If you’re looking for tips and recommendations on breastfeeding items, this is the post for you! I couldn’t have gone through my breastfeeding journey without these materials and I know I’ll use them again for our future children. Take a look!
Breast Pumps & Accessories
Find a breast pump that works best for you! Everyone’s breasts will respond differently to all the different kinds on the market. I spent about a good three to four months figuring out what worked for me. It felt like a long trial and error process. However, it was worth it! Below is a list of what worked for me. Tip: see if your insurance can cover a breast pump
I also want to add that I’ve heard lots of good things about the Pumpables Genie Advanced and their Liquid Shield Kit. I’m not even breastfeeding anymore and this is on my wants list (laughs)! I’ll definitely try this setup with our future kids.
Haakaa Breast Pump: I didn’t get to use these for as long as I hoped, since I ended up exclusively pumping. However, I hope to use them in the future! Whenever I nursed Valkyrie, I had a Haakaa attached to my other breast. It’d catch any leaking breast milk. They came in handy!
This was an item I packed with me to the hospital, but didn’t use. I wish I had because I was leaking like crazy! Imagine all the breast milk I could’ve saved. That’s something I’d change in the future!
Spectra S2 Plus Breast Pump with Portable Battery Pack: This breast pump was my main pump. I made it mobile by using a portable battery pack and strap. The collection cups listed below worked perfectly with this pump too!
Legendairy Milk Silicone Collection Cups: I wanted something more discreet than the plastic flange and bottle setup, so I opted for these. It actually worked better for me because my breasts responded better to the silicone! It also helped with times that I needed to hold my daughter. I could pump and comfort her at the same time.
Legendairy Milk Imani i2 Wearable Breast Pump: These were my favorite go-to wearable pumps! I enjoyed using the Zomee Z2 (with the LM collection cups), but after two weeks, they didn’t empty my breasts. I needed something that would and preferably without tubes. That’s when I made the switch to the LM Imani and I loved it!
Medela Contact Nipple Shields with Carrying Case: I used these to help my daughter latch onto my nipples as they were flat. Although they were helpful (for the first several days), I found them discouraging. They were hard to get onto my nipple and they’d fall off easily. Valkyrie wasn’t gaining any weight and I think these played a role in that. If I had a hard time with it, imagine a newborn baby’s struggle?
These may work for you and I hope they do! They’re still an amazing option to help your baby feed.
Cleaning Supplies
Dapple Bottle & Dish Soap: We still use this soap to wash Valkyrie’s bottles. I’m not sure why we chose to have a separate soap for Valkyrie’s items, but we did. I don’t mind it!
Dapple Baby Breast Pump Cleaner Wipes: I loved these wipes! Whenever I pumped while I was out of the house and didn’t have traditional cleaning supplies with me, these were handy! I’d use these wipes to clean my breast pump parts, then once I got home, I washed the parts.
Washing Basin: We have a specific washing basin for Valkyrie’s bottles. I think this is important. I don’t want to wash her items in something that has been exposed to other materials.
Brushes: We were lucky to receive several different kinds of brushes from Valkyrie’s baby shower. This let us test which brush worked best for us! We liked the sponge bottle brushes that came with a small brush for bottle nipples. It cleaned all parts of the bottles as well as pump parts.
Support
Boppy Pillow OR My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: I brought the boppy pillow to the hospital with us and I’m happy we did! It helped me learn how to nurse. I used it to nurse until I decided to exclusively pump. After that, we used it for tummy time, as a support to bottle feed, and as a pillow.
I didn’t use the Brest Friend nursing pillow as much as I hoped since I only nursed for two weeks. Nonetheless, it was great! My pillow has a back support and strap which makes nursing easier. I think you’d like it too!
Storage
Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags: I stored any extra breast milk I had in these storage bags, then packed them away into our deep freezer. They were the perfect size and convenient. Tip: lay the bags of breast milk flat to ensure that more can fit into the freezer
Medela Storage Bottles: These are handy for storing breast milk into. I used these while out of the house and before pouring into a pitcher, listed below. Medela offers 8 oz. bottles as well!
Dr. Brown’s Mixing Pitcher: When I started exclusively pumping, I realized I was collecting a lot of breast milk. This pitcher made storing breast milk so much easier! I was also using the pitcher method (storing fresh breast milk into a bottle before pouring it into the pitcher). After a day’s worth of pumping, I’d store extra breast milk into storage bags for the freezer.
This pitcher comes with a mixing blade which I thought was perfect for mixing a day’s collection of milk. This way there’s an even distribution of nutrients.
Travel
Medela Ice Pack: We still use these ice packs for Valkyrie’s whole milk. They work to keep the milk cold all day long!
Momcozy Insulated Baby Bottle Bag: We were gifted this bag from a friend and we love it! We’ve used it for breast milk, whole milk and food! It’s not too small, but not too big. It’s the perfect size.
Medela Baby Bottle Cooler Bag: When we don’t use the Momcozy bag, we use this one. It’s great for quick trips out of the house!
Travel Brush Set: My mom bought this travel brush set for us and we use it whenever we travel. It’s part of our diaper bag. It’s one less thing to worry about when packing and I think you’ll love it!
Travel Bag: I used the Medela travel bag for my Spectra and LM cups. I felt that it fit everything I needed. It also has side pockets and a zipper pocket inside. This is where I stored extra empty Medela bottles and Dapple wipes. Although I liked using this bag, I wish I used something else that had a zipper to it and could’ve been used as a backpack. I only used this bag because I didn’t feel the absolute need to buy a different bag. If you’re out of the house a lot or travel frequently, I highly recommend a travel bag!
Baby’s Brew Bottle Warmer: I can’t recommend this bottle warmer enough! I tried packing hot water in a thermo but the water couldn’t stay hot enough. It was also a hassle. With the Baby’s Brew, I didn’t have to worry. It was always in our diaper bag, ready to go.
There are only two cons I have about this warmer which is the silicone piece attached to the bottle adapter and the bunny ears cover. There were times that the silicone piece would fall into the bottle. The cover would also fall off on its own. I still highly recommend this warmer, however. It may just be a problem I encounter!
Water Bottle: I enjoyed using my Hydroflask because it kept my water cold throughout the day (not too cold, but just enough). I also liked that I could use it with a straw. Any water bottle will do just fine to keep you hydrated!
Wet Bag: I always keep one in the bathroom and in our diaper bag. I use it for wet clothes and cloths now, but they come in handy for on the go pumping. Whenever I finished pumping with either the LM Silicone Cups or LM Imani i2, I’d wipe them down with Dapple wipes, then place them in these bags!
Breast/Nipple Care
Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads OR Organic Bamboo Washable Nursing Pads: I used the disposable nursing pads at the start of my journey, but I quickly switched over to washable ones. I didn’t want to waste so much material and found that these actually worked better than the disposable ones. The disposable ones didn’t stay in place for me with how often I pumped, which made it uncomfortable. The washable pads were easy to put in, take out and wash!
Pumping Bras: Just like finding the right breast pump, finding the right bra takes time (at least for me it did). My breasts kept changing, increasing in size. Not to mention, I went from using the Spectra plastic flanges to using LM silicone cups. I needed something that would keep the cups secure. It may take a while and although bras can be expensive, they play an important role in the breastfeeding journey.
Nipple Butter: I don’t think this made too much of a difference for me. I pumped so often during the day that I only used it throughout the night or if I felt my nipples drying. I’d use my breastmilk to soothe my nipples after pumping, then air dried. This way my nipples could recover, without feeling sticky or dry.
Silverrette Nursing Cups: I didn’t use these. However, I wish I had! I’ve heard so many great things about them. My nipples were sensitive, even to a bra. These cups would’ve given me relief!
Lansinoh Soothies Cooling Gel Pads: I used the ones provided by my hospital. I think these are similar to them in the sense that they help to cool the nipples. I enjoyed using these after a nursing session or pump session. Tip: place them in the fridge before using
Other
Bottle Warmer: We found this warmer incredibly helpful in quickly warming up the bottle. It’s also easy to use and clean. This warmer fits many sizes as well, so if you’re looking for one, give this one a try!
Baby Tracker App: I loved this app! I used it for at least three to four months. I tracked Valkyrie’s feedings, diaper changes, naps, and how much I pumped. It keeps track of all the data and actually provides graphs.
Spreadsheet: In addition to the Baby Tracker App listed above, I made my own spreadsheet. It includes how many times I pumped in a day, how much breastmilk was collected, and how much I saved in the freezer. This helped me compare how much I made to how much Valkyrie ate. I also used it to see how much milk I was producing. If production was starting to slow down, I’d catch it ahead of time! You don’t need a spreadsheet, but I felt that it was necessary for me. I stopped using it eventually. Take a look at my first several months in the spreadsheet!
These are items that worked for me, and I hope they work for you as well. Let me know what you think and if you have any recommendations!
