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If we’re to believe all the highly targeted advertising to breastfeeding parents, we would be buying all the nursing bras, nursing clothes, and breastfeeding accessories. When I had my first kid, I purchased all the things for breastfeeding.
With my fourth child, I pretty much only needed a nursing bra/tank for easy access, my breasts, and a baby. Wherever you end up landing on the spectrum, here are some must-have nursing accessories to consider.
Invest in these items for your – and your baby's – comfort while nursing
“A new mom spends a lot of time breastfeeding so the goal is to be comfortable,” advised Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Jennifer Ritchie to Mom.com.
1. Nursing pillow
Not only do you need a good pillow to lift your baby to your breast level so you don’t have to hunch over and hurt your back, you will need cushions to support your arms, back, and legs. Some pillows like My Breast Friend strap to your body and accommodate different body sizes, and other pillows like the Boppy are easier to get in and out of but still offer support. You may find that you prefer one pillow over the other depending on your body type, torso size, lifestyle — and even the child.
2. Nursing tanks and bras
Nursing bras and tanks have cups that can unsnap and fold down for easier access to your breasts. Check for enough support to relieve strain on your back and shoulders, straps that don’t cut into you, and coverage in both cup style and optional lining.
“If you pump and nurse, get a combo bra that allows you to switch between both easily,” recommended Melissa Aubrie Chan Lee to Mom.com. “Having a convertible pumping/nursing bra also makes it easier if you have to pump at work so you don’t have to strip everything off to put on a pumping bra,” said the mother of three.
3. Nipple cream, ointment, or lotion
Many breastfeeding parents will experience cracked, sore, or even bleeding nipples during breastfeeding — especially at the beginning. There are many types of nipple creams, ointments, and lotions that can help promote healing.
4. Nipple shields
If your baby is having trouble latching and you want to continue to try and breastfeed, Ritchie suggested the Contact Nipple Shield by Medela. “90% of the time I would use a 20mm on my patients. It is a thin silicone cover to protect the nipple from being compressed against the hard palate and causing wounds,” she explained.
Practical and essential nursing accessories
5. Disposable or reusable nursing pads
Nursing pads, which can either be disposable or washable, insert into your bra and soak up leaking breast milk. For mom Libby Liming, they were indispensable. “I would go from zero to tanker in no time at all and would leak like a sieve with no warning,” laughed the mom of two.
If you leak a lot of milk, breast milk collection shells like Milkies Milk-Saver will collect and save milk that leaks either throughout the day or when your non-nursing breast lets down as your infant nurses on the other.
6. Big scarf, nursing cover, or light blanket
Though breastfeeding is a perfectly natural and activity that should not be shamed, there are times when you may feel more comfortable with a nursing cover, light blanket, or lightweight scarf.
7. Breast pump and pumping bra
If you need to go back to work or would just like to be untethered from a baby once in a while, a breast pump and pumping bra are key. “Medela’s Hands-Free Pumping kit and bra were a lifesaver for this working mom,” Vermont mom Jana Seitzer told Mom.com.
Do a little research for what type of pump will work best for you, and whether you need one only for home, or for on the go. A pumping bra will allow you to use your pump hands-free, and has openings in the fabric over the nipples to better hold the breast shields of your breast pump secure and against your skin while you pump.
Breastfeeding items to make your life easier
8. Water bottle
Breast milk is 88 to 90% water and being properly hydrated will make both milk production and breastfeeding much easier. Treat yourself to a nice water bottle — maybe even a “smart” one that reminds you to take a few sips.
9. A basket for entertaining toddlers or preschoolers
For parents with multiple children, sometimes the hardest part of breastfeeding is dealing with the older children. “When my second and third sons were born, I not only considered things for me, but items to help entertain a toddler or preschooler,” Laura O’Neill recommended to Mom.com. “I had a basket next to me holding some books and toys that they only had access to when I was nursing. Not that I didn’t sometimes use the TV to keep them quiet!”
10. Phone and apps
Whether it’s to text someone to help you with or retrieve something for you, or to read e-books or scroll through social media, our phones are many breastfeeding parents’ lifelines. “Texting my friends for support helped me get through the tough moments of breastfeeding and motherhood,” mom of four Whitney Cornelison confided to Mom.com.
Use that phone to download a few apps to make breastfeeding easier. Apps like Baby Connect and Baby Tracker can help you keep track of feeding and pumping sessions, while apps such as Mamava and Moms Pump Here will help you find a location where you can feed and pump in private if you’re heading out.
