Smash Or Pass: Breastfeeding Product Edition

Image of blog author breastfeeding her son — Breastfeeding my son

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I’m a minimalistic mom in pretty much every way, and breastfeeding has been no different.

When I was pregnant, I watched SO many product recommendation videos. Not only was it overwhelming, but some of the things I purchased or was gifted turned out to be more of a hassle than a help, at least for me.

I know many moms like to have a lot of gadgets, but that just isn’t my style. I also didn’t have a huge budget for buying baby items, so I had to be strategic about what items I purchased.

Below, I’ve curated a list of breastfeeding must-haves, nice-to-haves, and skips for minimalistic moms or those on a budget.

Breastfeeding Must-Have’s

Lanolin

About 2 weeks into my breastfeeding journey, I began using the Medela pure lanolin and it was a lifesaver. If you only get one thing to assist in your breastfeeding journey, pure lanolin should be it!

I tried a different lanolin-free nipple cream that just did not cut it for me (though it was a great lip balm, which is why I’m sharing it). I ended up with a deep crack on one nipple that was incredibly painful and took nearly two months to heal fully. I truly think that if I had used lanolin from the start, the crack would not have gotten so deep.

My crunchiness has increased since my son was born, and I have since switched to an organic, less processed lanolin from ProSeed Holistic Wellness, and I love it. It comes in a glass jar rather than plastic and is made by a women-owned small business. I use it for my nipples (they only need it occasionally these days), as well as dry hands, cracked feet, chapped lips, and baby butt irritation. After 17 months of breastfeeding, this and nursing bras are the only products I still use.

Reusable Nursing Pads

reusable bamboo nursing pads — Reusable Bamboo Nursing Pads

Before your milk supply regulates, leaks are inevitable. I opted for reusable bamboo pads, and they worked great for me. They were absorbent, washed up well, and are still in great shape, so I can use them for my next baby.

Muslin Burp Cloths

In the first few months, when the baby spits up regularly, you’ll need LOTS of burp cloths. I really liked these muslin cloths because they weren’t too huge or too small. The Goldilocks of cloths, if you will. Also, muslin dries quickly, so I didn’t have to worry about them getting a funk from sitting wet too long between washes.

I purchased dozens of them so I wouldn’t have to do laundry every day and my house was literally littered with them. Every sitting surface and play area had a couple, and there were always a few by my bedside and in every purse and bag I used.

People are not joking when they say you should stock up on burp cloths!

Nourishing Food

Breastfeeding burns a ton of calories, so to support my body’s postpartum recovery and create nutritious milk for my son, I’ve prioritized eating nutrient-dense foods.

Everyone has their own idea of what healthy eating looks like and I’m only an expert on my own body, but for me, eating ample protein, lots of healthy fats, and minimizing carbs has helped me feel great. I’ve never struggled with my milk supply and I know my nutrition plays a huge part in this.

My favorite resource for pregnancy and postpartum nutrition is the book Real Food For Pregnancy by Lily Nichols. She’s an RD who does an incredible job of analyzing nutrition research and data and clearly explaining what foods do and do not support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period.

I read her book before getting pregnant and lived by it as best as I could during pregnancy. She also has a detailed chapter about postpartum nutrition and how to nourish your body to heal from birth and support a sufficient milk supply. I recommend her book to everyone I know who’s trying to conceive because it’s absolutely packed with actionable information.

Breastfeeding Products That Are Nice To Have

Nursing Bras

I purchased nursing bras and still use them a few days a week, but if they don’t fit into your budget, I think this is one thing you can skip.

Some brands, like Kindred Bravely, are well-loved by many mamas and offer occasional sales, but at nearly $50 each, they were just not in my budget.

I wear thin bralettes just as often as nursing bras and they work just fine for me. All I do is pull them down and, voila, my son can nurse.

These are the nursing bras I own, and they’ve held up great. I wore a 34DD pre-pregnancy and ordered size M in these, and I like the fit. I bought a few different styles and found the ones that are just nylon and spandex to be the most supportive and comfortable. The ribbed styles were irritating to my nipples and the styles with rayon in them were very comfortable, but they stretched out quickly and didn’t support me as well.

Breast Pump + Accessories

Breastfeeding has incredible benefits and I went into motherhood knowing that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, so I didn’t feel like it was worth it to invest in an electric pump.

The Medela manual pump worked great for me when I occasionally needed to pump. It was quick and easy to set up and was easy to clean.

Medela’s storage bags also worked really well and prevented freezer burn on my stored milk (that I ended up thawing and dumping after a year in the freezer because I never ended up using it.).

Hot & Cold Pads

Bamboobies soothing therapy pillows for nursing — Bamboobies Soothing Therapy Pillows for Nursing

These Bamboobies hot and cold pads are something I didn’t buy but wish I’d had on hand, especially for the early days when my breasts were extra tender and engorged. I’ve also had a minor clogged duct twice, and these would have felt amazing.

I’m 100% going to purchase these to try during my next pregnancy as I think they’re a luxury that’s probably worth having.

Breastfeeding Products I Didn’t Use

Breastfeeding Pillow

I know that nearly every internet mom will recommend a breastfeeding pillow, and typically, the consideration is about which brand is best. I respectfully feel that the real argument should be about whether you even need a nursing pillow at all.

I was gifted a Boppy because I was convinced that a nursing pillow would make my life easier. However, it just added an unnecessary level of complexity to my feeding routine.

Trying to get myself comfortable and setting up the pillow while holding a tiny baby was cumbersome. Most of the time, his nursing sessions weren’t so long that even needed much support at all. However, when I did want to rest my arm, the regular old arm of the chair was just fine. Occasionally, I’d put a couch throw pillow under me if my arm grew tired. I found it much easier and more comfortable than trying to wrap my entire torso in a bulky pillow.

Also, the Boppy is quite large, so storing it when I wasn’t using it was annoying because we didn’t have a ton of space. For me, the breastfeeding pillow is a skip. However, I know lots of moms love them.

Hakaa

The Hakaa is another really popular item among breastfeeding moms.

Before ever breastfeeding, my understanding was that when feeding on one side, milk would leak out from the other side. Rather than waste it, you could catch it in the Hakaa and add it to your freezer stash.

I can only speak for my own experience, but I did not have tons of leakage from my non-nursing side. I also had a really tough time getting the Hakka attached securely, even though I have a larger chest.

This was an item that, for me, was not useful.

Breastfeeding Clothes

Nursing-friendly t-shirts — Nursing-Friendly Shirts

I mentioned in the nursing bra section that my pre-pregnancy bralettes work just fine for me to nurse in. That really goes for all nursing clothes.

I know some women really like wearing clothes specifically designed for nursing, but buying a whole new wardrobe was just not in my budget and nursing-friendly pieces can be a bit pricey.

I never fed my son in public, mostly because I’m a homebody and just didn’t feel comfortable nursing around strangers. Perhaps if I had needed to nurse in the wild, I would have benefitted from some nursing-friendly clothes. However, pulling my shirt up or down while at home has worked just fine for me.

If you want to buy a nursing-friendly wardrobe, go for it. I love that for you! However, you should absolutely not feel like you need to buy new clothes to be able to breastfeed. Any shirt you already own is “nursing-friendly.”

I will say that tank tops are less bulky to nurse in than t-shirts, but I never purchased or felt like I needed the kind that unclip. Just pull your tank top down and boom, you can nurse.

Breastfeeding Cookies, Teas, etc.

Maybe it’s because I never struggled with supply, but to me, the whole industry around foods and teas that claim to boost milk production feels like it preys upon women’s fears.

My strategy for producing ample milk was simple:

Feed on-demand (which meant feeding A TON in the early months)
Don’t supplement with formula
Don’t pump with the intention of building a large freezer stash

My supply regulated quickly and I always had enough milk to satisfy my son.

Yes, there are definitely things that cause a woman’s supply to drop, but specialized packaged foods like these always seem to come with a super high price tag and don’t always live up to their hype.

As I mentioned above, I eat real, nutrient-dense foods that are high in protein and fat rather than ultra-processed, high-carb foods. That doesn’t mean I never eat carbs, but the majority of my plate is filled with protein and fat. My carbs typically come from fruit, potatoes, or high-quality desserts rather than bread, pasta, and packaged sweets.

I completely acknowledge that choosing real food over packaged food takes planning and prep, so I’ll share some food prep strategies that work great for me in a later post. However, it was important to me to prioritize my nutrition to support my own health and make the most nourishing milk possible for my son.

What were your breastfeeding smashes and passes? Let me know!