Breastfeeding is natural, but hard sometimes. Here are some resources and notes from my 12+ years of experience.

Special Notes

Please note, I know that not all moms are able to breastfeed, this post is in no way shaming them!

Moms want what is best for their kids, sometimes due to health issues, that is not mother’s milk.

This post is just to help breastfeeding moms along in their journey.

About My Breastfeeding Journey

While natural, breastfeeding is not always easy. Issues like oral ties, mastitis, thrush, food sensitivities, and lack of sleep can all impact the breastfeeding journey.

I have been breastfeeding for over 12 years straight now.

Our oldest four have nursed until age 5, and at one point in my fourth pregnancy I was nursing the older three.

Breast milk never loses its benefits for your child. In fact, it is a great immunity boost.

I have nursed through mastitis four five times and thrush three four times. Not fun times, but we made it through. The mental game is a huge factor. If you set your mind to something despite hardships, you are more likely to be successful. You can read about how I deal with mastitis naturally here. I am working on a post on how I handle thrush naturally.

Our three youngest have needed oral ties released (and honestly our older three have ties too, but I was not informed on them). One a babe with a fairly severe oral tie issue (again, more to come on that topic) that nearly had him labeled as failure to thrive. I hope to share more about this issue that can impact

I have never had trouble with dry, cracked nipples, so I do not have much experience with those or products to help, however, Earthley Wellness has a Breast Balm that I have heard amazing things about.

There are a lot of products for breastfeeding out there, here are my favorites.

The Truth

Honestly, for breastfeeding you really just need some knowledge and adequate nutrition/hydration. The rest is completely optional, but extremely helpful. 

My Brest Friend Breastfeeding Pillow

Arm and back saver for real. Makes feeding a newborn so much easier. I got a BrestFriend Pillow off of ebay I think with my first and it’s been one of my favorite things when I have a newborn.

A Good Water Bottle

Hydration is key while breastfeeding, a good water bottle is your friend while nursing! It is recommended that women drink 8 ounces of water for every nursing session (on top of normal water consumption).

We’re had glass CamelBaks and loved them, they are a bit smaller, and while they are pretty tough, we have had a few break on us. I’ve swapped the plastic straw for a glass one from Strawsome.

Camelbak has come out with a 40oz stainless steel water bottle that is now on my wishlist. I love the soft mouthpiece, but until recently they have only gone to 32 oz, so I am excited to find this one!

Our family has several Thermoflask bottles that we use for daily use as well as outings. I love the 40oz size, though the mouthpiece is hard and I definitely prefer a soft mouthpiece. The xlong GoSili Straws fit well to replace the plastic one that it comes with.

Breastfeeding Hydration

Hydration is important for nursing mothers.

Water is definitely important, but sometimes you just want something different, or maybe you want some herbs that can help boost supply. Here are some of my favorite teas.

• Earthley Bloom Joy Tea
• Earthley Berry Balancing Tea
• Earthley Spice Tea
• Earthley Relax and Unwind Tea
• Pink Stork Postpartum Uplift Mood Support Tea: Hormone Balance for Women After Pregnancy, Chamomile Tea with Red Raspberry Leaf for Postpartum Recovery – Caffeine-Free
• Pink Stork Postpartum Recovery Herbal Tea, Organic Red Raspberry Leaf with Chamomile, Hormone Balance for Women After Labor and Delivery, Strawberry Passion
• Oat Mama Spiced Pear Postpartum Healing Tea: Turmeric 
• Oat Mama Lactation Tea: Chai Spice, Breastfeeding Support 
• Secrets Of Tea Relaxing Mama Tea

For more ideas on staying hydrated, you can check out my post, Ideas to Stay Hydrated Naturally.

Milk Savers, Haaka ‘Pumps’, & Breastmilk Storage

Lady Bug Milk Savers

I wish I had known about this product with our first baby! When B would start nursing, no nursing pad would handle the let down on the other side. I ended up awkwardly holding a bottle under the side B wasn’t on at the time, and often got several ounces.

With our second, L, I had B to nurse on the other side, so I only used a milk catcher (the Milkies Milk Saver-great but only holds a little milk, so I had to empty it midfeed sometimes) them a few times, but it was great.

The Haakaa

This style catcher and ‘pump’ is newer, I used them with our 4th, 5th, and 6th. I have used the legit Haakaa brand and generics, and I do prefer the Haakaa because it is a bit sturdier and the suction is better.

Storage

There are also more choices for reusable breast milk storage containers now.

These glass jars from Mason Bottles are a great option because you can put the lid and nipple right on. v

Silicone bags from ZiptTop are awesome.

I recently learned that you can freeze dry breastmilk to rehydrate for future use. This is a great option for someone with an abundant supply.

Nursing Pads

I liked these Lily Pads reusable nursing pads much more than the other nursing pads out there. While they did not handle a heavy letdown well (when I would start nursing I would switch to the Haakaa style pump or milk saver), there was no pad line to show, and they are reusable.

There are cloth reusable nursing pads if you prefer though!

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is my go-to source for info and troubleshooting with breastfeeding. Great wealth of information that, unfortunately, you are not likely to find elsewhere-at least not in main stream medicine, or mom circles. Knowledge is power, and this is a great source.

Easy Access Nursing Clothes

For the most part I use a nursing tank and a large shirt over it to pull up and then pull the tank top down after unsnapping it (the two-shirt method), however, easy access nursing shirts are some of my favorites that make nursing discreetly much easier. I only have a few nursing dresses, but I love them.

Breastfeeding Nutrition

Nutrition is very important for nursing women. Here are a few of my favorite resources on the topic:

A Mother’s Guide To Breastfeeding Nutrition from Earthley Wellness is a wealth of information on the key nutrients breastfeeding moms need.

They also have a great Postpartum, Recovery Guide.  Mamas need a ton of support to truly get the rest and recuperation needed to maintain their physical, emotional, and mental health. This guide will help you prepare yourself and know how to ask loved ones for help. Whether it’s your first or fifth baby on the way, learn how to avoid the pitfalls that can happen during the postpartum period by allowing yourself to truly recover as we explore important topics for new mamas.

These are some of my favorite cookbooks for postpartum and beyond.

• The First Forty Days
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition …
• The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care
• Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World
• Nourished Living Cookbook

When looking for a vitamin supplement, be sure that you are getting a real-food source of the vitamins.

I use MegaFoods Postnatal when I am not pregnant, and their Prenatal when I am pregant.

In addition to these, I have also been using Cod Liver Oil, Oyster Min, and Vitamin D Cream.

Mastitis Preparation

Mastitis can be dealt with naturally, but you must be prepared for it. You can read more about how I’ve dealt with mastitis naturally here.

Do you have a favorite breastfeeding product that I missed? Have you tried any of these, if so, what did you think?