It is so overwhelming to be a new mom, right? You’re pregnant with your first baby and not sure what you’ll need or how to do anything yet. Which is okay, this is your first time! I mean, you’ve never been pregnant, had a baby, or breastfed before. How are you expected to know everything you need to know?! You aren’t! And that’s why I’m here. As a mom of almost 3 and a postpartum nurse, I have curated my top breastfeeding essentials for new moms.
This breastfeeding essentials checklist contains items that I have found useful on my breastfeeding journeys and would not breastfeed without. I have also added breastfeeding essentials that my patients have sworn by and say they would not breastfeed without. A lot of these have been added to my personal breastfeeding essentials list for when my third baby arrives!
DISCLAIMER: there are affiliate links throughout this article. This means if you click a link and make a purchase I can receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I receive commissions from qualifying purchases.
If you want a full list of my postpartum must-haves from a postpartum nurse check out this blog post.
If you are looking for a checklist of what to pack in your labor and delivery hospital bag for mom, dad, and baby check out this blog post.
Breastfeeding Essentials for New Moms
Here are my top Breastfeeding essentials for new moms as a postpartum nurse and mom of 3.
Education
The most important thing you can do for your breastfeeding journey is to take a prenatal education class. As a first-time mom, you won’t know what positions to try, how to help the baby get a deep latch, or how to help support the baby. Taking a prenatal breastfeeding class can give you some basic knowledge for your breastfeeding journey. The hospital where I delivered my first baby offers free breastfeeding courses taught by IBCLCs (international board-certified lactation consultants). Check with your hospital and see if they offer breastfeeding courses!
You can also find breastfeeding courses online if you want to do one that is not in person. You want to be careful if using a course online that the person who is teaching the course is trained in breastfeeding. You don’t want to take a course from someone who has no medical knowledge with breastfeeding.
Lactation Assistance for New Moms Breastfeeding
Most insurances will cover lactation help during your breastfeeding journey. Don’t suffer alone or just give up because it is hard. It is a learning curve for you and baby and it can take time to figure out. As much as the internet would like you to believe it comes “naturally” for most women it does not! If you need help reach out to a lactation consultant. The hospitals in my area have outpatient lactation consultants that you can make appointments with for breastfeeding help and they accept insurance. Check your local hospitals!
A hospital in my area hosts a Baby Cafe weekly. This is a free lactation assistance group hosted by an IBCLC. It is great because you get free breastfeeding help as well as meet a group of other new moms going through the same things you are going through. You can see if there is a local chapter in your area here. One thing I love about baby cafe meetings is the lactation consultant can do a weighted feed where they weigh your baby before and after nursing. This will help you know how much your baby is taking in at a nursing session!
A support group may not be a product, but it is just as much a breastfeeding essential for new moms as any other product on this list. Breastfeeding is hard work and having help and support can make the learning curve and journey easier for you. It can also help you continue breastfeeding instead of giving up when it gets hard.
Top Breastfeeding Essentials for New Moms: Products
This is a list of my favorite products to use and recommend to aid in your breastfeeding journey. Some moms will create a breastfeeding cart or breastfeeding caddy to bring around the house with them. These products are perfect breastfeeding cart essentials to keep on hand for nursing sessions.
Haakaa
The haakaa is a silicone manual pump that uses suction to collect milk. You attach it to the breast opposite of what you are breastfeeding on and it collects your let down. It is genius! Without this pump, your letdown would be lost to your breast pad or a burp cloth.
This single item allowed me to collect hundreds of ounces of milk during my maternity leave with both of my children. Now building a freezer stash is not necessary, but using the haakaa helped me put milk away for when I went back to work.
The Haakaa can also be used as a way to relieve engorgement if you are engorged but your baby is not ready to nurse or to help with your letdown if you have a fast letdown that is choking your baby.
Nursing Bras
You will need a good set of nursing bras if you are planning on breastfeeding. Nursing bras are bras that have a clip-up on the shoulder where you can unclip it and have access to your breast. It makes breastfeeding much more convenient than having to take your whole bra off.
There are many different kinds of nursing bras, but I prefer ones without underwire. They aren’t as comfortable and your breasts are changing size and shape constantly in the beginning before your milk supply is regulated. I highly recommend a nice stretchy nursing bra in the first few weeks after having your baby as your breasts change shape so frequently.
Here are a few of my favorite nursing bras:
- Kindred Bravely Sublime Nursing Bra
- Kindred Bravely Sublime Sports Nursing Bra
- Sleep Bras (These are my favorite for the first 4-6 weeks after having a baby. They stretch well with your breasts and don’t provide any compression).
The Best Hands Free Pumping Bras
If you plan on pumping at all or going back to work a hands-free pumping bra is a must! My absolute favorite hands-free pumping bra is from Kindred Bravely. It is one of my top breastfeeding essentials for new moms going back to work. It is not only a pumping bra but doubles as a nursing bra so you don’t have to change bras to pump.
I got one during COVID with my first baby and still to this day use that bra! I even purchased 4 more. The bras are so comfortable and so convenient. They also sell them on Amazon as well!
Washable Breast Pads
Breast pads are a breastfeeding must-have for any new mom! As your milk supply comes in and begins to regulate throughout the first 6 weeks you could have some leaking. Having a breast pad in your bra can help prevent you from leaking through your bra and shirt. There are many different options for breast pads to choose from including disposable ones. I tried Medela and Lansinoh disposable breast pads and I felt they were very itchy. Also, the cost can add up quickly!
I prefer and recommend washable breast pads. They are much more comfortable and you don’t have to continue to buy them over and over again. These are the ones I use and they come with a bag to wash them in so you don’t lose them in the washer/dryer! I recommend buying 2 or 3 packs, that way you can change them throughout the day as they get soaked.
Nipple Cream
Nipple cream is a newborn breastfeeding essential that should be at the top of your list. Get your nipple cream before you go into labor and bring it to the hospital with you! Your hospital may have lanolin ointment which you can use at the hospital if you don’t have any nipple cream, but it is not my favorite. Just don’t wait until you start to have nipple pain, bruising, cracking, or bleeding to start using nipple cream. I recommend putting it on after every nursing session from your very first session.
My top choice nipple cream is coconut oil, it is my tried and true and the only thing I will use. There are also other types of nipple creams on Amazon that have great reviews! This organic nipple butter has good reviews on Amazon.
Nursing Cover
Nursing covers may not be on everyone’s breastfeeding essentials for new moms list, but it is a must for me. Let me start by saying, you do not have to use a nursing cover when in public!! You have the right to feed your baby. I just don’t feel comfortable without a nursing cover so I use one.
The one linked below is my favorite because you can see to help get your baby latched. The part around the neck is rigid and allows you to be able to look in and see the baby as they’re nursing without having to uncover yourself or duck your whole head under the cover.
If you don’t get a nursing cover at a baby shower and don’t want to purchase just a nursing cover, you can use large muslin blanket as a nursing cover! They work just as well.
Nursing Pillow
A nursing pillow is top of my list of breastfeeding essentials for new moms. I have seen so many moms hunched over trying to feed their babies and getting sore from awkward positions. Having a pillow can help you bring the baby closer to you versus trying to hunch down to the baby. It can also allow you to rest your arms and not have sore arms from trying to support the baby and your breasts the whole session. (newborns can take a long time to eat since they’re just learning!)
My favorite breastfeeding pillow is the My Breast Friend pillow. It is made of foam so it gives the baby tons of support. It has lumbar support for your back to make you feel more comfortable. It was recommended to me by a lactation consultant with my first baby and I’ve never looked back!
The boppy is another good choice as well, I like it for older babies who need a little less support than a newborn.
If you travel often boppy also makes a travel-size nursing pillow.
Breast Pump
A breast pump is on the breastfeeding essentials for new moms list whether you are going back to work or a stay-at-home mom. If you go back to work you’ll need a way to pump milk for your baby while you are away from them and if you stay home you’ll need a pump for emergencies.
You’ll want to have some milk pumped and in the freezer for emergencies (no need to have a stash of 4,000 ounces!). Just some milk in case you are out of the house and get stuck in traffic and don’t make it home in time for the baby’s next feeding. Or just so you can rest and let someone else feed the baby if they want to.
Most insurance will cover a breast pump during the third trimester of your pregnancy. Give them a call to confirm you get a pump through them.
Also when in the hospital ask your postpartum nurse or lactation consultant if they give you a manual pump while in the hospital. Both the previous hospitals I delivered at gave me a hand pump while at the hospital! I find manual hand breast pumps essential to keep in your bag or car in case you’re caught without a pump or your baby.
Breast Milk Storage Bags
You will need a way to store your breastmilk after using your pump or haakaa to collect milk. My favorite storage bags are the Medela bags. I purchase them on a subscribe and save membership on Amazon so that I always have some available.
Breast Therapy Packs by Lansinoh
These Lansinoh breast therapy packs are incredible! You can use them cold or warm. I would warm mine up and use it when pumping to help initiate a letdown and decrease my pumping time. I would say, this is probably not high up on the major breastfeeding essentials for new moms list, but a nice extra to have
Silverette Cups
This is one item I have not used yet, but plan on using it for my third baby. I’ve had patients swear by the silverette cups for helping their nipple pain!
Silverette cups are said to be antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. These cups are to help promote healing for your nipples. They are a little pricey, but are reusable indefinitely and according to reviews easy to wash!
Hydrogel Pads
These are incredible. They are gel pads that you put in the fridge (highly recommend this!!) and after a nursing session put them in your bra directly on your nipples. They are cooling and give you relief from any nipple pain you may feel after feeding in the beginning.
Disclaimer: you do want to be careful not to use nipple creams with items such as silverette cups or hydrogel pads. Alternate where you use the cups or hydrogel pads and the nipple creams.
Water Bottle
I love the Stanley Iceflow because it closes and won’t leak (I’ve spilled my water on my babies before!) and has a handle. It is easy to carry around the house with the handle, especially when your hands are full with your newborn and everything else you need to carry.
A Foot Stool
This is one of the most important things for me on the breastfeeding essentials for new moms list. To prevent soreness when breastfeeding you will want to be in an ergonomic position. I nurse my newborn in a dining room chair, with a stool to prop my feet on, and my nursing pillow. It works out great because it helps bring my legs up for the baby to be closer to my breasts. And it also helps me not fall asleep when nursing at night time, because it is not the most comfortable setup to go to sleep in.
I find it very important to make sure that new moms are in a good breastfeeding position for nursing so that they aren’t in constant neck and back pain.
Night Light for Night Time Nursing Sessions
You want to make sure you have some kind of small night light that won’t wake the baby up when you have to get up and change their diaper and nurse them. I did not have one for my first baby and it would take her forever to go back to sleep! This is a bedside breastfeeding essential you don’t want to forget.
It does not have to be anything crazy, we use the hatch sound machine for our children so with our second baby we would use that as the night light for nursing.
Bottles
When breastfeeding it can be confusing trying to decide what bottles to get for your baby. There are so many companies that make bottles to be specifically “like the breast”. These are not the ones that you want, because the nipple is not shaped like your nipple and the baby will not have a deep latch.
Here are a few bottles that are recommended for use by lactation consultants for going back and forth between breast and bottle:
If you are already breastfeeding and using a different bottle not listed here that’s okay. If your baby is going back and forth between the breast and bottle fine, there’s no need to switch it up.
Top Breastfeeding Essentials for New Moms
This list of breastfeeding essentials for new moms are ones that I would make sure I have on hand when your baby arrives. Breastfeeding is a beautiful way to feed your baby and bond, but it isn’t always easy!
Don’t give up, seek help, and utilize the essentials on this list to help you on your breastfeeding journey. Did I miss any breastfeeding essentials for new moms that you would add? Let me know in the comments!
This post provides valuable advice and practical tips for new moms navigating the world of breastfeeding. From essential supplies to helpful resources, it’s a comprehensive guide to making the breastfeeding journey more manageable and enjoyable. As someone who also blogs about parenting and discusses these topics, I appreciate the informative and helpful approach of this article 😊
Thank you for this comment! I’m so grateful someone finds it informative. My goal is to educate new moms on all things postpartum, newborn, and breastfeeding!
Wow! Amazing tips you have shared. A worth read for new moms.
Thank you! I’m so glad you found it a worth while read. I have a passion for educating new moms!
This list is so good! As a BF mom myself, I used several of these items & will hopefully again in the future! The nursing bras made for pumping are a true game changer!
Aren’t they?! Truly changed my life. Being able to use your hands while pumping is a game changer!
I had a TON of nursing bras already, but as soon as I found the Kindred Bravely ones, I had to get their Wear-Wash-Spare pack! Sooooo worth it!
Yes!! Kindred bravely literally is my favorite pregnancy and nursing brand! I got their maternity leggings and that’s all I would wear when pregnant!