Updated for 2025
Deciding to breastfeed is a big decision and commitment, one that is very rewarding and well worth it.
If you do make that decision and stick with it, there are many breastfeeding necessities that can help make your experience go much smoother!
As a first-time mother, I wasn’t aware of all of the things that I could use to help make my breastfeeding experience easier.
However, by the time I became a mom the fourth time around, I was ready to breastfeed and knew exactly what I needed to help my process along!
I ended up breastfeeding my 4 babies for 2 years each thanks to all these breastfeeding essentials!!
Here are the breastfeeding products that helped me nurse my babies for so long and will hopefully help you too!
This post is all about the best Breastfeeding Necessities for New Moms.
A Breast Pump
This should be obvious, even if you are exclusively breastfeeding, you should still invest a breast pump.
Your best bet is to get a double electric pump, it saves so much time and does the best job.
Below are some of the best breast pumps on the market in my opinion. Today, most insurance companies cover the cost of a breast pump.
If your insurance doesn’t cover it, it may cost you around $200 + but it is an investment well worth it.
Don’t like the breast pump bags above? Check out this post that shows you some awesome pump bags and everything you need to pack in your pump bag!
Boppy or Nursing Pillow
This makes nursing so much easier, especially when the baby is so small, he or she needs a little help being propped up comfortably.
It also keeps your hands free to do other things which really comes in handy if you have more than one child!
A regular pillow just isn’t as good as a boppy pillow!
I used the basic boppy pillow for years and it worked awesome but now they have an even better nursing pillow with more support. This especially comes in handy for those moms that had a c-section!
Nursing pillow with more support:
A Comfortable Chair
If the couch in your living room is your favorite spot, then you may not need this.
However, if you plan to nurse your baby up in their room most of the time or want a nice recliner in your family room, then one of these chairs would be perfect!
If you are recovering from a c-section, a reclining chair is a huge help for those mamas dealing with stomach pain and sitting up and down.
This one comes is so many nice colors and is perfect for any room!
Breastfeeding Basket or Nursing Cart
This is super helpful to have next to your favorite spot to nurse your newborn.
Having a breastfeeding basket or nursing cart close by will make it easy so you aren’t running all over the place to grab your breastfeeding essentials and have them all in one spot!
A rolling cart is the best one to have!
A Nursing Cover
Some moms don’t mind nursing in public without a cover, so for those moms, this isn’t necessary to have.
I loved having a cover because I felt more comfortable nursing my babies in public situations with them than without, depending on where I was.
I also felt like my babies fell asleep quicker once they were done nursing because it was dark and comfy using a cover.
This nursing cover is so awesome because it doubles as a car seat canopy and a scarf! This is so useful and really comes in handy!
Click on the photo below for more info!
Breastfeeding Nipple Cream
Your first few weeks of breastfeeding are the toughest and your nipples will go through hell and back so you will want a great nipple cream to use on them.
Try and find one that you won’t have to wash off before the baby eats. Earth Mama Angel Baby makes an awesome nipple butter!
Buy this before you have your baby so you can use it in the hospital!
Most hospitals will give you one made with lanolin and your baby could be allergic to this, so it’s better not to even gamble with it.
Another good nipple cream is made by Motherlove, this is also all-natural and safe to use. 👇
A Nursing Bra or Comfortable Sports Bra
This is another item you will want to purchase before you have the baby.
You will be breastfeeding that baby every 2 hours or less, so you will want to be comfortable, yet make sure you have easy access to get your baby to your breasts!
So, invest in a great nursing bra or sports bra!
This will also help support your breasts and good support will hopefully help keep them looking great during and after breastfeeding!
Gel Breast Therapy Packs
These things are seriously amazing and go hand in hand with your nipple cream so be sure to stock up on these and take them to the hospital with you!
Warning, some hospitals carry them and some do not.
I was given these with my first baby but by the time I had my second, the hospital no longer carried them so I knew to pack them when I had my third and fourth babies!
Place these in the freezer and when your milk comes in and your breasts are engorged and you need some fast relief!
These cooling gel pads feel like heaven and you won’t want to go without them!
Nipple Shield
You may read this and think only women with flat or inverted nipples need one of these, but this is not so.
If your baby is having a lot of trouble latching on in the beginning (which most babies do) and your nipples are sore, cracked, or even bleeding, a nipple shield is a godsend.
In my personal experience, one of my nipples were cracked and bleeding badly, but I didn’t want to stop nursing.
A nipple shield helped me continue to nurse while allowing my nipple to heal and it also helped teach my daughter how to latch properly.
However, this may not be needed for everyone and if you have access to a lactation consultant, ask their opinion first. For those of you that have had this kind of pain, a nipple shield will help you a great deal!
If there’s one piece of advice I could give for every nursing mom, it would be to buy this before you have that baby!
You can always return it later if you don’t need it, but it comes in handy SO much those first few weeks of nursing!
Especially when you are in so much pain and don’t have time to run out to the store to buy it!!
For more information about using a nipple shield and the pros and cons of using a nipple shield, read this!
You can read more about the best breastfeeding tip I ever got that helped me through my first two weeks of breastfeeding here!! 
Breastmilk Storage Bags
My freezer is stocked with these bags. They are wonderful, especially if you are working outside the home or have an abundance of breast milk.
Medela makes a great brand and so does Lansinoh that you can hook right onto your pump. The more milk you can store, the longer your baby can have the benefits of breast milk!
Hands-Free Pumping Bra
Pumping can be time-consuming and it was a pain in the butt to me. I hated that I had to sit there and wait and do nothing for 10/20 minutes until I discovered the hands-free pumping bra!
This is incredible! I can’t believe I never purchased this with my first child!
This allows you to do other things while you are stuck pumping and it makes the time go by much quicker!
If you are a mom that needs to pump often, I highly recommend one of these bras!! Trust me, you won’t want to pump without one!! This was the best money I ever spent!
Click below for more details!
Haakaa Milk-Saver and Manual Pump
The Haakaa wasn’t around when I had my other babies but it’s around now and it’s a huge milk saver for breastfeeding mamas! If you pump exclusively, then this may not be for you.
Mother’s that nurse their babies on one side, attach the Haakaa on the other breast and it easily pumps out any milk you are producing and collecting in its little pump.
This is a great invention and you won’t risk losing any extra milk! These are quiet and small so you can stash it in your bag and use it as often as you need!
Breastmilk Catcher
Breastmilk CatcherThese are great to wear throughout the day if your breasts leak a lot and don’t have time to pull out a Haakaa pump.
A breastmilk catcher or silicone shield can be worn discreetly and collect any milk you don’t want to waste!
They can also help protect sore and engorged nipples as well! Click the photo below for more info.
Lactation Supplements and Tea
After I had my first baby, it took a while for my milk to come in. I pumped like crazy and didn’t give up and when it finally came in, there wasn’t much there!
Once I had my second and third babies, my milk came in so much.faster and it wouldn’t stop!
Here are some supplements and teas that I used that can help you increase your milk supply! I wish I used these the first time around!
These supplements will dramatically help your supply and are safe to use!
Click the photos below for more information.
Breastfeeding Snacks
Make sure you have plenty of snacks in your nursing station to keep up with your baby’s energy and continue to stay healthy!
Continue to eat healthy snacks and drink as much water and fluids as you can is so important as a new mom!
Breastfeeding around the clock can suck the life out of you so be sure to stock up on these snacks!
Below are a bunch of great snacks to choose from: Lara bars, Lactation Bars, Lactation Cookies, and Oatmeal Cups.
Don’t forget your favorite drink and water bottles to keep near you at all times:
Co-Sleeper or Bassinet
This is so great for those night feedings and especially for the first couple of weeks when they are eating every few hours.
The baby is right next to you and it is so easy to check on them or feed them at night and easily slide them back into their bassinet.
It is safer for them to sleep in their own bassinet/cosleeper than in your bed (especially if you have a big husband like mine who takes up most of the bed!).
It is very similar to a crib so the transition wouldn’t be too difficult either. Personally, I think I had a harder time moving my daughters into their room more than they did!
There are two different kinds of co-sleepers below and they both double as a pack-n-play so you will definitely get your money’s worth and you can use them for a few years!
A regular bassinet will only be used the first few months so going with one of these co-sleepers is a much better option rather than a regular bassinet.
Other options are a Doc A Tot or a pillow sleeper. Click the photos below for more info.
Quick clean Micro Steam Bags
These bags are necessary for easy steam cleaning pump accessories, bottles, and my favorite…pacifiers since they are always dropping on the floor.
One bag can last you up to 20 uses! It’s totally worth the money and works within minutes! Steam cleaning kills 99.9% of bacteria and germs.
Bottles for Breastfeeding Babies
This one may be difficult since every baby is different and so is every breast. I have tried many different bottles on my children and the one bottle they seemed to all favor the most was the PPSU Anti Colic Breastfeeding Bottle.
Yes, this bottle looks like a breast but I think that’s why it seems to work so well! It’s a bit softer than other bottles too.
Another great bottle that is similar to the breast and moms rave about is the Nanobebe Bottle. These bottles are incredible and keep breastmilk nutrients safe, and warms up milk faster than other bottles.
Click here for more information!
I have also heard great things about the Phillips Avent bottle that has rave reviews!
Baby Carrier
All babies love to be close to their mamas! You will notice a breastfeeding baby craves the closeness of their mommy even more! I
t’s the sweetest thing ever!
My baby carriers were lifesavers for those moments by babies wanted to be held and I had a million things to do!
I honestly couldn’t go without a baby carrier especially once I had more than one baby.
Baby carriers are great because you can go about your day getting things done and your little one can sleep right there, nurse, or just cuddle with you the entire time.
My babies were so happy in their carriers!
I used an Ergo carrier and it was the best money I spent because I was able to use it with my toddler on my back as well up until the age of 4!
It’s great for outings and my husband even used it! I’ve tried a few different brands and Ergo was my favorite and didn’t hurt my back or neck.
Nursing Tops
Do yourself a favor and buy a bunch of these! You will wear them constantly and they are awesome to layer under clothes.
These are comfortable and give you easy access to your breasts so you can nurse your baby easily and quickly!
Phone app trackers
There are many breastfeeding apps on your phone that you can download for free and this will also help you a great deal. I have used a few different ones and they all helped me keep track of how long I nursed or which side I nursed last.
At first, I didn’t think I would need one but when you are nursing constantly, you tend to forget which side you did last or for how long! Here are a few of my favorites:
Baby Tracker-Newborn Log
Breastfeed Timer, breastfeeding app
It can be frustrating at first not knowing what nursing products you may need or not need when you embark on this journey of breastfeeding.
It’s a shame to waste money on things that you buy while pregnant that you never use.
Hopefully, this list of breastfeeding necessities will help a breastfeeding mom’s experience go a little bit easier. 😉
You may also like:
Having too many clogged milk ducts or nipple thrush? Click the links below for more help!
7 Effective Ways to Treat Nipple Thrush and Milk Blisters
How to Treat a Clogged Milk Duct Fast!
How to Lose the C-Section Belly Pooch!
Best Postpartum Belly Wraps to help shrink your belly fast!
This post was all about Breastfeeding Necessities.
Great post! It’s good to read honest posts about breastfeeding and any products that will make it easier. It can be tough but it’s definitely worth it.
Hi Jo!
Thank you so much for your comment! I couldn’t agree more, it can be tough but is so worth it! I nursed all 3 of my girls and I really wish someone gave me a list like this my first time around! Hopefully, I’ll be able to help other moms out a bit! 😊