Can’t believe how small Eli was in this photo! I was three days postpartum and now am three months. He has grown a lot (he’s basically a long string bean…99th percentile for length!) and I have learned a lot more about breastfeeding. I know not everyone is able to breastfeed for an extended period of time or chooses to, but even if your baby is bottle fed, there are still some items here that you might find helpful.
Please keep in mind I am not a medical professional nor am I an expert on postpartum or nursing. These are simply some things I want to remember & pass along to other new mamas.
Items for Nursing
- Silverette silver nursing cups –hands down, one of the best purchases for nursing, especially at the beginning. I used mine for the first 6 weeks. It helps decrease soreness and can help prevent infection. If you use these, you really don’t need any nipple cream. The lactation consultant I ended up seeing, also said great things about them and she encourages people to use them as well. According to www.silveretteusa.com, they are “925 sterling silver that fit over and help to protect nipples while breastfeeding. Silver is a natural antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial metal that also contains anti-inflammatory agents. It heals and prevents cuts, wounds, cracks, soreness, and infections.”
- sunflower lecithin –helps prevent clogged ducts & helps to unclog ducts
- Bamboobies washable nursing pads or these nursing breast pads –it’s nice to have quite a few because you might go through them pretty fast in the early weeks.
- Lansinoh Breast Therapy Pack — for engorged breasts or any need for use of a hot/ cold pack
- 3-pack nursing bras for sleep –comfy and great for sleep or every day wear
- Haaka Manual Breast Pump– This is so easy and amazing but please keep in mind how NOT to use it based on this post.
- Haakaa Ladybuyg Silicone Milk Collector–option for collecting letdown
- Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags –for storing or freezing milk
Helpful items for travel
All the compactible and reusable things are perfect for travel!
- OXO Tot Travel Size Drying Rack with Bottle Brush— We love this. It’s the perfect size for travel and if you don’t need to wash too many items for feeding. We use it for drying pacifiers, small bottles, and the Haaka .
- Silicone Steam Sanitizing Bag— We haven’t purchased this cause we just recently heard about it from a friend but she loves it. If you have access to a microwave, this would be perfect for sanitizing items during every day use or travel.
Helpful items for night feedings
- touch night light with red light (great for seeing at night because it’s not too bright), white light, and other colors. This has been super helpful! There is also a setting that goes through multiply colors which has been useful for Eli to look at in the morning when I need a few more minutes of sleep or rest. 😉
- wireless charger for phone when you get up in the night. This has been especially helpful since I tracked feedings with an app and was picking up my phone every time I fed him. It’s so much easier to set your phone down rather than fumbling for the plug in the middle of the night. I used the Huckleberry app and really liked it but I know there are lots of options out there.