Products Every Breastfeeding Mom Needs

Any mother that has breastfed a baby knows it is no easy task. That image of a mom blissfully breastfeeding her calm infant is just not the experience that most moms have. The more common reality includes cracked bleeding nipples, painfully engorged boobs, breastmilk stains everywhere, an achy back and shoulders and lots of tears and frustration. That’s the reality of breastfeeding and we mommas need all the help we can get. So here is a list of products every breastfeeding mom needs that will help make your breastfeeding journey, however long it may be, a little bit easier.

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1. Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Hot or Cold Breast Therapy Compress. You will need both hot and cold compresses to get you through the first month of breastfeeding. The hot compresses help trigger let-down. But as soon as your milk comes in, your boobs blow up to sizes you have never seen before…and it hurts. Icing them helps tremendously but most compresses are not designed to cover all sides of you aching boobs. These perfectly fit your engorged boobies without touching your very sensitive nipples.
2. Milkies Milk-Saver Breast Milk Collector Storage. When you first start breastfeeding, you are just a leaky mess of breastmilk stains. This AMAZING product fits right in your bra and collects the leaking milk from the boob you are not breastfeeding on instead of just letting it soak into your bra and shirt (if you even bothered to wear one). And you can easily collect a bottles worth of milk in one day.
3. Bamboobies Washable Reusable Nursing Pads. There is nothing worse than being out and about and out of nowhere you feel a let-down that sends breastmilk leaking right through your bra and shirt. These pads will stop those leaks right in their tracks and keep you from spending the rest of your outing with embarrassing milk stains on the front of your shirt.
4. Bamboobies Organic Lanolin-Free Nursing Balm Nipple Cream. The truth is breastfeeding can hurt and the majority of that pain comes from cracked and bleeding nipples. Learning to perfect your baby’s latch is a learning curve for both mom and baby and that often times results in very, very sore nipples. Nursing balm can help ease that pain a bit and keep your bra from chaffing already sore nipples.
5. Lansinoh Contact Nipple Shields. Nipple shields can come in handy for a couple of things. They can be helpful if your baby has latching problems or it gets the point that your nipples need a little break from direct contact so that they have time to heal. These can be be your saving grace when used correctly.
6. Aden + Anais Swaddle 2 Pack. Why a swaddle blanket? Because these are actually hands down the best nursing cover and burp cloth. They are thin enough to cover your baby without being suffocating but absorbent enough to catch all the spit-up. Not to mention there a ton of really cute patterns.
7. Boppy Nursing Pillow and Positioner. Do yourself a favor and purchase at least 1 nursing pillow and maybe even 2. It is a must have and will help save your neck and back from a few aches and pains. Not only does it support you and your baby while breastfeeding but can later be used to help with tummy time and assist when your baby is ready to setup.

Do you have a must have that you have used while breastfeeding? Let us know in the comments.

This post was originally posted on Mom Care Forum.