Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Breastfeeding can be an amazing experience but unfortunately it does not come easily to a lot of new moms. You and your baby may take to breastfeeding naturally with no difficulties at all, or you may be one of the unlucky moms and problems with latching, painfully sore nipples and/or low milk supply.
Fortunately there are plenty of useful breastfeeding products on the market to help you master the art of breastfeeding and make it easier for you. Here are the 10 best breastfeeding products you need to consider purchasing or adding to your baby registry
Best Breastfeeding Products For New Moms
My Brest Friend Original Nursing Pillow
A breastfeeding pillow can make all the difference giving your baby support and bringing your baby higher up so your back does not hurt ad your baby is in a better position to latch. Nursing pillows will help you and your baby to be comfortable while breastfeeding. Using a nursing pillow also helps to reduce the chance your baby will get reflux since your baby’s head is higher and in a better position.
Bamboobies Washable Reusable Nursing Pads
If you plan on breastfeeding you will leak breast milk – there is no way around it. Having nursing pads on hand will help to prevent embarrassing accidents and keep you feeling confident and more comfortable.
While you can use disposable nursing pads these are not great for the environment and due to the fact that they are manufactured with toxins and chemicals they aren’t the best product to use for you or your baby. Disposable nursing pads are more likely to cause allergies and reactions on your breast. You will be more likely to suffer from blocked milk ducts and infections if you use disposable nursing pads.
These washable reusable nursing pads will be much more cost effective and better for you and your baby.
Motherlove Nipple Cream
Chances are high that your nipples will become sensitive, tender and sore when you start breastfeeding, you may even land up with cracked and bleeding nipples which is incredibly painful. Nipple cream will moisturize and soften the skin to help ease pain and from breastfeeding and heal your nipples.
Motherlove Nipple Cream is organic and made from all natural, safe ingredients which means you won’t have to worry about washing it off prior to breastfeeding your baby.
Helpful: check out this list of the best nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers
Medela Softshells for Inverted Nipples
A very common problem that women encounter while trying to breastfeed their baby is inverted or flat nipples making it hard for their baby to latch. This can lead to pain for the mom and lots of frustration for mom and baby. Medela softshells for inverted nipples can be worn to draw out the nipple to make breastfeeding easier.
Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump
You might be planning on expressing your breast milk to feed your baby with a bottle or you may be planning on feeding your baby without expressing any milk for bottle feeding, however it is still a good idea to have a high quality breast pump on hand. There will be times when your breasts are swollen and your baby is sleeping or perhaps not with you. Having engorged breasts can be very painful and can lead to mastitis.
In addition to that you will find the expressing breast milk in between feeds is an excellent way to increase your breast milk supply. It is also handy to have a breast pump on standby for if you get sick and need to take some medication that is not safe your baby to consume in your milk. You can express and store an emergency supply of breast milk for in case you need it and if you take medication that is not safe for your baby you can express that milk and dispose of it while your baby drinks the stored milk.
Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Fiesta Bottle
Whether you plan to bottle feed your baby or not it is always a good idea to have some bottles on hand for in case of an emergency. These Tommee Tippee bottles are designed to have a natural feel nipple to help your baby have a smooth and easy transition from breast to bottle.
Lansiloh Breastmilk Storage Bags
Storing breast milk is always a good idea. You never know if you are going to get sick and have to take medication that will affect your breast milk and make it unsafe for your baby, or perhaps you want to store breast milk to send with your baby to daycare.
These breast milk storage bags are BPA and BFS free with a convenient pour spout and a patented double sipper seal to prevent leakages.
Kiddo Care Nursing Cover Infinity Scarf
Breastfeeding in public is made so much easier with this high quality and lightweight cotton nursing scarf, making it easy to feed your baby discretely and comfortably wherever you are.
It is a versatile garment that you can wear in a number of ways to compliment any outfit while being able to breastfeed your baby privately at any time.
Lansinoh TheraPearl 3 in 1 Breast Therapy Pack
These reusable gel packs help to relieve the most common breastfeeding challenges you may face. The cold pack therapy is wonderful for relieving engorged breasts and the hot pack therapy helps to solve blocked milk ducts and mastitis. You can also use the hot pack therapy to encourage milk let down to promote easier breastfeeding or to help your milk flow when you are expressing milk.
Bravado! Designs Women’s Nursing Bra
This body silk seamless nursing bra is soft and wire free for extra comfort. Wearing nursing bras will give you the support you need while also making breastfeeding much easier and more comfortable.
Thanks for a very informative article Lynne.
My breast feeding journey didn’t last long but for the 10 weeks that I was able to give JD some of my breast milk, there were a few things that made it a lot easier.
I bought Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles from the start. Tommee tippee bottles are great and I found them to be the best baby bottles. The best feature of these bottles are the easy-vent teat that mimics the natural flex, movement and softness of a mum’s breast. This makes it easier switch between breast and bottle easier.
I expressed milk and pour it into these bottles for night time. It’s not easy trying to breast feed in Winter during the night.
Tommee Tippee also offer teats with different flow options – the slower flow for newborns that prevents choking on the milk and the fast flow teats for older babies and toddlers.
I had four sets of nipple shields. Whoever invented nipple shields are a genius. They work like a charm and it’s so easy to clean and sterilize them. I found that the “wear and tear” on my nipples were lessened with making use of them.
Nipple cream is essential when breast feeding.
I love the 3-in-1 breast therapy pack that features in your article. I wish I had this around when I was still breast feeding. Great product and I’m sure a lot of Mom’s will thank you for this information.
Breast feeding is quite time-consuming and I take my hat of to any Mom that manages to do so for a year or two and sometimes even longer with multiple kids.
I wasn’t producing enough milk, so eventually after 10 weeks I decided to quit.
I am 1 month into my breastfeeding journey with my second baby girl. Nursed my first daughter up to two years. You would think it would be easier the second time around but I seem to be facing more challenges. Sore nipples, poor latch, engorment, over supply, had it first time around.Painfull thrush causing sore breasts, thrush in baby , severe reflux/colic all new.
The first weeks/months are tough but I know things will settle down and get better but yes I almost gave up this time and I understand why some moms do give up.No judgment from me for formula moms. Fed is best.
How the older generation made breastfeeding look so easy i don’t know.
Some good ideas here. Another product category worth considering: lactation biscuits/supplements.
Thanks for the tips , I’ll definitely pass tips to my sister in law whom recently had their first baby .
Congrats Auntie! Yes every new mom needs breastfeeding tips – I struggled so much with breastfeeding, especially with my first baby.
Thank you for the tips Lynne. My breastfeeding journey lasted 8 months but it felt like decades because of struggling. Nipple cream is essential for every mom, and most importantly those nipple covers that you put on and they have holes so the baby can suck on them when the nipple is sore. I see you didn’t mention them
Thanks for adding those nipple covers as a recommendation Kamo! Yes those are fantastic.
I breastfeed now for two months with baby nr5, my twin girls was 6years ago and breastfeeding them until two years .amazing products and love the kiddies cover one of my fave
Well done on breastfeeding for so long! I didn’t find it easy at all to breastfeed and managed 6 months with my daughter and 13 months with my son.
Wonderful tips and amazing products to use. I still have my breastfeeding pillow even though it is no longer needed for that purpose lol it makes a comfortable pillow though.