14 Breastfeeding Products To Make A New Mum's Nursing Journey Easier
Breastfeeding is tough enough as it is - these products can make your life easier
By Terri Kue -
If you're a mum, you probably already know the benefits of breastfeeding. It provides your baby with milk full of nutrition and helps your little one's development and growth (as found in this study). A survey even found that breastfeeding could have prevented the deaths of 911 infants per year in the United States. This is because children who are not breastfed are at higher risk of illness and infections.
There are also benefits for you as a mum, of course. In this journal, it is found to reduce the rates of ovarian cancer and heart diseases. There is also a lesser risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in mothers who breastfed their babies.
For new mums, the World Health Organisation recommends at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding - meaning that your baby doesn't consume any other food apart from your milk. However, if you fall into the category, you know just how painful and demanding it can be.
From cracked nipples to helping your baby to latch properly, it can seem more work than it should be. So to make your breastfeeding journey easier, we've gathered a bunch of products that will ease your stress and pain. Keep reading to find out more.
Are you looking for a super lightweight breast pump that you can operate with only one hand? The Hegen PCTO™ Manual Breast Pump can carry up to 75 ml of milk and is compact enough to carry anywhere.
In fact, this is an all-in-one product that allows you to express, store, and feed your baby. To do this, you can swap out the pump module for a storage lid or feeding collars. This also means that your hard-earned breastmilk won't get contaminated as it all stays in the same bottle.
Don't be worried to freeze or heat up the milk in the bottle too - it is made of PPSU (Polyphenylsulfone) that is resistant to temperatures ranging from negative 20 degrees Celsius to 180 degrees Celsius.
For World Breastfeeding Week, you can get the Hegen PCTO™ Express Store Feed Starter Kit at $185 (usual price $ of $239). It includes a 150ml bottle, a 240ml bottle, a breast milk storage lid, and a manual breast pump module.
Buy it here.
Need a good nursing bra that will support your ever-changing breasts on your breastfeeding journey? Lovemère's Seamless Nursing Bra ($26.90) can stretch according to how your breasts grow and shrink postmortem. It is designed with clasps that can be undone with one hand for easy nursing.
The pads are removable as well for mothers who prefer a non-padded bra. It comes in seven different colours including nude.
Buy it here.
If you are more of a bralette woman, Our Bralette Club has a wide range of nursing bras to choose from that will make you feel sexy and confident. Our favourite is the brand's Balconette Padded Bralette in Cat Eye ($50.80) which combines lace and mesh for a feminine design.
In a gorgeous charcoal shade, this bralette is wire-free with fitted cups.
Buy it here.
On the lookout for a good electric pump that you can bring out while you are going about your day? Cimilre's Rechargeable Hospital-grade Double Electric Breast Pump ($269) has a rechargeable battery that can last for up to four hours.
You can use the device as a single or double breast pump. With five different massage levels and 12 different express levels, you can toggle the settings to customise a pumping session for your comfort. It will also remember your last-used settings, so you don't need to worry about not remembering your preferred levels.
The best thing is that you can use the electric breast pump completely hands-free: it comes with Free-T breast shields that do all the work for you.
If you are unsure whether to make the jump, you can rent it for a week ($136) to test it out.
Buy it here.
What you eat can help you increase your breast milk supply, and 2NutGuys is all about that. Founded by two men, the brand creates lactation nut butter that is not only tasty but that has yielded great results with the moms they worked with.
2NutGuys has two different nut butter flavours: Mummy's Nutmond Butter (from $20.90) and Naked Nutmond Butter (from $16.90). The latter is great for mums looking to watch their calorie intake - it doesn't contain sugar, MSG, colouring, or artificial flavouring.
Buy it here.
If nut butters aren't your thing, then maybe Boobkies from Gooberr will be up your alley instead. There are four different flavours: chocolate chip, earl grey, dark chocolate decaf (coffee), and lemon blueberries.
All the cookies are eggless and fenugreek, the latter of which can cause bleeding in your infant if introduced to them via breastfeeding. The cookies are packed with galactagogues which promote lactation to support your breast milk production.
The recommended serving is eight cookies - Gooberr recommends having the baked treats with their Boob Juices (lactation teas) that you can also find on their site.
While the cookies are not halal-certified, they are produced and made in a facility that handles other halal-certified products.
All Boobkies are priced at $19.90 for a 200 gram pack.
Buy it here.
When you are breastfeeding, it can be good to take some form of vitamins or supplements. This is because that your nutritional needs increase during lactation, which makes sense since your body has to create nutrients for two (as found in this study). The study also recommends that women continue to take prenatal vitamins daily while breastfeeding as iron deficiency is prevalent among new mums.
Nature Made's Prenatal Multi + DHA ($38.28) is a soft-gel supplement that can be taken once a day. It has been clinically proven to help with the absorption of key nutrients such as folic acid, iron, and Omega-3 fatty acids. It contains 17 other nutrients that will help keep you and your child healthy.
And no, this supplement does not contain gluten or artificial flavours.
Buy it here.
Looking for a nursing dress that is both chic and easy to breastfeed in? Jump Eat Cry's Moira Summer Nursing Dress ($51.90) is an airy, comfortable dress that fits the requirement. The material is stretchable so you can easily pull the ruched portion down to give your baby feeding access. And the best part - it has side pockets. Who doesn't love side pockets?
Buy it here.
Not a fan of the pull-down access nursing dresses? The Giselle Lace Nursing Dress Sky on Dear features a lovely pattern and concealed zips under the underarm. All you have to do is unzip the dress and your baby will be able to feed! And when you're not feeding, the dress is a statement piece on its own that fits perfectly to any post-baby body.
They also offer the same design in baby pink.
Buy it here.
Cracked nipples causing you too much pain? Your best bet would be to apply something to soothe the cracks. Earth Mama's Organic Nipple Butter ($14.25) is a buttery, non-sticky butter that moisturises your nipple. It is organic (Non-GMO Project verified) so you don't have to worry about your baby consuming anything they shouldn't.
Ingredients include beeswax, seed butter, and shea butter to help your nipples to go back to their original, non-painful state.
You can also use the product on your lips, skin, and any other areas that experience dryness. We love a multi-purpose product.
Buy it here.
If you want your baby to have maximum comfort, getting a nursing pillow can help by providing a comfortable surface for your newborn to feed. The Organic Cotton Small Multi-functional Cushion ($84.90) is perfect for this. The cover is made of 95 per cent organic cotton and five per cent elastane so that it won't irritate your little one's skin. It is also stuffed full of micro balls of expanded polystyrene.
For the uninitiated, expanded polystyrene is softer and moulds to your body better as compared to the usual expanded polypropylene used in similar products such as bean bags.
Once your baby is weaned off, you can also repurpose the nursing pillow for your child to sit or lie on in comfort.
Buy it here.
Are you noticing that your breasts are engorged, or that they feel sore and appear red? These could be signs of milk build-up. To help you express your milk (and get rid of the pain in your breasts), the Lavie Lactation Massager ($53.47) can help you.
This waterproof massager has multiple vibration modes to help stimulate your milk's flow. The shape allows you to apply precise pressure to ducts that are a little deeper to help you clear them.
Buy it here.
While we are on the topic of breast pain, Earth Mama Organics Booby Tubes ($43) are breast packs filled with flax seed. They can be heated or cooled depending on the discomfort you are feeling; pop them in the microwave for 20 to 40 seconds to encourage milk flow and prevent clogged ducts; freeze them to reduce any swelling.
Not only that, but the tubes are 100 per cent recyclable so you can reuse them as many times as you need.
Buy it here.
Leaky breasts giving you grief? The Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads ($11.50) are great for absorbing milk in between feedings. It is made with a special absorbent polymer and a leakproof honeycomb lining that helps it maintain its shape - no matter how much fluid it absorbs.
They are ultra-thin and have two adhesive strips that will keep them in place as you go about your day-to-day activities.
Buy it here.
A version of this story first appeared on Young Parents.