Everything You Need to Breastfeed...
Breastfeeding is a natural process, but
sometimes nature needs a little help.
Up
to 96% of breastfeeding mothers experience some degree of
nipple pain or nipple trauma during the early weeks of breastfeeding. There are some fantastic breastfeeding
products on the market that will make breastfeeding your baby easier. Here's a
list of some great breastfeeding products you may want to consider...
Must-Have Breastfeeding Products:
1. Quality breast pump.
If you're going to be breastfeeding for a while, you'll probably want purchase a
breast pump so your little one can have breast milk when you're apart. This is
especially important if you'll be starting back at work. (Note: It's best not to
offer a bottle to your baby for at least 4 weeks after your baby's born --
unless, of course, it's medically necessary.
Otherwise, you may cause "nipple
confusion". Check with your doctor or pediatrician for more
information.)
If you're going back to work, it's essential
that you purchase a double breast pump. You'll be pumping around 3 times per
day, so you want to be as efficient as possible. Since I breastfed all three of
my kids (one boy, and twin girls) I've been lucky to test out all of the breast
pumps we carry. My favorite is the
Ameda Purely Yours
Breast Pump. One of the great things about the Ameda Purely Yours Breast
Pump is that the motor is small -- so it can easily be taken out of the case
(other pumps make it difficult to take the motor out, so you basically have to
put the WHOLE bag on your desk or table while pumping. The other thing I LOVE is
that you can plug it in and use it as an electric pump, put batteries in and
it's portable, and it also can run off the (optional) vehicle car adapter. The
Ameda Purely Yours Pump's flexibility has saved me on more than one occasion.
First, it's convenient to use in the office or at home, but because the motor is
so portable, it's great to use in the car as well. (I can tell you that it saved
my boobies on more than one occasion when my husband and I decided to go out on
a "date". After a few hours out without nursing I really, really, really
needed to pump, and the Ameda Purely Yours
Breast Pump allowed me to express milk easily in the car. Whew!!!
If you're looking for an affordable double
electric pump that's compact, quiet, and efficient, check out the
Bailey
Nurture III Breast Pump. We hear from a lot of women that their
lactation consultants recommend the
Bailey Nurture III
Breast Pump
If you want a relatively inexpensive -- yet
extremely high-quality -- hand pump, check out the
Avent
Isis breast pump. The Avent Isis Breast Pump is effective, quiet, comfortable and natural.
The Avent Isis breast pump is perfect if you're not going to be doing a lot of
pumping. I bought
the Avent Isis breast pump to have on hand -- just in case I was in a place where getting to an
electric outlet was an issue (or for power failures.) It was also great to take
on overnight business trips!
Word of caution: stay away from the cheap/inexpensive breast pumps. When it comes to breast pumps, you really do get
what you pay for. If you buy cheap breast pumps, you'll be sorely disappointed
and you might as well have thrown your money away. Plus, some of the cheap
breast pumps can actually damage your nipple. Stick with the top breast pump
brands like Ameda Purely Yours
Breast Pump,
Bailey
Nurture III Breast Pump or Avent Isis.
If you're using a double breast pump and want
to be able to multi-task -- for instance, be productive at work by pumping AND
typing on the computer at the same time, check out the
Made by Moms Hands Free Pumping Band.
Now
pumping doesn't mean you have to stop everything else you're doing. With the
Hands Free Pumping Band from Made by
Moms you can do other things -- like read a book to your child, work on your
computer, read and respond to e-mail, etc.
2. Milk Storage bags/containers. This is a tricky one.
You need milk storage bags or milk storage containers that are reliable, easy to use, and most of
all don't leak. The worst thing is getting home after a hard day's work -- and
pumping -- only to find that your valuable, precious milk has leaked! It
happened to me several times until I found the BEST milk storage bags on the
market. Read on....
Two words to remember when it comes to breast
milk storage bags: AVOID CLIPS. Avent's Isis Breast Pump is exceptional and
their bottles are great, but
Avent sure missed the mark on their breast milk storage bags! Unfortunately,
Medela's bags aren't much better. (One of my friends used the Medela milk
storage bags, and one time her breast milk leaked all over the inside of her diaper bag and
ruined her cell phone that she carried in the bag!)
The best breast
milk storage bag I found is the
Bailey Milk Storage
Bags. Fantastic design
and really easy to seal. You can purchase
Bailey Milk Storage
Bags from our
site.
The Bailey Milk Storage Bags are a little hard to find, so
stock
up!
Ranking right up there with the Bailey Milk
Storage Bags are the
Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bags. Breastfeeding mothers LOVE these bags! Their easy-to-zip seal
make milk storage a snap!
Another option is to use breast milk storage containers
-- which are perfect to use while you're pumping. You simply pump directly into the
containers, put on the lid, and you're good to go. (I've also pumped and poured
the milk directly into bottles -- it helps to save you a step later.)
You may also want to check out the
Mother's
Milk Mate Breast Milk Storage System and Bottles, a nifty dad-invented milk storage system.
3. Nursing
stool. Many people don't know
about nursing stools. They're basically footrests created especially to facilitate
breastfeeding. It's something about the way the footrest is angled that makes it
extremely comfortable for nursing mothers.
4. Nursing
Pads. Okay. Leaks happen...it's
just part of the nursing process. Over 85% of new mothers leak heavily enough to
soak through their breast pads and clothing. You can choose either disposable or
washable nursing pads. Either way, you may need nursing pads to help prevent those embarrassing
spots.
Clinically
Proven Safer Than Absorbent Nursing Pads!
LilyPadz
Nursing Pads are a revolutionary alternative to traditional nursing pads. No
more uncomfortable, bulky, leaky nursing pads! These thin, flexible,
self-adhesive silicone nursing pads provide incredible leakage protection for
breastfeeding moms. LilyPadz
Breastfeeding Pads are special soft, flexible and non-absorbent material
conform to your breast for a secure fit that actually helps to prevent breast
milk leaks -- and they’re invisible under your clothing! 
LilyPadz unique design provides you with a layer of
protection that helps to prevent
breast milk leakage, so there’s nothing to absorb -- you and your clothes stay
dry. Made of pure silicone rubber (the same material in baby bottle nipples),
LilyPadz “breathe” and keep you comfortable all day and night. BONUS:
Because they're non-absorbent, you can even SWIM while wearing them. Great for
the summer time!!!
5. Breast
Creams/Treatment Most breastfeeding
mothers experience some sort of nipple soreness or pain at some point during
their breastfeeding experience -- usually when you and your baby are getting adjusted to the
breastfeeding process. PLEASE STICK WITH IT! Most of the time the discomfort and pain is temporary, but it
can be
painful in the beginning.
Plan ahead: you may want to have some pain relief treatments on hand
BEFORE you deliver your baby. One product that is absolutely amazing is
the Lansinoh Lanolin
Cream for Breastfeeding Mothers is the only topical endorsed by La Leche
League International. This is one product that I would have at the
hospital -- just in case...
Another GREAT product for sore breasts are the
Ameda ComfortGel HydroGel
Pads. Ameda
ComfortGel HydroGel Pads helps cool, soothe, and heal tender nipples. In a recent study, results show that the Ameda ComfortGel
Hydrogel Pads provide cool, soothing relief for breastfeeding mothers with
nipple pain or nipple trauma associated with breastfeeding.
Designed for women experiencing nipple discomfort due to
breastfeeding, the Ameda
ComfortGel HydroGel Pads provide a healing
environment – and at the same time help absorb breast milk leakage to keep your
breast skin healthy and the nipple area dry between feedings.
One other breastfeeding product that may seem
a little odd -- but I really wish it was around when I was breastfeeding -- is the
Lansinoh Sterile Cleansing Pads for
Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies. The soft Lansinoh Sterile Cleansing
Pads for Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies can be used anywhere you need the
security of gentle, safe cleansing without worrying about stinging, burning, or
irritation. Lansinoh Sterile Cleansing Pads are generously saturated with mild
saline solution and sealed in individual packets to insure that they remain
sterile until you are ready to use them. THINK ABOUT IT: When it's 90 degrees
outside in the summer and you're sweating (okay, maybe you don't want to admit
that you're sweating...), do you really want to offer your baby a sweaty breast?
With the Lansinoh Sterile Cleansing
Pads for Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies you can always offer your baby
a "fresh" breast.
6. Nursing Bras. I've spent literally hundreds
of dollars (ask my husband) on nursing bras. The only one that I really, really
liked was the Bravado! Nursing Bras. We do carry a limited sizes of the
Bravado! nursing bras. If you can't find the right size, style, and
color on our site, you can also purchase from the manufacturer directly:
Bravado! nursing bra.
No matter which nursing bra you choose, when you find a bra you like, take it from me, buy several of
them! (There's nothing worse than finding the perfect nursing bra and
you go back to the store only to find that they're sold out, discontinued, or
they've been moved to a different location in store -- a hidden place where even
the store manager can't find!)
7. Baby sling and
nursing pillow.
If you're breastfeeding your baby, a carrier is nice because they allow you to discreetly nurse your baby. Check out the
Ultimate Baby
Wrap. This is a carrier that will get you through the long-haul -- it
accommodates toddlers, too!
You may also want to consider a nursing
pillow. Nursing pillows are used to help you properly position the baby while
you breastfeed. I personally liked My Brest Friend nursing pillow, but there
are several others to choose from. If you're having twins, you should definitely
check out the EZ-2-Nurse Twins
Nursing Pillow. We carry both the foam and the inflatable versions.
8. Bottles. The
word "bottle" may seem like a bad word to have up on a breastfeeding
site, but if you're using a breast pump, bottles are a necessity. (After
all, what comes out, must go in!) Before you go hog wild purchasing a dozen
bottles, I recommend you find one brand you're interested in, buy 3 or 4 bottles, and then
test them out on your baby. (You may want to buy some of your next favorite
brands to have on hand, keep them
sealed -- and hang on to the receipt so you can return if you don't use them.)
If your little one rejects your top brand choice, then you're only out a few dollars,
and you can then move on to your next choice...and so on, and so on, until you
find a bottle that your baby "latches" on to. Nipple shapes, flow, etc.
vary, so it's sometimes a process of trial and error before you find the right
bottle for your little one. I was very happy with the Avent line of bottles --
they have some pretty innovative products that grow with your child (for
instance, their
bottles can eventually turn into sippy cups!)
Another note about choosing bottles: be sure
and read the packages carefully. Most bottles/nipples (and pacifiers, for that
matter) specify age ranges (i.e. newborn, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, etc.) When you
have a newborn baby, make sure you buy the newborn bottle/nipples. The newborn
nipples have smaller holes so that your baby has to work a little harder to get
the milk out -- which is especially important when you're breastfeeding. If you
buy the wrong nipple (one with larger holes), your baby will find it so much easier
to drink from a bottle that he might start rejecting your breast. You don't want to make the bottle the easy-out for your baby. Read the
package labels and buy age-appropriate nipples.
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