When a mama-to-be is creating her baby registry, it is SO common for ALL the items to be all about baby. I know mine was. ICYMI, I’m Jeannine, the founder + designer of Ailana J., back for another guest blog post for March Mama Month! Anyways, I was so excited to pick out all these things for my little guy that I didn’t think much about myself. And mama actually needs some things too! Thankfully, I had a mama friend who went rogue and got me a bunch of breastfeeding must-haves for my baby shower. Now I want to be that friend to YOU! I don’t want you to forget about all the things you need for YOURSELF postpartum, particularly if you are breastfeeding! Here is a full round-up of all the breastfeeding gear must-haves that you will need!
Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump
When you’re nursing on one breast, let down still happens on the opposite breast too! Rather than leaking all that milk into your nursing bra, the Haakaa captures all that liquid gold so it doesn’t go to waste! The Haakaa lets you express milk using the power of natural suction. Simply squeeze, attach to your breast, and let it work its magic. It’s super easy to use and really easy to clean since it is just ONE piece. Plus, it’s NOT expensive – price varies depending on the specific model you get, but they’re all around $20 or so! I used the Haakaa during every single nursing session to create a supply of breastmilk. This took the pressure off of me to create a freezer supply for when I was away from baby or for when I eventually returned to work. Instead of the popular method of pumping with your heavy duty hospital-grade electric pump in between nursing sessions (because, honestly, who has time for that?! When do you SLEEP?!), I just used the Haakaa WHILE nursing. Incredibly efficient! I did NOT know how glorious the Haakaa was before my friend gifted it to me for my baby shower. I had barely even heard of it before she gave it to me. But I am SO incredibly thankful she did because it’s the best thing ever if you have NO interest in wasting milk or you want to build up a stash! (P.S. this does NOT replace an electric breast pump and you are able to get one with your insurance, which you 100% should! If you need more info about the electric pump I recommend and how to
get it through insurance, click HERE.)
Kiinde Twist Gift Set
This is the MOST convenient system for pumping moms! The Kiinde system allows you to pump directly into a pouch, and feed baby directly from that pouch – no milk transfers, milk loss, or exposure to germs! AND less dishes to wash/sterilize, which is a MAJOR win. The adapters, nipples, nipple cases, and nipple brushes are top-rack dishwasher safe and steam-sterilizer safe.This set comes with ALL the things: direct pump recyclable pouches, pump adapters that fit all major pump brands and models, storage holder to keep your milk organized in the fridge or freezer, bottles and nipples for pouches (the pouch pops right into the bottle and the nipple pops right on top! All different flow nipples are included in this set too!), bottle/pouch warmer, and cleaning brushes! I mean, this is a SERIOUS gift set. If you get the Haakaa, I recommend pouring your milk directly from the Haakaa into a Kiinde Twist pouch so you can feed directly from it later! The nipples also come with a traveling case, which is SO awesome for feeding on the go! However, if your baby doesn’t love the Kiinde nipples, there are actually adapters to attach nipples from a TON of other major bottle brands! I was super lucky to have a Kiinde starter set included with my insurance when I ordered my breast pump, so I just registered for or bought some items separately –the storage holder, the warmer, and a cleaning brush.
Shop the Kiinde Gift Set on Amazon
Bamboobies Washable Nursing Pads
You. Will. Leak. End of story. Invest in a healthy supply of both regular and overnight Bamboobies nursing pads because you WILL wear them daily…and possibly multiple pairs a day in the early weeks. These are much more absorbent than disposables and don’t show through your bra. I had some MAJOR leakage and I never leaked through any of these nursing pads. The Bamboobies are made of super soft rayon velour from renewable bamboo, which is a particularly nice feature for those days of super sore nipples. These are also quite a little money saver since they are washable and reusable! I can’t even imagine how many disposable nursing pads I would’ve gone through if I had not be gifted these by a mama friend who had a baby before me!
Shop Bamboobies Nursing Pads on Amazon
Zoe Organics Nipple Balm
When you are first starting to breastfeed, your nipples are going to be SORE. This particular nipple balm is made with 100% food-grade organic ingredients, including organic herbs It is free from petroleum, fragrance, and artificial or synthetic ingredients, so it does not need to be washed off before breastfeeding! It’s only made with SIX ingredients. I loved knowing I wasn’t putting anything harmful where my son eats and would ingest. Apply after nursing sessions directly to nipples as often as needed to soften and soothe. It can also be applied to other areas of the body that need some extra love.
Shop Zoe Organics Nipple Balm
Aden + Anais Burpy Bib
I know this item might not sound like it’s for mama, but, trust me, it is. You don’t start a nursing session without your burp cloth handy! These burpy bibs by Aden + Anais are hard to beat. They’re made of silky soft muslin cotton and are shaped like a kidney bean, providing unparalleled shoulder coverage for any spit up situation. AKA…you stay a lot cleaner and a lot less like stinky spit up! Plus, these double as a bib! They’re a bit large for a newborn to use as a bib, but they’re great for older babies, especially as they start transitioning into solids + snack time! All about the multi-purpose!
Shop Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs
A Really Great Glider Chair
If you are breastfeeding, make sure you have a comfy place to sit! You will be breastfeeding more hours of the day than you can imagine. This is also great for soothing fussy littles. My son loved (and still loves) to be rocked and a tired mama can only stand rocking her little babe for so long! At my son’s size now (he’s 20 months and almost 30 pounds!), the chair is NECESSARY. My back thanks me. I also highly suggest a chair that reclines. A slightly reclined angle was my son’s favorite nursing position. It also was more comfortable for us when he napped on me or my husband. PLUS…if you had any tearing during delivery, you are going to want a legit CHAIR to sit in – TRUST me. I had a 2 nd degree tear and getting up after sitting on soft surfaces, like my bed or the couch, was NOT fun. I strongly believe that continuing to do that despite the pain and discomfort caused my healing process to be much longer than necessary. Sorry if that was TMI,
but we’re all friends here, right?!
Shop My Exact Glider from Buy Buy Baby
Nursing Tanks by Ailana J.
As a new mom, you will be TIRED, especially if you are breastfeeding. Make your life easier with quick access nursing tanks that will be comfortable and flattering. The Josephina Tank allows for nursing access in 1.5 SECONDS –that’s speedy AF, which you will definitely want to be when you have a hungry, crying baby on your hands! You probably also will have spit up in your hair and milk leaking from your boobs, but at least your Ailana J. outfit will make you look more put together than you feel! If you’re into looking CUTE + CHIC, then Ailana J. will help you stay that way throughout your nursing + pumping journey. STAY TUNED THIS WEEK FOR HOW YOU CAN WIN THE JOSEPHINA TANK BY AILANA J. – Rachel and I will be announcing it on both of our Instagram pages this week (@rachdupree and @ailana.j)! In the meantime…
SHOP THE JOSEPHINA TANK BY AILANA J.
JOIN THE CHALLENGE!
If you made it all the way to the end of this blog post, I KNOW you care about taking care of YOURSELF! Mama’s well-being is SO important – I CANNOT stress this enough. We need to take care of ourselves, so we can take care of our littles. For some reason, there is a lot of guilt in our culture about moms taking care of themselves. I’m here to kick that guilt to the curb and give you support and encouragement to do all the self-care that YOU need to do, 100% unapologetically! If you feel like you don’t have time for yourself or you’re so burnt out you can’t even THINK about what you need to do for YOU, I’M YOUR GIRL! I’m hosting a TOTALLY free 5-day Self-Care Challenge where I’m going to FIND you the time AND give you REALISTIC +
REPEATABLE ways to ensure you’re taken care of, mama. March Mama Month is all about you and I want to make sure you’re all living your BEST MAMA LIVES!
The challenge starts on Tuesday, March 30th – SIGN UP HERE TO SAVE YOUR SPOT! (And P.S…a girls night wine night is involved –details to come!)
To stay in touch with Jeannine, find her here:
Website: http://www.ailanaj.com
Instagram: @ailana.j
Pinterest: @ailanajapparel
Facebook: @ailana.j
Photo Credit: Stacey Northrup @smausernorthrup