Must Have Products for the Breastfeeding Mom

Breastfeeding my babies has been one of the biggest joys of my life. I nursed my son for a little over two years and now my daughter and I are on week two of our journey! I am blessed to have a relatively “easy” time nursing but in the beginning days I mostly felt overwhelmed and exhausted. So I decided to write this post for all the new or pregnant moms who feel a little bit lost when it comes to all the products offered out there — there are for sure some helpful ones I want to point out today! If you plan on nursing your newborn, here are the must-have products for the new breastfeeding mom.

1 // Soft Nursing Bra

I’ve nursed two babies now, and have tried SEVERAL brands of nursing bras. This one (the Kindred Bravely Sleep Nursing Bra) by far is the easiest every day bra, and my go-to currently. Later on when the engorgement regulates  I go for a more structures nursing bra but in the early days those tender, engorged boobs prefer the softness and not being restricted at all (restricting milk-filled breasts can actually cause some harm so please be careful with bras if your’e nursing!).

Get 20% off your first Kindred Bravely purchase when you order through my link: kindredbravely.com/COVINO20 (discount applied at checkout)!

2 // Portable Nursing Nightlight

This isn’t something I felt I needed at first, but when I started using it I truly didn’t know how I lived without it! A nightlight for those nursing sessions in the wee hours of the morning has made life less lonely. It also helps me stumble less around the room as I picked up baby from her crib, changed my clothes, or changed my nursing pads in the middle of the night!

This nightlight is amazing because it has a few different settings (warm/bright lights) and all you do is touch it to turn it on.

3 // Nipple Butter

My preferred nipple butter is actually a pre-made ointment from Young Living – the rose ointment! It’s super soothing for sore nipples those first couple of days/weeks. It also works wonders for when baby is teething later on, and your nipples get sore from that.

I also linked Earth Mama Nipple Butter available on Amazon because it is natural, safe for baby, and a little goes a long way!

Extra tip – if you can, after each nursing session, put some extra breastmilk on your nipples and let them air dry (no bra!), I swear it has been the single most healing thing for my sore nipples, even better than the nipple butter!

4 // Nursing Pads

You’ll want some nursing pads for the first few weeks of breastfeeding as you go through engorgement as your supply ebbs and flows trying to figure out baby feeding times. These Kindred Bravely washable nursing pads worked super well for me.

Get 20% off your first Kindred Bravely purchase when you order through my link: kindredbravely.com/COVINO20 (discount applied at checkout)!

5 // Every day Nursing Tank

I have this tank in white and black. I love it for around the house, but it’s also great with a pair of black leggings and a chambray button-up for those first months of new mom life. All about the comfort and easy access!

Get 20% off your first Kindred Bravely purchase when you order through my link: kindredbravely.com/COVINO20 (discount applied at checkout)!

6 // Haakaa Pump

The Haakaa pump is one of the easiest ways to catch milk from the opposite breast from which you’re feeding! Totally portable, no electric, it uses basic suction to catch milk; it does have a bit more suction than shells so just be aware sometimes you might not want to let out that much milk!

7 // Nipple Shells

These shells (pictured below) are similar to the Haakaa but much more gentle! They allow you to catch your let down on the opposite breast while breastfeeding and as long as they’re clean and sanitized you can save that milk for bottles! It’s AMAZING how much you can catch this way, I get about an ounce each time!

8 // Nursing Station Basket

Trust me, get yourself a cute little basket to keep by your bedside, nursing chair or couch, wherever you are nursing baby most, and stock it with all these essentials! Nursing shells, nursing pads, the Haakaa, burp cloths and also I’d throw some snacks in there, some lip gloss, any essential oil rollers you love and anything else you need right by your side. I got this beautiful set of three and they are perfect! I actually have one stored on my nightstand, the small one on the couch (our other go-to spot) and the large one I use in the bathroom as my postpartum station!

9 // Spectra S2 hospital grade pump

Shout out to the pumping mamas of the world! You guys are rockstars. I was fortunate enough to not have latching problems with either of my babies and only started pumping later on out of choice. But I want to acknowledge that it’s NOT always an easy start for mom and baby and this can be very unexpected because not many people talk about it. So I see you guys, you are amazing!

for me, soon as my milk regulated and baby got back up to birth weight my pediatrician gave us the go head for bottles! I wish I pumped and did bottles al little more with my first, as much has it’s a beautiful thing to exclusively breastfeed, mama also sometime needs a break and pumping a bottle here or there for dad to feed the baby with also gives him special bonding time! A hospital-grade pump is a must if you plan on pumping and this Spectra is my top pick for pumps!

Extras for Pumping:

Hands-Free Pumping Bra– An essential item for the pumping mama, hands free is a game changer!

Zip Top Breastmilk Storage Bags – These milk pouches are reusable, made of silicone (no plastic) and are freezer, dishwasher and heat-safe. You can warm them up or sterilize them in boiling water (and not worry about leaching chemicals), you can even write on them, then you just pour the milk into your bottle (we prefer glass)!

10 // Back Support Pillow

11 // Moon Womb Nursing Pillow

This pillow is by far the most natural and comfortable nursing pillow I’ve ever tried! Especially with having c-sections I have to be really careful of the weight placed on my abdomen and some of the other pillows just don’t cut it. The moon womb conforms perfectly to your body and provides comfortable support while nursing — we are loving it this time around! Plus the materials are 100% organic cotton and it’s a small mama-owned and operated shop which I love to support when I can!

12 // Yeti Tumbler

Nursing mamas need water, LOTS of water!! So I suggest grabbing a large and cute tumbler or water bottle, this Yeti Tumbler is my pick. Also, especially c-section mamas, drink from a straw! I can’t tell you how many times I choked and coughed on my my water before  Started using a straw – aka not ok with that sore incision, trust me!!

13 // SNACKS

Just saying! You’re going to be HUNGRY, even at night! I stock my nursing station with easy and nutritious snacks like granola bars and trail mix, but my advice is for sure to put whatever your favorites are within close reach while nursing!

If you’re looking for some extra vacation/milk supply support try out Oat Mama Lactation Bars, they are delish and perfect for the new nursing mama! They also offer great milk support tea blends — use code COVINO for a discount on your order!

14 // Postpartum Contractions Roller

Lastly I wanted to mention my postpartum contraction roller I made from my essential oils – you guys know how I love my oils! If you haven’t experienced it yet just a heads up that contractions are not finished after labor! While nursing your babe for the first few weeks you will feel more contractions as your uterus shrinks back to regular size – this is a good thing! But it can be painful so I made a therapeutic-grade essential oil roller that I use topically over my uterus and it’s been very soothing for that pain while nursing!

Below is the recipe and click here if you want to learn more about oils/why I use and love them!

PP Cramping Roller Recipe (10ml roller):

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Click HERE for my Amazon Storefront page where all items from this post are linked!

Check out these posts: how to survive the first weeks of breastfeeding and tips for successful breastfeeding for cesarean mamas!

I hope this comprehensive list of must-have products for the new breastfeeding mom. was helpful to you! If there is something on here you feel I missed, let me know!