Breastfeeding Tips & Breast Pump Guide | Lactation Connection

Having a basket of necessities near your favorite nursing spot is not only nice, but essential. After all, moms only have two hands.  To get you started, here are 6 recommendations for building a breastfeeding basket of must-haves for yourself or as a gift. 1.  Breastfeeding Book Let's face it. Moms have questions and a Lactation Consultant is not always available to answer those questions especially at 3 am.  We recommend books endorsed by La Leche League and Lactation Consultants such as The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Weisinger, West and Pitman.  2. Water Bottle Although the amount of water you drink does not translate directly into the amount of milk you make, your body functions better when it is hydrated.   3.  Nursing Pads Your breast milk lets down bilaterally, which means especially in the early weeks of breastfeeding, when you are nursing on one side, you are leaking on the o...

     We all know that all you really need for breastfeeding is a boob and a baby, but I often get the question, "What do I need for breastfeeding?".   The answer is that it really depends on your situation and your budget.  Are you going to be working outside the home?  If you are mostly working in the home, do you have times that you need to be away from your baby for conferences, etc?       Formula costs about $150 per month so you budget for breastfeeding could be over $1000 and still be ahead, but most most do not spend that much.  If you work inside the home and are not separated from the baby, you can spend very little.      The following is a checklist and depending on whether you are work at home mom or a mom who works outside the home, you will want to pick and choose the type of breast milk collection product you will need based on your situation. ...