Breastfeeding Essentials I Can’t Live Without

Breastfeeding mamas, or soon to be mamas: Listen up. This post is for you!

As a breast feeding mama myself, I love to share what works for me, and what makes my life easier. I wanted to take a few quick minutes while I was thinking of it to share some of my current breast feeding essentials and favorites with all of you – and I am sharing direct links to where you can purchase these products on the cheap. I promise you, I would never mislead you for the sake of making a quick advertising buck. I use these products myself and I can attest the fact that they work, and they make my life easier.

First thing’s first: I love nursing tanks. You can always layer two tanks and pull one up while you have one pulled down for coverage just as good as a nursing tank. The reason I ever really purchased nursing tanks to begin with was because they were uber expensive, and it just didn’t seem worth it. But I honestly think every breast feeding mama should own at least one stylish nursing tank, because they’re adorable and the guesswork and work in general is taken out of it for you. This tank, pictured below, is my top pick right now because not only is it adorable, and stylish – but it’s also extremely cost effective. Your husband won’t want to strangle you for making a $5.99 purchase.

Aside from nursing tanks, infinity scarves are a must in the early days of breastfeeding for feeding on the go, anytime, anywhere. As our babies grow and get older, using one of these scarves to cover anything up becomes a struggle and quite honestly, it becomes far too difficult. But, for at least those first 6 or so months, this thing will be your best friend. Wear it like a scarf with any outfit, and unfold it to nurse. Yes, it’s that simple. I love mine. I have this exact scarf, and I used it as often as I was able when Richi was tiny. I got lots of compliments on it – and the best part is, it’s only $12.99 + free shipping (if your order equals over $25)!

Aside from these two items, I still to this very day at 18 months strong nursing (and counting!) use my Boppy pillow. This thing has made breastfeeding as comfortable as humanly possible for both Richi and I – even without a rocking chair. The Boppy Pillow is so versatile, it can be used for nursing, for propping baby up when they are learning to sit, for helping baby with tummy time, and for leaning baby back when they are still too tiny to sit and don’t quite want to spend time on their bellies. This is probably the best investment I ever made on my breastfeeding journey, and every breast feeding and nursing mama will want to have one on hand at all times. This item costs more than the other two items, but I promise you, it’s a $29.84 investment you’ll be so glad you made. Also, I believe this is the cheapest place to find a Boppy and that’s why I’m linking you to the product on Amazon.

This one comes slip-covered already, however you can buy other slip covers like the ones you see below so you will always be able to change the cover to something new for a change, or when you are washing the one currently on the pillow. Also, another cool feature about this pillow is you will be able to wash the entire pillow in the washing machine and not just the slip cover.

Cute baby not included. (Sorry, I had to)

Another few cute slip-cover options to choose from are pictured below. Each of these slipcovers are only $9.99 each, so they’re quite affordable.

The above item was my saving grace when Richi was in the NICU.

This is the Medela Symphony Hospital Grade dual breast pump. This is by far the most top of the line breast pump I have ever used in my breast feeding journey, even with 5 kids. There is NO pump on the market that can match up to this baby, in my opinion. The only downfall? It’s expensive. But it’s so worth it. Especially if you’re planning on having other kids, or know someone who is. Also, the resale value of this pump is amazing as it’s got multi-user capabilities. These are what all of the top hospitals are using, especially when you have a NICU baby and plan on pumping or breast feeding. Trust me – if price isn’t an issue for you, get this pump!

If you would like any further recommendations or have any questions about any of these items,  I’d be happy to help you out. Just leave me your comments or questions below and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Have a great day!

-S