I wanted to write this post for all pregnant and new breastfeeding moms. My friend Carolyn over at Breeder Brain is having her first baby in July. Awhile back she read this post on Babble and asked me what I thought of it. She wanted my advice because, as she said, “I’m a pretty simple kinda gal. Do I really need all these things to breastfeed?”
I’m a simple kinda gal too. I use what I need and anything I receive as a gift that isn’t practical gets sent to the local children’s consignment shop. I hemmed and hahhed for almost two months trying to figure out how to respond to her request with a post that wouldn’t scare PR folks away. But in the interim this is what I learned about myself.
I would love to do more product reviews and make money on my blog. I really would. But I’m picky. I have high standards and I won’t compromise my integrity for a buck. I will only endorse a high quality product that is actually useful and doesn’t compromise one’s health or the environment. It is a plus if the company is a small mom-owned business and if the company has ethical standards of their own. Momzelle, for example is an excellent nursing wear company I am happy to endorse over and over again.
And the specific couple of following products, I am also happy to endorse, even though none of them are paying me for these reviews.
Okay, onto my review.
1. The one and only product on the Babble post that I agree is essential to have is Lasinoh Lanolin. Especially in the early days and/or weeks when mom and baby are learning the ropes in nursing. Lasinoh Lanolin Topical Treatment is 100% lanolin, a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, usually sheep. The animals are not harmed to make this (an important factor for a vegetarian like me). Instead the lanolin is extracted by rolling the animal’s harvested wool between rollers. You want to use 100% lanolin on your nipples if they become cracked or bleeding. It soothes, while helping them to heal and it will not harm your infant if she or he ingests any. Please do not use medicated creams or ointments or any other kind of cream (including creams made partly with lanolin – I made that mistake when I had my first baby and pretty much wasted the entire jar because it also contained heavy fragrance) on your breasts that can irritate your baby. If it’s not something you would want to put in your mouth, don’t put it on your boobs! If you are vegan or otherwise against using lanolin for any reason then I recommend using olive oil. If you are really crafty you might want to infuse calendula flower petals or plantain in your olive oil for extra soothing and healing effects. Oh, and instead of buying this product yourself you might be lucky enough to only need the few free samples you can get from the hospital and sometimes your midwife. Think “frugal!”
2. A good nursing bra. Take your pick of bras ladies, but make sure it fits and that you will feel comfortable wearing it day after day after day. Underwire is not recommended because it can block milk ducts which can be quite painful in their own right, but this can also lead to mastitis, something you do not want! Some moms can introduce an underwire nursing bra after breastfeeding has become established and engorgement is gone, but do pay attention to your body and stop wearing it if your milk ducts do get plugged. Check back here on Thursday for a nursing bra review post where different moms share their favorite nursing bra and tell us why they love it so much.
3. At least one nursing shirt. Before I received a Momzelle nursing shirt I didn’t think it was such a big deal to own nursing wear. And yes, I got by fine without one. But now that I have one I wear it all the time. For me it’s about keeping my belly covered more than it is about not exposing my breast, but sometimes nursing wear can be essential in helping moms feel confident about nursing in public. If you don’t go with Momzelle, just make sure you choose something made under high quality standards. To read my review of the Momzelle organic cotton long tank top, you can go here.
4. Nursing Pads. Essential. Especially if you’re someone like me who is a late leaker (I’ve been nursing for almost five years and the only time I haven’t leaked was when I was pregnant and nursing. I recommend the reuseable cotton ones. Better for the Earth, better for you, and more cost effective. Plus the disposable plastic-backed ones can get twisted in your bra and feel scratchy. For almost five years I have been wearing the same white cotton ones and they have held up remarkably well. Sure, they’re a bit stained and worse for wear but they work. If you are pregnant right now, go get some! If your milk comes in and you don’t have any you’ll be sorry! In the first few weeks or so you will likely need a couple pairs shoved inside a comfy nursing bra when you go to bed so you don’t soak your bedding and matress! Also, I found using an incontinence pad under the baby and/or your breasts will help prevent staining and “floods.”
Stay tuned tomorrow for a designer nursing pads giveaway from Baby O’Really. Yes, it’s true. You can be fashionable and practical too!
P.S. Some moms are going to ask why I didn’t include a breast pump in my list of essential breastfeeding products. It is because I personally don’t believe it is an essential product and for the mom who intends to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months it can sometimes hinder success. However, I know that for some moms, especially those who have to return to work, a good breast pump is essential to continue with breastfeeding, so I will let you decide if you are someone who needs one or not. Some moms, regardless of returning to work like to have one to help relieve engorgement. Manual expressing, although somewhat difficult when your boobs are as hard as rocks when your milk comes in, can work and worked for me. And for me, a couple days of discomfort certainly wasn’t worth the price of a brand new breast pump. But again, to each her own. Unfortunately, because I didn’t pump, I don’t have experience with which pumps are best if you are in the market for one. And if you only need one for a little while, your local public health unit, hospital or WIC office should rent them out. At least check it out. This is a great cost effective way to pump for the short time you need. *If anyone has written a review type post on breast pumps please leave your link in the comments section and I will add it to the bottom of my post.
PhD in Parenting wrote a review post called Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump. Unfortunately for the company, it is a somewhat negative review but helpful nonetheless.
What about you? What have your essential breastfeeding products been?
Related posts:
- Lansinoh Products Review: HPA Lanolin, Diaper Rash Ointment and Wipes
- Momzelle Nursing Wear Review
- Lansinoh Products Review: Soothies Gel Pads, Milk Storage Bags, Latch Assist, and Nursing Pads
- Easy Handmade Gifts: Bath Products
- Real Moms Review Their Favorite Nursing Bras
Tags: nursing pads, nursing shirts, nursing wear
Not so much nursing shirts as nursing camis that have clips at the straps (cheapo from Old Navy) or regular stretchy cheapo tanks that you can pull down. Solves the “belly problem”.
If you aren’t huge on top, they can serve as a light nursing bra, too.
The other essential is the name and phone number of your local LLL leader. Get help BEFORE a problem gets severe. That is what the leaders are there for!
Kimberly’s last blog post..I am woman, hear me roar….or something.
Excellent post! The only item that I would add to your list is a nursing pillow. I had 3 – one downstairs, one upstairs and one in my car! I have large breasts (40G when my son was born) so nursing with one hand free was never an option for me. I had to use one hand to hold the baby and one to hold my breast – so a nursing pillow is essential!!
I also discovered nursing tops only after my son was born – and I bought a whole wardrobe of them – I loved them! My son nursed frequently – so we nursed in public EVERYWHERE – and I always wore a nursing top – for just the reason you stated – to cover my belly! I loved them so much, I started my own company to provide only the best ones to new moms!! (funny how breastfeeding changes your life!)
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Yay! Thanks Melodie. Great stuff – I’m looking forward to reading your readers’ comments too. 6 weeks or so to go!
CaroLyn’s last blog post..The Worried Pregnant Tourist in Barbados
I am in agreement in so many ways. Here are my own two cents:
I found hemp nursing pads much more absorbent than the cotton. I often had to use 2 (or even three) cotton pads to prevent leaking through, but only needed one hemp pad. I also used disposable pads when I was working and wanted to be 100% confident in no leaks. For disposable, I prefer Johnson’s because they did not have the plastic backing that I also found itchy.
I was also very happy to own a nursing pillow during the early days, especially the first time around, when I didn’t have enough hands to support a floppy baby, hold a gigantic breast, position the nipple, check the latch, etc. It was nice to simply cradle the baby on the pillow and work the latch while I was learning.
I never did figure out nursing tops. I always exposed more of myself than I planned and got the shirt soaking wet. Lol. So I’ll believe you and maybe next time try the ones you rave about. (I often wonder if I had more trouble because my breasts were the size of melons.)
Good luck CaroLyn!
I also didn’t post about the nursing pillow because I had a boppy and found I never used it. I hated toting it around everywhere I went and I found I never had it on hand when my baby started crying. I did use pillows but they were from my couch or bed. I too have large breasts (DD38) but found that any old throw cushion worked just as well as my boppy. But I know there are different kinds of pillows out there that can and do really make a difference to some moms. The My Breast Friend and Cushie Pushie look pretty good. I just like to be practical and frugal wherever I can.
Melodie’s last blog post..Products Breastfeeding Moms Actually Need
I am generally a low maintenance woman so I did fine without any of that. I did enjoy a nursing stool/old shoe box or edge of laundry basket in the first few weeks to prop that foot up. I think if you generally use lotion and have accessories that you will want a few special things at least. If you generally don’t, then you will make it. I for one NEVER used any Lanolin, but keep in mind I kept it for use after gardening-works great! I did not use a special nursing pillow for nursing but am actually sitting on the Boppy right now, makes a great computer chair pad! (My babies liked it at a certain stage too)
I never used nursing pads because I had the luxury of never needing to be separated from my babies, and my overproduction ceased after I figured out my second baby was allergic to dairy (and we cut it out of our diets)
Anyway, that is my experience, keep in mind I am pretty poor and would have loved to shop for some nice nursing shirts and bra’s….I do have a few cheap ones that I wear sometimes but as I said I am a low maintenance gal……and prefer a light cotton sports bra and go up and under for ‘access’ !
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I used a nursing pillow for my first child, not as much my second. I think it depends on the baby a bit. But in the early days I found it indispensable.
The other thing that saved my bacon was a good ‘nursing station’. Comfy chair, table for snacks and drinks, books, and easy access to TV remotes. You are going to spend a lot of time in that spot, so it should be some place you’re happy and comfortable.
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Our nursing spot is on the computer chair…I get a lot done!
Naomi’s last blog post..I love old pictures
@Naomi – Your comment made me realize I forgot to add something to the post, which I have now just done. When I had baby #1 at the hospital the nurses gave me free samples of lanolin. I went through the three they gave me and just one squeeze of a new tube before I figured out what was going on with my sore, cracked and bleeding nipples. I passed the basically unused tube on to a friend later. So I encourage moms to wait and see if they need the lanolin before going ot buy it, or just asking nurses at the hospital or your midwife for a couple samples.
Then I remembered that another essential item for me was an incontinence pad. I still use it in my bed with my 2 yo for when her diaper leaks in the middle of the night. It has saved cleaning up a lot of messes over the years.
The Cushie Pushie!!!! I’m a BIG busted FAT girl (50I nursing bra anyone?)And I could not have made it through the first few weeks without it! Except for the first time, in the recovery room, I don’t think I nursed without it the first 6 weeks (I didn’t use it at all after about 3 months but it was SO, SO, SO helpful in the early days!) I second the regular old camis or tanks under a normal shirt for keeping the belly covered (or for hanging around the house in) and plain old pillows off the bed for positioning the baby. And I never used the lanolin on my nipples, but it makes WONDERFUL lip balm
The only thing i really needed in the beginning was Lasinoh Lanolin. I never got a nursing bra or shirt. But i did buy nursing pads, then stopped using them because I got an infection, I suggest getting the disposables ones at first, then the reusable ones when things are a little more under control.
i’ve actually started a shopping guide for nursing moms (for resources available in my country) and i’m now on my 4th post of the series. there have been a lot of new products coming up for nursing moms (cushies, mymilkies, etc.). kellymom has a post that nursing moms don’t really need to purchase anything and you can just make your own nursing paraphernalia. For me, the products i used when my baby was a newborn were the lanolin and pillow (breastfriend). now that i’m a full-time working and pumping mom, i use a breastpump, nursing bib (to cover the horns) and for the weekends when Naima nurses direct, it’s a good nursing top and nursing bra.
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i forgot to add kellymom’s link: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/sta.....lies2.html
If you want to talk about what pumping mom’s need, Number 1 on my list (at least if you’re using a Medela Pump in Style) is different breast shields! I went back and forth between the SoftFit and the XL (why they don’t make different sizes of the SoftFit is beyond me!) Isaac’s only had 3 ounces of formula in his life– if i’d had to rely on the hard plastic standard sized shields that would NOT be the case
On the subject of pumping, I have to have my hands-free pumping bra. It rocks! I can pump and check email, play with my baby. Without this thing I went crazy holding the pump and doing nothing else!!! I have the one made by Easy Expression.
Thank you @ Sarah Cassill and @MommyofS for your breast pump product recommendations!
Melodie’s last blog post..Products Breastfeeding Moms Actually Need
Nice post! I’m currently nursing my 18mo and 22 wks pregnant with #3
I didn’t use a nursing pillow with #1 ..but found it indespensible with #2.
I also never quite found lanolin helpful…but I did get a GREAT recommendation from my lactation consultant (TOTALLY need a good lactation consultant! I learned the hard way!) … it is called Motherlove and it is an ointment for persistent diaper rash or nipple thrush..but is sooo soothing even when thrush isn’t an issue… it is made from certified organic olive oil, calendula and beeswax and has myrrh, oregon grape root and yarrow. It never seemed to disuade my daughter from nursing.
I mostly pumped and fed my first (see the importance of a good lactation consultant!)…and did so for 9months …I used a Medela PIS and thought it was fabulous and wonderful…barely used it with #2
Awesome post..thanks for sharing!
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Lanisoh, even if not needed at the beginning you may need it later (teething and Mia scratched my areola a couple of months ago).A pillow, well fitted bras, cami’s definitely.A pump, always handy but with the girls I’ve been at home working but I still used it, especially with Mia as I became engorged and was already at home by day 3.The most important thing, that you can’t buy is support from your partner and family.As a breastfeeding peer supporter and a mum of 3 breastfed children I had some real bad spots and having someone who would listen,advise and support me was invaluable.
Aly Hodge’s last blog post..There’s three in the bed and the little one said…..
I would also say that the My Brest Friend was an absolute necessity. I had the Boppy and that thing was useless, but someone recommended the Brest Friend and after 2 days home I realized I needed to drop the money and at least try it and I was so glad I did. The best part is that it buckles onto you, so I could actually hold the baby on the pillow and walk around the house (usually had to pee right in the middle of a feeding, of course!)
As far as pumps go, I have to say that having a cheap pump is worse than having no pump at all. If you need to pump all the time, go with the hospital-grade rental (which is what I used at work.) If you’re pumping at least once a day, then invest in the Medela Pump In Style. As far as I’m concerned, there is no other pump on the market. OH! And the Lanisoh milk storage bags are hands down the best ones – they don’t leak and their BPA free.
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I didn’t need much to get started in nursing, but I always made sure I had bottles of water stashed in my nursing areas around the house. A brand-new mother, I’d get flustered and nervous when the baby started crying, but I found that drinking a bottle of water as she began nursing calmed and re-centered me and really helped my milk let down.
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[...] today and come back soon!Here’s some exciting news! As an extension to yesterday’s post Products Breastfeeding Moms Actually Need I’m doing a giveaway! And I am so excited that not only is it practical, it’s pretty, [...]
My necessities were: lanolin – but only for 2 weeks. I passed on the other unused tubes to my friend. A good nursing bra and a couple of nursing tops, a small foot stool, nursing pillow. (I was so unhappy to learn AFTER I nursed my baby on the My Brest Friend pillow, that it is treated with FLAME RETARDANT!) I cried for 2 hours straight when I found out. I felt so betrayed. Because we try to avoid all of that in my home with latex, organic mattresses. Read the tag on the back of the pillow- and on high chairs. (My peg perego high chair that has foam padding has the same tag. Unbelievable!! I sold it and got a booster chair for the table! If we have another baby I am getting an organic nursing pillow. I will never recommend My Brest Friend to anyone – even though the firmness is better.
Oh, I also couldn’t do without Mothers Milk tea and my IBCLC lactation consultant!! My milk came in late and was not very abundant. She and the tea kept me on track and I am still nursing at 23 months!
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@Deborah – That is really important info for parents to know. I had no idea about flame retardant on the My Breast Friend. Yikes! As for an organic nursing pillow for the possible next baby, Cushie Pushie has organic ones. They are actually one one of my site sponsors right now and I love that they offer an organic alternative. Check them out!
Wow, I’m totally overwhelmed by all the great info and thoughts added to the comments – thanks women!
CaroLyn’s last blog post..The Worried Pregnant Tourist in Barbados
I find normal cushions and pillows to be just as good as a proper nursing pillow. So that’s one less thing to buy. And I wasted money on Lansinoh. I didn’t need it. Breastfeeding really is great if you’re short of money!
Cave Mother’s last blog post..Unrealistic Expectations Of Little Babies
[...] the real deal when it comes to choosing a nursing bra. This is also a nice follow up to my post Products Breastfeeding Moms Actually Need because breastfeeding moms really do need a good nursing bra. And if you would like some new [...]
@Sarah, I’m so glad you loved your Cushie Pushie!!! Melodie, thanks for the shout out!
I didn’t use Lanolin either. Luckily I never really needed it. I also never needed nursing pads which surprised me since lots of women leak maybe because I was pumping too. I loved my PIS pump because I had to go back to work after 6 weeks
. That was really the only bfing product I used. I’ve seen a pump from hygia recently that can be reused by different moms which I would have loved because I hate that I paid all that money for ours and can’t resell it.
The boppy didn’t work for me either but I used it for propping up the boys when they got bigger and it worked great for that. I actually invented the Cushie Pushie because what I really needed was a compact pillow to push up my breast so I didn’t have to hold it with one hand the whole time and it didn’t take up much space. I couldn’t find one so I created one. LOL!
Education really is the key. There are so many tools (from sites like this one to products to LLL to lactation consultants) out there to help make bfing easier and I wish I had known even more than I did instead of feeling sort of on my own.
Great list. For me, I agree with lansinoh, and a great bra. I too am a late convert to nursing tops: over in the UK we have http://www.welovefrugi.com/ which has a couple of lovely organic cottom items for mums which actually have the right structure to allow me to feed – so many tops I find I have to squeeze or stretch! Lilypadz have been a breakthrough for me – not sure how eco-friendly their manufacture is, but they are long lasting which is great.
[...] week I did a post called Products That Breastfeeding Moms Actually Need. The focus was on practical over frivolous purchases and it generated some good discussion. [...]
[...] used to pump breast milk for families who want to or need to bottle feed breast milk. See my post here and check out the comments section for some advice on the good and not-so-good ones out [...]