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January 2016 Moms
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Let's talk breastfeeding accessories - what's necessary? What brands do you like?

maureenmcemaureenmce member
in January 2016 Moms
Okay, FTM here, and I'm a little bit confused about everything that I'll need to breastfeed.  I'm finishing up our registry in the next couple of days and this is what I have so far.  (This isn't all going on the registry, some stuff I'll just buy, I just want it all figured out this week, ideally.)

-breast pump (insurance covered)
-breast feeding pillow (I chose my breast friend, unless there's any reason I shouldn't!)
-nipple shields (2 - do I need more?)
-lanolin

Then, beyond that, what do I need?  I'll be pumping as well as breastfeeding directly, so I assume I'll need bottles and a bottle warmer and some other things.  I've seen some sets that have milk storage pouches/racks, bottle warmers, bottles, etc. Are there any sets people recommend or is it better to just buy the items individually?  If individually, are there some things in the kits I won't need or is it all necessary?

For reference, kit wise, has anyone used this starter kit set?  Does it all look good/necessary?  If I bought it, would I be all set, once I have the other items I mentioned at the top (pump, pillow, nipple shields and lanolin)?


If there's anything I've overlooked, please let me know!  I am kind of overwhelmed with the breastfeeding aspect at the moment.  THANK YOU!  :)
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Re: Let's talk breastfeeding accessories - what's necessary? What brands do you like?

  • ainversoainverso member
    I had a pump, extra parts for my pimp (flanges, ect ). I used wipes to clean in between pump sessions, but I went back to work. I had steamer bags to sterilize parts fast in microwave. Nipple cream is a good. Never used nipple shields. I also had bottles and storage bags for the freezer. I never used a bottle warmer, just microwaved water in a mug and put bottle in it to warm.
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  • MrsB915MrsB915 member
    I had the pump, extra flanges, valves and diaphragms.
    Lanolin which I only used a few times.
    Nipple shields, I only needed because ds oral muscles weren't well developed at first and we phased those out. You may not need them.
    Breast pads until milk production regulated.
    Lansinoh milk storage bags- froze milk in increments of 4 or 6 oz. Lay them flat on a cookie sheet until frozen then stored them in plastic shoe boxed that were labeled with the dates of the milk inside.
    Never used a milk warmer, just microwaved a big mug of water to warm the bottle in.
    Between pumping I put the parts in a gallon zip lock bag in the fridge and washed them at the end of the day.
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  • katiedid0907katiedid0907 member
    The hospital gave me a nipple shield. Also if you are going to do a lot of pumping a hands free pumping bra is super nice but you can get it later if needed. I also never really used a bottle warmer and I EPed. Target had a nice medela gift set with extra bottles and steamer bags. Also get some milk storage bags for freezing and lots of disposable breast pads. HtH!
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  • MrsB915MrsB915 member
    Yes! The hands free pumping bra was a life saver!!!
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  • danasphillipsdanasphillips member
    edited October 2015
    Here's what I had with DS:

    -Medela breast pump. It was nice to have the Medela because the hospital gave me a ton of Medela pump parts that were all interchangeable with my pump.
    -Boppy. I know some people like the Breast Friend, but I'm somewhat of a minimalist and liked that the Boppy could be used beyond breastfeeding for things like helping baby sit supported.
    -Nipple shields. I ended up needing several of these be said DS took a while to latch correctly, but you may not need them at all, so two should be fine. The hospital also gave me some.
    -Born Free bottles. I swear by these as we tried several and they were the only ones DS would take. This time around I'm going to get their glass ones because breast milk is somewhat oily and after so long I felt like I couldn't get any of our plastic bottles clean clean, no matter how much I washed and scrubbed. Glass is also easier to heat up in hot water. (We didn't use a bottle warmer)
    -Breast pads. In the beginning you leak A LOT, so the disposable ones are nice. Once things settled down I switched to the washable cloth ones.
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  • AchaeAchae member
    maureenmce said:

    Okay, FTM here, and I'm a little bit confused about everything that I'll need to breastfeed.  I'm finishing up our registry in the next couple of days and this is what I have so far.  (This isn't all going on the registry, some stuff I'll just buy, I just want it all figured out this week, ideally.)


    -breast pump (insurance covered)
    -breast feeding pillow (I chose my breast friend, unless there's any reason I shouldn't!)
    -nipple shields (2 - do I need more?)
    -lanolin

    Then, beyond that, what do I need?  I'll be pumping as well as breastfeeding directly, so I assume I'll need bottles and a bottle warmer and some other things.  I've seen some sets that have milk storage pouches/racks, bottle warmers, bottles, etc. Are there any sets people recommend or is it better to just buy the items individually?  If individually, are there some things in the kits I won't need or is it all necessary?

    For reference, kit wise, has anyone used this starter kit set?  Does it all look good/necessary?  If I bought it, would I be all set, once I have the other items I mentioned at the top (pump, pillow, nipple shields and lanolin)?


    If there's anything I've overlooked, please let me know!  I am kind of overwhelmed with the breastfeeding aspect at the moment.  THANK YOU!  :)
    Don't bother buying shields. You may not need them. If you do, the lactation consultant will give you the right size you need.
    I used a boppy, not sure how it compares to other pillows. I liked it because I could use it to prop up baby for tummy time, looking around, etc.
    You'll need milk storage bags if you plan on keeping a stash, assuming your milk doesn't need to be stored in glass bottles, freezes ok, etc.
    you may also want breast pads so you don't soak yourself when you have a let down during the day.
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  • SDaniels19SDaniels19 member
    FTM here, but a good friend of mine is using the kiinde system you mentioned and she really loves it. Saves on having to wash bottles/parts since they eat right out of the milk storage pouch. She recommended it to me and I registered for the same starter kit
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  • mamakculbmamakculb member
    Like other PP I had the pump basics: nipple shields, lanolin and cloth breast pads. Also, one thing that was super helpful to me, was having lots of quick breakfasts and high protein snacks for the first couple weeks. Breastfeeding makes you HUNGRY! When I was still pregnant I made a bunch of freezer breakfast burritos and some frozen lactation cookie dough I could just pop in the oven to bake. It was such a life saver to have a quick, homemade breakfast first thing in the morning, so I could focus on nursing. 



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  • ashs88ashs88 member
    I agree with most of what others have said. I just wanted to add that the starter set looks like it has everything you would need to get you started for pumping accessories, and at least in theory seems like a nice system with the storage bags that can be connected to the pump and also to the bottle. However, I see a few things about the bags that I would personally have a problem with. First would be that they are way more expensive than other bags. I used the Lansinoh ones that I see are $13.79 for 100 (plus I remember getting a ton of coupons for them) and the Kiinde ones are $25.99 for 80. If you plan to pump a lot, especially if you are going back to work, you will go through a ton of storage bags so the cost would really add up. Also, I saw that the bags only have a 6 oz. capacity. I don't know if they make any bigger ones, but I know after the first few months my DS was drinking 8 oz. at a time.
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  • maureenmcemaureenmce member
    Guys, thank you SO much.  This has been extremely helpful!  And @ash88 thanks for pointing out the cost/size issues for the milk pouches, that is definitely something to think about.  I also didn't know the boppy had other uses, so I may get that instead of my breast friend (though the name of the latter cracks me up, haha.)

    Anyway, thanks again, all!  I will definitely be referring back to this thread several times this week as I finalize everything!
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  • SDaniels19SDaniels19 member
    @maureenmce Just fyi, you can use other brand bags with the kiinde system- my friend uses Medela since that's what her pump is, I would imagine you can use Lansinoh also
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  • MamaFroFroMamaFroFro member
    My hospital gave me something like these and I loved them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KGHUL4

    I preferred the reusable breast pads called bamboobies.

    Loved loved loved My Bestfriend Pillow.

    I'm planning on making some lactation cookie dough to freeze before I deliver so I can just thaw and bake as needed. Here's a recipe I found that I'm planning on trying: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/lactation-cookies/

    Pregnancy Ticker

                                               Happy Birthday Month to Me!
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  • willashbabywillashbaby member
    I'm planning on using Kiinde as well.To me it's worth the extra money because all you have to wash is the nipples, no transferring which would seem to make pumping much easier. I'm getting the Spectra pump to use with it. I did get a bottle of the Honest lactation supplement which is mainly fenugreek in case of supply issues. I registered for the Lansinoh disposable pads (which I'll probably just buy) and I also have the Honest nipple balm on hand. That's it for now. 
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  • mkatefin303mkatefin303 member
    One other thing that I don't think had been mentioned yet - cover for in-public breastfeeding. I had both a scarf and a regular cover (hooter hider I think was the brand?) and used both, but honestly preferred the cover for ease of use. Totally supportive of others not covering up but for me and my personal sensibilities, loved my covers!

     

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  • AchaeAchae member
    ashs88 said:

    I agree with most of what others have said. I just wanted to add that the starter set looks like it has everything you would need to get you started for pumping accessories, and at least in theory seems like a nice system with the storage bags that can be connected to the pump and also to the bottle. However, I see a few things about the bags that I would personally have a problem with. First would be that they are way more expensive than other bags. I used the Lansinoh ones that I see are $13.79 for 100 (plus I remember getting a ton of coupons for them) and the Kiinde ones are $25.99 for 80. If you plan to pump a lot, especially if you are going back to work, you will go through a ton of storage bags so the cost would really add up. Also, I saw that the bags only have a 6 oz. capacity. I don't know if they make any bigger ones, but I know after the first few months my DS was drinking 8 oz. at a time.

    I would not recommend the Lansinoh storage bags as they are thin and had a tendency to leak after thawing the milk. I stuck to the target brand as they were thicker. I also recommend against storing in quantities larger than 6 oz. Babies, even months old, should not be taking in 8 oz in one bottle if you do proper paced feeding. The most my DD ever took in one sitting was 4 oz, and she got bm until she was 2.
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  • ainversoainverso member
    Best breast pads in my opinion Are the johnsons ones, in the pink box.
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  • ashs88ashs88 member
    @Achae We never had any issues with the Lansinoh bags leaking, and we went through a lot of them. Maybe you had some bad ones, I don't know, but we loved them. We didn't store the milk in any more that 6 oz. quantities since that was the size of the bags, but we would make 8 oz. bottles from 2 different bags. We also went by our pediatrician's recommendations on how much and how often to feed DS, as well as baby's cues. If we had stuck to 4 oz. bottles we would have been feeding him constantly.
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  • mg137mg137 member
    Simple wishes pumping bra. Look on Amazon.

    No breast shields unless you already have a reason to know you'll need them.
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  • AchaeAchae member
    ashs88 said:
    @Achae We never had any issues with the Lansinoh bags leaking, and we went through a lot of them. Maybe you had some bad ones, I don't know, but we loved them. We didn't store the milk in any more that 6 oz. quantities since that was the size of the bags, but we would make 8 oz. bottles from 2 different bags. We also went by our pediatrician's recommendations on how much and how often to feed DS, as well as baby's cues. If we had stuck to 4 oz. bottles we would have been feeding him constantly.
    For formula that sounds like the right amount, but bm is different. I don't know how you were able to keep up! Most women I know would be lucky to pump 8 oz, unless they had an oversupply. I went by the lactation guidelines and followed kellymom etc.
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  • maureenmcemaureenmce member
    @mkatefin303  Great suggestion - I think I would like a cover up.  Did you have any type of cover up or scarf brand in particular you liked?

    I've been looking at these two, if anyone else is looking:

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  • MommyduclosMommyduclos member
    I think a huge part of this depends on how much you plan on pumping- like if you intend to go back to work. As a mom who stays home and only breastfeed a I recommend nursing pads ( you WILL leak for a while, but it does stop), nipple cream (I never used it with my first but if you need it you'll be so glad to not need to go to the store, I always just had a manual pump for when I needed to pump when engorged but this goes back to how much you will be pumping, get at least one nursing bra. People will tell you not to because your size may change- and that's true- it'll likely go up initially and then back down a bit, you can always get a more sports like type that is more flexible with size changes but it was SO hard getting to he store and buying bras after my first was born and I wish it wouldn't have been so urgent. Nursing tanks or sleeping nursing bras are great too, you won't want to wear your regular bra to bed but you will need to wear nursing pads so you need something like that. I always just used regular pillows for arm rests and stuff in the beginning and didn't use a "nursing pillow" but a lot of people do so that's personal choice. Also I agree with hunger and thirst a good large water bottle you can carry with you and easy to grab snacks are great for any new mom but especially while nursing
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  • danasphillipsdanasphillips member
    ashs88 said:

    I know after the first few months my DS was drinking 8 oz. at a time.

    Whoa, really? My pediatrician told me that most breastfed babies top out at 4 or 5 oz because your breast milk changes in composition over time to provide more fat and calories in a smaller amount. Sure enough, I breastfed DS until he was 2 and he never took more than 5 ounces (maybe 6 a couple of times?). I'm in no way saying you are wrong, just impressed that your supply could keep up!
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  • ashs88ashs88 member
    @Achae and @WineBaby122 Yep, he definitely drank 8 oz at a time. We did supplement with formula some when we needed to, but for the most part after my milk production got going I was able to keep up. He was a big baby though, so maybe that makes a difference. He was in the 90th percentiles for both height and weight at least through the first year, and even now at 3 years old he is taller than most 4 year olds we come across.
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  • mamakculbmamakculb member
    I used a Bebe Au lait nursing cover. Udder covers are practically the same. I loved the wire opening so I could keep eye contact with baby. I used lasinoah storage bags and never had problems with leakage, but like PP I never put more than 5-6oz in them. I used the organic cotton breast pads from BuyBuyBaby $6.99 for 6 and loved them. I had trouble with disposable ones moving around in my bra and looking wrinkled through my shirt.

    Really, for breastfeeding you just need a comfy spot and your boobs, and everything else depends on your lifestyle and needs. I am a SAHM but am fairly social and spent a good amount of time out of the house so I pumped regularly and used a cover and storage bags etc. Have fun shopping!



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