The one thing I DID NOT RESEARCH while pregnant was breastfeeding. I just thought it was happen naturally and voila, my baby will get her milk from me. Well, there’s definitely more to it than that.
Here is a list of items that I personally used with both my babies and completely LOVE. I would have packed these in my hospital bag the FIRST time if I knew better. This is not a sponsored post.
3 Pack Nursing Bras
You might be wondering, “What size nursing bra should I get?” When I was pregnant I wondered the same thing. I did not want to spend money on anything unnecessary. These bras are amazing, they are stretchy & have the cup size range that go with each size. While pregnant I was a 36DD, so I bought size Large and they were perfect. Easy to wash, comfortable to wear at night,
Organic Cotton Nursing Pads
Do NOT buy the disposable nursing pads, I repeat. Those things made me so much more sensitive because they trapped moisture, put me & my baby at risk for thrush, and I didn’t even know how much pain I was in until I switched to these. WOAH GAME CHANGER. Nursing was less painful, I was saving money since I could toss them in the wash, and they’re more absorbent & comfortable.
You might be wondering, How many nursing pads will I need? Let’s do the math. With a newborn, 10-12 feedings per day, and you obviously need two pads each time. I personally did not need to change mine each time since my milk didn’t leak a lot, plenty of moms do though. If you’re preggo and planning ahead, I’d suggest to start out with 3 packs of 6, and go from there. You can’t beat the price!
Medela Contact Nipple Shield
With my first baby, she was a very strong sucker and we started off with a “bad latch” in the hospital, which did not set us up for success for the first 2-3 months of nursing. I cried a lot. TMI alert, my nipples bled. For a very long time. I googled everything, but I swear to you in 2013 I never I saw anything like this. I would have probably donated an organ to get a pair instantly. So this is my only “I did not use this item” suggestion, because I completely would have and I’ve had friends swear by them. This is definitely a hospital bag item, just in case your nipples need a break.
Fenugreek + Blessed Thistle Supplement
Another item I wish I knew about when I had my first baby. People suggested supplements when I said I didn’t make a lot of milk, I honestly have no clue why I did not try them. With my second baby, I had bottles of this lined up before he even arrived, and WOW did it help. I would take it about 30 minutes before I knew I would need to nurse, and I could literally feel more milk coming in.
Mother’s Milk Tea
This tea definitely helped me produce more breastmilk, and it tastes good! I would start my morning with this and a little almond milk, and I definitely noticed an increase in my supply.
Medela Pump Breastmilk Bags
I loved these bags because they attached to my Medela breast pump. Lifesaver. I would definitely buy the 50 pack, I believe that would last me about a month or so. I would nurse at 6 am, drop my daughter off with family, go to work & pump at 9am, 12pm, and 3pm. Then nurse my baby when I got to her at 5:30. At night I would pump again after she went to bed, so you can see how you will need a lot of these bags. They have areas to write the date & number of ounces, then off to the freezer they go.
How do I get my health insurance to pay for my breast pump? You’ve come to the right place. This was a great change from Healthcare Reform. Check out the Babies R Us website, they have a number to call to verify your health insurance.
An associate will email you the types of pumps your health plan will cover, and you can “buy up” to a nicer package if you choose. Just have your Health Insurance card ready, and plan to take care of this a few months before your due date to make sure it’s taken care of. I then bought extra parts that I needed from Babies R Us or Target.
* I only endorse products I’ve actually used and loved. I also love the dollar section at Target…affiliate links let me raid it every once in a while.
I hope this helps you momma!
