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Okay, so I have been wanting to write this post for weeks now, but you know, new Mum life is exhausting and I’m finding myself to be very time poor these days! Anyway, I want to make it clear that this post and these products are intended for the first few weeks of breastfeeding (you know; when it’s all new and bloody painful and really tough – at least, that’s how it was for me at first!

Oh, and I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone (as if blogging about nipple cream isn’t hard enough) but I made this post into a cheeky lil YouTube vid – I know right…. eeep.

[1] Nipple cream

First and foremost this stuff is AMAZING. I used Lansohil and lathered it on after every feed. What I loved about it is that you didn’t have to wash it off before a feed. Keeping those bad boys as moisturized and hydrated as possible was definitely key in those early days. God I’m getting flashbacks of how sensitive things were (I literally cried in the shower because the water was hurting me!!) if I felt things were drying up, the cream was my first go-to!

[2] Hydra gel pads

Right; next in my “holy crap everything hurts lets do whatever we can to ease the sensitivity” products is the Hydra Gel Pads. Oh em GEE, I LOVED these. I literally kept them in the fridge and would whack them on after every feed. You can wash and re-use them as well, which I loved. The coolness was oh so nice, and the hydration they provided (ontop of the Nipple Cream) was DIVINE. If I didn’t have these two products, I don’t think I would’ve been super happy to try and stick out breastfeeding.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not using them anymore, so it’s just a season that you need to rely on things like this, but they are SO WORTH IT. Once your body figures out what’s it’s doing, it gets way easier. But in those early days, these were my lifesavers

[3] BabyTime App

Okay, so I don’t know if this counts as a product (I paid for it from the app store if that helps) but the BabyTime App is MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE APP OF ALL TIME (well, out of my baby apps that is) I love that you can record the time you started breastfeeding, how long for, and what side. I also love that it tells you how long since you’re last feed, and which side you finished on. On top of that,  you can track things like sleep, diaper changes, expressing and even bottle feeding. It’s just so good for routine. Now I’ve got terrible memory, but like to be organised, and getting J into a routine was one of my biggest priorities from day 1. And hand to heart, this app helped me do it. Obviously, you have to know what sort of routine you want to set for you little one (the app can’t do everything guys!) But in all seriousness, I am still using it today to track time between feeds, and how long he naps for. I’d be lost without this app – how the hell did our parents do this parenting thing without technology, hats off to them.

[4] Lactation Cookies

Right, so if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I’m ALWAYS posting about my wonderful lactation cookies. I’m obsessed with them. I have pretty good supply to begin with, but these have definitely helped maintain and increase my supply. I can easily pump 150mls straight after a feed if I’ve had the cookies. If not, I’m only getting about 60ml after a feed.

A lot of people have messaged me and asked if they really do work, and I can say that for me, they definitely have. Plus they taste super yummy, and I don’t feel bad eating them because they’re helping my supply. I also have the lactation granola which I am currently loving over warm oats in the morning. It’s the perfect warm breakfast and a great start to the day. I’ll be honest here, and say that I don’t eat the cookies/granola every day. Only a few times a week, because I already have good supply and I don’t want to risk mastitis. I always pump just before I go to bed, and if I feel full or engorged I’ll pump so that I can at all costs avoid getting it.

For those interested, I’ve been using Milky Goodness cookies.

[5] Breastfeeding Pillow

Jasper is not a small baby. So if I didn’t have a pillow to support his weight, I could totally see breastfeeding getting really uncomfortable, really quickly. In the early days I would feed laying down in my bed and that worked great, but it also got messy. Anyway, my mum asked if she could give me my sisters old pillow, and I was like “nah i don’t need it” and she was like “umm yeah you do” so she brought it over, and it was ugly AF. BUT I gave it a go AND HOLY MOLEY did it change my breastfeeding game. Jasper was no longer slipping, or getting uncomfortable because he could just lay in the perfect position.

Also, I could go handsfree (hello free hands for instagram scrolling and snacking!) My lovely mother in law also made me a new monochrome cover, which I ADORE. so now my breastfeeding pillow is present at every feed. But it’s also great for Jasper to just chill on, he can’t fully sit up yet, so this lets him be slightly upright and look around a bit. I love playing games with him, and making him laugh while he’s laying on the pillow. It’s definitely one of those products that I am using way more than I ever thought I would (thanks mum!!!!)

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. The first few weeks of breastfeeding were tough; but I’m so glad I stuck it out, because it’s honestly one of my fave parts of motherhood. And I’m thankful that there are products like nipple cream and soothing gel pads that can help make it that little bit easier. There is a lot of pressure on mums, I think, to breastfeed, or stick it out, and I just wanted to say that whether you breastfed for 1 week, 9 months, or even if you chose not to breastfeed, you’re all amazing mamas! This gig is tough enough as it is without all that extra pressure!