Ten Must Haves for Nursing Moms
You are beginning a beautiful new journey with your baby. Breastfeeding will nurture her and allow the two of you to bond. Establishing a nursing relationship may come very naturally or may take a lot of work, especially for first-time moms. These ten products will make breastfeeding easier, particularly if you are very active or plan to return to work after your maternity leave.
1. Nursing bras and nursing pads. Nursing bras are more comfortable for breastfeeding moms than ordinary bras and provide easy access to your breasts. Parents Magazine recommends buying three or four nursing bras of different colors. Nursing pads fit inside of your bra cup and absorb leaking milk, preventing embarrassing stains on your shirt (Richards, 2012).
2. Nursing tops. Unless you plan on running around in a nursing bra the entire time you breastfeed your baby, you need to purchase a few nursing tops. They are designed to allow you to nurse inconspicuously without revealing too much skin. A good alternative to nursing tops are button up shirts.
3. Nursing pillow(s). Nursing pillows (Boppy pillows) fit around your waist and are created specifically for making babies comfortable. They keep your infant positioned at your breast and are convenient because you don’t have to support the baby’s head while nursing. Isabella Knox, a doctor at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, says this about nursing pillows, “The general idea is: you bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby. That way, mom doesn’t have to contort herself to get into the baby’s mouth” (WebMd, 2012).
4. Breast pump. Having a breast pump is essential if you plan to go back to work, leave the house for over two hours without your baby, or travel. On top of that, breast pump is the best solution to relieve engorged breasts. Pumping can also stimulate breasts and increase milk production if you have low milk supply and the stimulation from your baby is not sufficient.
5. Nursing cover. Nursing cover is designed to cover your chest and your baby while you nurse to give you some privacy. It can be irreplaceable for active, on-the-go moms who frequently nurse in public. Some babies don’t like nursing covers and will refuse to breastfeed. It may help to experiment with different types of nursing covers to find the one that your baby is comfortable with.
6. A couple of bottles for breastfed babies. Even if you plan on breastfeeding exclusively, it is best to buy a couple of bottles that are specifically designed for breastfed babies. If you are not available to feed your baby, he is not going to wait. These bottles have slow flow nipples and the shape of the nipple mimics mom’s breast, so they are unlikely to cause nipple confusion. They are usually more expensive than ordinary bottles, but are well worth it, especially if you plan to nurse your baby for an extended period of time.
7. Milk storage bags. Milk storage bags are designed to store breast milk and are very convenient if you produce more milk than your baby needs, prefer to bottle-feed in public or plan on returning to work. Milk storage bags can be laid flat in the freezer or stored in the refrigerator upright.
8. A cooler bag. These cooler bags are smaller than a regular lunchbox and are designed specifically to store baby bottles. They are very convenient for transporting frozen breast milk or freshly pumped bottled milk.
9. Nipple cream. Nipple cream is a must have when you first begin to breastfeed – it moisturizes and heals irritated and cracked nipples. It is lanolin based and you don’t have to wash it off before nursing your baby.
10. Prenatal vitamins or nursing vitamins with Omega-3. Nursing provides the best nutrition for your infant and it makes sense to capitalize on that by continuing to take your prenatal vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Parents Magazine; Jennifer Richards (2012). 14 Things You Didn’t Know About Breastfeeding.
Retrieved on July 2, 2012 from http://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/problems/breastfeeding-soothing-solutions/#page=10 .
WebMD. (2012). Breastfeeding: 11 Things That Can Help. Retrieved on July 2, 2012 from
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/breastfeeding-items-that-may-help