What an adventure nursing has been!! I had no idea what to be ready for and if only those millions of pregnancy books I thumbed through had a huge caution page about nursing, I would’ve been a little more prepared.. maybe. This has been one of the things I have had to work the hardest at in helping little Luke (and now Kate, and now Emma!) grow these last years. From scheduled queen to hater of all schedules (lol), I am pretty sure I’ve felt all the feelings and tried to stick to my guns with this all. It is not easy but I do feel like it’s been rewarding.
If I could, I’d send every new nursing-hopeful mother a basket of these things, along with a link to http://www.nbci.ca/, a site devoted to helping nursing moms with so many resources; the book they published is below! IN addition, prepared meals and a hug followed by immediate solitude 🙂 Either way, I present you with these. May your experience with nursing be incredibly rewarding!!
My essentials:
1) Bamboobies are my favorite reusable nursing pads. They have daytime and nighttime thicknesses and they seem to get more velvety and soft with every wash.
2) Nursing bras and tanks! This bra is my overall favorite (Target nursing bra) and I’m really happy with these tanks (Cake nursing tank, Ingrid/Isabel nursing tank) as well. I totally avoided these to start but now I’m so thankful for the brainiac who decided these would be helpful to life and sanity. Update, these are all still my favorite!!
3) Swaddle blankets are super flexible as a cover, there to catch the spit-up and to use as a, drumroll please, a blanket! This (little jump muslin swaddle) was one of the more recent ones I’ve enjoyed—it’s soft and keeps getting softer. I’ve also liked and used (many times!) the options from milk barn. This milk snob cover is nice as a as a car-seat cover or a nursing cover (though more snuggly tight). We’ve used both!
4) Nursing pillow: I have two Bobby pillows and couldn’t be happier. perfect nursing pillow. Also the perfect holding pillow at night.. I sleep with it all the time. Another option I’m curious to try are the foam and buckle style like this one.
5) Good books and movies for the many hours of nursing right at the beginning! With more children, I’ve found that this phase shortens in length but I’ll still keep a few books handy on my phone. Though, nothing beats a good quiet nursing session.
6) Cozy clothes, robes, sweatshirts, comfy pants, socks, etc. And a cozy blanket nearby at any given moment in case you both fall asleep for a post-nursing catnap.
7) Lanolin, aka miracle jelly for le tatas. This was especially helpful in those first two months. I didn’t use this with my subsequent children but I needed it bad the first time ’round.
8) Tender care hydrogel pads: a nurse handed me a pair of these when I was in the hospital and I had never known such sweet, sweet relief! These hydrogel pads (another option: soothies) are the coolest, relief-iest miracle invention. They are also a great item for the first month (especially in the hospital!).
9) Gel relief (warm or cold): these soft pads were great for times of rawness or engorgement. stick these babies in the microwave for forty seconds and you’ve got these heavenly coverings on yourself, restoring you to all your nursing glory!
Happy nursing my friends!
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