One of the best things a woman can do when pregnant and planning to breastfeed their baby is read breastfeeding books.

Many of these will teach correct technique and positioning, and if a mom can get those right from the get-go, she can avoid most of the challenges moms face while nursing.

Breastfeeding books also explain normal breastfed baby behavior. A woman who has never nursed a baby may not realize how often new babies need to nurse. She may mistakenly assume that breastfed babies act like the formula fed babies she’s observed (they probably won’t).

Another great thing about having breastfeeding books on the bookshelf: When mom does experience some challenge, getting answers is as easy as grabbing the book, turning to the index, and reading.

Some moms are shy about seeking help from a breastfeeding counselor, and may not have the money or adequate insurance to hire a Lactation Consultant. But they can often solve problems on their own with a little good information from an expert.

Here are some of the best breastfeeding books available.

• Amy Spangler’s Breastfeeding: A Parent’s Guide- Amy is a mother, author, nurse, board certified lactation consultant and the author of several very good books on breastfeeding including Breastfeeding, Keep it Simple, which is a personal favorite.I interviewed Amy Spangler a couple of years ago and you can read the transcript of that conversation here. Her expertise clearly shines through in her books and I highly recommend them for any breastfeeding mom who wants good information.
• La Leche League International’s Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. This one is considered the breastfeeding “Bible” by many. Seriously, reading it is like having tea with a very experienced older, wiser mom friend. Its tone is very warm, and it touches on many aspects of mothering, such as discipline and nutrition, not just breastfeeding.This is seriously a must have book for any breastfeeding mom. It is an invaluable source of advice for the first couple of years of baby’s life. One of my favorite things about the book are the many stories from different moms. Instead of having just one “voice”, one source of advice, you’re getting the collective wisdom of hundreds or thousands of moms in the book.You can read another review of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding here.

What was your favorite breastfeeding book? Do you give a new mom a breastfeeding book as a baby shower gift?

photo credit: Pictures from Heather
When registering for items on a baby shower registry, be sure to think about what items will support you as a breastfeeding mother. Some of these items may include a nursing stool, nursing pillow, nursing pads, nursing bras, nursing clothing, nursing cover up, nipple cream, a soft cloth baby sling and breastfeeding tea.

While none of these items are totally necessary for a breastfeeding experience, they can come in handy, especially if you have loved ones who wish to purchase something for you that you will enjoy. If you choose to express your breast milk, consider adding a breast pump to the registry as well as storage bags and bottles that are designed for the breastfed baby with a slower flow and wider nipple.

As the host of the baby shower there are several things you can do to improve the breastfeeding friendliness of the event. You can avoid images of bottles on the invitations and decorations and instead focus on images such as teddy bears, rattles, rubber duckies and other baby items. When creating the games, such as a word search, you can leave out words like bottle and formula and instead include nursing or breastfeeding. You can even play a game about breastfeeding myths and facts. It can also bring awareness to breastfeeding to others in the room.
It’s likely that there will be other mothers with young babies attending the party. It’s a great idea to set up a breastfeeding room or station for those who feel uncomfortable nursing or pumping in front of others. A guest bedroom with a rocking chair and stool are nice. You can also let guests know in the invitation that this will be available as well as let them know the guest of honor will be breastfeeding and if possible, to bring gifts that honor this decision. Most of all, just have fun!

Weleda Nursing Tea is a specialty tea for nursing mothers made with the finest ingredients. A nicely brewed cup of this tea should aid in your digestion and help soothe your baby’s tummy pains. The taste of the tea will be enjoyed by most, with its anise & fennel flavors.

I like that the ingredients are certified organic to give you and your baby only nature’s best ingredients. The ingredients include: fenugreek, anise, fennel, caraway and lemon verbena. Fenugreek helps to increase the milk supply. Anise seeds, fennel seeds and caraway give you and your baby good digestive functions. Lemon verbena is a popular ingredient in herbal teas to help your digestive system but it also helps you to de-stress. Together they make a fantastic blend to support your breastfeeding and give you relief with any digestion problems.

A note of caution: if you think you might be allergic to any of the above mentioned ingredients or are pregnant, it is always advisable to talk to your physician beforehand.

Overall, if you like herbal teas with a distinctive anise/fennel flavour, this tea is certainly worth its money. It tastes great and helps you and your baby feel good.

Weleda Nursing Tea is available on Amazon.com and in large natural health grocery stores.

Nursing a baby is a very rewarding and wonderful experience. Breastfeeding gives the baby the best start in life, but it also gives the baby and mother time to relax together and create a strong bond. If you are or have been a nursing mother, you also might have experienced certain breastfeeding issues, such as extremely tender and sore cracked nipples. This can be a very painful condition and can stop mothers from continuing to breastfeed their baby and instead rely on formula.

In my opinion, Heal Sore Nipples is a high quality product that is effective in healing painful nipples. It can be used safely by nursing mothers for a prolonged period of time. It is blend of essential and natural oils without any pesticides or other chemical fertilizers. You can also use it before symptoms appear as a precautionary measure to make nursing an enjoyable experience for both mother and baby.

Overall, I think this is a must-have nipple care product for nursing mothers.

Another benefit is that you have nothing to lose when buying the product as it comes with a 60 day unconditional money back guarantee.

Go here to check it out: Is Breastfeeding Difficult?

Before you go, see these related articles on this site:

Is breastfeeding hard?

Why breastfeeding is hard

Review: Traditional Medicinal’s Organic Mother’s Milk

I received a box of Traditional Medicinal’s Organic Mother’s Milk when I first started to breastfeed and found that I truly enjoyed it right from the start. I prefer this over Yogi’s Nursing Mother’s tea as this one tastes lighter and smoother. Mother’s Milk is a caffeine-free, all organic blend of herbs and spices designed to promote lactation in breastfeeding mothers.

Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk, 16-Count Boxes

Anise is a spice that I have never enjoyed. The fact that Mother’s Milk seems to use less of it than Yogi’s nursing tea is a plus for me. What I taste when I drink Mother’s Milk is a sort of sweet, yet a little spicy blend of herbs. It tastes best with a touch of honey. It also contains the herbs of fennel, fenugreek seed and coriander, which are a nice combination for a healthy milk supply. The blend of spices smells delicious too.

The way I prefer to drink this tea is cold. I brew a pot of this overnight, chill and drink cold throughout the day. Since there is a tiny hint of spearmint in it, it can be refreshing. This way I am getting in several cups on a daily basis. During the winter months, a warm cup can be soothing for the body.

My milk production has been steady and plentiful throughout the years, perhaps due to drinking this tea. This is also one of my favorite gifts to give a pregnant mother who has planned to breastfeed or still deciding to do so. Having a low milk supply is worrisome for many women and having this tea helps reduce that worry. A box of 16 bags costs around $5.

See also: Yogi Women’s Nursing Support Tea review

My Brest Friend

Reviewed by Esperanza

My Brest Friend is a breastfeeding support pillow that is wrapped around the mom’s waist while she nurses her baby. Additionally, it can also be used for another parent or family member to wear as they bottle feed the baby. The pillow helps support the baby against your body, at the right angle to your breast for both the football hold and the cradle hold.

It is not the same as the Boppy which is a rounder, U-shaped pillow that fits around the front of the waist. My Brest Friend does wrap around your waist, but it is flat on the top and bottom so that the baby is more stabilized and will not roll. It clips towards the back and is adjustable so the pillow will not fall off or move if you move. It also has an elbow wrist for you as the mother and a flat pillow in the back to support your back.

What drew me into the My Brest Friend pillow rather than the Boppy pillow is that it stays securely on you and has small pockets on the side for things like lanolin cream or breast pads when you need to grab one really quick. I ended up giving this away as my child grew older and would no longer fit between the pillow and my breast. I believe that My Brest Friend is not intended for larger breasted women as there is less room for baby.

My Brest Friend Nursing Support Pillow

My Brest Friend comes in a variety of colors and designs and retails for $40 in stores and online. Slipcovers are also available in many designs for $20 a piece.

photo credit: moppet65535

Nursing Bras - During breastfeeding, the breasts need comfort and support that is provided by a bra. Usually normal bras cannot meet the comfort needs of a breastfeeding mother, while they are sometimes difficult to handle, they can also interfere with nursing a child and put strain on the breasts. Nursing bras, made from special and comfortable fabric can provide support and convenience during breastfeeding. They are stretchable to accommodate the changing cup size of the breast; they are comfortable and can prevent plugged milk ducts. It is preferable to buy a soft cup bra and to avoid under wired bras since they can put a strain on the breasts thereby, decreasing milk production. A nursing bra should open at both cups and should be handled with one hand; a good brand of nursing bras in Bravado Nursing Bra.

Breast Pumps ? A breast pump is one of the essential items for both working and non-working mothers since by the time the baby has established feeding from the breast, milk can be pumped, stored and fed to the baby using milk bottles. Breast pumps are used for this purpose; once again a variety of pumps are available and they can be bought depending upon frequency of use, efficiency and type. If the use of pumps is only occasional, a manual pump can be used but for mothers returning to work, a good quality single or double breast electric pump would be easier. Popular breast pumps are Medela style and pump style advanced, made by Medela.

Baby Slings - It is usually difficult to attend to an infant, get house work done and look after other children all at the same time. A baby sling can help make things easier and is also one of the most convenient items in taking care of a baby. It allows the mother to hold the infant for as long as both like, it reduces the crying of the baby by meeting its demand of being held and the mother can attend to other tasks at the same time. It can also help with the baby?s brain development since it can observe its surrounding with more ease and its senses are stimulated. Mothers can even breastfeed their baby discreetly in a baby sling. MayaWrap and Hug of Joy are two popular brands that make good quality baby slings.

Breastfeeding Pillows - These pillows can make breastfeeding not only highly comfortable for the mother and baby but they make breastfeeding effective and enjoyable as well. These pillows offer proper breastfeeding position for the baby, bringing it in direct contact with the nipple. The mother therefore, does not have to spend time discovering a comfortable breastfeeding position for the baby. The mother gets a comfortable breastfeeding position as well by putting less strain on her back, and she will not need to tire herself by holding the baby in her arms and she can nurse for as long as she wants or is needed.

Nursing Pads - They can be used when breasts start leaking automatically as a response to the baby?s need or time to be fed. Washable or disposable nursing pads can be placed in the bra to avoid making the leakage prominent. There are different types of pads catering to the varying needs of lactating women and a type most suitable to a particular leaking pattern should be bought. Two popular brands brands making different types of nursing pads are Avent and Medela.

Nursing Tops - These tops are convenient for mothers especially if they want to nurse their child in public without drawing a lot of attention. They are fashionable; there is no need of exposing the belly or even the whole breast to nurse effectively using nursing tops. Apart from various other nursing top manufacturing brands, Bumblebee contains a wide range of tops.

Many other items like breastfeeding ponchos, breast shields, boppy pillows, nursing stools are also popular items among breastfeeding mothers. They can even be given as popular baby shower gifts.

Udder Covers (Nursing Cover-up)

Submitted by Esper

I’ve never been the type of breastfeeding mother to cover up while nursing, but since Udder Covers was having a promotion at a great price awhile back, I couldn’t pass it up. Udder Covers is a nursing cover that goes over baby as he nurses. It has a strap that loops around your neck and is adjustable. It comes in a variety of beautiful designs and colors. The promotion at the time was for either blue or pink, so I chose a simple baby blue cover.

The cover is made up of a lightweight and breathable cotton material. It is large enough to cover baby as he eats, but still not large enough to cover a moving toddler, such as my own. What I like about it is that it is not hot at all and still gives me the option of covering up, if I really needed to. However, I find it can actually attract more attention to use it as I have a moving toddler underneath, so this would work better for someone with an infant instead.

My favorite part is the boning in the neck area that allows you to see baby as you nurse. In the beginning, when I would occasionally use a blanket to cover up, it was both hot and covered baby’s face. I didn’t like that I couldn’t see him. The boning on my Udder Covers nursing cover is shaped in a V shape and stays open to view baby as he nurses. My son calls it his tent and actually enjoys nursing under it.

I would recommend this for new mothers who want a little discreetness as they nurse, but want to remain cool while doing so and have the option of still seeing their baby underneath. I also recommend looking on their homepage to find out about any promotional codes to save you some money on your purchase.

Go to Udder Cover’s website to see fabric options!

During pregnancy I was given Lansinoh lanolin for my breasts. I thought this would come in handy as I would be breastfeeding my child and had heard horror stories of painful nursing. Luckily, I never had to rely on my Lansinoh very often. However, there were times when my nipples would become severely cracked and nursing was extremely painful. This is when the lanolin became a lifesaver. I would apply this in a thick layer over the affected area, then cover with a nursing pad.

Lansinoh Lanolin

What I noticed is that the Lansinoh brand lanolin would soften the area so that it could start to heal and stop bleeding. When my baby went back to nurse on the affected breast, it wouldn’t be as painful as if it were just dry. Lanolin is safe for babies to taste, as long as it is just a thin layer on top of your areola and nipple. It doesn’t really have a taste and it is 100% natural. It doesn’t have a scent, which surprised me for some reason. It is very thick and sticky, which I suppose is extra moisturizing for the cracked skin underneath. I noticed that the cracked area would heal in a matter of days, with the assistance of Lansinoh.

Be aware that if you are strictly vegan and wish for your child to grow up the same, then lanolin is not right for you. It is extracted from sheep’s wool. However, if you don’t mind using it, I would recommend the Lansinoh brand as they claim it is the purest form of lanolin available on the market. As a natural mom myself, I prefer to have purer forms of natural baby products. I occasionally still use this as I am an extended-breastfeeding mom and found a little really goes a long way!

Lansinoh Lanolin is available on Amazon.