Navigating the postpartum period can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to feeding your baby. Whether you’re nursing, pumping, or using alternative feeding methods, having the right gear can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of essential feeding tools to help ease your experience. From colostrum collection kits and electric pumps to nipple creams and nursing pillows, these items can provide comfort, convenience, and support during your feeding journey. No matter your feeding method, these recommendations are designed to help make postpartum life a bit smoother for both you and your baby. And we get it, having a baby is expensive, so consider buying what you can second hand, borrowing, or putting some of these essential items on your baby registry.
We’ve outlined some helpful gear to support your feeding journey. Whatever that may look like for you, there are some items that can be included to help ease your experience!
Items that can be helpful for the nursing parent:
For Chest or Breast Feeding Your Baby
Colostrum collection kit
- Syringes with caps
- A few foley cups or medicine cups
Electric pumps
- Your insurance company may cover these
- There are also hospital-grade pump rentals available at most drug stores and pharmacies
- If you can, find a cordless pump as it allows you more freedom to pump in a comfortable environment
Hand pumps
Milk catchers
- To catch your milk “passively,” as you feed your baby and/or pump on the other side of your chest
Flanges
- Finding the right flange for you is crucial, as you can negatively affect your nipples and milk supply without it
Nursing pillow
- Find one that works for your anatomy (smaller or larger chest). Asking experts is a great idea
- The Twin Z pillow is crucial for twin feeding, whether or not you nurse your babies
For Supporting Your Body
Chest pads
- To catch milk that may be leaking from your body. Usually worn when you don’t want to leak through clothes
- Reusable cotton pads are much more breathable and eco-friendly, and less allergenic, than disposable ones
Cool chest care
- Soothing gel pads
- Cold compress materials – chamomile tea and wash cloths cut to size
Warm chest care
- Wool pads
- Hand warmers
- Hot packs
Nursing bras
- Specific bras with extra support, and ease of removal for nursing and pumping.
- Ideally, buy one or two in pregnancy as your chest grows, and then one or two in the early weeks of lactogenesis is ideal. Then, as your milk settles and your chest size stabilizes, you can buy more bras if you need to.
Nipple creams
- A cream that has the least amount of ingredients.
- Medi-honey.
- Lanolin is counter productive for most folks. If you have any sensitivity to wool, it will be irritating to you.
Nipple shields
- These are helpful in protecting your nipples from cracking and/or soreness
- They are also helpful for babies that may have trouble latching, or if you have an inverted nipple (our co-founder Gill swears by them!)
Items That are Supportive for Your Baby:
- Bottles
- We suggest slimmer-profile bottles that have nipples that are long and thin – as opposed to bottles that are short and round with nipples that are more shallow.
- Nipples
- Make sure to get the appropriate nipple for your baby’s age and developmental stage. I tend to go one level down, as it can be supportive in not overfeeding your baby, or promoting reflux and gas.
- Alternative feeding devices, such as:
- Supplemental nursing systems
- A syringe
- Foley cup
Other Accessories
- Sterilizers
- To effectively, quickly and safely sterilize your pumping equipment and bottles – taking the extra step to kill germs beyond physically removing them with soap and water.
- This is key in the first few months of feeding your baby, as they are more susceptible to getting ill and this provides more protection against infections.
- Metal bowl
- To help soak bulk amounts of bottles, which is much easier then individually soaking them. Be sure to get one big enough to fit a good day/half day’s worth of bottles.
- This is an exceptionally useful hack for exclusive pumping families and families of multiples.
- Bottle brushes
- Drying racks
- Milk storage bags and a fine-tip Sharpie.
