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If you are a mama who is planning to breast feed your new baby or even considering it, it’s important to have an area set up where you can comfortably go to nurse. I love having a quiet place I can take baby and have all the things I need right there.

In this post I will talk about my top 5 things I love having in my nursery as a breastfeeding mom!

Comfortable chair and pillow

Having a rocking chair or nursery glider in your baby’s room is a must. Not only will you be spending many hours there rocking your new baby and getting them to sleep- it’s also a great place to nurse! Breastfed babies tend to cluster feed meaning they want to nurse often during certain periods of time. It is important for mom to have a comfortable place to sit if you will be spending a lot of time there. I have a cushioned rocker with a foot stool. There are also gliders , swivel chairs, recliners, they even make a portable rocking chair now that is basically just an insert to put on a regular chair. There is something for everyone on the market!

I have mentioned this before- but a boppy pillow (or other breastfeeding pillow) is a lifesaver. It is shaped like a half circle and you wrap it around you, placing baby on top. It saves your arms and helps keep your baby in the right feeding position. I will post a photo link below- seriously can’t nurse without mine!

Snacks and Water

It is so so important for a breastfeeding mom to stay hydrated to keep up her supply! Every person is different so we might all not need the same amount of fluids each day but breast milk is made up of about 90% water which is why it is so important to not become dehydrated while nursing. Dehydration may = supply issues and no nursing mom has time for that. I like to keep a couple water bottles beside my nursing chair so I don’t have to get up when I forget to bring my big cup. (Which I will because mom brain)

You also get super hungry when you’re breastfeeding. It is estimated nursing moms could need about 500 extra calories A DAY to help with supply and to just not be hungry. I remember feeling famished all the time when I first became a new mom and needed multiple snacks a day. I have stocked a basket with granola bars, and peanut butter crackers because a mama has to eat whenever she can! Might as well be when your baby eats too (Also- when you snack while nursing you will spill crumbs on your new baby, its inevidible. No you’re not a bad mom!)

There are also a lot of foods out there proven to help increase milk supply. Find some non-perashible options and keep them in your stash!

Ear Pods

I have found when sitting down to nurse for what could be an hour or more depending on what is going on with your baby at the time- I was scrolling my phone a lot. It gave me mom guilt because I felt like I wasn’t enjoying every waking minute with my new baby which is ridiculous for many reasons. But- I did want to do something a little more productive with my time if I was there forever and new moms- like everyone else deserve some time for themselves too.

I found listening to a podcast or an audio book was a better use of my time. It also would help me stay awake if it was in the middle of the night (shew those feedings can be tough) and my baby was not distracted by it. By the time Rhett was about 6 months old on he would get distracted during feedings. If I was on my phone he would want to be looking at it instead of getting done what we were there to do- eat.

So this is definitely something to try if you, like me, don’t want to scroll on your phone every time!

Haakaa

Ok, this is probably one of my favorite products ever. I discovered this while I was WAY into my breastfeeding journey with Rhett and I really wish someone had told me about this sooner!

The hakka is a silicone manual breast pump that you suction to one breast while your baby feeds on the other side. It collects milk from your let down so that milk is not wasted (because breast milk is comparable to gold- no argument!) The secret is you fold down the sides, secure it to your breast and the natural suction pulls milk into the base of it.

It helps you collect way more milk this way if you are trying to build a freezer stash. I have one and just bought another so I can make sure I have one for every nursing session. They hold 4 oz each, if you can freeze that every time your baby eats you will be well on your way to a full freezer!

Special box for Older Siblings

I actually got this idea from a patient of mine and it is something I had never thought about. I have been collecting little toys, art supplies, play-doh, blocks, just random things my son likes and putting them in a box I will keep where I nurse the baby. The rule is- he can only play with these things while I’m nursing.

One thing I was really worried about was Rhett feeling left out- or that he is not getting attention while the new baby needs so much from us. I think this will be a great way to make him feel special and included at least while I nurse his new sibling.

Nursing a new baby is really a job. Breast feeing is HARD WORK but so worth it if it works for you and your family. I hope this list gave you some ideas on making it a little bit easier for you! I’d love to hear about other ideas and products to help us nursing moms!