Mommy's Favorites: Feeding an Infant

Here is the second in a series of "Mommy's Favorites", this time on infant feeding. Later on, I'll post another one about feeding solids, but for now I'm breastfeeding exculsively so that's what I'll be addressing. Hopefully some mother's who are formula feeding will comment since I'm not able to address formula feeding just yet.

L'ovedbaby Nursing Shawl: I just recently got comfortable enough with breastfeeding to be able to do it in public, and this nursing shawl has been a God-send! It's light enough that Annabelle didn't get too hot, even in the Florida outdoor weather, and it's nice because I know it won't just slip off leaving me exposed! The head hole is big enough that I can still see Annabelle, yet it isn't so big that people just walking by can see in it too. If you're planning to breastfeed past 2 months, definitely get one of these!

Breast Pump: I am now a stay-at-home mom so I didn't have to worry about a pump for frequent use so I got the Medela Single Deluxe electric pump. It has suited my needs just fine. I haven't yet bought the medela bottles that go with it (mainly because I already have a set of Avent bottles that would just go to waste), but I may get them later just because of the convinence of pumping right into the bottle (cut out the middle man). :) One thing that isn't a deal breaker, but I would change (and a new bottle would help this) is that the bottle that comes with it is only 5 oz, and there are times that I could probably pump more than that at one time, but then by the time that I empty the first bottle and get resituated to pump a second, the flow has slowed too much to make it worth it. In general though, the this definitely works for me so far.

Gerber Warm or Cool Relief Packs: If you're planning to pump at all, these things are great! I haven't used the "cool relief" part of them, but I have used the warming feature quite a few times. This is great when you need to pump, but it's just not flowing! Put this on your breast when warm for about 20 minutes, and it has about the same effect of taking a warm shower, but you don't have to get your hair wet! :) These are available at Target.

Bottle sanitizer: Since I don't use bottles too often, I don't need to sanitize a lot at one time. So, instead of using a sanitizing machine, I generally just use bags that you use in the microwave. The ones that I use are from Medela and they can fit a couple of bottles or the breastpump pieces into it. You get like 20 uses out of each bag, and there are quite a few bags in each box. I haven't even gone through the first bag yet, so these should last me a while.

Nursing Pads: I've tried a few different brands, and my favorite has been the Lansinoh brand. They have never leaked (and I've definitely given it reason to!), they don't stick to the nipple (the Johnson's ones did... I like the cotton feel of those and the nipple indention, but the cotton fibers stuck to my nipple and that does NOT feel good when your nipple is already sore!), and they have adhesive to keep them in place in your bra/shirt/etc. I haven't tried the washable breast pads, but would love to hear from someone who has, so please comment!

Nursing Bras/tanks/clothes: I probably have every variation of nursing bras available. Although the underwire wasn't very comfortable when I first started breastfeeding, I like the support and shape that it gives when I go out. For hanging out at home though, my sports bra style bra is the best. The underwire bras that I have are from Motherhood, and the sports bras that I like are from Bravado! (The Original Basic Nursing Style, I purchased this at the hospital when I had Belle) and Target. My favorite PJ tops to wear is the Nursing Tank from Target too. You can find it and the bras in their maternity section. My sister-in-law bought the tank for me as part of a maternity outfit and it is PERFECT for nursing! I bought more and wear them all of the time!! As far as regular clothes go, I always wear something that's at least loose enough to pull up or down so that Annabelle can feed, but I don't always wear "nursing" clothes. I have a few nursing shirts (the shirts with 2 layers, where the bottom layer have openings for feeding), but I hardly ever wear them. They're a bit heavy for Florida weather, and it's not really worth it to me, especially since I have the L'ovedbaby shawl.

Burp Cloths: Regular burp cloths work good, but the very best burp cloths are plain, white cloth diapers! Definitely buy a super pack of these to use as burp cloths or for any other baby face wiping needs! The regular burp cloths can be so cute though so I still keep them available in my diaper bag, but at home, there is usually a cloth diaper ready in every room.

Boppy: I know some people swear by "My Breast Friend", but I definitely like my Boppy! I didn't use it much at first because when you're first learning to breastfeed, using about 5-7 pillows positioned stratigically all around you is the easiest thing to do. However, once I started getting more comfortable and Annabelle started getting a little bigger, the Boppy was definitely best. Annabelle and I are both so comfortable with it now, that I don't even need pillows or Boppy sometimes, but it's still nice to use sometimes. Plus, now that we aren't using it for feeding as much, Annabelle uses it to semi-sit up. She hates to lie down when she's not sleeping so I sit her up with the Boppy around her and she is happy for a while!

Nipple Cream: I've tried Lansinoh and a generic brand, and Lansinoh is definitely best. I don't use nipple cream too often, but I generally use it when my nipples get really sore and I'm taking a shower. This keeps them from getting too wet and thus more sore. I have one tube of Lansinoh, and I think it will probably last me through this baby. Also, when I was pregnant I heard to start applying Lansinoh to my nipples before Annabelle was born to start softening them to prepare for breastfeeding, but then did some research on it and found out that isn't recommended. I was told (and I read) not to do anything to "prepare", either by attempting to "soften" or to rough-it-up by scrubbing them. Although they still got sore, I believe that was probably the right advice to follow because the soreness seems inevitable!

Well, unless I think of any more aspects of breastfeeding, this is it. Again, if you have an opinion on any of these products, or on feeding an infant with formula, please feel free to throw in your 2 cents! Thanks!