What Do I Actually Need to Feed My Baby?
Every child’s feeding journey will be different. You may have goals for feeding before having your baby, and those goals may need to be adjusted if things don't work out as you planned. Maybe you don't produce enough breastmilk, or maybe you decide that combo feeding works best with your schedule. Whatever it is, what you need for formula feeding, nursing or pumping is different. I made the mistake of buying all the things I thought I would need to exclusively nurse, but I quickly changed my feeding plan to combo formula feed and pump, and a lot of the things I bought became useless. I'd recommend waiting to buy what isn't absolutely necessary until after you've had your baby, or keep the receipt in case you need to return it.
For every feeding journey, I recommend the following resources:
Facebook Groups - There are so many groups on Facebook for all types of feeding journeys - ones for exclusively nursing mamas, exclusively pumping mamas, formula feeding mamas, etc. These can be so helpful when you are first starting your journey or have questions along the way that you can ask mothers that may have gone through the same thing. It's also nice to be able to connect with others that understand the emotional aspect and physical challenges behind a particular feeding journey and can help you feel like you're not alone.
Lactation Consultant - If you're interested or even just curious about breastfeeding, I highly recommend meeting with a lactation consultant (LC) prior to having your baby. For me, my insurance fully covered this service so it was 100% free for me. I was provided with a private class to walk through all of the basics of breastfeeding, and met with my LC multiple times virtually and in person after having my baby to troubleshoot the issues that I encountered. I was grateful that I had established a relationship with my LC prior to birth so that it was easy to just text her after I got home from the hospital to schedule a home visit. I used The Lactation Network to get matched with a lactation specialist in my area.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Formula Feeding - If you're formula feeding, or combo feeding, here is the list of things that I used. I've starred the items that are not necessary if you're on a budget or just like to avoid having a lot of stuff, but are nice to have and will likely add value in one way or another.
Formula - We used Bobbie formula, but there's so many options out there. Do your own research and start with just a small amount - you may find a particular formula does not work well for your baby.
Formula maker* - This was a favorite for us, especially when I ended my breastfeeding journey and we exclusively formula-fed. When baby woke up in the middle of the night screaming for food, it was nice to be able to quickly make a bottle with the click of a button. It's also nice that you can choose for the formula maker to output warm water so that the bottle comes out warm for your baby.
Bottle Soap* - Washing bottles constantly is probably my least favorite thing about bottle feeding, but you'll end up doing a lot of it if you're bottle feeding. We like this one because of it’s clean ingredients!
Dryer rack* - This is the dryer rack that we used, I liked this one because it saved counter space compared to some of the other dryer racks that are out there.
Bottles - We used Dr. Brown's bottles, but there are so many different bottle brands out there. If you're unsure on which bottle brand, I'd try some of the different popular brands and determine which one your baby prefers the most.
Bottle Sterilizer and Dryer* - Some people never sanitize their bottles, we did. If you decide to, it was nice to have a sterilizer dedicated to sanitizing bottles and my pump parts, but you can also use your dishwasher.
Formula storage* - We packed these in our diaper bag to always carry pre-measured formula with us. It was easy to just mix with water and serve! Just make sure you mark down how much formula you put in so you don’t forget.
Dishwasher basin* - We put this in the sink and filled it up with soap and water to put all of our dirty bottles in so that it was separated from any contamination in the sink or dirty dishes. It was nice to be able to just leave the dirty bottles soaking in the tub and then do a full load of bottles when we had the time. This was the soap that we used in the dishwasher basin.
Nursing - Honestly, I don't know that any of these items are necessary when it comes to nursing. That's one of the nice things about nursing, you don't need much to get started, but there are certainly some nice to have things to make it easier for you.
Nursing Bras* - These are not absolutely necessary, but they definitely make it easier to be discrete in public. A nursing bra is not the same thing as a pumping bra! However, a pumping bra will work as a nursing bra. So if you’re planning on pumping, I would get a pumping and nursing bra so you can use it while pumping and nursing.
Silverettes* - I can't attest to the healing properties, but I wore these constantly as nipple covers so that my nipples weren't rubbing or constricted by my bra which saved me from some additional irritation when my nipples were already super sensitive.
Lactation massager* - This was really helpful when I would get a clogged duct, it helped me empty my breasts and relieve the soreness I was feeling. For me, it worked much better (and was less painful) than manual massage.
Nipple Shield* - I have inverted nipples, making it difficult for baby to latch. These were the nipple shields that my hospital gave me to use. For me, they sometimes came off or the baby would accidentally knock them off, so I used tape to hold them in place. You don’t need them if you don’t have inverted nipples, so hold off until they’re needed.
Haakaa* - You can use the Haakaa on the opposite breast that you’re nursing on. You will have letdowns when you’re feeding, and the Haakaa can catch the milk that comes out of the non-feeding breast. As you’ve probably heard, every drop of breastmilk is liquid gold! You can also use the Haakaa to submerge your nipples in warm water mixed with Epsom salt to help with a clogged duct.
Nursing Pillow* - Not necessary but a nice to have, especially when baby is really little and you're not super comfortable breastfeeding. I liked the My Breast Friend pillow the best, and I had the Boppy too which I also used for tummy time and practice sitting up.
Nipple Butter* - This is like chapstick for your nipples! Keeping them nice and hydrated will help prevent them from getting dry and cracked. We love all Tubby Todd products!
Nursing Cover* - I had the Cocoon nursing cover which was very chic (and I will wear even after breastfeeding due to how expensive it is), but I would've preferred something larger for more surface area for coverage.
Pumping - Pumping is hard. It's a lot of dishes, and takes at least double the time as nursing since you're pumping and then bottle feeding your baby. For me, the key here was buying multiple sets of pump parts and bottles so that I didn't have to do dishes as often to make my life easier.
Pump - You might be able to get a pump through your insurance. There are many different kinds of pumps, you may even want multiple for different purposes. I started with the Spectra S1, which I loved and it gave me just as much output as when I rented the Medela Symphony from the hospital. Don’t get the pink Spectra version if you want to be able to unplug from the wall outlet. I also have the Elvie Stride which I heard good things about as a wearable pump. However, I was an under-producer and barely got any output from this pump, so I really only used it once or twice.
Pumping Bag* - If you're pumping on the go (e.g. at work), you'll need a bag to carry your pump and pump parts to and from. You can use any bag if you already have a good tote that will fit all of your stuff.
Pump Parts* - The more the better, but make sure you get measured (or measure yourself) for the correct flange size which is crucial to maximizing your output and minimizing your discomfort. I'd try it out with one set before you commit to buying more flanges in that size.
Silverettes Nursing Cups*
Pumping Bra - This is a must if you're pumping. You're able to be handsfree so you can be on your phone or interact with your baby while pumping. I had the Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands Free Pumping and Nursing Bras which I ended up loving. They're super thick, so at first I was caught off guard with the thickness, but they do a great job of holding my flanges in place and it was easy to clip them on and off for access. I lived in these 24/7 while I was pumping.
Breast Milk Bags - If you're planning on creating a freezer stash, you'll need breastmilk bags to store your milk.
Ziploc Gallon Bags* - I put my frozen breastmilk bags into Ziploc gallon bags with the date range on them so I could keep track of my oldest to newest milk. I also used Ziploc Gallon Bags to pack my pump parts for work so I could put my used pump parts back in there after I was done pumping.
Lunchbox* with built in freezer pack- This was great to take refrigerated breastmilk on the go. Whatever I didn't use, I could put back in the refrigerator since the milk would stay cool in the lunchbox. If I was out for longer than a few hours (like the full work day), I preferred a bag with a removable freezer pack that I could stick in the freezer at work but still keep my breastmilk in the bag.
Ceres chill* - This is great for moms that are pumping on the go a lot and do not have access to a refrigerator to store your breastmilk. You can alternatively use a cooler and ice pack.
Milk storage for fridge - I would pump into my Spectra bottles and then transfer them to these storage containers to put in the fridge. When the baby was hungry, I would pour milk from these storage containers into the bottle and feed. You can also use the Pitcher Method to store your breastmilk.
Dishwasher basin* - It's okay to let the dishes pile up here and then do them all at one time. Anything to make your life a little easier.
Bottle Sterilizer and Dryer* - Some people never sanitize their bottles, we did. If you decide to, it was nice to have a sterilizer dedicated to sanitizing bottles and my pump parts, but you can also use your dishwasher.
Bottle warmer* - This is a nice to have product - if your baby doesn't mind having cold milk, or if you don't notice a different with gas or sleep, you don't need this. You can alternatively heat up some water in a mug and submerge the bottle in the water.
Let me know what else you've found helpful on your feeding journey!
Ready to start solids? Check out my post on how to get started with solids!
