Since I am a little behind on my posts this month...and since her second month must haves are about the same as the first month, I thought I would do a post on Breastfeeding Must Haves instead.
1. My Breast Friend Breastfeeding Pillow. I honestly had never heard of this product until it was recommended to me by a few friends when I created my registry. It's similar to the Boppy Pillow, which I also have and use on a regular basis, but is much better for nursing because it is "wearable" and has a velcro strap so you can position the pillow at the perfect height.
2. Breast Milk Storage Bags. If you plan to breastfeed you must get a breast pump. More on that below (#6). These plastic storage bags seem to be the easiest and most convenient way to store milk. I have used the Lansinoh brand and the generic Target brand. They seem to work equally as well so I recommend whatever you can get cheapest. They work in both the refrigerator and freezer. Since I haven't used these bags to actually transport the milk (ie. to daycare), I can't comment on how well they hold up for that yet.
3. Nursing Bras. I was hesitant to buy nursing bras. I really didn't want to spend any more money on pregnancy related clothes. After a trip to Target though before I delivered, I decided to buy two nursing bras. One was this awesome (and super cute!) Gilligan & O'Malley nursing bra. I quickly found that I was going to want, and need, to wear nursing bras on a regular basis. They are so much easier to use then a regular bra when trying to nurse, especially in public. When I first got home from the hospital I wore robes around the house A LOT. It was comfy and, most importantly, made for easy access to breastfeed. But as soon as I wanted to start getting out of the house, and having guests over, I found I needed clothes and bras that would make breastfeeding easier. I went back to Target and bought two more of these bras in different colors because they were so comfortable and reasonably priced.
4. Nursing Cover. In the past I would always see nursing mother's using a blanket for privacy. I always thought that was weird. Thankfully I learned that they make these adorable nursing covers now. Definitely a must have.
5. Button Up Shirts. Similar to #3 above, I really didn't want to spend any more money on pregnancy related clothes but I quickly learned that the "right clothes" can make your nursing experience so much easier. I have bought a number of new non-maternity button up shirts. I figure I will get a lot of use out of them now but can continue to wear them even when I'm done breastfeeding. I also needed some flowy shirts after giving birth to disguise my stomach area. Thankfully there are some really cute button up shirts out there right now and many (denim and plaid) that are really in style.
6. Electric Breast Pump. This, along with everything on my list, are items I feel are must haves. Have woman gotten by without a lot of these items in the past? Yes, I'm sure they have. But I wanted to put together a list of things that can make breastfeeding easier. Things that I was happy to have. A breast pump is one of those things. Best part, most insurance companies cover the cost of the breast pump now. Call your insurance company before you finalize your gift registry (and before you deliver). If they will cover it then you don't need to register for it. My insurance company wouldn't issue it until I delivered and it required me to purchase it through a medical device store/supplier. I didn't get to choose the brand. I was given the Hygeria Q and so far it has been working well. I honestly haven't had to use it regularly yet but will once I get ready to go back to work.
7. Nursing pads. Where do I even start? This is another product that I had heard I would need but I had no idea how much I was actually going to need these and how important finding the right ones can be. Boy was I naive! I started with the Lansinoh disposable pads, which came as a recommendation from a fellow blogger, and I can honestly say I hated them. They were so uncomfortable and made me even more sore. Next I tried the Nuk brand pads that were re-usable. Those were hardly any better. They were so stiff and scratchy. Next I tried Organic Cotton re-usable/washable pads that my mother in law helped me find at Babies R Us. I loved them! They were super soft. I liked them so much I bought two more packs. My only problem with these is that, on a few occasions, they haven't held up and I have leaked through them. Talk about embarrassing! So, while I still use the Organic Cotton pads everyday, I started doing a little online research and read a lot of positive reviews about the Bamboobies brand pads. I decided to order a pair from Amazon. They have worked well and so far prove to be "leak proof" and soft. They, unfortunately, are expensive though so I probably won't be ordering too many more. I will continue to use the Bamboobies and Organic Cotton nursing pads. Another key I learned, and would pass along to other first time mom's, is to make sure you change the pads out regularly. Often times you won't even know you leaked but if you let the pad dry, after being wet, it gets stiff and can cause some serious discomfort. Sorry, probably TMI...but I wish someone had told me this before I had to learn the hard way.
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