Must Have List for Breastfeeding Mothers; Five Products You Can't Live Without!

Choosing to breast feed your child has amazing health benefits for both you and baby! So congratulation of your decision. If you are still wondering about the benefits, I recommend reading the article Breastfeeding: Is Breast Milk Best for both You and Baby? I have compiled a must have list of all the things that as a breast feeding mother, you just can't live without! Enjoy!

1) Nursing Pads

In the very beginning of breast feeding your breast swell with loads of milk, and just about anything sets the off. This means you could be walking in the store and walked into the freezer section and set off the hydrants. Before you know it you have a large wet spot directly over your breast! This is no fun, trust me! So to prevent breast leaking you will want to find quality nursing pads. I recommend buying a box of disposable pads and keeping a few washable pads on hand too. The washable pads are softer are feel more comfortable, however, your laundry pile may be at it's worst now that baby is home, so keeping disposable nursing pads on hand is a life saver. plus you can throw them away and change them as often as you need to without the worry of being on your last pair. I recommend the Lansinoh brand disposable nursing pads, which can be purchased at most store including Walmart for less then ten dollars a box.

2) Lanolin Breast Cream

If you have never heard of this, it's a miracle worker and a total must have for nursing mothers. First the Lanolin breast cream is a thick ointment that heals and soothes cracked or dry nipples. many women claim they would have had to stop nursing if they didn't have it! It's completely safe for baby and is an excellent moisturizer for more than just nipples! You can use it on rough knees, elbows or even on baby! I recommend using the Lansinoh brand breast cream, which is again readily available at Walmart. Don't get scared of by the price, a very little bit goes a long way.

3) A Hand Pump

Many mothers who do not plan on leaving baby anytime soon, will make the mistake of not having a hand pump handy. There are times when expressing milk from your breast may be necessary and it's always good to have comfortable inexpensive hand pump for those times. If your having a milk supply issue, many lactation consultants will tell you to manually stimulate the breast with a pump to create more milk, so you never know when you may need it! The Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump is a comfortable pump under thirty five dollars, it is highly recommended!

4) Nursing Cover or A Blanket

You can't control when your child wants to eat, and chances are if you didn't pump out a bottle, you will have to nurse your child where. While many mothers feel comfortable nursing in public, many more choose to cover up or go to a private place to nurse. A blanket, when thrown over your shoulder and draped across baby proves a great little hide out, for baby to suckle. You can also try the Bebe Au lait Nursing Cover which has exception reviews and can be purchased on Amazon for about $35.00 and is very trendy looking too!

5) Nursing Tea

The herbal teas are meant to help mothers milk production stay healthy. Nursing tea is also soothing and relaxing to drink and makes you feel pampered if for only a minute! There are many Nursing Teas on the market, but my favorites of the Traditional Medicinals Organic Mother's Milk Herbal Tea and Yogi Woman's Nursing Support Herbal Tea, which has a nice calming light minty flavor added to it. So sip up and enjoy! You may have to go to the health food store to buy this tea, or it may be in your local grocery store, it can also be purchased online.

Well there you have it....five Items every nursing mother should have in her possession! Two more things worth noting, a good nursing bra is important as well as having the number to a lactation consultant. Check out the Le Leche League for a wealth of information and free help!

Sources:

www.llli.org (Le Leche League)

www.amazon.com