When I first learned I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed — despite never having witnessed anyone close to me do it. In preparation, I hopped on the internet and did hours of research. I gained a ton of insight, but one thing that I didn’t find was a succinct list of what I would need once I brought my baby home from the hospital. For this reason, the beginning of my journey was a little bumpy. Hopefully, this list will help you to hit the ground running.
Nursing Pillow
Trying to nurse my baby during those first few days in the hospital was quite challenging. I had YouTube’d countless breastfeeding tutorials prior to giving birth, but nothing quite prepares you for positioning like actually doing it. One tool that I found to be particularly helpful once I got home was a nursing pillow. It allowed my baby to lie comfortably in front of me while she nursed and I could focus on things like helping her to properly latch. My pillow of choice was the Boppy.
Breast Pump
Unless you plan to never leave your baby’s side, you’re going to need a method of extracting milk so that it can be stored and consumed by your baby when you’re not around. The most popular device is the electric breast pump. Most of the time, these are covered by your insurance. I highly recommend the Spectra S2. Medela’s electric pump is also a favorite among mommy circles.
Milk Storage System
Speaking of pumping, once you’re done, you’ll need a way to safely store your baby’s milk so that it can be used later. Some moms opt to store their breast milk in glass bottles, while others use plastic bags. I’m a plastic girl. I found Lansinoh’s Breast Milk Storage Bags to be practical and easy to use. I just pump, pour, label and freeze. Frozen. Breast milk is good for 6 months. Refrigerated breast milk is good for 3 days.
Bottles
Once that milk is pumped you’ll likely be using bottles to serve it. You’ll want to select a bottle line that meets your needs because not all bottles are created equally. My favorite are the silicon Comotomo bottles because they help to cut down on baby gas.
Nursing Bra
As far as undergarments are concerned, I was completely unprepared for nursing life after leaving the hospital. It’s hard as hell to nurse your baby in a regular bra. I found these comfortable, large boobie-friendly bras on Amazon. I love them so much I have one in every color.
Nursing Pads
Unless you want to walk around with wet spots on your shirts all of the time, nursing pads are your friend. My favorite are the Stay Dry Nursing Pads by Lansinoh.
Lanolin
Breastfeeding can be painful, especially when your baby wants to cluster feed. Applying lanolin after a nice hot shower will give sore nipples some much needed relief.