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I loved my breast feeding journey with my two babies. I struggled early on with my first, but had some amazing advice from my sister that really helped me through it. My second time around was a smoother start and I found a few things that helped me through it.

1. Lactation bites: After a difficult delivery, my milk was delayed coming in with my first baby, so I knew I wanted to be more prepared the second time around. I made a batch of these lactation bites and had some in the days before my second baby was due to arrive. My milk came in while we were still at the hospital which made those first few days less stressful the second time around. They were also a great snack in the early days of nursing. I used this recipe.

2. Haaka: This thing is amazing. It catches the let down in the non-nursing breast so you can build up a stash of breastmilk while you are nursing. I will say, it was easier for me to use with my second baby because I was a little more comfortable with nursing in general and it at the beginning it can feel just like one more thing to have to pay attention to while you are learning how to nurse and learning about your baby. Once I got the hang of it though, I was amazed at how much I got each time I used it!

3. Pumping bra: I loved these hands free pumping bras. They clip in to most nursing bras or tanks, so it was easy to switch back and forth between nursing and pumping depending on what I needed to do.

4. Nursing tanks: My first few days home, I was all about comfort. I loved these nursing tanks, these shirts over top, and a pair of comfy pants or leggings. I felt like I looked dressed enough around the house if someone came over, but it also provided easy access when needed.

5. Kindred Bravely pajamas. These pajamas are so soft, cozy, and flattering. I slept in these for a while after I stopped nursing. I would have continued to sleep in them if my sister hadn’t been pregnant and I could pass them along to her.

6. Two sets of pump parts. With both of my babies, I pumped for the first month to know how much they were getting in those early days when you are still figuring out latch, holds, everything. To make things easier, I bought two sets of pump parts so I could always have one clean, and one being washed or drying and ready for the next round. It saved a lot of time in those early days when you are pumping or nursing every couple of hours. Pumping for a month and then moving strictly to nursing worked for me and allowed me to nurse both of my babies for over a year. It may not be your thing.

7. Dr. Brown’s bottle sanitizer. As mentioned above, I pumped for my babies’ first month of life both times. Having this bottle sanitizer for bottles and pump parts was a life saver. It gave me peace of mind to know everything was extra clean in those early days, and it’s fast so you aren’t waiting forever and can go back to sleep quickly.

8. Nursing pillow. My first nursing experience I used the Boppy and My Breast Friend. They were ok, but the second time around I used this pillow and it worked much better for me. It offered a variety of positions, when it was flat it was kind of like a shelf that I could put things on in my lap, and with the curved edge I felt like I could scoot it close enough to me when baby was really little.

- ANONYMOUS