Feeding Your Baby: One Moms Best Tips & Tools

Are you planning to breastfeed? As an expecting mom, it’s my opinion we should be able to charge a fee for every time someone asks that question and I’m almost positive you would be more than able to pay for diapers the entire first year.

As someone who has breastfed, pumped and bottle-fed, formula-fed, and supplemented nursing with formula I’d like to think I am well versed in the subject of FED IS BEST. That’s right I’m here to tell you that when it comes to feeding your baby you need to take into mind more than just what is best for the baby but what is also best for you mentally and physically as a mother. There is so much on your plate to plan and prepare for and stressing about feeding your baby shouldn’t be one of them.

And to help alleviate that unneeded stress I’m going to give you my best advice and favorite items to make the whole process easier. I won’t say easy because I’ll be the first to tell you breastfeeding is HARD and takes a lot of work but is also worth it if that is the path you choose.

feeding your babyFirst things first think about what YOU would like to do when it comes to feeding your baby.  Research and read about the benefits of breastfeeding, sign up for those free classes for new parents, and take some time to think about if you’ll be home with baby, working, etc. and use what you learned from research and classes to make an informed decision.  I’m assuming like most things in life this may change and in-fact I can almost guarantee once baby arrives something will throw a wrench in your plans – don’t be discouraged! There are a TON of resources such as lactation consultants, your OB/GYN or Midwife, as well as friends, family, and always us at Mid-Michigan Moms!

Secondly, PREPARE ahead of time. Much like training for a marathon feeding your baby is much easier when you have the tools you need.  Here are my go-to, must-have essentials for all three types of FEEDING your baby!

BREASTFEEDING or as I like to call it “Straight From the Tap”:

  • Nursing Pads – FYI your boobs will leak I preferred disposable my sister preferred washable, again personal preference}
  • Nipple Balm or Lanolyn – Trust me on this one. And use before it gets too bad.
  • Haakaa – This will be a life-changer guaranteed. I didn’t know about it until my second and it makes me want to cry thinking about how much milk I lost with my first.  You basically suction it to the boob opposite of the one your baby is nursing on and it catches the letdown and leaks. During one feeding I would catch anywhere from 2-4 oz of milk to add to my freezer stash just by nursing my baby on the opposite. AH-MAZING!
  • Milk Storage Bags – To keep all that extra milk from your Haakaa (and your pump if you’re going to do both}
  • A Nursing Pillow – This will help you give the baby a place to rest while feeding and a break for your tired arms.  I personally have never been a fan of the boppy and it never like wrapped around me and well yeah, I LOVED my bbhugme as I could mold it how I wanted it, wrap and tie it around me, use it as an aid for others to hold baby, and BONUS as a pillow during pregnancy. It’s expensive but a great investment and will last as a great hand me down for friends or family also expecting.
  • Nursing Bra + Clothing – I was always like what a waste of money to buy extra clothes well after the 10th time you have to take your shirt completely off to feed the baby or jam your bra up in your armpit you’ll change your mind. I love these bras from Amazon!
  • A Nightlight – Nothing is worst than having to go from pitch black to the surface of the sun to find something you need to nurse. My sister pointed me in the direction of this cordless nightlight and I’m obsessed. Controlled w the tap of your hand it has several brightness features, easily dimmed, and a timer. I now use it for my bigs to go to bed as well!
  • A Nursing Station – You will already have these items in your house but put them where you can easily reach them since you will be spending a LOT of time with baby here – a comfy chair, a big glass of water, a book or TV remote to pass the time, a footrest is also helpful with the chair all in a place that is soothing for you and baby.

feeding your babyPumping {be that exclusive or in combo with straight from the tap}:

  • A Pump – I know you’re thinking DUH, but do your research on this. I prefer a Medela Sonata because I work out of the home and need something that doesn’t need to be plugged in can double pump and is quiet. My sister, on the other hand, loves her Spectra and again it’s what works best for you. Your provider can and should write you a prescription for a pump, you then can check to see what it covers, and if you’d like one of those pumps or like I did use the script and pay the difference to get what I thought would make my life easiest. Don’t forget extra parts and breast shields so you aren’t washing constantly!
  • Milk Storage Bags – To store all that precious liquid gold. And if you want something really awesome check out these ZipTop Reusable Milk Storage Bags! For a while I swear it was a cycle of pour pumped milk into bag, heat bag toss plastic bag into the trash – these bags let you fill can warm or pour into a bottle from it pop in the dishwasher and use OVER AND OVER again PLUS best of all they will never ever leak!
  • A Pumping BraMark this under things I should have known with baby #1. I had one just never used it HOW NOT SMART OF ME. Get this baby out practice putting it on and when you pump wear it so you have access to your hands. Also, this is another item you should get multiple of so when you’re washing one you have the other.
  • A Pumping Bag – This was/is key to my success. I kept the pump, a set of all the pieces extra storage bags, a permanent marker to label bags, a small cooler to store milk discretely in the work fridge, the charger, and chapstick in my bag. Each night after work I would empty the bag put pumped milk in my fridge and repack for the morning with clean pieces. DO THIS, trust me. Nothing is worse than getting to work realizing your missing pieces, parts, etc. and having to leave to get them, or maybe the alternative is to suffer from giant milk-filled boobs?! Get a bag!
  • Milk/Bottle Warmer: If you are freezing or storing in the fridge you will need something to help thaw and warm milk. That is unless you have a unicorn baby that drinks it cold {who are these kids?!}. My go-to is the Kiinde. Fits my bottles, the bags, and well I just love it. Do your research on this one also! OH, and how can I forget if you are a mom that is on the go and have a picky baby who only likes warm bottles {lucky me!} check out this AWESOME battery-powered portable milk warmer that works for both breastmilk and formula. It’s been lifechanging and I wish I had it for my first two babies no more waiting for a glass of warm water to do that job with a screaming kid on the side.
  • Bottles! – How else is that pumped milk going to make it to the baby? I prefer and am mildly obsessed with Comotomo but again all personal preference. Do your research as your friends. Tip – don’t buy/clean a ton of bottles until you know one works for your baby. Having a cupboard full of bottles a baby hates is not good for you or your wallet.

Formula Feeding {suplementing or solo}:

  • Bottles: See my tips directly above! Sanitize one or two to see how a baby takes it before busting out all the boxes.
  • Formula: My best advice is to ask your child’s pediatrician for their recommendation{s}.  Then do your own research to see if it meets your standards such as organic, non-GMO, etc. Again like bottles before you go buying 5 cartons because they’re on sale see if it’s something baby will take. And just know that it might take multiple tries to find one baby really likes ESPECIALLY if you are supplementing or making the change from the breast.  
  • Water: You should ensure the baby has pure, clean water to mix formula with. You can buy home water testing kits or use purchased sterilized water from the store. Again you can speak to your pediatrician about this.

baby bottle fedWith all three options for feeding your baby, I can’t tell you enough that the key to success with feeding any baby is to not get discouraged. With my first, I cried the entire first-month breastfeeding because I was so worked up and it was so darn hard. Now that I’m almost six months into exclusively nursing number three I look back and think I was a little PPD mixed with doing something completely new how thankful I am that I didn’t give up and got support when I needed it.

Being a new mom is hard enough in itself don’t make it harder than it has to be!

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Hi! I'm Stephanie co-found and co-owner of Mid-Michigan Moms. I'm a working mom of three wild babes and one naughty dog. I love everything about living in Michigan - that means lakes in the summer and snow in the winter. When I'm not spending time outdoors with my family (or working) I enjoy hosting, Michigan State football + basketball, true crime TV + pop culture documentaries, trips to Target, shopping the N Sale, and filling up my calendar with adventures! I honored to be a part of this amazing community here at Mid-Michigan Moms, and am so excited to share and learn along with you in this journey called motherhood!