Breastfeeding is overwhelming! Whether you’re a new or seasoned mother. In my experience, as a new mom, I was pretty overwhelmed with all the pump options and extras you could purchase. In the first five months after having my baby, I’ve had many clogged ducts and mastitis twice. Below is a list of items that helped (and sometimes saved) me on my breastfeeding journey!
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It took my body (my nipples especially!!) a bit of time to get used to breastfeeding. The silver nursing cups help soothe and protect sore or cracked nipples. After each feeding, I ran a drop of breast milk over my nipple and popped the nursing covers on.
I have two of the most popular brands of breast pumps (the Willow Go and the Elvie) and neither of them worked better than my Haaka. Some moms love their breast pumps, and they are probably more realistic and necessary for working moms! But if you’re a stay at home mom, who wants to build a little stash of milk, I highly recommend the Haaka. There is the original option, or the Haaka Ladybug. I usually just pop the lady bugs on while making breakfast or doing chores and it helps to drain any leftover milk! This also helped when my baby was cluster feeding, and I needed to drain my breasts in order to avoid clogged ducts. No annoying pump parts to clean, and way more straightforward than a pump.
I don’t want to jinx myself…..but since taking these sunflower lecithin pills, I have not gotten mastitis again! The sunflower lecithin acts as an emulsifier, breaking up fat globules in breast milk and helping it flow through ducts more easily. I take two daily for maintenance and if I have a clogged duct I bump that up to 3 or 4 and the clog usually goes away!
- SNACKS!!
Breastfeeding moms are HUNGRY. Here are some of my favorite breastfeeding snacks/recipes . I recommend making these before the baby comes and storing them in the freezer. I also LOVE these Lactation Cookies They are the perfect snack and as a bonus they help keep your milk supply up.
Happy breastfeeding!
