is super comfortable, supportive, attractive, and nicely padded to hide nursing pads. I love it! Get one!

Of course, everyone finds their favorites, but these are just some of mine. Hope this helps you in your breastfeeding relationship!