Mommy's Favorite Things: My Breastfeeding Must Haves



Tuesday, November 18, 2014

My Breastfeeding Must Haves



I have been breastfeeding little man for 10 months now and I have to say, although I wanted to make it this far, I never thought we actually would. Liam had a lip and tongue tie and we had an incredibly painful latch for 2 months before he got those corrected and clipped. Immediately after it was relief. I'm so glad I stuck it out those 2 months but there were MANY times I just wanted to quit. But I'm so happy and glad I didn't.

There's been quite a bit of trial and error with what products work the best (for me) so I wanted to compile my list below and help any other new or soon to be mothers who are or wish to breastfeed their babies!

Let me know what you think below!



Bravado Nursing Bras
I have tried many nursing bras and the Bravado is most definitely my favorite. They have a few different styles, but the Body Silk Seamless is hands down my favorite. They are so comfortable you can't even tell you're wearing one, and they also come with an adapter kit to make it a standard bra once you're done nursing as well. Plus they come in GORGEOUS colors!

About $45

Undercover Mama Nursing Tanks
These are so awesome!!! I love having a tank on under my regular shirt so nothing gets shown, but it also helps me stay warm. I have worn one every single day for the past 10 months. I only own 3. They are holding up so well and are in fantastic shape and are so worth the price for their longevity. And I can definitely see myself wearing these even after I'm done nursing. They have 2 types of attachment which works for nursing and non nursing bras. They come in about 14 different colors.

About $25

Honeysuckle Storage Bags
I have tried most of the popular brands of breastmilk storage bags and honeysuckle are definitely my favorite. AND my donor mama's favorite as well.
You see as well as nursing my own little man, I've been lucky enough to donate over 1100 ounces (and counting) of milk to one very special mama. These are our favorite bags, they don't burst or leak and they freeze pretty flat. They are worth the bit of extra money I believe.

$10 for 50 bags

Medela Lanolin
Between Lansinoh and Medela, Medela has been my fave. It glides on smoother, has a milder scent and seems to get the job done better for me. Either way they're hard to squeeze out of the tube, but I found this one to be easier. Make sure to store them in a warm area. When I had one in my cold bathroom through the winter it was hard and wouldn't come out. So keeping it in my nightstand drawer seemed to help a bit.

About $9 for 2oz (which goes a LONG way)

OR you can make your own Nipple Cream with my recipe here (I like it just as well as Medela)

Camelbak Water Bottle
Although not specifically for nursing, this is my favorite water bottle ever. It's helping me get in my daily requirement of water (most days), but it's spill proof and doesn't need to be tipped to drink. You bite the spout and sip like a straw. I like it because nobody else in the house can figure it out, so my drinks aren't magically disappearing!

24 ounce is about $11. 33 ounce is harder to find but it's around $15

Ameda Purely Yours Ultra Pump
Although I had originally planned on just feeding little man, I knew I'd want a pump to have a small storage in the freezer, but the Ameda Purely Yours was so awesome it allowed me to donate as well as have a stash. Even now at 10 months post partum I can easily get 6-7 ounces on one side in the morning!! I have been so blessed by this pump and it's been amazing for me. So although a bit on the higher end of pumps, it comes with bottles, storage bag for the bottles as well as a full storage bag and everything else you may need. But they do have smaller versions as well like the carry all for $149

This one is on sale for $159.99 from $300.

Chicco NaturalFit Bottles
For when I need to use bottles, these are definitely my go to. They have some awesome nipples that are great for babies and they have been perfect. With only the 2 main parts they are easy to clean, baby can switch well between these and breast too!

The gift kit is $30 and comes with 4 bottles of different stages and 2 pacifiers as well as an extra nipple. You can also buy the bottles individually for about $9 each.

EDIT
I'm editing this to add Bamboobies Nursing Pads
These pads are the perfect ones. They are super thin, the heart shape makes them form to your breast without showing through shirts and they are incredibly absorbent. I used these every day for 4 months and then didn't need them anymore. That's why I forgot them in the original post!
I love them though!!

$14.99 for 2 pair.

So there you have it!! My must have list! 

Have you tried any of these items? Are you excited to try any one in particular?


8 comments:


Amy Orvin said...

I don't have children, so I am not familiar with all the breast feeding products out there. The tanks look nice.


Unknown said...

I like nursing tanks also. They help support you as well!


Denise C said...

I wish I'd had this list when I was breastfeeding. I had such a hard time finding nursing bras that I liked.


Debi Gerhart said...

A great pump made all the difference for me.


Kisa Johnson said...

I wish I could have afforded a good pump. I never managed to successfully breastfeed no matter how hard I tried. Had some very bad experience with lactation consultants too. *sigh*


Unknown said...

I like that you include a camelbak cause staying hydrated is very important.


First Time Mom and Losing It said...

That is a great list. I love the nursing tanks.

Michelle F.


Michelle Bowman said...

I'm personally a bigger fan of Medela pumps, but that's b/c the flanges fit in the hands free pump tops better than the Ameda. But when it comes to hospital grade pumps? I think the Ameda Platinum works better.