Are you a new breastfeeding mom? This is a GREAT place to start then. After breastfeeding for over two years, I’ve finally created a list of tried and true products you need to have a successful, stress-free breastfeeding journey. This comprehensive list should serve as a guide for you whether you’re pregnant, new to breastfeeding, or looking to make your life as a nursing mom a bit easier. Keep reading to see the products, and to enter a giveaway to win EVERYTHING in the picture above!

TOP TEN MUST-HAVE PRODUCTS FOR THE BREASTFEEDING MOM

1. 1. A baby sling.

      Slings are one of the easiest carriers to nurse in. Perfect for the breastfeeding mom. The tail of the sling also serves as a great a cover if you aren’t comfortable breastfeeding in public. The carrier in the giveaway below is a Baby Tula ring sling. It’s a wonderful tencel blend fabric. It’s super soft, cozy, and warm for breastfeeding an infant or toddler comfortably!

   2. A nursing cover.

      I’ve owned quite a few nursing covers, but this one tops them all because the material clings. There’s nothing worst than a floppy, blanket-like nursing cover. The Covered Goods cover is my top pick because when I put baby underneath the fabric is taught so it doesn’t cover baby’s mouth/nose, and I can lift it up and see her while nursing. Now that Grace is older, I don’t use a cover, but when she was tiny, this cover was truly a lifesaver. It also folds up nice and small.

   3. A great nursing bra.

      This Bamboobies yoga nursing bra is so comfy, and provides great support at the same time. The first month or so, I tried to survive without a nursing bra, and let’s just say it didn’t work out. If you can, invest in a nursing bra or two, or three, if you plan to nurse for awhile. They’re a game changer.

   4. A prenatal vitamin with folate.

      Keep in mind that this is my personal preference, but I like having a prenatal vitamin that is both raw, and contains folate and not folic acid. The quick way to explain this is that folate (the vitamin found in many food such as leafy greens) is the natural form, and folic acid is the man-made, synthetic vitamin that they use in fortified foods such as pasta and rice. Our bodies are better at processing the natural form, so that’s why I stick to folate! This vitamin has tons of folate in it. I also love that it’s raw fruits and vegetables. If you visit the Garden of Life website, you can see a full list of ingredients here. These articles by Wellness Mama and Chris Kresser are great for explaining both. Also, this study is enough to alarm me and make me want to stay away from folic acid.

   5. Reusable nursing pads.

      There’s nothing more wonderful than waking up to a milk-stained sheet, am I right? The first few months of breastfeeding can be pretty rough as your supply regulates and learns to fulfill baby’s needs. Reusable nursing pads are so soft and much more absorbent than the paper ones. The Bamboobies pads are adorable and they’re great quality!

   6. A baby-safe nipple cream.

      This might be subjective, and that’s okay! But my FAVORITE nipple cream of all time is the Earth Mama Angel Baby cream. It’s 100% organic, natural, and non-GMO. It also smells heavenly, and I don’t think twice about using it since it’s safe for baby to ingest should I have to nurse a few minutes after applying it.

   7. Nursing-friendly clothing.

      I found a great, new nursing-friendly brand with adorable clothing (including that adorable dress in the photo above!) called Honeysuckle by Hannah Hill. The functionality of this clothing is on point, as each piece has boob-access for nursing on the go. I love that these are adorable and dressy enough to wear to events like weddings, bridal showers, graduations, etc. Check out her Kickstarter page here, and keep scrolling to the bottom of this article to win one of these dresses + all the other products in this photo above.

   8. A breastfeeding book.

      The book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding was an invaluable resource for me. It truly helped me answer all of the random questions I had as a new mother who had no clue how to breastfeed. It taught me so many things, including: what a latch is supposed to look like, what a latch isn’t supposed to look like, how to hand-express milk, how to pump and store milk, at what temperatures I’m supposed to store the milk at, how long milk is good for in the fridge, refrigerator, etc.. The list goes on. You guys, I can’t rave about this book enough.

   9. Soft shells for sore nipples.

      If I ever have friends who are having issues with painful nursing, I immediately recommend two products to them. I recommend the nipple butter I mentioned in number 6, and I send them a link to the Medela Soft Shells. A good friend of mine passed on her wisdom in using these to give your nipples some air + a break when you are sore, and I kid you not it changed how I went about nursing when I was hurting. I’m so thankful for these things, and I promise you will be too!

   10. A cozy breastfeeding pillow for support.

       In all honestly, I only used a breastfeeding pillow for the first six months or so. I loved using one for when baby was small though. Now that Grace is two it’s just been so long since I used one. However when I was learning different breastfeeding holds, and had to breastfeed for hours at a time, I loved having a breastfeeding pillow. I recommend trying the one I linked because the Boppy pillow didn’t work well for me, personally. I ended up taking mine back.

SHOP BREASTFEEDING MUST-HAVES 

BREASTFEEDING MUST-HAVES GIVEAWAY

I’m so excited about this giveaway because whoever wins this will be SET for their breastfeeding journey.

THE PRIZES:

BABY TULA RING SLING

COVERED GOODS NURSING COVER

BAMBOOBIES YOGA BRA

GARDEN OF LIFE PRENATAL VITAMINS

BAMBOOBIES WASHABLE REUSABLE NURSING PADS

BAMBOOBIES SOOTHING THERAPY PILLOWS

EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY MILK-TO-GO PUMPING SET

HONEYSUCKLE BY HANNAH HILL NURSING-FRIENDLY DRESS

Rules: To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway open to U.S. only. Open for one week only. Closes Monday, August 14th and a winner will be announced on this page on the widget below 24 hours later.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to check our breastfeeding section before you go.