I have been out of the blog game for a while now. Not because I haven't had the urge to write, but I felt this whole life shift once I became pregnant. The whole first year of Lydia's life was really busy, and I just wanted to stay focused on my relationship with my family, my new little one, and my God in all aspects of motherhood. I'm excited to share since I now have a bit more time to express myself through blogging and creative writing. Let the typing commence!
Here are my 10 must-haves for new mommies who plan to nurse.
1. A Lactation Consultant (LC) I found that having a LC to be the number one most important thing to have while in the first few weeks of my postpartum experience. My daughter, Lydia, didn't have trouble with nursing at all in the beginning. But as the weeks progressed I had some problems that I didn't know would affect me.
2. Halo Swaddle and Halo Sleep Sack These both keep your little one safe and warm when it comes to sleepy time. I liked these most for nighttime diaper changes before feeding. It would allow me to change Lydia quickly and have everything in one place so it made night feeds cozier.
3. A Recliner/Rocking Chair I can't count how many times I fell asleep in mine. It also makes nursing so much easier if you're sitting in a comfortable chair. I had a station next me filled with my nursing must haves. To name a few, see below:
4 & 5. Lansinoh Nursing Pads to help with leaking and their Gel to help nipple soreness.
6. A Big Gulp Water Bottle I think mine was like almost a full gallon. I told David I needed the biggest water bottle he could find. So he ran down to 7-Eleven and grabbed me one of these water bottles that the truck drivers carry with them. See photo below:
7. Snacks.... Eating in General ( I wanted to emphasize the value of snacks. when you first start feeding your little one, it feels like you're feeding around the clock (which you probably are). Our babies are used to being next to us in the womb getting nutrients from us 24/7 so not much changes for them once they come to earth side. Once their tummies start to hold more, the time in between feedings becomes longer. It's important to have food while your nursing. I know that must seem like a given but sometimes we moms forget to care for ourselves. I'll make another post filled with my go-to snacks. :)
9. My BreastFriend Nursing Pillow... My nursing pillow was given to me by my sister-in-law and I'm so glad she gave it to me. It was hands down the most used baby item aside from Lydia's pacifier. The Brand I used is called My BreastFriend.
Some of my happiest moments when Lydia was a Newborn were spent with Lydia when she was nursing. I'm looking forward to writing more about my our nursing journey in a future blog.
10. PUMP < link to the one I used, but you can order a free pump through your insurance.
Pretty self-explanatory. This is the most helpful if you want to start bottle feeding or if you want to save up breast milk in the freezer for when your baby is sick. Or if you as a mama just need a break and want to let Daddy or Grandma or Grandpa help with feeding, there will be breast milk available. This experience is so special and I am going to work my hardest to pump more the next time around. Lydia just liked nursing so much more in the beginning that I only needed to pump every now and then. But don't think you have to. I started supplementing some formula with Lydia at 4 months. This wasn't because I was producing less but because I needed rest. My LC told me that if I felt stressed about pumping, it's better to get rest and have Daddy feed her than feel like a zombie for the rest of the day.
Thanks for reading my My 10 First-Time Nursing Must Haves
- Loglifeblog
links to all items
Have any questions about nursing or need a number of an LC? feel free to send me a quick email and I'd be happy to help.