· Nursing Pillow: The My Brest Friend inflatable feeding pillow is ideal for nursing and much more comfortable than the Boppy pillow. The My Brest Friend pillow is inflatable, wraps around your waist and has lumbar support to make nursing comfortable. You can lay the baby on the pillow to get him or her into the proper feeding position.
· Nursing Bras: Buy a couple in the 8th or 9th month and make sure they're big enough to handle engorgement.
· Pump: If you plan to nurse and anticipate being away from your baby for more than a few hours, a pump is a necessity. There are electric and hand pump options. The most popular electric pumps are the Medela "Pump In Style" pumps. They're expensive, but if you think you'll do any kind of regular pumping (such as to provide enough to give the baby bottles of breast milk while you're out or at work), it's very convenient--particularly the double electric pumps. If you get a used one, you can get replacement parts at Neergaard Pharmacy. One popular hand pump is the Avent "Isis" pump. Many women swear by these and say they are just as effective or more so than electric pumps. They're also less expensive.
· CFS Storage bags or Gerber bags for storing breast milk.
· Formula: You may or may not choose to use formula. If you plan to nurse exclusively, and if you give birth at a hospital, you will receive a few cans of formula when you leave the hospital. These will suffice to have on hand in case you need to supplement. If you plan on formula feeding, you can buy a few cans of one of the popular formula brands at any drug store or supermarket.
· Four to six 4-ounce bottles (plastic). Use standard bottles such as Evenflo, Gerber, or Medela (the kind that come with the breast pump). These work with most standard nipples. Later on you'll probably experiment with different nipples, and you may end up buying Avent, Playtex, Dr. Brown, or Gerber New Traditions bottles, which are irregular. Don't buy these ahead of time.
· A variety of different nipples to try: At first you'll probably use whatever nipples come with the bottles you buy. If your baby's picky, you may need to experiment.
· 1 bottle brush
· 1 nipple brush
· A few packages of disposable nursing breast pads. Recommended: Gerber ultra-thin--they don't itch like some other brands. You may not need them after a while.
· Some nipple cream, such as Lansinoh or any other pure lanolin cream. (You may or maynot need this.)
· Electric Bottle Warmer: This is not a necessity, but it does make bottle-warming fast and easy, since bottles can not be warmed in the microwave.
