Nursing and Formula Gear Deep Dive

Nursing cover
Recommended: Milk Snob Original 5-in-1 Cover, Tisu Organic Muslin Cotton Nursing Cover* (2-3 covers)
The Milk Snob-style covers are extremely popular due to their versatility. I almost always used one as a cover over Miss F’s carseat when we were away from home (not in the car, though!), and once we got the hang of nursing, they were very helpful as covers in public (although nursing without a cover is great too—I just wasn’t quite comfortable with it). I did have an off-brand of the same style, and it was much less breathable than my actual Milk Snob, so I mostly stuck with the brand name. My one complaint about it is that it can be a little inconvenient when you are first getting the hang of breastfeeding. You’ll likely be holding your little one, holding your breast, and also trying to look down into the cover to make sure everything is lined up right, and you just don’t have enough hands to do all three. That’s where a cover like the Tisu with arched support at the top would come in really handy. I never had a cover like this, but will definitely invest in some for future babies. The Tisu is also a nice option because it’s made from 100% cotton and is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified (want to learn more about safety certifications? Check out my guest blog post).

Nursing pillow
Recommended: My Breast Friend with Organic Cotton Cover
The Boppy is a very popular nursing pillow option, and while certain versions are made with less-toxic materials, it did not work well for Miss F and me. She constantly would slide between me and the pillow, pushing the pillow away from my body. I borrowed a friend’s My Breast Friend pillow and within days was hooked and ordering my own. Not only does its design provide back support, but it also clips snuggly around the mother so the pillow doesn’t slide around during feeding. It also has small bumps which slightly raise the baby’s head, aiding in digestion. The core is foam which I tend to avoid, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make for the difference this pillow made in our breastfeeding journey. The traditional covers for the pillow are 100% cotton, but they also offer an organic cotton option as an even cleaner alternative.

Nursing bra
Recommended: Clip-down style (like this), sleeping style (like this), sports style (like this), hands-free pumping bra (like this) (2 of each)
You likely won’t really know what style of nursing bra you prefer until after having your baby, and you definitely won’t know what size to order. I recommend having a couple cheap ones on hand for the first week or so, then investing in better ones once you know your size and style preferences. I personally liked the clip-down styles during the day and sleeping styles at night. Because I did go back to exercising quickly (with my midwife’s approval), a super-supportive sports bra was also a must. Also, if you plan on pumping at all, I highly recommend a hands-free pumping bra. Even though I exclusively breastfed Miss F, I did build up a good freezer stash, and it was so nice to have my hands free while doing so.

Breast pump
Recommended: Spectra S1, Haaka (note: many insurance policies will cover a pump)
Most insurance policies will cover the cost of an electric breast pump, so check to see what your policy covers and the purchasing process before you make any decisions. Also, even if you plan to exclusively breastfeed, I still highly recommend having an electric pump on hand (especially if it’s at no cost to you). Having expressed milk for your baby for the occasional date night or girls’ night out is very freeing! I personally responded very well to the Spectra S1, and I have heard similar feedback from other women. While some Medela models can be more powerful, there seem to be more mixed reviews on their effectiveness. The S1 is also a nice option because it’s battery-powered, so you’re not tied to an outlet the whole time (the S2 is the same model, but it has to remain plugged in). I also recommend getting a Haaka, especially for the early weeks. It essentially is a silicone cup that you suction to one breast while you feed from the other. While your milk regulates, your non-feeding breast will often leak a signifiant amount of milk while your baby feeds from the other side, and if you catch it with the Haaka it’s an easy way to build a small freezer stash without any pumping necessary. For us it was also helpful because I initially had a very forceful letdown that made it difficult for Miss F to latch. I’d suction the Haaka on for a few minutes before starting to feed, and it would start the letdown so it wouldn’t be quite as strong for Miss F.

Milk bags
Recommended: Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags (note: many insurance policies will cover these)
If you do plan on building a freezer stash, you’ll need some form of container to keep the milk in. Note that it is extremely important to use product dedicated to this use as they have been sterilized. I do try to avoid plastic, but unfortunately the best freezer storage solutions are all plastic. I was just always careful to never heat the bags and thus could prevent the vast majority of leaching into the milk (honest confession—occasionally I would warm a bag in a bowl of warm water when I needed it to thaw quickly, but I tried to make this the rare exception to the rule). You can purchase silicone milk storage bags, but they are extremely expensive, so unless you are only planning on storing a few ounces, they are not practical. I have heard of moms also using small mason jars, and while I love that they found a glass solution, I personally would be very cautious about sterilization and worried about contamination (and they also take up a lot of room, so they aren’t practical for a large stash). I have also used Motif bags and like them similarly to Lansinoh.

Bottles
Recommended: Philips Avent Natural Glass Bottles, Lifefactory Glass Bottles*
You won’t know what type of bottle your baby will take until you try some out, so I recommend purchasing a few different types before investing in a single set. Also, because of each baby’s personal preference, I can’t definitively say which bottle is the “best.” However, I generally recommend trying to use glass bottles to minimize your baby’s exposure to microplastics (especially if you plan on using warmed milk or formula in them). We purchased both Philips Avent and Lifefactory bottles to try because of their durable glass and great reviews. Both Miss F and Miss E took the Philips Avent bottles really easily, so we never got to try the Lifefactory ones. Even if you plan to exclusively breastfeed, I do recommend having a few bottles on hand for date nights or emergencies. Finally, nipple size is very important, especially if you are also breastfeeding. Bottles are usually easier to drink from that the breast, so unless the bottle nipple flow is very slow, a breastfed baby can easily develop a preference for bottles. While I am not an expert, as a general rule of thumb, we started with the very slowest nipple flow (for Philips Avent this was the 0m size; note that this is even slower than their 0m+ size). We’d upgrade to the next size only when the girls appeared to get very frustrated by the bottle. By the time Miss F was 12 months old, we had only progressed to the 1m+ size (the third size); in contrast, Miss E was using this size by 2 months, and it didn’t affect her breastfeeding at all.

Formula prep
Recommended: Baby Brezza Formula Pro*
While we did not formula feed Miss F, all my friends who have used formula swear by the Baby Brezza. You can think of it as a Keurig for formula. Rather than having to carefully measure formula and water and then carefully heat it each time you make a bottle, the Baby Brezza does each step at the push of a button. The only downside is that the Baby Brezza does have plastic components that get warm, which I do usually try to avoid. However, for the immense amount of time this appliance saves, I think it would probably be worth it for our family.

Drying rack and brushes
Recommended: OXO Tot Bottle Drying Rack and Brush Set
There is nothing in particular about the OXO Tot rack that I absolutely love, but I wanted to include it because often the most popular choice for a drying rack is the Boon grass drying rack. After doing my own research, though, I learned that the grass design is a major breeding ground for bacteria and is pretty difficult to clean, so I decided a more traditional drying rack was a better option. The OXO Tot was very durable and easy to clean for the 2+ years we used it with Miss F’s bottles and eating gear.

Burp cloths
Recommended: green sprouts Organic Muslin Cloths
You’ll likely develop your own personal preference for type and style of burp cloths, but my one piece of advice is to buy a LOT so you are not doing laundry every day (especially if you have a very spitty baby like Miss F and Miss E). The green sprouts cloths are great for burping, and we like Burt’s Bees Organic Cotton Burp Cloths to clean up messes on the go—they are very small and lightweight, so they were easy to tuck into a bag to go.