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6 picks · The gear no one warns you about until 3am.
Nursing is free; the gear around it is not. The items here fall into three groups. First, things that make feeding physically sustainable (a firm nursing pillow; feeding takes 45 minutes eight times a day and your shoulders will otherwise carry all of it). Second, things that treat the first fortnight (nipple balm, pads, a good sleep bra). Third, things that let someone else do a feed (a pump, storage bags, a hands-free bra). Check your insurance or provincial coverage before buying a pump. Many plans pay for one outright, and the hospital-grade models are the ones worth having.
★ Top pickA firm pillow that holds the baby at feeding height.
Feeding takes 45 minutes and happens eight times a day. Without support, your arms carry the weight and your shoulders pay. The strapped, firmer designs beat the soft C-shaped ones for actual feeding.
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★ Top pickA hospital-grade double pump.
If you plan to nurse exclusively, a pump means someone else can do a feed. Check your insurance or provincial coverage first; many plans pay for one outright.
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✦ Worth the splurgeCordless cups that sit inside a bra.
Lets you pump while doing something else, which is the point if you are back at work. Budget brands do the same job as the flagship ones for a third of the price.
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Pre-sterilised freezer bags.
Freeze them flat so they stack like files. Do not try to reuse ordinary freezer bags for this.
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Sleep and pumping bras.
Get sleep bras for the fourth trimester and one hands-free pumping bra. Buy after your milk comes in if you can; sizing before is a guess.
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✧ UnderratedA suction cup that catches letdown on the other side.
Inexpensive and passive, it collects milk you would otherwise lose into a nursing pad. Many people build their whole freezer stash with it.
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Most people are glad of one even when nursing goes perfectly. A pump lets a partner take a night feed. It covers a return to work, and it is the tool for relieving engorgement in the early weeks. Check coverage first. Pumps are frequently paid for by insurance or a provincial plan.
They are less powerful than a hospital-grade double pump, so they suit maintaining supply rather than building it. Where they win is pumping while doing something else, which makes returning to work workable. Many people own both.
Broadly: about four hours at room temperature, four days in the fridge, and six months in a freezer (up to twelve in a deep freeze). Freeze flat in dated bags so they stack. Follow your own health authority’s figures; guidance varies slightly by country.
Lanolin or a plant-based balm after every feed, breathable pads changed often, and, most importantly, getting the latch checked. Persistent pain past the first two weeks usually means a latch problem, not something you have to endure; a lactation consultant is worth the appointment.