Gear for Baby: Nursing

Great nursing bra:  After trying what felt like hundreds, my favorite came from A Pea in the Pod.   Although it was a splurge, but literally the only way I made it out of the house.

Sturdy bottle brush: This tool gets a lot of use in our household, and the Skip Hop Bottle Brush stands up to the challenge

Basic burp cloths: Hands down the most used gift we received was a 12 pack of Gerber prefolds.  These absorb everything, and are nothing fancy, so you don't mind the inevitable baby stains.  Let's face it, breastfeeding is messy business in the beginning.  I recommend having at least one of these near by at all times.

Washable nursing pads: Again, I tried many different kinds, but these were my favorite.

Disposable nursing pads: A worthy investment for the leaky days, as they are much more discrete for leaving the house.  The most absorbent brand I found were Lansinoh.

Basic bra: The classic Gap racerback bra was my go-to for the evenings.  They wash well, are relatively affordable, and useful both before and after baby.  Best of all, they are easy to yank up or down for nighttime feedings.

Bottles: My advice is figure out what works and stick with one brand.  No need to worry about interchangeable parts, finding the right pieces, etc. We chose the Dr. Brown wide neck as they are said to reduce nipple confusion when you need to introduce a bottle early.  I went back to work after three months, so we introduced one bottle a day early to ease the transition.

Electric double pump (not pictured): Because I was going back to work - translation: needing to pump 3-4x/day - we knew we needed a power horse.  I opted for the Medela Pump In Style and couldn't be happier.

Nursing cover: Behr and I both struggled with nursing covers until we tried a basic swaddle blanket.  The fabric is lightweight and breathable so he didn't get overheated and it was plenty big enough to keep us modest.

Milk saver: If you are blessed with an abundance of milk, this little accessory will be your friend.  It cleverly collects leaking/letdown from one side while you nurse on the other.  I highly recommend the milk saver.

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Do you have any questions?  I would love to answer them.  

Quite a few friends have been asking me about nursing recently, so I am working on a post to cover more of the unknowns about this rite of passage that so many women struggle through {myself included}.  

Drop me a line so I can be sure to include your questions!