"What are the two things a child needs most?"
Boobs! is my answer, but of course, I've never had the courage to speak it.
So allow me to start this post by saying that all you need to breastfeed are boobs and a baby. There are really great products that range from highly useful to highly unnecessary yet fun. I whittled away entirely too much money in the shop at the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington when I was on maternity leave, but there are worse ways to attempt to preserve your sanity during the newborn days, right?
If you're preggo and setting up for your first go round with breastfeeding, here's what I recommend you have on hand:
- Breast shells: If you have flat or inverted nipples, these trusty little gems help loosen up the adhesions that are keeping your nipples from popping out. My midwife helped me identify this potential problem and I started wearing shells (not shields) for a few hours per day beginning at about 28 weeks.
- Bras: Get at least 5 well-fitted bras. It's important to wear clean ones to avoid icky annoyances like yeast, and you don't want to be washing your bras every other day. Nursing bras are great as are any comfortable bra that you can easily flip up from the bottom. Get fitted at about 36 or 37 weeks.
- Lansinoh: Although there are all sorts of natural variations, Lansinoh is the nipple cream that worked best for me. It's yucky and thick and greasy, but I never had any sort of reaction to it. And you absolutely need something at least for the first month.
- Boppy: I thought I wanted a MyBrest Friend pillow, but the Boppy my step mom got me turned out to be my favorite. There's no strapping anything behind your back, and it serves as a great baby propper upper even after you don't need a nursing pillow anymore.
- Nursing cover: Hold the rotten tomatoes—nursing covers are not mandated. I appreciated mine during the newborn days when I hadn't yet learned how to modestly whip it out and wasn't ready to handle awkward looks from bystanders. I especially recommend Baby Au Lait for its built-in burp cloth.
- Breast pump: Even if you plan on staying at home, it’s better to have this on hand than worry about buying or renting one while you’re dealing with a cracked nipple or some other unfortunate woe. Plus, you'll eventually want to go out for more than 2 hours and need to leave your baby with a bottle. I have Ameda Purely Yours, which I'm happy with. The little Medela one is also quite popular for its portability. I recommend a pump that has an electric and battery option for those pesky occasions when you need to pump and there is no outlet on hand.
- Pumping bustier: Go for it. Really. This handy piece of equipment allows you to pump hands-free, which is especially wonderful at work and if you have to pump and take care of a newborn at the same time.
- Breast milk storage bags: After you get the hang of breastfeeding, you may want to start pumping once per day to build up a store of frozen breast milk. Choosing these is pretty straightforward. I have no brand preferences to offer here.
- Nursing pads: For me, leaking was not a long-term occurrence. In the beginning, though, I did need a little something to prevent wet spots on my shirt. I started with LilyPadz—washable silicone pads. I don't recommend those because they prevent air from circulating to the girls, which I think caused me a yeast infection. Go with disposables instead or washable pads made from breathable fabric like cotton or bamboo.
Good luck and get to it, ladies!
