10 Breastfeeding Products to Make your Life Easier

Breastfeeding your baby is an amazing experience and a beautiful gift that you can give to them. I have been lucky enough to breastfeed both of my children, my first for 14 months and going strong with my second at 5 months old. The best part about it, breast milk is free!

Of course, there is a lot of time involved in breastfeeding. There is a reason that it is more difficult for working moms to continue for longer periods of time. You have to maintain your supply when you are separated from your baby, meaning pumping at regular intervals. Depending on what you do for a living, this may or not be practical and can take a lot of dedication. I was working as a waitress while breastfeeding my first and had to pump in a single bathroom! (Read more about my first breastfeeding adventure)

I know how difficult breastfeeding can be. The second time around is even harder because I have a curious toddler watching my every move. Every journey has its ups and downs and requires a lot of commitment and support. Anything that can make it a little easier for mom is a blessing.

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You don’t really need anything to breastfeed your child. However, through my experience, there are some things that can make breastfeeding easier. These are my favorite breastfeeding products to help you through your journey! They are all products that I have used a love!

1. Nursing Pillow

These are great for supporting the baby and taking a little weight off of mom’s arms. My first son was very small, and even with him and I felt like having a pillow made things a lot easier. This went double for my second son who is much larger. The other great benefit of these pillows is if you have a c-section they help to keep the baby from applying any pressure on your incision, reducing your pain and discomfort.

2. Nursing Clothes

With my firstborn, I wore regular cami shirts all the time and just pulled my breast up over the neck. By the end of 14 months, all of my shirts were stretched out and had to be thrown away. That’s why I decided to use nursing cami’s this time around. I found some great ones that have built in elastic to provide some support as well. When we leave the house I can wear these and throw on a baggy shirt over it to minimize how much I expose.

I also really like shirts that are specifically made for nursing. Again, I just feel like it makes things easier and saves your other clothes from getting stretched out. Nursing bras will provide you with extra support and still provide easy access as well.

3. Mother’s Milk Tea

This is a tea blend that helps to boost your supply. I have tried a few different ones and they all work essentially the same so it depends on your taste preference. After drinking the tea, I tried pumping to see if it really worked and I was able to pump an extra 2 ounces! That’s totally worth it to me! These are my two favorites that I’ve tried.

4. Pump(s)

Electric

If you are going to need to pump, a double electric pump will greatly reduce your time. Most insurance covers a breast pump these days, but they might not cover the one you want. However, if you are like me and have a self-insured policy, your health insurance might not cover anything at all. So I had to buy one and I really liked my Medela pump. It has two phases to mimic how a baby eats and is easy to adjust for comfort and a convenient backpack to carry it with you wherever you need to pump.

Manual

I also got myself a Medela manual pump. It is easy to carry with me in a smaller purse for on-the-go pumping. When my husband and I get to have a date night, I can easily slip this into my purse and pump in the car while we drive from dinner to a movie. This pump also has two phases, which makes it a great manual pump. It is also great as a budget option if you can’t get a double electric.

Silicone

I wish I had known about the Haaka with my firstborn! Having one of these the second time around totally changed the game. These silicone pumps use suction to collect the let down on the opposite breast while the baby nurses on the other. It’s amazing how much I was able to collect this way, especially in the beginning when I was super engorged. In the first month, I actually collected around 200 ounces! That allowed me to establish a great freezer stash and even donate some to a baby in need.

5. Hands-free Pumping Bra

These are essential if you are using a double electric so that you can have use of your hands while pumping. It makes pumping at work easier as you can still type on a computer or do other tasks and don’t feel like you are wasting time. I have even cooked while pumping using a hands-free bra, making it perfect for exclusively pumping moms as well.

6. Freezer Bags

To save room in your freezer as you build up a stash pumping, you will need bags to fill and freeze. I have tried a few different ones and I like the Lansinoh the best. Even with 5-6 ounces in each bag, they don’t feel too full and will freeze very thinly if you lay them flat, allowing you to store a lot in a small space.

7. Nursing Pads

Leaking is a part of breastfeeding. The last thing I wanted was to be out and about and suddenly have two big wet spots over my boobs, although it has totally happened to me! That’s where nursing pads are super helpful! They make disposable ones that are convenient, but I went through them really quickly because my boobs were like leaky faucets. That’s why I decided to get reusable ones. I feel like I have saved money in the long run and they are really soft so feel much nicer than the disposables. Once my baby starts sleeping through the night, I’ll be buying some overnight ones so that I can, hopefully, do the same. Since I have already made the decision to cloth diaper, I am doing laundry enough to clean these regularly!

8. Nursing Cover

Not everyone feels the need to cover up and there is no reason that you should feel forced to unless it makes you more comfortable. With my firstborn, I was much more self-conscious and wanted to cover whenever I nursed in front of anyone except my husband. This time around, I only cover in public. It’s not that I feel like I need to, but in certain situations I am more comfortable with a cover. I found this awesome cover that can also be worn as a scarf. It is my favorite one as it is super light so my baby can still breath easily while under it.

9. Nipple Cream

I had some sore nipples, especially at the beginning. To prevent cracking, I got this cream and it helped so much! I highly recommend it if you have any discomfort.

10. A Good Liter Sized Water Bottle

Drinking water is essential as you will not produce enough breastmilk if you are not properly hydrated. Having a large water bottle helps you drink more since you always have it on hand! I prefer the Camelbak insulated bottles myself.

If you don’t really like the taste of water, try getting one of these that you can infuse with real fruit to make it more palatable.

Those are my favorite breastfeeding products and they have all made my life easier in one way or another. I hope it helps you in your breastfeeding journey!

Please feel free to ask me any questions about these products or breastfeeding in general in the comments below. I love to help out fellow moms and help them to be successful breastfeeding.

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