baby feeding gear

All it takes is one trip to your local discount retailer or baby store to see that baby feeding is big business.  Aisles and aisles are filled with the gear and equipment necessary to feed a baby.  Everything from breast pumps to breastfeeding support pillows to bottles to formula.  It can be, understandably, very overwhelming for a new mom to stand in these aisles and try to figure out what she needs and what will best meet her baby feeding needs.

Depending on whether you plan on breastfeeding or bottle feeding will, of course, impact the baby feeding gear you will need.   For example, if you will be exclusively breastfeeding you will not need formula and won’t need as many bottles.  However, if you are exclusively bottle feeding you can skip the breast pump and will need to make sure you are adequately stocked up on bottles and formula.  Here is a quick break down of what you’ll need.

If you plan on breastfeeding you will need:

  • A breastfeeding support pillow.  I’ve professed my love of the Boppy pillow in the past, but any breastfeeding support pillow will do the trick.
  • A breast Pump.  The type you get will depend on your needs.  If you will be returning to work and will be doing a lot of pumping than you’ll want an high quality electric pump.  However, if you will be staying home and don’t plan on doing much pumping than a manual pump may be enough for you.
  • A couple of good nursing bras and shirts.
  • A tube of lanolin to help relieve the chapping and discomfort of your nipples during early breastfeeding.
  • Breast pads.  These help protect your bra and clothing from any leaking that may happen.
  • A good supply of bottles.  You may need to try out a few different types before you find the one your baby likes best.
  • Some cleaning supplies for the bottles, such as a bottle brush and a basket for your dishwasher to help keep all the little pieces of the bottle from getting lost.
  • A handful of burp clothes.

If you plan on bottle feeding you will need:

  • A supply of formula to get you started.  You may find your baby doesn’t take to all formulas and you may need to change the brand you  use, so I don’t recommend buying too much before you figure out which brand your baby takes to.
  • A large supply of bottles.  You’ll need little bottles for the first few months and then you’ll likely move up to the larger sized bottles so make sure you have both.  How many you need will depend on how often you want to be washing bottles.
  • A breastfeeding support pillow may be useful for a bottle feeding mom as well, but probably won’t be a necessity for you.
  • Plenty of bottle nipples.  You may want to get a couple of varieties and figure out which type your baby likes best.
  • A handful of burping clothes.
  • Cleaning supplies for the bottles including a bottle brush and a basket for your dishwasher to keep all the little bottle pieces together.
  • A bottle sterilizer (not necessary as you can just boil them in a pot of water).
  • A couple of insulated baby bottle carry bags for when you need to take a bottle of formula on the go with you.
  • A portable bottle warmer that plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car (if you plan on feeding the baby on the go often).

Be sure to talk to your friends and family members with small children to figure out what they found they needed and what they determined they could live without.  As I mentioned above, you may find that your baby develops a preference for a specific bottle type, or nipple type or brand of formula, so it is best to just buy a few of these things and when you determine what your baby likes best you can stock up on that type or brand.

I breastfed my daughter and she never did take to a bottle so I didn’t end up using any of the bottle supplies I purchased.  You won’t know for sure what you need for your baby feeding situation until you get into it, however, there are basic supplies that pretty much everyone needs so you can be sure to have that stuff on hand for when the baby comes home and then pick up the rest as you go and as you need it.

What baby feeding gear did you find most helpful and most necessary?  Did it change depending on if you were breastfeeding or bottle feeding?

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