Milk it Mama!

Muslins

These bits of material are great – useful for mopping up all bodily fluids produced by your baby, but get a big enough one and you can drape it over yourself if you want a bit of privacy when feeding.

I lusted after these muslins from Etta Loves and they have a new animal print range which I would jump on if I had a newborn!

Lactation Cookies

Yep, you read right. A delicious cookie [or brownie!] that you can eat guilt free because you are feeding your baby AND it helps to produce the good stuff!

I had not heard of these until I found Meg on Instagram [@motherslovecookies]. I had tried fennel tea [yuk] and ate porridge oats until I was sick of them.

These cookies really worked! I didn’t have a supply issue with Rufus after a few weeks but I do believe that they enriched the milk…he didn’t cluster feed as much after I ate them anyway. Could all be coincidence but they’re bloody tasty so I’ll take it!

Lactation Smoothies

This was another thing I tried but this was to increase my supply in the early days and it totally worked.

You blend the powder with a banana [I also added other berries to it too] and milk and hey presto! You have your delicious and nutritious shake!

Nursing Bra

I am a Bravissimo girl through and through. The ladies in there are so lovely [I usually go to the Manchester one] and helpful. Both times I have used the Panache Nursing Bra which is really comfy and easy to access. Nursing bras are not the sexiest [by a long shot] but this is one of the nicest on the market for those with ample busom!!!

Breast Pads

Not the most glamorous at all but in my experience, you do get what you pay for. I had many a time when you could see the old leaky boobs through my t-shirt because the pad had slipped out of place or was not absorbent enough. Nice.

If I were to have my time again, I may even look into the reusable ones. Good for the environment and my washing machine seems to be constantly on nowadays so they’d get washed quite regularly!

Nursing scarf/apron

If I’m honest, with my second breastfeeding experience I just got the girls out wherever and whenever but I had confidence then!

When I first started breastfeeding I was so shy about feeding my own baby in public. I used to get cold sweats if she started getting hungry if we were out. Eventually I got a feeding scarf which was great. It gave me coverage that I needed but did not feel like I was covering up out of shame. My friend swore by the nursing apron but that style just was not me!

Breast Pump

With Cecily, I had a manual pump and it was goddamn awful! I was convinced that I was not physically able to pump so gave up with that one.

I had a Lansinoh electric pump with Rufus and it was brilliant! I didn’t pump to feed him [tried that but he wouldn’t take a bottle] but I pumped to let down the supply before feeding in the early days [my flow was quick so he used to gag on it] and when I was away from him I pumped as if he was feeding to ensure that my supply was not messed up.

I have heard a lot about these new eco friendly breast pumps – the Haakaa Pumps which would be interesting to try out.

Breastfeeding top

Breastfeeding friendly clothes are a MUST! You need easy access to the boobs but you also want to look nice – you’ve just had a baby!

My friend has recently had a baby and is wearing these tops – they look really nice, nothing like a feeding top and they are much better than my maternity/nursing H&M ones [which I am still wearing ha!]

Water bottle

Breastfeeding makes you thirsty. Incredibly thirsty. I found keeping up my water intake really difficult so the bearded tit got me a water bottle – so that I didn’t have to keep filling up a small glass and I could take it with me if I went out.

I am still crap with my water intake so might actually buy myself one of these!