Essentials For The First Months Of Breastfeeding

As I am thinking of stopping breastfeeding, I have been thinking of the essentials for the first months of breastfeeding, the items I couldn’t have done without for the first few months x

The Breastfeeding Butterfly from Faye & Lou is great, especially when I wasn’t as confident. It is perfect for covering me up as well as stopping Lucas from getting distracted.

Nursing bras, I bought some from New Look and Mothercare. They both do ranges that are pretty as well as practical. I found that the Mothercare ones fit a lot better and they also have staff that can measure you.

Nursing vest tops, I bought a pack of 3 from New Look and love them. I have been wearing one under my normal tops every day, they make it so much easier to remain covered as you unhook the breast but the rest of the top stays covering you.

Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Cream ,the first few weeks your nipples feel like they have been ripped to shreds. I tried all sorts of creams and this is the only one that made any difference. It instantly relieved them and left a barrier on to continue protecting.

A breast pump and milk bags, I expressed milk when I felt I needed to release some of the pressure building up if Lucas wasn’t ready for his next feed. This stopped after a couple of months as my body regulated to Lucas’ needs. I also expressed milk for D to feed Lucas so he could have some quality time with him. I use the Medela Harmony manual pump which is very simple to use and easy to take apart for sterilising. There are some differences in how long you can store milk for if you google it. I follow the NHS guidelines  and store it for up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Bottles, I bought breastflow bottles. I researched various bottles before settling on these as I had been told the stories about babies rejecting breastfeeding once they had a bottle or dummy. I shouldn’t have worried, Lucas had a dummy within a couple of weeks and took to these bottles well, without either affecting breastfeeding. He will now breastfeed, have a bottle, a baby cup and a trainer cup with no issues.

Vitamins, I took Vitabiotics Pregnacare Breast-Feeding Tablets to ensure I was getting the nutrients I needed. Your body automatically gives what is needed to the baby through your milk so it is important to make sure you are looking after yourself as well.

Breast pads are a must in the first few weeks, after a couple of months I didn’t need them as my body had regulated to when Lucas needed feeding. I used Lansinoh nursing pads, they are very discreet but great at absorbing excess milk without you feeling damp. They are also individually wrapped so perfect for popping in your changing bag or coat pocket.

Sleeping bras to hold the breast pads in place during the night, I bought mine from Mothercare.

Nursing sleep wear, not necessarily needed but as Lucas was born in February I preferred my nursing night wear to my normal pjs as it kept me warmer throughout the night as I remained covered instead of having to lift my top up. Button up pjs are also good for this. La Redoute have a good selection of maternity/nursing nightwear and usually have some good offers on.

A V-shaped pillow is great for positioning baby in the first few weeks as well as propping you up. If you get this whilst pregnant, it also helps with getting you comfortable if you place it between your legs to sleep.