August = National Breastfeeding Month

Breastfeeding has been a big part of my life for the past 2 1/2 years and I couldn't be prouder of myself.  There have been many ups and downs and I never thought I would come this far.  I am now nursing my 2nd baby who is eight months and its going strong.  I can talk and talk about breastfeeding forever but I just wanted to point out some tips that surely helped me.  Any mom who decides they want to breastfeed will know that it takes extreme dedication and hard work in the beginning months, but it's all well worth it. 

What made me decide to breastfeed?  I just wanted to give the best I could to my baby, simple as that.  My husband and I took a couples breastfeeding class, I read about, researched it, and couldn't stop digging around for info on it.  The more I learned, the more I knew it was right for baby and me.

One great resource that helped me with any questions and/or concerns was KellyMom.com.  Anything and everything you may think of can be found there.  In addition to that I was addicted to breastfeeding forum found on the What to Expect When You Are Expecting website.  There I was able to see that I was not the only mom with the same exact concerns. It also helped me learn from other mom's experiences.  The forums was also were I learned of a couple of products that helped me have a successful breastfeeding experience.  

• Medela Tender Care Lanolin Nipple Cream
• Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
• Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced
• Pumpin Pals Flanges
• Medela Harmony Manual Breastpump

If your budget allows, all or most of the above may help in your nursing experience.  Here is the breakdown why it helped me.

Medela Tender Care Lanolin Nipple Cream

My 1st time breastfeeding was new to me and also to my daughter.  Which translated to improper latch in the beginning.  Some babies are awesome at latching from the get-go and some are not.  My daughter had a bit of a lazy latch which caused redness and cracks around my nipples.  This lanolin cream helped ease it a little along with manually expressing milk to apply on the cracks.  Just make sure to let it air dry and you will be good.

Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

This became my breastfeeding tutu.  With the round the clock nursing on demand, I found myself walking around the house wearing this pillow all the time.  That is why it felt like a tutu.  I tried a Boppy pillow initially but I didn't feel the support I needed.  So I researched a little and came across this one.  Boy, did this make a difference!  I finally felt that baby was in a good position and so did my back!  I think this just took away one less worry.

Medela Pump-In-Style Advance 

I initially thought that a single electric pump (Swing Breastpump) would do the job when I was going to get ready to head back to work.  But after researching on that friendly forum I saw the benefit of this awesome double electric breast pump.  My trusty pump has been everywhere with me.  I have pumped at home and in my car (many times) and it has truly been awesome.  I don't know what I would have done with it.  It helped me express enough milk to freeze that it gave my first baby enough to milk to drink until she was 14 months after weening herself at 11 months.  Might I add that it is still doing a great job with baby #2.  I love how easy it is to pick up and go. 

Pumpin Pals Flanges

This was another find from the forums that I was extremely happy I invested in. At first I was like, "Darn something else to buy", but this truly made a different for me.  I bought a couple different Medela sizes and they just didn't feel right or work for me.  After checking out Pumpin Pals' website it totally made sense how the angled flanges felt more natural.  So I gave it a try and haven't used anything else.  I even use it with my manual pump.

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

You are probably asking if I have an electric pump, why do I need a manual one?  Well for me it worked on multiple occasions.  I don't use it as often as the electric but it is there when I most need it.  For moments that I need a quick expression this was the best.  Long car rides, date night, on breaks when at a meeting.  It was not a necessary item but it sure helped.  It also worked to pump the breast that baby was not latched to in order to help increase my supply a bit.  Happy I invested in it. 

Harmony Pump fitted with Pumpin Pals Flange