Monday 27 May 2013

Breastfeeding buddies

The only things that you NEED for breastfeeding are boobs and a baby.  There are however an amazing selection of products to make life easier for mother and baby at such an important time, and I wanted to share some of the products that we have been using on our breastfeeding journey

  • A Good Nursing Bra
Your boobs will go on a journey all of their own during pregnancy and afterwards and it is well worth investing in some good support.  I was sent a couple of bras and a vest from Bravado and I can really feel the difference that a well fitted and supportive nursing bra makes.  They are easy to un-clip to feed discreetly which is very important to me because as proud as I am to be breastfeeding my son, I prefer to stay covered up.  I love the vest for sleeping in as it is easy access and the supported section keeps breastpads in place.

  • Muslins
Muslins are my absolute most important baby accessory.  I use them as pram sheets, burping cloths, sun covers, makeshift bibs, nappy inserts and breastfeeding covers.  There are a lot of fancy covers out there but I have mastered the art of a muslin tucked into my bra strap and fanned out to cover my feeding baby.  They are thin and breathable and I have literally hundreds of them!  Over the winter (and spring/autumn) a scarf is also a great cover and looks so discreet.  Just use the tail to cover babies head and nobody will even notice what you are doing half the time!

  • Nursing Clothes
I have a huge selection of cheap vests that I wear under everything so that I never have to expose that post baby bulge.  I pull my T-shirt up and the vest down meaning that nothing unnecessary is exposed.  There are some occassions though where I just want to wear a dress or something pretty so It is definitely worth investing in a few key pieces.  Keungzai do some gorgeous dresses that last through pregnancy, nursing and beyond and they are beautifully soft.  I was sent one at the end of my pregnancy and it still feels like new!

  • Bottles
This may not make complete sense, but eventually you will want to leave your baby, even if it is for only a few hours and it is best to leave them something to drink incase they get hungry.  I have always found hand expressing easier than using a pump but I still need a steriliser and bottles for feeding the little man my expressed milk.  Tommee Tippee sent me their complete starter kit which has everything you need for bottle feeding and more than enough for breastfeeding.  Archie took a tommee tippee bottle last week straight away and the kit comes with the different flow teats so it will see him through to a sippy cup.

  • Nursing Pillow
I never bothered with one of these with Dylan but have found it very helpful with the second baby.  It fits round my middle and I can rest Archie on there whilst I feed, meaning that my arms don't ache after a long feed with a heavy baby.  I have found it great if I need two hands to play with Dylan as I can rest Archie on the Mombo pillow and open a lid/do a puzzle/ read a book with my hands free.  The Mombo pillow has two sides, one firm for feeding and a softer one for play with a vibrate function too, so as Archie starts learning to sit, we will use it as a back support.  At the moment Dylan loves sitting in it to eat his lunch but hopefully Archie will get a go as well!


  • Breastpads
Disposable or reusable, these are quite important for a breastfeeding mum, and I have gone down the reusable route this time, finding them more comfortable and much cheaper.  You need enough for everyday and everynight use for the first few months but I find that as time goes on I do need them less and less.

What are your 'must-have' buys for breastfeeding?


Disclaimer:  I  was sent some items that are featured in this post free of charge, however all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

1 comment:

  1. Cracking items!

    I have just finished breastfeeding - I very much miss it x x x

    ReplyDelete

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