When Sophia was first born, I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked when it came to breastfeeding. I was induced three weeks early due to preeclampsia (read her birth story here) and I thought I had more time to get what I needed but birth doesn't always go as planned so you just roll with it. 
1. Nursing Pillow - Nursing pillows are great support for your arms when holding that little babe up to nurse at the breast but it can also support your arms if you bottle feed as well. I also heard that a nursing pillow is great if you have a C-Section as it can help relieve the pressure on your incision site when you are holding your baby. The one I have is discontinued but the Boppy Nursing Pillows are the most popular on the market. Plus, you can find tons of small shops that make custom slip covers that can fit your taste and nursery decor.

2. Milkies Milk-Saver - I have just heard about this product and I can not believe I didn't know about this sooner. I was a leaky mess with Sophia. So bad that I had to stuff my bra with cloth diapers and I still leaked through those. Imagine how much milk I could have saved if I would have had this!? It is definitely a must have now that I know about it.

3. Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - If you have been around my blog, you know my love for this book. I even did a book review here. It is a must have for any momma considering breastfeeding as it is super informative and helps debunk a lot of the misconceptions there is out there on breastfeeding.

4. Washable Nursing Pads - As I mentioned, I leaked a lot when I breastfed Sophia however not everyone leaks a crazy amount like I did, in fact some women don't leak at all but in case you do leak, having washable nursing pads available are helpful to prevent having wet spots on your shirt. I have the Medela ones and they are extremely soft and they come with a laundry bag which helps reduce the chances of losing one. I also use the laundry bag to contain them in the diaper bag.

5. Nipple Cream - I used the samples my hospital provided and those lasted me so I never had to invest in nipple cream but also I didn't need to use the nipple cream as much as other breastfeeding moms did. I guess constantly leaking helped prevent me from get dried out nipples. However, I am planning to use Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil if I do need a cream for my nipples this time around since I already have it on hand and it is natural compared to lanolin. I also use coconut oil to moisturize my growing tummy - I did this for my pregnancy with Sophia and now with baby boy. Plus one container has lasted me an entire pregnancy and some so more bang for your buck going this route.

6. Nursing Bra/Tank - I have used nursing tanks, nursing sleep bras, nursing sports bra, and everyday nursing bras however I still haven't found the perfect everyday nursing bra yet so I am on the hunt for one and actually plan to write a post going into more depth of why you need different types of nursing bras. For the mean time, any nursing bra will work and help make breastfeeding easier. I have heard great things about the Bravado brand (I plan to try them out next) so maybe start there.

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to start a debate of whether or not breast is best. It is meant as an encouragement for those who choose the breastfeeding route or are considering breastfeeding. However you decide to feed your baby is your own personal decision.


Too many times before and during my own breastfeeding journey, I would listen to friends and family members share their breastfeeding experience. I came to realize how uninformed mothers actually are when it comes to breastfeeding, even those who have successfully breastfed to their goal. This honestly is heartbreaking that a number of women lack the wisdom and knowledge of their bodies and how their body works for them majority of the time. This is where #normalizebreastfeeding comes in and having an International Breastfeeding Week and a National Breastfeeding Month. It is not to shame moms who choose not to breastfeed, although I am aware there are those people out there who do but not all of us are doing that when we share our knowledge or use the hashtag.

Normalizing breastfeeding is about informing the world, men and women, that breastfeeding is a natural biological act between a mother and an infant. It is also about setting straight the misconceptions that are out there concerning breastfeeding that discourage moms from continuing their breastfeeding journey. A lot of that discouragement comes from our family members and friends, unfortunately, because they "couldn't" breastfeed due to xyz. The discouragement comes from our health care providers who may have little to no training in breastfeeding.

Almost all have good intentions and want you to be successful in your breastfeeding journey but their lack of knowledge prevents them from actually helping you. Therefore, I wanted to share the common misconceptions I am constantly hearing from those around me to help spread the proper knowledge so mothers can be fully informed and make their decision based on facts, not myths. After all, breastfeeding is a personal decision and is always up to the mother as they are the only one who knows their baby best.