THE FEEDING JOURNEY: WHAT GEAR I USED WHILE BREASTFEEDING
EDITOR: CALLAN
There are tons of tools out there that promise to help you feed a little easier – from pillows, to clothing, to gadgets. And I was tempted to buy ALL of them. I even thought about buying the exact recliner I used at my lactation consultant’s office because it had the perfect amount of support and comfortability. It felt totally necessary, but luckily, I talked myself out of that one.
Every mom is different – some feel like they need a pillow (hello, nice to meet you), others are totally fine just holding that baby – but here are some of my personal favorite breastfeeding tools.
This pillow was a lifesaver during the newborn stage and was recommended by my lactation consultant. Prior to the Brest Friend, I was creating a mountain of pillows around myself to prop my daughter up in a comfortable nursing position – but pillows are squishy, and I would have to constantly readjust. This pillow is firm and clips around your back, creating a little platform for baby to lay on, and it stays put. And I would 1000% recommend getting the waterproof cover for this – if your baby is anything like mine, you will be constantly cleaning poop off your nursing pillow.
During the newborn stage, I needed a pillow to nurse. That little extra support was necessary for me, as I had one hand on my baby, and one on my boob. I never got the hang of nursing hands-free – if I didn’t prop myself up a little, it just felt uncomfortable. But what was I supposed to do – bring my giant Brest Friend pillow with me everywhere? Not really practical. Enter the Humble-Bee Nurse-Sling. I kept this little pillow in my diaper bag, and it was perfect for nursing on the go. Made trips to the mall or to a party way more comfortable.
Honestly, once you go Seamless, you may never go back. My 16-month old daughter is down to two nursing sessions a day, and I’m still rocking this bra. The clip-down nursing feature makes breastfeeding super easy (you can unclip the straps one-handed, which is essential), and it’s also extremely comfortable. Stretchy, soft, and wireless, but also somehow supportive – plus, it looks like a “normal” bra under clothes. Perfection.
I was never really a nightgown kind of girl, but then I had a baby. Not knowing what shape or size I’d be after labor, I bought this guy on a whim and then ended wearing it ALL the time. I had a c-section and did not want to wear pants, so this was great. Plus, the bust is supportive and has the clip-down feature for nursing. The perfect thing to sleep in or to wear all day, every day.
I remember lots of moms telling me I HAD to put this on my registry, and thinking it seemed useless. How is this a pump? Well, let me know you – I was wrong. This is the accessory you NEED when you wake up engorged, or when your right boob is leaking while the baby is nursing from the left boob. If my daughter woke up to feed in the middle of the night, and my breasts were so full that she couldn’t latch, I’d just suction this on, do a little massage, and the milk would come pouring out. Plus, it has a lid, so you can just pop that on once you're done and stick it in the fridge. And now I’m the mom telling YOU to put this on your registry.
