Breastfeeding Products (Part 1) – What to Buy and What not to Buy

A lot of mothers, especially new ones, cannot help but be overwhelmed by the huge array of breastfeeding products in the market. Are all of them necessities? And have we been taken in by the marketing gimmicks? The silver lining is, we are blessed with lots of innovative gadgets that are designed to make our lives easier.
In this article, we discuss the types of breastfeeding products available in the market and also their functionality.

1. Nursing Bra

Nursing bras have become a must-buy for mothers who are nursing. They provide convenience as they are specially created to make nursing your baby easier. Check out the various types of nursing bras here.
Verdict: Must Have

2. Nursing Wear

Nursing wear can be really expensive. But we love the convenience that it offers. You don’t need to lift up your entire shirt/blouse during breastfeeding, as the opening (covered cleverly by a flap) is located in the chest area. Nursing wear really makes nursing your baby in public discreet since the exposure of your skin is kept to a minimum.
Verdict: Good to Have

3. Nursing Cover

In Singapore, nursing rooms are commonly found especially in shopping malls. However, there will come a time where there are no nursing rooms in sight and the baby needs to be fed right there and then. Hence, a nursing cover is actually an essential item to have for all mothers who are nursing.
Verdict: Must Have

4. Breast Pump (Double, Single, Manual, Electronic)

The double breast pump is definitely the popular choice among the multi-tasking and ever-so-busy mothers. In a standard 20 minutes of pumping time, you can pump both breasts. It is suitable for mothers who have multiple children, working mothers, and those who have excess milk. For working mothers, they usually have a limited time to pump their milk, so they need to do it in a shortest time possible. There are mothers who are blessed with abundant milk, so they need to empty their breast after each feed. If they were to pump one side a time, they will take about 30-40 minutes, which they might not have the luxury of the time.
The single breast pump as the name suggests, consists only one pump and one bottle. That means in a standard 20 minutes of pumping time, you will be pumping one side of the breast. It is good for mommies who usually feed on one side, and pump the other side of the breast. There will be occasions when you only need to pump one side of the breast. So, single breast pump will come in handy.
The electric Breast Pump is a savior to nursing mothers. Pumping breastmilk manually for a full 20 minutes (if it is only 1 side) can be tiring. Electric pump does all that pumping action with just a push of a button. The downside is that it is noisy. You cannot pump in the middle of the night (Yes, you read it right, you might need to pump at 3am while your baby is sleeping). However, there are newer brands which have a considerably lower noise level. Some breast pumps need to be plugged into a power socket to turn them on, some are rechargeable, so it is portable. There are single electric and double electric breast pump.
With the manual pump, you can control the strength of the pumping action. One of the benefit of a manual pump is that it has no noise, except the sound of your breastmilk squirting out of your breasts. It is very good for travelling since you can use it even without electricity. It is more compact since there is no electrical parts. Manual breast pump only comes in single.

Verdict: Must Have

5. Breastfeeding Pillow

A breastfeeding pillow is used to prop up your baby closer to you during feeding, so that you need not bend forward. It provides comfort and relief to you back, neck, spine and arms. It is definitely more comfortable for the mother and the baby. A breastfeeding pillow is a great help to mothers who are recovering from a c-section.
Verdict: Good to Have

6. Breast Pad

Breast pads are used to contain your breast milk leakage. If your breasts are leaking milk, it can seep through your clothing. To prevent the embarrassing sight, you can slip the breast pads in your bra to absorb the milk leakage.
  • Disposable Breast Pad

Disposable Breast Pads is very convenient as we do not need to wash it. With the baby, there are already many laundry to do. Therefore, disposable breast pad will make your life a tad easier. Note that some mommies are sensitive to the material of the breast pad.
  • Washable Breast Pad

Washable Breast Pads are usually more comfortable to the skin as it is usually made of either cotton, flannel, bamboo or hemp fleece material. Take note of the material being used before you purchase the breast pads. It is very durable, so you can toss it into your washing machine.
Verdict: Depends

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