Breastfeeding Must-Haves... Philadelphia, Pa Baby Photographer
As a Philadelphia Newborn and baby photographer, I spend lots of time chatting with my mamas in the studio and one topic that always comes up is breastfeeding. I remember taking birthing classes and being told its the best thing you can do for the baby, its so natural. Here is what they did not say... it's the hardest things you will do as a new mother. It's also can feel very lonely. Oh... and it hurts! Like a lot!
With my first born, I struggled in the beginning. Baby was not latching, so the nurses helped with that. Then at home, comes the haunting questions... how much is baby eating? How do I know? So many questions, and no one to chat with them about. At about 6 months, I felt comfortable and we hit a nice flow of things. Then came my second, I thought.. oh I got this, I did it once. Haha!!! He did not have a good latch for months. I got an infection, I had mast in my one side. It was sooooo painful! I was bleeding every feed.
During all my struggles and successes I relied on some breastfeeding Must - haves that not only provided me with relief but found some essential for my own sanity. This list I put together for you today, was super helpful during my journey. I hope you find this helpful to you as well. Keep in mind, I am not a doctor, Im not a lactation consultant, just a mom of two boys. I want to talk about it today, because from talking to my moms, when they come for their newborn pictures, we all agree... we do not talk about this enough. Some moms feel embarrassed or ashamed. Let's talk about it, it's normal! We all have our success and our struggles. And it's all ok!
Philadelphia Boy Mom of 2 Breastfeeding Must-Haves:
Nipple Shield: This was first given to me by the hospital nurse. And it saved my sanity. I carried multiple shields. It helped my first with his latch. And it saved me with my second to help with the pain.
Nursing Pads: Goodness I wore these at night- my breast leaked milk all the time at night and into the morning.
Breast Shell: Talk about leaking milk. You know when you're nursing and the other side decides to pour it out too. These shells are amazing! You stick them on, and they collect all the milk that is dripping out. Many times, I could fill bottles for baby with this.
Lactation Cookies: Need a treat, why not have a treat and help you maintain or produce milk. So many yummy recipes out there. It was always a nice treat for me.
Nipple Butter: This stuff is AMAZING! I used it after every feed, especially those first few months. You know when you are sore, and crackling. It was perfect!
A GOOD Nursing bra/tank: I love love Nordstroms! They took very supportive bras and sent them to their tailor to convert them into nursing bras. Did you know they did this? Run to Nordstroms. They converted my sports bras as well. So important to have a good support and easy access to nursing. Especially if you are a chestier mama.
Pump Bra: Speaking of bras. If you are pumping you want to invest in a good bra that will support your pump. These are so helpful and allow you to be hands free. Gosh, I can not tell you how helpful these were on those days driving home from work and you're in so much pain that you just have to pump in the car while driving. Oh yea, no shame mama here.
Breast Pump: I went through several breast pumps and hand pumps till I found the one that worked best for me. In the end, Medela pump was my favourite. It was so easy to carry around, and change the parts and keep them clean. Nice bonus... call your insurance they are usually covered by health insurance now.
Breast Milk Bags: If you are pumping or collecting milk with the shells, you want to keep a nice stash of milk bags around. This is helpful to store and freeze your milk for later use.
This is my list of the top 9 things that saved my sanity during breastfeeding. Do you have something that you love? Leave me a comment and share with other mamas reading this something that has worked for you. The more we talk about it, the more we help other mamas.
If you're looking to capture those beautiful moments breast-feeding, ask me to book a mommy and me in my Philadelphia studio. I love capturing you and your baby during the early stages of motherhood. You can reach me here.
