Throughout my breastfeeding journey, I’ve learned that there are a lot of products that are complete life-savers! There’s also a ton of products that I found completely pointless, but I will cover that at another time. I’m going to be talking about my Top 10 Breastfeeding Products, and how they have helped me.
Breastfeeding is hard enough, and just starting out as a new mom – I had no idea what to do. I knew I wanted to breastfeed- but I was seriously lost when my daughter made her appearance. Literally had no idea how a breast pump even worked. Don’t come at me! We have it all figured out now- after a year.
I will go ahead and link where to find these products at the bottom of this post!
**This post does include affiliate links. If any items are purchased through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!**
My Breastfeeding Must-Haves
Here are my top 10 breastfeeding products that I couldn’t/can’t live without. I’m still breastfeeding, so a lot of these products I still use daily.
1. Breastfeeding Pillow
I knew I needed a breastfeeding pillow, because everyone has one when they are breastfeeding. At least the people in my life always had one. Yes, you could just pile up a couple of pillows, but these pillows were specifically designed for this purpose. So, why not try them?
This was honestly the only breastfeeding pillow I knew about. I will say, it was a bit of a challenge for me in the beginning. It could’ve been me – being so inexperienced – but I found this product very useful as my daughter got a little bigger. I had issues positioning my baby in the beginning and could only feed her in the “football” position. Once I could hold her in the cradle position, the boppy was a winner! Plus, my baby girl to lounge on it.
This pillow was given to me as a gift from my sister-in-law. I had no idea this thing even existed! All I have to say is— you need one in your life! Since I had issues with the boppy pillow when my tiny human was fresh out of the oven, this pillow saved my life. It was much more comfortable around me when I was breastfeeding in the “football” position. This breastfeeding pillow has a strap that can click around you to make sure this thing doesn’t move. It also has a pocket!! Game-changer when pockets are involved.
2. Get Yourself a Breast Pump
Pumping isn’t really necessary if you are wanting to exclusively nurse. But if you are like me and need/want to boost your supply- bring on the breast pumps! Insurance will usually cover the cost of the pump or at least a portion of it. So make sure you check with yours if you haven’t already!
Manual Breast Pump
- Haakaa
This is a manual pump that is so simple to use! All you need to do is squeeze the bottom and let the suction do the work! The haakaa is great if you are not wanting to use an electric pump. I like to use mine every now in then in the shower, when I’m nursing on one side – and I will put the pump on the other side, or to get a pesky clog out!
Electric Breast Pump
- Motif Luna
I stated earlier in this post that I had no clue what to do when it came to pumping. Thankfully I chose the Motif Luna pump for my insurance to cover. This is the most comfortable and quiet pump- in my opinion! It took no time at all for me to figure this pump out, and I found my setting pretty quickly. I still use this pump when I first get up in the morning, and for the last pump session of the night. It collects the most milk and I honestly forget that I’m even milking myself sometimes.
When it comes to being mobile while pumping, Willow is the way to go!
Only a couple months into my breastfeeding journey, I started to get overwhelmed with trying to get a schedule down for me and my baby. She was the “you can’t ever put me down” baby. I had to constantly hold her. This made pumping really difficult in the beginning. Especially since I only had a nursing bra, and hadn’t invested in a pumping bra just yet. My husband surprised me with the Willow wearable breast pump. I cried! Literally cried tears of joy when I opened these bad boys up. It made my pumping journey so much easier throughout the day. I was finally able to be mobile with these on! If the baby needs to be picked up, I can do it with ease. Of course, I look like Fem-bot from the Austin Powers movies, but I’ll take it!
3. Save Time with a Bottle Warmer
If you do decide to pump, a must have is a bottle warmer! Another product I never would’ve thought about. I have the Philips Avent Fast Baby Bottle Warmer, and it is amazing! I hate it when I leave home without it and have to warm the bottles up the old fashion way. This thing is so fast and I don’t need to worry about hot/cold spots in the milk. I absolutely love this product.
4. Milk Storage Bags
There are so many ways to store your breast milk. I have tried probably everything! From the pitcher method to storage cups- the easiest by far is just the bags. I would get the motif luna bags, and loved them. However – I realized I could get 100 more bags if I switched to the Lansinoh bags for the same price or less on amazon. Sorry, not sorry!
5. Nursing/Pumping Bra
Get one!! Seriously, just get one. Everyone needs a good nursing/pumping bra while you’re on your breastfeeding journey. I have tried many times to wear a regular bra. Let me just say- it does not end well for the tatas. I could kick myself for not getting one sooner. (It took me a minute to finally invest in a good one) I tried quite a few brands, but my favorite is the Kindred Bravely! This bra is amazing, and so comfortable.
6. Nursing Pads
Organic Bamboo Washable Nursing Pads. If I could shout those words out, I would!!
These pads are a GODSEND. I was not a fan of the disposable pads. Mainly because my nipples would get stuck to them- and it was just awful. These pads are a little thicker, and so much more comfortable to wear. I never leave home without these nursing pads!
7. Rubber Hot Water Bottle
There may be other products that are similar to this that say they are specifically for breastfeeding. I didn’t even think to look to be honest. You just need a simple hot water bottle, so no need for “specifics”. I am an oversupplier, which means lots of clogs. I was told by a lactation consultant to either stay in the shower and let the hot water hit my boobs as long as I could. Well, nobody has time for that! I did, however, have a rubber water bottle tucked away in the hall closet. I would fill this up with hot water and place it directly on my clogs. Worked like a charm!
8. Breast Massager
A breast massager has come in handy a lot! Like I mentioned, I’m an oversupplier. I need this to keep my boobs happy. After some research, a lot of mamas mentioned that they got the LaVie Breast Massager. Again, I had reached out to a lactation consultant to figure out what I could use. They had told me that I could use an electric toothbrush. Well– that didn’t work at all. A quick click to add to my cart on Amazon, and POW. If I feel a tiny little pebble popping up. I will throw this on while I’m pumping and the clog will be gone almost instantly. Don’t wait to invest in this product like I did. Just go read the reviews! You won’t be wasting any money on this little guy.
9. Legendairy Milk Supplements
Legendairy Supplements know exactly what they’re doing! With my experience having clogs, both of these products have come in handy. I will use the sunflower lecithin to help clear out my milk clogs. There are instructions on dosage to get rid of clogs, and also to help prevent them. With clogs, comes a decline in milk production. That is where the Liquid Gold comes into play. There are many other brands that have similar products, but Legendairy Milk is the BEST.
10. Nipple Cream
I’ve said it once, twice, maybe three times now. In my other posts- I mean. When I first started breastfeeding, I had no idea if I was actually going to be able to do it. My nipples hurt so bad, and they were severely cracked. To the point of bleeding! Nobody wants to deal with that. I recommend Lansinoh Nipple Cream! This was a last second purchase right before I went into the hospital to have my daughter. I’m so glad that I did too. My daughter favored one side – thanks baby girl– and the pain brought on tears. I finally asked my husband to dig this stuff out of my hospital bag and BAM. It was almost instant relief. At least it seemed like it anyway! I will always recommend this cream to save the nips.
Everything You Need!
There you have it folks. My top 10 breastfeeding products to help you during your breastfeeding journey! This is a list of products that have worked for me, and I still love using. Of course, everyone’s experience is going to be different, but I wanted to put this together to hopefully make yours a little bit easier.
Everything mentioned:
- Motif Luna Breast Pump
- Willow Wearable Breast Pump
- Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra
- Legendairy Milk Supplements
Thanks for reading!
I hope that this list has helped you with your breastfeeding journey! I know that it has for me. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss anything in this list, please do not hesitate to shoot me a message!
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