The Breastfeeding Essentials We Actually Used
The products that supported us through breastfeeding, pumping, tongue ties, combination feeding and everything in between.
Before Bailey arrived, I thought I had done enough research to be prepared for our feeding journey.
I had spent countless hours reading about breastfeeding, pumping, bottles and dummies. I had carefully chosen bottles that supported breastfeeding, researched pacifiers that wouldn't interfere with oral development and felt quietly confident that I had covered all bases.
What I didn't expect was just how much our needs would change as our journey evolved.
Some products I bought while pregnant ended up becoming everyday essentials for well over a year. Others entered our lives later out of pure necessity. A milk catcher that saved every drop of oversupply milk. Nipple shields when feeding suddenly wasn't straightforward anymore. A breastfeeding pillow that I initially thought I could probably live without until my back quickly informed me otherwise.
Then there were the products that only became important because our feeding journey ended up looking so different to what I had imagined. Pumps, freezer bags, bottles, steriliser and all the little things that quietly supported us through tongue ties, pumping, combination feeding, breastfeeding aversion and eventually weaning.
Looking back now, I don't think any product makes or breaks a breastfeeding journey. But I do think some products make it easier to keep going when things get hard.
So whether you're exclusively breastfeeding, pumping, combination feeding or still figuring out what feeding your baby might look like, these are the products that genuinely supported us along the way and that I'd buy again in a heartbeat.
Let's dive into it.
Milk Catchers
I've tried a few different milk catchers over the last year and they can be sooo good or really bad. My favourite by far are the Nuliie milk catchers. Around the house I'd generally just use the traditional collectors, but when leaving the house or running errands the wearable versions were amazing. Especially when you're dealing with oversupply and don't want to lose every drop to your bra. Unfotunetly they arent sold at the moment, so my second choice would be these:
Silverettes
My Silverettes were actually a gift from my brother, which still makes me laugh because what a niche present 😂 But honestly, they were absolutely lifesaving during those early weeks. Between tongue ties and feeding difficulties, Bailey and I had our fair share of nipple damage and I genuinely don't know how I would've gotten through without them.
If I was buying them again, I'd probably choose the Mamae version with the adhesive rings because I absolutely hated sleeping in a bra just to keep them in place overnight. Being able to use them without needing a bra would've made those early weeks a lot more comfortable.
Pumps
Let's talk pumps.
I originally bought wearable pumps from Nuliie, which are great pumps and ones I still use now. But when we were navigating tongue ties and trying to protect my supply, our LC strongly recommended getting a proper hospital-grade pump as well.
So I bought the Spectra S1.
I ended up using it every single day and honestly it was one of the best investments we made during our feeding journey. If I was doing it all over again, I'd still buy both. A good hospital-grade pump for protecting supply and a wearable pump for convenience and flexibility when life gets busy.
Nipple Shields
Nipple shields saved me more than once.
When you're dealing with oral restrictions, feeding difficulties or nipple damage, breastfeeding can become really painful really quickly. They gave my nipples the chance to recover while still allowing us to continue feeding.
They also unexpectedly became incredibly helpful during breastfeeding aversion in my second pregnancy. Reducing the direct contact and intensity of the sucking sensation made a huge difference and probably played a role in allowing us to continue breastfeeding for as long as we did.
Nipple Butter & Breast Pads
Another absolute essential for me was nipple butter and breast pads.
I used both disposable and reusable breast pads because I had a pretty wild oversupply for a while there and leaking was just part of everyday life. I used the Pure Mama nipple butter and honestly it gave me the relief I so desperately needed during those early weeks when everything felt sore, damaged and overstimulated.
Nursing Bras
Good nursing bras are absolutely worth investing in because chances are you'll be living in them for a very long time.
Personally, I preferred softer bras over anything structured and found myself reaching for my H&M cotton nursing bras and Boody bamboo bras over and over again. They were comfortable, breathable and just worked for everyday life.
You definitely don't need dozens of them, but having a few that fit well and that you actually enjoy wearing makes a bigger difference than I expected.
Breastfeeding Pillow
I also bought a breastfeeding pillow and I'm actually glad I had it, but I definitely didn't use it as much as I expected to.
Because of Bailey's tongue ties and our LC encouraging different feeding positions, I ended up feeding in all sorts of weird and wonderful positions that didn't really work with a pillow. I'd still buy one again, but it definitely wasn't the absolute essential I expected it to be.
Steriliser & Dryer
Our steriliser and dryer quickly became one of the hardest working appliances in our kitchen.
Between bottles, teats, pump parts, dummies, milk catchers and eventually formula bottles, that thing was constantly running. The drying function alone made it worth every cent in my opinion.
Pigeon Bottles
If I had to choose one bottle again tomorrow, it'd be Pigeon without hesitation.
Bailey moved between breast and bottle from very early on and we never had any issues going back and forth between the two. Whether that was luck, the bottles or a combination of both, I'll never know. But I do know they'll be the bottles we use again for baby number two.
Ninni Co Dummy
The Ninni Co dummy was another product I researched to death before Bailey arrived.
I wanted something soft, breastfeeding friendly and supportive of oral development. Bailey loved it from the beginning and even now it's still one of my favourite recommendations to give new parents.
Milk Storage Bags & Freezer Stash
Milk storage bags quickly became a non-negotiable once I realised just how much milk I was collecting and pumping in those early months.
Having a freezer stash gave me so much peace of mind and ended up becoming one of the reasons we were able to continue giving Bailey breastmilk for as long as we did. Towards the end of our breastfeeding journey, slowly working through that stash while introducing formula took away so much pressure.
Bottle Brush
Not every recommendation is exciting, but a good bottle brush is one of them 😂
Between bottles, pump parts and milk catchers ours got used multiple times a day for over a year. Definitely not the area I'd be trying to save money.
And finally...
If there's one thing our feeding journey taught me, it's that your needs will probably change along the way.
Some products I thought would be essential barely got used, while others became things I couldn't imagine doing without. What worked for us won't necessarily work for everyone else and that's kind of the whole point.
Breastfeeding, pumping and combination feeding rarely follow the neat little plans we make while we're pregnant.
Your feeding journey will evolve as your baby grows, and your needs will evolve alongside it.
None of these products made our breastfeeding journey successful. They didn't fix our tongue ties, increase my supply or make the hard days disappear. But they did support us through some really challenging seasons and sometimes that's enough.
If I was starting all over again tomorrow, these are the products I'd happily buy again without hesitation.
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