Product Spotlight: Breastfeeding Supplies

hestia-is-wearie

Share your recommendations and ask questions about anything a mama needs for breastfeeding! This can include breast pumps, nursing pillows, nursing covers, nipple care, supplements, etc.

hestia-is-wearie

Like I said in the bottle feeding spotlight, I exclusively pumped with DD. I had intended to nurse her but couldn't get her to latch which I think was due in part to a bad hospital experience. I want to try nursing again and hope I have an easier time now that I know what to expect.

• My beloved electric pump: Spectra S2. It's a hospital-grade, closed-system pump that plugs into the wall. (The S1 has a rechargeable battery.) I used a Medela pump in the hospital but I greatly prefer Spectra: Spectra is much quieter, and the closed system means that moisture will not flow into the tubing and get moldy. Even though a closed system pump has more parts, you do not need to wash the backflow protectors or tubing after you pump.
• The only annoying thing about Spectra is that the instructions in the box are very unclear on how to use it. I managed to find this guide and it was very effective for me! 
• **ETA: another (minor) annoying thing about Spectra is that it is round where Medela is square, so it might fit weird in a diaper bag. But on the plus side, the Spectra has a handle, a nightlight, and a cup/snack holder 
• If you live in the US, you should be able to get an electric breast pump through your insurance, so my Spectra S2 was covered. (The S1 was not covered.)
• I also have a Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump, but I only used it when I had a clogged milk duct. Which leads me to...
• You will want to have sunflower lecithin on hand from the start to relieve clogged milk ducts. (I was prone to getting them on the bottom left corner of my left breast because I tended to slouch on that side.) Left untreated, a clogged milk duct can lead to mastitis, aka "boob flu."   A good way to treat them is taking sunflower lecithin, applying a warm compress, and hand-pumping in a warm shower.

Any other mamas have recommendations on nursing-specific supplies? The Boppy did not make a good nursing pillow for us...

catem07

I have EBF'ed (exclusively breastfed) two babies. I do work, so some of that included pumping during the day. So some of this applies to bottle feeding, but doing that with breast milk.

I highly recommend the Spectra S2. Used that with my first. The battery aspect is so clutch. You can buy battery packs for other pumps, but having the built-in battery is great. I used the motif luna for BB2. It liked that it was smaller. I also bought a car adapter for that one. Recommend that as well. 

You do not need to get bottles that fit onto your pump. Spectra uses wide mouth bottles. Medela uses narrow. Get the bottles you like and just fill them from the pumped milk. 

I liked the boppy nursing pillow. I also recommend getting one of those boyfriend/husband pillows for MOTN nursing sessions with a tiny baby. Reclined nursing is the way to go, and then you don't even need to get out of bed. 

I like earth baby angel mama (or something?) nipple butter. 

I definitely recommend getting a hand pump. They're cheap and helpful for clogs or times where you just need to relieve a little pressure in the early days. I also used one in a bathroom at a wedding. 

If you have boobs of any size, forget nursing tanks with built in bras. They won't do anything for you. 

I use the avent naturals glass bottles. I don't usually put plastic in the dishwasher, so I like that I can wash these without any hesitation. 

I'm going to get the elvie catch this time--it catches leaking milk. 

Oh I also recommend the washable bamboo nursing pads. Get a bunch--you'll want to change them twice a day in the early days. If you leave them on too long when they're wet you can get a yeast infection and give your baby thrush. 

caroduke

I EBF my DD with the occasional manual pumping to deal with mornings she slept in. 

As far as getting started, if there is a lactation consultant floating around your hospital, definately ask to see them before you get discharged. I managed to snag a session with the one at ours before being discharged and it was a total game changer to make sure I had the latching down and a few positions explained to me. As a FTM, I took an online course before birth on breastfeeding, which was helpful, but having that in person session with the lactation consultant was the best. 

As far as gear I got, I just picked up the nursing pillow from Ikea and it worked fine for me. The manual pump I have is the Medela one, but like I said, it was used minimally, so I didn't invest much in pumping supplies. 

I second the reusable breast pads... You're going to want a decent set of them as you'll be changing them often. I think I had about 5 or 6 pairs. 

I also used the earth mama nipple butter, but my daughter got thrush early on, so had to upgrade to the prescription nipple cream from my Dr. This was also a game changer, get the prescription even if you don't have a thrush issue... It was the best at dealing with the chafing or any time my nipples got sensitive. 

krb99

I really liked the Haakaa device. I used it with the first morning feed on the opposite side to catch letdown that would leak on that side and would actually get a few ounces to save for the freezer stash or middle of the night bottle feed. It was also good for filling with warm water and soaking nipples if they got cuts, or when trying to express a clog.

krb99

Also, this isn’t an item, but it’s a really good collection of videos and articles about breastfeeding. The hand expression and hands on pumping ones are really good to know in addition to latch. 
https://med.stanford.edu/newborns/professional-education/breastfeeding.html

Also this website, which has similar information but is ~aesthetic~.
https://firstdroplets.com/

catem07

Something else: if you are going to be going into an office for work, I really recommend having two pumps. One to keep at home and one to keep at work. Also keep a spare set of parts at work!

BourbonBiscuits

I'm still nursing DS (almost 14 months), nursed DD for 18 months and DS1 for 4 months. The biggest difference between the "success" (don't like that word for BF/pumping, because it's not a failure if you stop) from my first to the other two is that I established really strong boundaries at work around pumping. I went back to work by 12 weeks with all 3, but with DS1 my work was (illegally, I now know) unsupportive of pumping. With the others, I had a new job and really advocated for myself in a matter of fact way. I know that's not BF products, but I think it's more important than any "stuff" you can get.

ALSO 100% get time with a lactation consultant. I always ask to see the one in the hospital before we're discharged, and have an ongoing relationship with a virtual LC. Having access to her totally saved my nursing journey with both littles! 

hestia-is-wearie

@catem07 I had a set of spare pump parts at work that I kept in a plastic gallon bag in the pump room mini fridge. I know providers don't like to recommend that, but I took them home and washed them regularly. They always smelled a little like ricotta cheese  

@BourbonBiscuits I fell asleep during my LC appointment in the hospital. I was only able to get one appointment with her because her shift ended and she was going to be out for a few days. She had mentioned in-home lactation consultations, so when I brought it up to my nurse, she kind of huffed and said, "Well, that's if you're unable to leave your house." One of many reasons I switched providers.
Good idea about the virtual LC appointments. I can't remember if that was an option when DD was born, so I'll make sure to ask about it!

gingermama46

So many things that I'm seconding.

• For sure get a haakaa, I got 2 for my youngest so I would always have one. I then always used it when feeding at home on the opposite side I was feeding on. I would then put into a Medela bottle until I got 3 oz, freeze it and label it as haakaa milk (we had some hind/foremilk imbalance issues)
• I also use the Spectra and have one at home and one at work, I got lucky and got an used pump from a family member. I also kept a spare set of parts in my office. I would use spectra parts, but also some medela parts and got the converter piece. 
• I do want to use a wearable pump this time to pump while out and at home with older kids. A few times my oldest was sick or something it was hard being hooked up to a pump trying to get him what he needed, so looking for suggestions!
• Reusable breast pads, Amazon has plenty. I keep some disposable in my office and bags though just in case.
• Suekaphin 2PACK Nursing Bra Wireless Bra Women's Sleeping Maternity Bra Breastfeeding Bra,XLarge,Sort CC-C at Amazon Women’s Clothing store I love these for daily use. I have a few from motherhood that have underwire and some from Soma that don't have underwire but better shape, but I find those are hard to nurse in.
  
• These are amazing for sleep and throughout maternity leave Caramel Cantina 4 Pack Nursing Maternity Women’s Sleep Comfort Bralette Bra (X-Large, Festival) at Amazon Women’s Clothing store
• I used earth mama nipple butter
• With my oldest I used a boppee but with my youngest I got a my breast friend, it buckles around you and is more supportive. Also helped to hold baby while eating at the table this way and sort of walk around while nursing chasing my oldest.

catem07

@gingermama46 I think I’m going to get the elvie stride. It’s wearable but the motor is in a separate pack that you clip to your waist—so more stuff to deal with, but cheaper. I’m not an EPer so I can’t justify spending the money for a full elvie or willow—my research suggests you shouldn’t use them as your primary pump. The stride is about $275. 

catem07

The elvie stride is $200 on amazon right now. I think I'm going to go for it...

hestia-is-wearie

I just remembered that if you EBF, you will need to supplement with vitamin D drops until they start drinking cow's milk. If I remember correctly, you only need use the drops once a day, either directly onto your nipple or a pacifier. We used Baby D Drops.

abjm0325

A lot of great info already on this thread! My one note to add would be maybe don't buy too many reusable breast pads in the beginning. Maybe it was because I was an underproducer, but I bought them and then never used them because I didn't leak between feedings. 🤷

hestia-is-wearie

Another tip! If you exclusively pump, your nipples might turn purple due to the constant vacuuming vs. suckling. I went to a breastfeeding class and the nurse took one look at me and thought I was suffering from some kind of disorder and asked me way too many questions about my "symptoms." I could tell she didn't believe me when I said I was fine.

mandybest917

I’m hoping this time around to have a more successful breastfeeding experience (previous struggles with tongue tie and low milk supply), and I’ve been reading a lot from Karrie Locher on different pumps. I have the Spectra S2 I’ll be using, and after reading her posts, I’m going to get the Imani wearable breast pump as well. She reported that it was very similar to the Spectra and her output was almost identical (wearables tend to be weaker and output is less, apparently). Here’s the wearables post: https://www.karingforpostpartum.com/blog/wearable-pump-comparison

I also really emphasize an IBCLC. We had one this time and I was able to breastfeed with supplementing for a month with my DS versus not even one week with my DD. Lactation Network can hook you up with one for 5 (???) covered visits. https://lactationnetwork.com/

BourbonBiscuits

@mandybest917 I LOVE Karrie Locher. She's so awesome.