Nursing Essentials

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and seeing as I'm currently in the midst of feeding my third little nursling, it seemed to be a fitting time to share some of my nursing essentials. These are the products and items that I have come to love during my nursing "career".

I call it a career, because sometimes nursing honestly feels like a full time job.  My first two children were exclusively breastfed, and if you have been following me for awhile, you might know that neither of them ever took a bottle.  There wasn't a thing we didn't try when it came to attempting to get the two of them to drink pumped breast milk, but it didn't seem to matter, M&E only wanted the boob, and that was the way it was. If you want to do the math, I have either been pregnant or nursing for almost 5 years now... and when you have babies who refuse bottles, the equation works out to a mama who doesn't often get away... or at all for that matter.

Thank the good Lord, as of this moment, Theo is taking the occasional bottle, and I am desperately hoping the streak continues.  The comotomo is his bottle of choice, and you better believe I'm buying stock in them, since this is the ONLY bottle any of our kids has ever drank from. We have tried to make it a routine to offer him a bottle every other, to every 3 days, to keep him in the habit, but in the meantime he breastfeeds like a champ, and the following are the "essential" items that I use to keep up with feeding a baby who just LOVES to eat...

cover me ponchos nursing cover- Even after nursing three babies, I still don't feel comfortable doing so without a cover.  These ones are my favorite because their functional, fashionable, and they double as a car seat cover.

water bottle- If you nurse, you want to have a good milk supply, and in order to have a good milk supply you need to stay hydrated.  I don't go anywhere without a water bottle these days.

oat mama bars- Not only are these absolutely delicious, but they're full of ingredients to increase supply. The chocolate almond coconut are my favorite.

nursElet nursing bracelet- One of the most brilliant inventions I've seen, this bracelet can be used to hold your shirt out of the way while you're nursing, and it can be worn on your wrist to keep track of what you side you fed your baby off of last.

nursing/teething jewelry- Babies love to have something to play with/hang on to while nursing, so it helps when you can wear jewelry that is both stylish and safe for them to chew and tug on at the same time.  A few of our favorite shops are Mama and Little and Wright Design Co.

milk storage bags- If your baby takes a bottle, and or you must return to work, you will need to have a milk stash.  These are the bags I use to pump and store milk in.

bralettes- Comfort comes first these days, so I'm all for these pretty bralettes that just so happen to be easy to nurse in as well (I just pull them to the side at feeding time).  If you are large busted, I can't say for certain how these will work for you, but I wear a C or a D while nursing, and still find them to be supportive and comfortable.

nipple balm- This organic nipple balm is my favorite (as is the rest of this line of products), particularly in those first days of nursing when feedings can be a bit painful.

breast pump- This is the breast pump I have had since day one, and to this day, I don't have a single complaint about it.

undercover mama tanks- (not pictured) These are a new discovery for me, and I'm hooked (no pun intended). These tanks hook onto the straps of a nursing or regular bra and make nursing a whole lot easier.  They come in a bunch of colors and they are super comfortable.

Happy National Breastfeeding Month!

xoxo,

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