8 Essential Breastfeeding Tools from a Mom of FOUR

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month. And I am a proud breastfeeding mother of 4 so I am excited to share with you my all-time favorite breastfeeding products.

Big Thanks to Walmart for supporting Breast Feeding Awareness and Sponsoring this blog post.

You can imagine that with 4 children, that I have had my share of adventures with breastfeeding my children.

My Breastfeeding Journey

My first breastfeeding experience was hard because it was new. My milk supply was fine but boy did latching hurt soo bad! I used a nipple shield for a good 3 months just to make it bearable.

With my second baby low supply was totally my hurdle. During this pregnancy, I learned the magic of custom suction cup sizes for my Madela breast pump. And I spent a ton of time pumping in order to stimulate my milk production. This was stressful and I can absolutely empathize with moms with low supply.

My third baby was adopted, and you better believe I gave him breast milk in a cup when he was a toddler. Luckily I was breastfeeding my third child during the same time we were finalizing his adoption so I would work extra extra hard to ensure that there was enough breast milk to share with his little belly as well.

And with my last baby, I underestimated her appetite when I returned to work and she gobbled up every ounce of milk I had stored much faster then I could replenish it, that was stressful too but I breastfed her the longest. Our breastfeeding journey ended when she was 19 months old. 

Lessons learned

Fed is best! I am a complete advocate for breastfeeding and science shows that it really is the best option for a baby. But I have had my share of late-night pumping sessions and anxiety attacks when the freezer bag of frozen breast milk went low. Or when the baby would cry because she was still hungry because my milk supply couldn’t keep up with her demand. But oh the joy of seeing chubby baby thigh and to know that your breast milk nurtured those sweet baby rolls. 

The biggest lessons learned for me are:

1. Get the right tools to support your journey.

2. Sometimes despite your best efforts, supplementing your breastfeeding is a great option too, and allow yourself permission to do that. 

As I mentioned earlier, I breastfed all of my biological children until they were at least one year old, and gave my son who we adopted breast milk in a sippy while I was nursing my daughter. Two of my three daughters were definitely fed with formula during times of low supply. FED IS BEST! I am so grateful to have been able to use formula to feed my children. But I am also grateful for the tools that helped me to continue breastfeeding once my supple caught up again. 

My nipple shield, Madela breast pump, and custom breast pump funnels were life-changing for me. Below is a list of my favorite breastfeeding supplies. You can find all these items at  your local Walmart store. Many of the harder to find breastfeeding tools are available also at Walmart.com. 

List of my favorite breastfeeding supplies

Nipple Cream – for sore nipples

Breast Pump – for storing milk in bottles and relieving engorged breast

Car adaptor for Breast Pump – for pumping on the ego

Nipple Shield – super helpful especially in the first months

Nursing Cover – great when you are feeling a little more modest

Breast milk storage bags – for storing your liquid gold for later use

Nursing tank – I lived in these for a year, so convenient and allows for one less piece of laundry

Pumping bra – allows for hands-free pumping #winning

The items above are great baby shower gifts too if you, and with Walmart’s great prices it makes breastfeeding supplies a great value for you and the momma to be. 

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you can support and bring awareness to Breastfeeding awareness month by sharing this blog post. 

Xo- Chantea