Lactation Consultant Recommendations for Hospital Bag Must Haves for New Moms Planning to Breastfeed
- jaimiezaki
- May 14
- 3 min read
If you’re a mom planning to breastfeed, you’re probably wondering what you MUST HAVE in your hospital bag to support your breastfeeding goals. As a lactation consultant and mom of 5, I’ll always believe that the ONLY thing you need is patience, love, and healthy breasts. But the reality can be far more complicated.
As someone who has given birth 5 times and bought all the unnecessary things and then learned how to be a newborn-minimalist, and someone who has helped countless mothers navigate early breastfeeding, these are the 5 non-negotiables I believe EVERY new mom benefits from.
Before listing them, I want to preface, these items will NOT make up for lack of breastfeeding preparedness. If you want to learn how to make a Breastfeeding Plan, Click Here for a free Breastfeeding Plan Template.
Breastfeeding Hospital Bag Must Haves
When your baby is born you need to be doing skin to skin almost constantly. That means you’ll basically be perpetually topless. An open front night gown allows you to easily undo the top few buttons to snuggle and feed, without fully undressing. This maintains your comfort and dignity, and makes everything easier.
Number 2 - A clip free nursing bra
Now I know a lot of people have opinions on this one. Women with larger breasts often don’t love these. But here‘s why I recommend them… At night when it’s dark and you’re feeding in low light, it can be hard to see to clip the clasp. Also, I can’t tell you how many times I forgot to clip the clasp and it just bunched up uncomfortable and awkward.
This crisis cross designe allows for one hand flexibility to just pull your boob out and pop it back.
Number 3 - Breast Pads (preferably natural fibers)
Some women will start leaking breastmilk early, some won’t, but just in case, having breast pads will be very helpful. This will minimize (note: probably not fully prevent) milk leaking through your bra and nightgown.
Number 4 - Colostrum Collectors
I LOVE these silicone colostrum collectors sooo much! Hand expressing colostrum is an important skill all new moms should practice early. But most moms ask what they should be expressing those few drops into and how to easily collect them. Many methods of expressing colostrum result in lost liquid gold. Pumps are inefficient and it sticks to the sides. Hand expressing into a bowl or cup is awkward for just a few drops and I’ve never gotten the hang of expressing into syringes. There are little devices to help, but then storing syringes is awkward in my personal opinion.
These silicone collectors are so comfy and gently to put right against your nipple and capture even a single drop of colostrum. They also come with a double cap. One cap down is a dropper, meaning you can easily drop the colostrum into baby’s moth if needed. The second cap closes it to make sure it doesn’t spill. They’re freezable, don’t take up too much space, and are so easy to use.
Number 5 - Motherlove Nipple Cream
Nipple cream is so helpful during early days of feeding when nipples might get a little chapped. Motherlove is my favorite because I’ve seen it heal NOT JUST mom’s irritated nipples, but it doubles as an amazing diaper cream (shh! Don’t tell them I told you that! They marked a separate one for that).
If you’re a pregnant mom planning to breastfeed and you want to be prepared, these are the 5 items I suggest having in your diaper bag. But more important than gadgets, creams, and apparel is a thorough understanding of how to navigate early feeding challenges.
Learning to breastfeed when it’s hard is why so many moms quit before they’re ready. That’s why I created the online, on-demand breastfeeding preparation class: The Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy. This online program prepares moms for breastfeeding, how to avoid unnecessary supplementing, what to do if latching hurts, and how to establish a strong milk supply.
Disclaimer: This blog post may include some affiliate links, this means Little Bear Lactation receives a small commission from the seller at no additional cost to you. All of these products are recommend in good faith from personal and professional experience. Little Bear Lactation will never promote products we don’t believe in just to make a buck, but these affiliate commissions help us continue producing free educational content via our blog, social media, and podcast.
Jaimie Zaki is an IBCLC, Nurse, and Mom of 5 based in Abilene, Texas. Jaimie helps mothers prepare for breastfeeding success and navigate unexpected feeding challenges with confidence and clarity.
