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Friday, November 26, 2010

Best Baby Registry Ever: Breastfeeding Edition

Pump - For appointments, date nights, building your supply, expressing milk for mixing with cereal, and building a freezer stash, you'll need a pump. If you can afford it, get a double electric. I'm a big fan of the Purely Yours from Ameda. Ameda has a patent on their tubing system, which is designed so that milk can't get up into the tubes. Is it expensive? Yes, but if you do a little looking around on Ebay or Craigslist, you'll find that they hold their value pretty well. (Translation: If you resell it you'll make back a good portion of your moolah.) I think the best deal out there on a new one is through diapers.com. If you've never ordered from them, you can get a promo code for 10 or 15% off. Oh, and don't buy the more expensive package with the carrying case. That's what I use the bag the formula company sent me home from the hospital with for (bwa ha ha ha!!!).

Breast Pads - For wearing around the house when it doesn't matter if you're lumpy, get some washable cloth pads. For leaving the house, I recommend Lanisoh disposables. They're absorbent and are smooth enough so as not to inspire curious strangers to stare at your chest.

Nipple Butter - I have a lanolin allergy, which led me to seek out lanolin-free Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter. In nearly a year of doing twice the normal amount of breastfeeding, I've never had a problem with chapping or cracking, so that should tell you that it's miraculous stuff. I've also used it as baby chapstick. At $14ish for a tub, it seems expensive, but that little tub lasts a good while.

Milk Storage Bags - Lanisoh wins again. Their bags are reasonably priced, non-leaky, easy to seal, and easy to label.

Breastfeeding Pillow -Make sure you choose something that lifts Baby close to your boobs without you having to bend over. This will a) save you a lot of back pain and b) free you up to do other stuff like reading this fine blog.

Nursing Bras - Check into Bravado. They make 'em in a nice range of sizes and have some pretty cute non-underwire bras, which is no easy thing to find. They are a bit pricey, but if you check for promo codes or sign up for their e-mails, it's not hard to get 20% off. They're also available on Target's website and diapers.com.

Nursing Tops/Dresses - Nursing tops would be a nice thing to have, but if you find yourself breastfeeding during the summer months, you MUST get yourself a nursing dress. Take a second to think this through... What do you do when it's time to nurse? You lift your shirt up... can't do that with a dress, dear. And every gal has to have a cute sundress. Milk and Expressiva make some adorable ones that no one will be the wiser about.
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3 comments:

  1. Great list!

    I used the Ameda pump, Bravada bras, and cotton pads at home. I accidentally wore the cotton pads to work one day. I (along with everyone in an IEP meeting) know that they are less effective than the disposable ones.

    I would also add nursing tanks from Glamour Mom. I also loved the sleep bras from Motherhood Maternity. I wore sleep bras and Bill's boxer shorts for the first couple weeks that I was home. So comfy.

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  2. I'm also a fan of the Motherhood sleep bras, though their return policy SUCKS - bad experience. Hee hee to the nursing pads story. I've found hemp ones to be more absorbant, which I should have mentioned in this post.

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  3. Or you could also rent a pump from the hospital, like I have done. I have nursing bras, and made my own hands-free pumping bras thanks to scissors and youtube :)The lacintosh milk storage bags have leaked on me three times, so I am now just using good old Ziplocs.

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