The top 5

April 4, 2007 | Print

The Essential Breastfeeding Products for Getting Started

A few weeks before our due date, we tack a lactation consultant’s card on the bulletin board, watch the latch on video at pumpstation.com, and stock up on these products.

1. Motherlove Nipple Cream soothes sore nipples. Or after a feed, spread a little breastmilk around the area. We also use the nipple cream for baby’s chapped lips and dry skin areas.

2. ComfortGel Hydrogel Pads relieve sore breasts. Later, they come in handy for soreness from accidental biting (this doesn’t happen often, and if it does usually only once).

3. Medela Pump In Style is our favorite breast pump. Even if we plan to be around for feedings, a breast pump can relieve engorged breasts that are too much for a newborn to handle, increase milk supply, and get us out of the house for date nights (when we’re ready).

For moms planning to pump at work, check out the Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump.

4. Organic Mother’s Milk Tea kicks in our milk production the first few weeks. For best results, seep the tea according to the directions. Once our milk is established, we keep a box in the cupboard just in case.

Another tea favorite is Organic Chamomile. We drink it like water the first few weeks. Chamomile keeps us calm, and we’re convinced it passes through our milk for a calmer baby. We also refrigerate a pitcher for iced tea.

5. Organic Essentials Breast Pads tuck into our bra or tank top to absorb leaking milk. Leaking from one breast while nursing from the other is common for the first few months and often longer. Oliver’s 10 months old and Kelly still leaks while nursing.

Also, when we think of our babies, hear them crying near feeding time or feel emotional, we sometimes leak.

We prefer disposable pads to cloth as cloth can remain damp after washing or not clean completely which makes some moms more susceptible to thrush. When a pad (disposable or cloth) gets wet, change it right away.

After a long battle with thrush, Kelly has taken to propping a burp cloth over her leaking breast while nursing instead of using pads. She lets her breast dry before covering up.

Favorite organic burp cloths and cloth diapers to use as burp cloths: Under the Nile burp cloths and pre-fold diapers.

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