Everything You Need for Nursing a Newborn
When it comes to breastfeeding, I’m not an expert. However, I did nurse my first for 10 months and my second for going on three. When you calculate the total number of hours, you can say that I have a lot of experience. I remember when I first started nursing my son, I felt like a complete fish out of water (and I probably looked like one just flailing around). Looking back, I think the secret to becoming one of those moms that can just feed whenever and wherever is practice. Eventually you and your baby can figure out a rhythm where nursing is more like a fish in water (but probably still not the most graceful of fishes because well, life and never having the ideal circumstance).
Beyond practice, I have found “supplies” that have really helped me with breastfeeding and creating an efficient and enjoyable feeding experience. This is a popular question my new mom friends ask me, so I wanted to share the list below of my must-haves along with links of where you can purchase. I hope this is helpful for new moms, moms-to-be, or those who are supporting/shopping for mamas. For transparency, as an Amazon Associate, I do make a small commission on qualifying purchases through my links which I really appreciate!
My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow
I really love this nursing pillow. In my opinion, it's perfect for the newborn stage because it has a flat component that your baby can easily rest on – especially great when they have little body control, and you are trying to focus on a bunch of other adjustments. I also like that this pillow straps around my whole body, which makes it comfortable. I do also own the Boppy which is a popular nursing pillow, but I find it’s harder to use especially with a newborn because it is so fluffy and round that my baby just slides right off. (I use my Boppy more so for propping my baby up during tummy time). If you do choose to purchase a Breast Friend, I also suggest buying an extra cover. There are many times (and it always happens in the middle of the night) where my baby splits up or has a blow out on the pillow and I need a new cover before I have time to wash the dirty one.
Breast Milk Collection and Storage Bottles
I’ve now used these cups religiously with both of my babies. It may not be something you think you might need, but when I breastfeed, I tend to have a lot of extra milk that gets collected. These bottles are the perfect place for it. I usually have one bottle that I will pool all my extra milk into for about 3-4 hours and then move the bottle to the fridge. (3-4 hours is as long as milk is allowed to stay unrefrigerated). I also use these bottles to measure out milk to eventually freeze. These are one of my most used baby products (I usually always have one with me)!
I love this product so much I’ve bought it twice. For me, I have a lot of milk that can be somewhat overwhelming to deal with. These milk collection cups have saved me from wet bras/shirts. I use these in my bra pretty much 24X7 for those first few months to help with any leakage during the day. (I then am able to empty this extra milk into the milk collection bottles and later freeze to use at another time.) I also use these collection cups while breastfeeding to wear on the side that I’m not nursing on to again catch the excess. These cups are also a huge reason I was able to save so much milk and build up my “stash” in those early weeks.
I also recommend having one of these manual breast pumps on hand. These can serve as a way to quickly pump milk instead of having to get out, put together, and clean your breast pump. I use the Haakaa particularly in the middle of the night when I have gone longer periods without nursing, and I need to relieve on side to get a better latch. I also use to relieve one side when my baby only wants to nurse on a single side.
By this point, you might be noticing a theme with my breastfeeding journey and that is that I tend to have a lot of excess milk. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, but if this is you (or to prepare just in case) I recommend purchasing some storage bags for freezing the excess. I freeze my milk after I have collected enough in my stored-up bottles in the fridge. (As a note, you should only keep breastmilk in the fridge for 4 days before using or freezing). These bags are also great to store any extra milk you get if you are pumping mama. This time around, I was able to get some of these bags free through my insurance. (I’m not exactly sure of the process because they were sent with my breast pump but might be something to investigate.)
If you are planning to breastfeed, I recommend getting a nursing cover that you can use for nursing on the go. It offers privacy and can make you feel a little more comfortable. Candidly, as I have gotten more experienced with breastfeeding on the go, I tend to use the cover less because I’m able to maneuver some coverage with just my shirt, but initially, it's something I got a lot of use out of. I linked a more popular model, but I have this cover from my first which doubles as a car seat cover (which is great in those early months to protect your baby from germs and just nosey people). I like the dual use and we have really used this thing- we have two!
When nursing, you are going to need a good nursing bra... or a few. For me, I ended up wearing these 24X7, so I suggest getting some that are good quality. These from Kindred Bravely are my favorite. They are pricier, but they held up well for how often I am wearing them. I also recommend to all my friends that they go ahead and purchase a pumping bra. These bras have a double clasp that allows you to be somewhat hands-free pumping if you have a traditional pump. I can still wear the pumping bras even when I’m just breastfeeding, so I suggest getting them, so you are set in any scenario. Another hack I recommend is going ahead and buying these nursing bras when you are pregnant. Many mamas (me included) need to size up in bras during pregnancy, so if you are going to buy new bras anyway might as well buy pumping/nursing bras that you can also use once baby is here.
No one told me about the leaking that comes along with those first few weeks after your milk comes in. In addition to the catching cups, I also recommend buying some pads to use. This is helpful if you don’t have enough leakage for the cups or to simply wear them at night (the cups would leak while laying down). I originally purchased these disposable ones which have great absorption, but later purchased the reusable ones. I find the reusable ones to be more comfortable and cost efficient for how many I was using. However, both options get the job done.
If you made it this far in the recommendations, then I hope you appreciate this unconventional nursing item that I used EVERYDAY for both of my babies. I purchased one of these MAMA bracelets from Little Words Project with my first baby and haven’t taken it off since. I use the bracelet to remember which side to start breastfeeding on for each session (it is best practice to alternate). As a new mama, it's impossible for me to keep track of sides and found the bracelet method to be a cute and easy way to keep track. I simply move it from wrist to wrist after each feeding. (There are a bunch of apps that will keep track of sides for you, but I like the bracelet method and am able to always know). This is also a great gift to give to any new mama to be!
I hope these items and tips help you have everything you need for nursing! As a working mama, I have a whole separate list of supplies for pumping, especially while traveling. I have a trip coming up, so I will plan on writing part #2 with the supplies needed for nursing on the go! Stay tuned. XXX