Saturday, January 22, 2011

3 Must-haves for Breastfeeding Moms!

As a mother of two, I have tried numerous products out on the market today that claim to be "must-haves" for the breastfeeding mother.  Of those numerous products, I have found only a handful to be what I'd consider "MUST-haves".  So here they are:

1.  An electric breast pump (preferably one that comes with two separate pumps to save you time): The First Years miPump Double Electric Breast Pump
The pump that I use now, for my second child, is a  that you can find at Amazon for about $70.  Very affordable, works great for me and it has 4 different suction levels that you can control, it's much quieter than the Medela single electric pump I used with my first child and I love that I can throw 4 AA batteries in it and it's wireless, enabling me to pump wherever and whenever I want.  I am a stay-at-home mom, so I only use it once or twice a day, but I can usually get about 5-6 oz's total each time I pump.  It even comes with a nice bag that you can carry it in for the office, a trip, or you can even just use it to store your pump in it while your not using it.  While I'm sure there are other pumps that may work better or be more high-end, they will also cost you double or even triple the price of this one.

2.  I wish I had invested in one of these babies a few months ago, but I just recently found it at target! I couldn't find it on their website, but I found the same thing on Amazon for $28.  It's a Simple Wishes Hands-Free Breastpump Bra, XS/S/M  I absolutely LOVE it because I can throw it on in the mornings (or whenever you pump), insert the pump suction cups and run around the kitchen to make my 2-year-old breakfast and put on my pot of decaffeinated coffee, all while pumping!  I think this helps me to get the most possible milk pumped too, because instead of impatiently sitting there holding these awkward pumps on your breasts while the baby screams in the background, you forget you even have it on there.  Next thing you know, you look down and 'TA DA', you've got yourself a few ounces of milk, and you were able to make your other kid breakfast, get your cup of coffee or maybe even send out that important email.

3. While I still use the absorbent breast pads that go in your nursing bra, I found this Lily Padz Starter Kit.  They are thin, non-absorbent, silicone breast shields that actually keep your breasts from leaking. I love to wear them at night since I hate sleeping in a bra of any kind, and they are great for the summertime when you want to rock the bathing suit, but don't want to wear those obvious pads that would completely get soaked if you decided to take a quick dip in the pool.  You just have to make sure to clean them pretty often because sometimes they can attract lint or fuzz from your clothing.

So these are probably my 3 favorite breastfeeding products and they are all pretty affordable! Feel free to comment and leave us your breastfeeding "must-haves" that I haven't mentioned here!

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