The Breastfeeding Mom's Arsenal

As a new mother, I had a lot of questions. As a new mother who had never breastfed before, I had even more. I diligently scoured the internet for solutions, help and tips for the first few days, looking for things that would help me be the best breastfeeder I could be.
Lets face it, breastfeeding isn't easy. Luckily, there are a plethora of products out there designed to make nursing less dificult and help mothers reach their breastfeeding goals.

I was infinitely lucky that Buggy seemed to catch on easily. I mean, she came out rooting for the boob, so I knew that she would be okay nursing. I just wasn't sure if I would be. So, I added these few products as part of my breastfeeding arsenal, and let me tell you, they all helped tremendously! I thought I'd share.

One of the first items I acquired for my arsenal was the Boppy pillow. My best friend B had used it with her little girl, so she handed it down to me, like passing the Olympic torch. I accepted it, thinking that it probably wouldn't get much use, but boy was I wrong. I use this thing all the time. Honestly, it's probably the best thing I own.

The second and third items I used right off the bat were my Lansinoh nursing pads and the lanolin cream. Let me tell ya, the nursing pads saved many a shirt in the early days of engorgement and leaking. Honestly, I didn't even know the amount of milk that would seep out. I'd remove the pads and they would be soaked. I like the Lansinoh pads the best becuase they suck the moisture away from your skin, so you stay dry. Other pads, I found, didn't do it as well.

Also, the lanolin was a lifesaver. About 2 weeks after I had Buggy, I noticed that I was really dry and starting to crack. While I was lucky and didn't have any super bad cracking and bleeding, the cream did help to soothe my poor battered and bruised nips and whats even better, Buggy didn't seem to mind it. Bonus.

The final items that every breastfeeding mom should have in their arsenal are a good nursing bra and several nursing tanks. I'll admit, I'm pretty well endowed, so I had to go to an old lady shop and have my bras helicoptered in from the land of the large boobed, but soooo worth it. A good fitting bra is a MUST. You don't want one with underwire, because that can cause clogged ducts which can turn into mastitis, and you don't want to have that. Also, the nursing tanks are all so super comfy and honestly, I will probably wear them even after I wean Buggy off the boob. I love them, and I live in them. I have so many in several different colors. My favorite and preferred are the Gilligan and O'Malley Tanks from Target. They are a little longer, and seem to fit the best. The other's all kind of rode up on my belly, which well, with a post partum belly, you don't want anything riding up. Trust me.

What else is in your breastfeeding arsenal?

Nursing Bracelets

When I first had Buggy, I was a little disoriented. Needless to say, the lack of sleep, exhaustion from labor, and all the ups and downs of becoming a first time mom coupled with all the new emotions, were quite a heavy load to handle. On top of all this, I decided I really wanted to breastfeed. Luckily for me, Buggy took right to it and nursed like a champ from the get go.

However, just with everything, breastfeeding took time, hardwork and concentration. The last idea being the hardest one. When you first start breastfeeding, the lactation consultants and nurses, and whoever else thinks they know more about your boobs than you, will tell you that you have to nurse each side and flip back and forth so that way your milk will come in, you won't become engorged and won't risk mastitis. Also, it's best to feed on demand, and its a good idea to keep track of when feedings take place and for how long, etc, etc.

This is all pretty difficult to remember, especially when you are bleary eyed from lack of sleep.

My wonderful, beautiful, super intelligent mom (shhh she may be reading this) found this handy dandy think called a Milk Band which totally helped me keep track of all this and took so much off my mind. Basically, you use the little dial on the bracelet to tell you what side, duration and time you nursed. I used mine religiously for the first 2 months, then kind of stopped after I got the full hang of nursing.

You can also find more stylish nursing bracelet if the plain rubber band type bracelet isn't your style. Doing a simple Google search I found this site which boasts fancy beaded bracelets. I love them and would totally rock if I still needed to keep track of nursing.

Definitely check into them if you are nursing or plan to nurse. They were a super lifesaver for me!

Mommy Must Have: Target Nursing Tanks

I've been asked by quite a few people about which nursing tank I recommend. I'll be honest, I had a hard time finding a good one. I tried them all, Bravado, Glamourize, Walmart, you name it. I'm a heftier kind of gal, and fairly "blessed" and I just couldn't find a nursing tank that fit correctly. Most of them either were too small around the belly, too tight around the boobs, or too short in the torso.

I thought I was a lost cause. Pretty bummed, I asked a few good friends, and they all recommended the Gilligan and O'Malley Nursing Tanks from Target. Feeling bummed, I went to Target to try one on. Amazingly, it fit. It was a little snug, but honestly, I was okay with that since I planned on just wearing them under my shirt.

So, I cleared them out. Seriously, I bought all of them in my size.

Since that fateful day, I have lived in these things. Heck, I'm wearing one now! Honest to goodness, faithful readers, they are so comfy and are worn non-stop in my household. Since then, I've ordered one in every color from Target online.

Whats your favorite brand? Leave a comment and let me know!