Did you know breastfeeding or exclusively pumping moms will spend approximately 1800 hours in the first year devoted to nourishing their baby? This doesn’t even include washing or sanitizing pump parts, researching various topics, or seeking professional lactation support!
If you’re going to devote that much time to breastfeeding it just makes sense to lessen your load. I love having a cart set up next to the glider – although you could also use a table or even a basket to move around the house!
Here’s what I keep on hand for those long stretches of nursing and pumping:
- Medela pump with bottles
- Manual pump for quick pumps
- Pump cleaning wipes
- Milk collectors
- Nursing pads (both reusable and disposable)
- A night light for late night feedings and rocking
- Pacifiers (primarily for dad)
- Burp rags
- Nursing pillow (this pretty much lives in the chair!)
- Extra baby blankets and a blanket for mom
- Nipple salve
- Mama Milk Salve
- Bottles of water in case I forgot to grab mine
- Electrolyte packages
- Easy to eat snacks such as granola bars, pretzels, cookies (Moma Tata Tasties Cookies), nuts, cheese crisps, jerky, etc.
- Lip balm
- Phone charger
- Vitamin D drops
- Gas drops
- Hot Cold Therapy Packs
- Frida Milkflow Balm
- Baby wipes (in case of mess!)
- Since I often nurse from the couch in the evenings, I have an extra nursing pillow and just grab a burp rag, my water bottle, and a snack for those feeds!
Additional breastfeeding essentials I love:
- Nursing bras
- Hands free pump for around the house
- Sanitizer/Dryer
- Travel cleaning kit
- Freezer bags
- Supplements like sunflower lecithin, probiotics, and a good postnatal
My Favorite Nursing-Friendly Bras
I spent a good chunk of parenting wearing bras that were comfortable but left a lot to be desired. Practical, sure. But also ill-fitting, plain, and annoying if I wore any that had removable cups.
On my 5th pregnancy, I discovered Tender Seasons which offer cute lacy fabric in a variety of colors and sewn in pads! I’ve been wearing these as my daily bras for six months and they’re very comfortable.
Now that our baby girl is here, I also have a stash of their night time bras that don’t offer AS much support but are great for those middle of the night feeds. For me, they are really just to hold a nursing pad for leaks. The Tender Seasons nighttime bras are so much thicker and definitely more supportive than alternatives I own. If you’re like me and sometimes roll from pajamas to daytime clothes and don’t want to change your bra—you’ll appreciate these supportive gems.
And no one was more excited than my husband when Tender Seasons sent me a breastfeeding-friendly nightgown with a lacy top. Perfect for our upcoming summer season. The only downside is that there isn’t a good place to put nursing pads, so they don’t stay in at nighttime.
Postpartum is already a rough time as new moms navigate leaking breasts and body changes, but a good bra and clothes that make you feel good are a must-have. And not having to search for bra inserts? That’s just the cherry on top.
