Buying guide
What you need for breastfeeding
Nursing bras, breast pads, a cream and a comfortable spot. What to buy beforehand, what to wait on, and how to pick a bra when you do not yet know your size.
In short
- Breastfeeding needs few things – two or three nursing bras, breast pads, a cream and water within reach.
- Bras are bought in the last month of pregnancy, one cup size up, without underwires.
- A nursing pillow is useful for many, but a rolled-up towel or an ordinary pillow does the same at first.
- The most important “accessory” is the phone number of a lactation consultant.
A lot is sold for breastfeeding, and much of it does not help. The things that really matter are few and cheap. The rest depends on how breastfeeding goes for you and your baby, and you find that out after the birth.
This guide is about objects. For breastfeeding technique, latch, rhythm and difficulties, the best help is a lactation consultant, a midwife or a doctor.
What you need
| What | How many | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing bras | 2–3 | No underwires, easy one-handed opening |
| Breast pads | one pack | Disposable or washable |
| Nipple cream | 1 | Lanolin-based, or whatever your doctor recommends |
| Muslin squares | 8–10 | For spit-up, shoulder and everything else |
| A large bottle of water | 1 | Next to where you breastfeed |
| Clothes that open at the front | a few | Shirts, button-up pyjamas, loose tops |
All of them are also in the newborn checklist, in the chapter on feeding.
The nursing bra
- When: around week 36, not earlier. Your bust still changes.
- Size: one cup size up from what you wear then. In the first days after the birth, your breasts grow again, then settle.
- No underwires. They can press on the milk ducts.
- One-handed opening. The other hand holds the baby.
- Cotton or another breathable material, without thick seams on the nipple.
- A night one, softer, keeps the pads in place.
After the first weeks, when breastfeeding has settled, you can buy others in your new size.
Pads and cream
Pads absorb the milk that leaks between feeds, especially in the first weeks. Disposable ones are convenient; washable ones are cheaper in the long run. Change them often: a wet pad keeps the skin damp.
Nipple cream helps with dry or irritated skin. If your nipples are cracked or it hurts at every feed, the problem is usually the latch, not the skin. Ask for help from the first days.
What can wait
- The breast pump. Only if the need arises; it can be sorted in a day. See bottles, breast pump and sterilizer.
- The nursing pillow. Useful for many, especially after a caesarean, but ordinary pillows or a rolled-up towel do just as well at first. It is never a sleeping place for the baby.
- The special armchair. Any armchair or corner of the sofa where you sit upright, with your back supported, is enough.
- “Lactation” teas and supplements. Ask your doctor first.
- Nursing covers. A muslin square over your shoulder does the same, if you want privacy.
Where you breastfeed
In the first weeks you breastfeed eight to twelve times a day, so where you sit matters:
- a chair or a corner of the sofa with a straight back;
- a pillow behind your back and one under your arm;
- a footstool or a box under your feet;
- within reach: water, a snack, your phone, a muslin square.
At night, a dim lamp and the same things next to the bed. More in the first weeks at home.
Our recommendation
Around week 36: two or three nursing bras without underwires, a pack of breast pads, a cream and a few muslin squares. Plus the number of a lactation consultant, saved in your phone before you need it. The rest you buy once you see how it goes.
Frequently asked questions
When do I buy nursing bras?
In the last weeks of pregnancy, around week 36, when your bust is close to the size it will be in the first days of breastfeeding. Get two or three, one cup size up from what you wear then, without underwires. Once breastfeeding settles, you can buy others in your new size.
Do I need a nursing pillow?
Not necessarily. It helps you hold the baby at breast height without leaning over, which matters especially after a caesarean. At first, ordinary pillows or a rolled-up towel do the same. A nursing pillow is never used as a sleeping place for the baby.
Where do I find help if breastfeeding hurts or is not working?
From lactation consultants (IBCLC), your midwife or community nurse, your medic de familie (family doctor) and mum support groups. Persistent pain is not normal and is worth checking from the first days.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.