Top 10 things you'll need when breastfeeding
When it comes to breastfeeding, yes, we know all your baby really needs is you. But, in reality, there are some helpful products that can reduce the stress and ease any pain you may have. Here’s our pick of the best nursing accessories
1. Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow, £49.90
It’s well known that breastfeeding can be uncomfortable in the early days when you’re both learning the art of latching on, but supporting a baby to feed can also wreak havoc on your back, neck, wrist and shoulders.
Finding the perfect feeding cushion is a turning point and the Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow is our gold-award winner in that category.
The firm foam base is the ideal height for a tummy-to-tummy position and the pillow wraps around the waist to provide an armrest.
It’s slightly cheaper than the other pillow on our list, bbhugme Nursing Pillow, £65, and there’s no tying involved, so it’s easier to use. Tester Anna says: “Definitely one of the best nursing pillows I’ve tried.”
Available from: Ergobaby, Amazon.
2. Boobbix Breastfeeding Cookies and Bars, from £8.50
It’s a hungry job feeding a baby and mums attest to the fact that these sweet treats taste amazing, but that’s not all – Boobbix Breastfeeding Cookies and Bars can also help boost your milk supply naturally.
Crowned Silver in our awards, there are four tasty flavours of cookie to choose from and also a vegan protein bar and each of them contain galactagogues, ingredients that maintain and increase breast milk supply.
Boobbix recommend enjoying 2 cookies a day (we’re sure we can manage that!) and you’ll notice a difference in your supply in just a few days.
Our tester Lynsey says: “I have to say the cookies were nicest I’ve ever tasted! I do believe they helped improve my milk supply.”
Available from: Boobbix and Amazon
3. My Expert Midwife No Harm Nipple Balm, £16.50
Developed by midwives, this soothing No Harm Nipple Balm has proved a saviour for lots of breastfeeding mums, many of whom credit it for lengthening their breastfeeding journey.
With a 100% natural formula, it contains lanolin, coconut oil and sweet almond oil, to ensure it glides easily onto already-sore skin and it doesn’t have to be removed before breastfeeding.
It’s an expensive balm in comparison to the other on our list – PureLan 100 nipple cream – which is a 100% lanolin formula and slightly thicker to apply. It’s pump dispenser means you can apply it single-handedly – very useful with a wriggly baby in tow! J
Tester Kara says: “Easy to use product and pump. Great that you don’t need to remove prior to feeding. I had no nipple issues using this through breastfeeding.”
Available from: My Expert Midwife and Amazon
4. Cover Me Baby Cover Me, £25
We love a product that really earns its keep and the Cover Me Baby Cover Me has a number of handy uses that grow with your baby, making it great value for £25 and earning it our Gold Award.
Its list of functions is impressive: breastfeeding or expressing cover, swaddle, sunshade, blanket or highchair – all uses that our judges say work well and as an added bonus will slimline your baby bag.
Its primary use as a breastfeeding cover does everything you want it to – covering you perfectly, while providing your baby with easy access to the breast.
Tester Lucy says: “A really useful product which I know I will use for years. Handy now as a swaddle and cover when feeding, but I can see us using on high chairs and shopping trolleys as my baby grows.”
Available from: Cover Me
5. Medela PureLan 100 Nipple Cream 37g, £6.99
Medela is a brand that really knows its stuff about breastfeeding and this PureLan 100 Nipple Cream is just one of a range of products it’s developed that has headed straight to the hearts of parents.
A Bronze award winner, this product has earned itself a legion of fans who love the 100% natural lanolin formula that heal, moisturises and protects sore nipples, plus there’s no need to remove it before breastfeeding.
The second nipple cream on our list, it’s a cheaper option than the My Expert Midwife No Harm Nipple Balm and a little goes a long way, making it a great value buy in comparison to others on the market.
Available from: Amazon and John Lewis
6. Juno Jack’s The Lola Breastfeeding Hoodie, £32.99
Putting together a breastfeeding-friendly wardrobe is a fine art – you need clothes that first and foremost give your baby quick access to the breast. If you feel self-conscious about feeding in public, you also want a garment that won’t leave you feeling exposed, and of course, they must be comfy.
Juno Jack’s The Breastfeeding Hoodie ticks all boxes, and with panache, scoring it Silver in our awards. It has twin zips hidden in the seams for the ultimate in feeding convenience, but it’s not all functionality and no style – our judges love its extra-long, fleece-lined design and adjustable hip zips.
It doesn’t have the range of functions as the Cover Me Baby Cover Me, but this hoodie will be a wardrobe staple long after your breastfeeding journey ends.
Our tester Lauren says: “The zips make it easy for me to help baby to latch on and for her to have a peek up at me every now and then!”
Available from: Juno Jack’s
7. bbhugme Nursing Pillow, £65
This clever pillow has risen right to the top of breastfeeding must-haves for mums, plus it’s scored itself a Bronze Award in our awards, and for good reason.
Designed by chiropractors, The bbhugme Nursing Pillow ties around your waist to give your neck and shoulders optimum support when breastfeeding. It’s more expensive than our Gold Award winner, the Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow, but it’s the adjustability to help with different feeding positions that really set it apart, that and the longevity of the design, which can be used as a hip carrier when your baby’s grown.
It’s also super-soft, super-squishy and lightweight – all things you’d expect from a quality nursing pillow.
Available from: bbhugme, Amazon and JoJo Maman Bebe
8. Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump, £239.99
Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump might be small in size, but it packs a powerful pumping punch and its credentials with mums is unmatched.
Simple to put together and easy to use, it’s the brand favoured by hospitals, giving it extra kudos, and its 2-Phase Expression technology is reported to express an average 18 per cent more milk, saving precious time in a pumping mum’s life.
Its price tag is big, especially when compared to the other pump on our list, the MAM 2-in-1 Single Breast Pump, which is over £100 cheaper, but what you spend in cash you can save in time and efficiency.
Medela’s pumping action is also on the loud side in comparison to MAM’s, but for efficient expressing in super-quick time, Medela is unrivalled in its popularity.
Available from: Mamas & Papas and Amazon
9. MAM 2-in-1 Single Breast Pump, £130
A nifty machine that cleverly switches from electric to manual if you need to express while out, the MAM 2-in-1 Single Breast Pump is a great little pump that’s efficient and good value.
The rechargeable battery lasts up to 5 hours and the digital display clearly shows your pumping stats and includes a useful timer.
The storage pots you pump into are fridge-sized, but they can’t be used as bottles, unlike the Medela Swing Pump, so you have to decant into one of the supplied bottles.
Our tester Kerry says: “I love the sleek design of the machine and the touch screen which makes it so easy to use.”
Available from: Amazon and Boots
10. Keel London, The Amazing Science of Mother's Milk, Free
The science behind breastfeeding is fascinating and this fantastic e-book, Keel London The Amazing Science of Mother's Milk, dives deeply into what really makes breast milk amazing.
From pregnancy and beyond, you’ll be taken through the journey of your breast milk and every word has been checked and verified by lactation experts, so you can be confident it only deals in facts.
If you’re expecting a baby and planning to breastfeed, or you’re already breastfeeding and keen to know more, the evidence-based knowledge shared in this free e-book will give you feel-good facts and confirm exactly why breast milk is dubbed ‘Liquid Gold’.
Available from: Medela
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