Before giving birth to my son, I never thought about
I assumed my body was equipped with everything it needed from the start. I was wrong.
There are amazing
Mom Tip: Did you know you can score many of these amazing

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1. Sleep, Nursing Bras

I never slept in a bra, but when I first started breastfeeding and my milk was coming in, it was difficult to sleep because I had a lot of leaking. These nursing bras allowed me to use nursing pads at night without the discomfort and hassle of a traditional nursing bra–especially when I was getting up 4 or 5 times a night in the early months to nurse.
I also recommend these sleep nursing bras for what to wear postpartum when you get home from the hospital.
2. Nursing Pads

Some moms don’t feel the need to use nursing pads, especially if they aren’t leaving the house–ahem, pandemic. I personally used nursing pads for the first few months at night to prevent waking up soaked, and occasionally during the day when my milk was regulating to prevent leaking on my clothes. I only went through 1 box of 100 nursing pads in my journey.
Pro tip: using nursing pads saved me from needing 2-3 bras per day due to them getting soaked from leakage.
3. Nursing Sports Bras

These sports bras are AMAZING.
We all know that sports bras and not just for sports. They are a staple in any loungewear wardrobe. Trust me, you will be spending a lot of time in these!
I loved the convertible racerback feature to give me a little more support if I was actually doing something active–not much of this in the first weeks postpartum. Otherwise, they provided just a little more support than the sleep bras, but are still flexible enough to keep up with changing breast size throughout the day.

Related Posts:
The Ultimate Postpartum Survival Kit (A Complete Guide For New Moms)
Manual Vs. Electric Breast Pump: Which One Is Best For You?
30 Ways To Get Free Breastfeeding Supplies & Samples
How To Clean And Sterilize Breast Pump Parts And Accessories
How To Use A Haakaa Breast Pump: Tips And Tricks For New Moms
4. A Good Nursing Bra
Are you seeing a theme?
I have to confess something to you guys. I actually started wearing this nursing bra while I was pregnant. It was so comfortable, wireless, stretchy–to accommodate fluctuating breast size–and supportive. I only own two ‘regular’ nursing bras, and I work full time. I find that when I am home I am most comfortable in sleep or sports bras.
I would start with the sleep and nursing bras for immediately postpartum, and add other bras as you need them for different occasions.
4. Lanolin Nipple Cream

I only used this for the first few weeks for the intended purposes… But, I quickly discovered the many other uses for lanolin, so I think it is worth putting in your
- Be used as a lip balm (my favorite use). Lanolin is my new favorite chapstick for my lips (even my husband has gotten on board!).
- Be used to moisturize your cuticles.
- Be used as an ointment on minor scrapes (like when a baby scratches their face).
- I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg for other uses for lanolin cream. Have you used it for something else? Leave me a comment below.
5. A Haaka
I was so excited to get the Haakaa at my baby shower.. But no one knew what this product was. When I tried to explain it to them, they thought I was crazy!

The Haakaa is my favorite product on the list.
It is definitely the
You should definitely get a Haakaa in addition to a regular breast pump. If you’re not sure what kind of breast pump is right for you, I wrote a guide on choosing between manual vs. electric breast pumps.
Even if you aren’t planning on pumping, the Haaka is great for beginner breastfeeders:
- It gentle catches milk that would have otherwise leaked on your nursing bra, nursing pad, or shirt.
- It is completely hands-free and wire-free.
- It is so easy to clean (there is only one piece–ok two if you opt for the one with a lid!).
- You can easily catch a few ounces of milk with no effort that can be frozen and used in a bottle if needed at a later time.
Pro Tip: If you are not planning on
6. A Boppy

Every nursing mother should have a Boppy or something like it.
These are pillows designed to position the baby to make
If you choose to go with the Boppy, it has many other uses besides as a nursing pillow. You can use it to:
- Prop up baby for tummy time.
- Prop baby up for assisted sitting.
- Prevent babies from falling over when they are learning to sit independently.
So there you have it. My top six