Breastfeeding Essentials: What Every Nursing Mom Needs for Postpartum Recovery
If you’re planning to breastfeed—or even if you’re just hoping to try—there’s something you need to know: breastfeeding is physically demanding on your body in ways nobody adequately prepares you for.
As both a labor and delivery nurse who has worked in Houston hospitals for over a decade and a certified doula, owner of The Birthing Noire Collective, I’ve supported hundreds of breastfeeding mothers through the early weeks. And I can tell you this: having the right supplies makes the difference between pushing through pain and actually enjoying the bonding experience nursing can be.
Your breasts are doing incredible work—producing milk, adjusting to constant stimulation, responding to your baby’s changing needs. They need support. You need support.
Beyond the foundation postpartum essentials every mom needs, breastfeeding mothers require specific items that protect nipples, support milk production, catch leaking milk, and help you navigate the physical challenges of establishing breastfeeding.
Let me walk you through exactly what you need.
Why Breastfeeding Recovery Deserves Dedicated Supplies
Here’s what’s happening to your breasts in the early postpartum weeks:
Your milk is coming in. Around day 2-5 postpartum, your breasts transition from producing colostrum to producing mature milk. This process—called your milk “coming in”—causes intense engorgement. Your breasts become rock-hard, hot, and painfully full.
Your nipples are adjusting. Even with a perfect latch (which most babies don’t have immediately), your nipples are experiencing near-constant stimulation they’ve never felt before. Soreness, cracking, and even bleeding can happen in the first week or two.
Your supply is regulating. For the first 6-12 weeks, your body is figuring out how much milk your baby needs. During this time, you’ll experience leaking, engorgement, oversupply, and dramatic breast size changes throughout the day.
Your body is working overtime. Producing milk burns 300-500 calories per day. It requires significant hydration and nutrients. Your body is doing intense biological work on top of healing from birth.
All of this is normal. None of it means breastfeeding isn’t working or that you should give up.
But you do need specific tools to support your body through this adjustment period.
The Breastfeeding Essentials: What Actually Helps
These six items address the specific physical challenges breastfeeding mothers face in the early weeks. They protect your nipples, support your breasts, catch milk you’d otherwise lose, and help you navigate the intense work of establishing breastfeeding.
1. Supportive Nursing Bra
Your breasts change dramatically in the first few days postpartum when your milk comes in. They become full, heavy, and tender. A proper nursing bra provides support without constriction.
What you need:
A comfortable, well-fitting nursing bra with easy clasp access for feeding.
Why it matters:
You’ll be wearing this bra essentially 24/7 for weeks or months. It needs to:
- Provide support without underwire (which can cause clogged ducts)
- Allow easy access for nursing or pumping without completely undressing
- Accommodate breast size fluctuations throughout the day as breasts fill and empty
- Be comfortable enough to sleep in
- Not compress milk ducts or restrict milk flow
I recommend having at least 3-4 nursing bras so you can rotate through laundry. Your breast size will change significantly over the first few weeks, so don’t buy a dozen until you know what size you actually need once your milk is fully in and regulated.
Many moms find that sizing up from their pregnant breast size gives the best fit once milk comes in.
2. Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump
This simple silicone pump is one of the most useful breastfeeding tools available, yet many moms don’t discover it until months postpartum—and they all say “I wish I’d had this from day one.”
What you need:
A Haakaa silicone manual breast pump that uses gentle suction to collect milk.
Why it matters:
When you nurse on one side, the opposite breast often leaks or has a letdown. Instead of that milk soaking into nursing pads and being completely wasted, the Haakaa collects it.
You’re not actively pumping—you’re just catching milk that would otherwise be lost. Over the course of a day, many moms collect 2-4 ounces of “bonus” milk this way, which can be:
- Saved for bottle feeding when you need a break
- Used to build a freezer stash before returning to work
- Given when partner wants to feed baby
- Used to relieve engorgement without triggering more production
It’s also helpful for evening out supply if one breast produces significantly more than the other.
The Haakaa is particularly valuable in those early weeks when you’re engorged and leaking constantly. Instead of changing soaked nursing pads every hour, you’re collecting usable milk.
3. Nipple Cream for Healing and Protection
Even with a perfect latch, your nipples are adjusting to near-constant stimulation. Many moms experience soreness, cracking, dryness, or irritation in the early weeks as nipples toughen up.
What you need:
A lanolin-based or plant-based nipple cream that’s safe for baby, meaning you don’t have to wipe it off before nursing.
Why it matters:
Nipple damage can derail breastfeeding faster than almost anything else. When nursing hurts, you avoid it or delay feedings, which leads to:
- Engorgement (making latch more difficult)
- Decreased milk supply (from less frequent nursing)
- More pain (as engorgement worsens)
- Potential mastitis (from clogged ducts)
Applying nipple cream after every feeding creates a protective barrier that:
- Helps damaged skin heal faster
- Prevents further cracking and bleeding
- Soothes immediate soreness
- Provides moisture that promotes wound healing
- Forms a protective layer for the next feeding
Some nipple creams also have antibacterial properties that prevent infection in cracked nipples, which is crucial since broken skin is vulnerable to bacterial growth.
Apply liberally after each feeding and before bed. You cannot use too much.
4. Silver Nursing Cups for Intensive Healing
If nipple cream alone isn’t cutting it and you’re dealing with significant damage, silver nursing cups provide next-level healing.
What you need:
Silver nursing cups (also called silverettes) that fit inside your bra between feedings.
Why it matters:
Silver has natural antimicrobial and healing properties that have been used medicinally for centuries. These cups:
- Create a moist healing environment (proven to speed wound healing significantly)
- Prevent fabric from rubbing against damaged, painful nipples
- Reduce infection risk in cracked or bleeding nipples
- Provide instant pain relief by keeping anything from touching tender skin
- Allow nipples to heal while you continue nursing
Many lactation consultants recommend these for moms dealing with:
- Severe nipple damage, cracking, or bleeding
- Tongue-tied babies who haven’t yet had revision and are causing damage with their latch
- Moms prone to thrush (yeast infection of the nipples)
- Very sensitive nipples that even soft fabric irritates
You wear them inside your bra between nursing sessions, then remove and rinse before the next feeding. They’re reusable throughout your entire breastfeeding journey and even for future babies.
While they’re an investment (more expensive than nipple cream), many moms say they saved their breastfeeding relationship when nothing else was working.
5. Disposable Nursing Pads to Manage Leaking
Until your milk supply regulates—which can take 6-12 weeks—leaking is constant and unpredictable.
What you need:
Disposable nursing pads that absorb leaks and keep your bra and clothing dry throughout the day and night.
Why it matters:
Milk leaks when:
- You hear any baby cry (not just yours—any baby anywhere)
- It’s been a few hours since you last nursed
- You’re having a letdown on the opposite side while nursing
- You’re in the shower (warm water often triggers letdown)
- You think about your baby
- You smell your baby
- Basically anytime, for reasons you can’t always predict
Walking around with wet clothing is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and can lead to bacterial or yeast growth on your nipples. Nursing pads catch leaks discreetly so you can leave the house without worrying about visible wet spots.
Many moms prefer disposable over reusable nursing pads in the early weeks because:
- Laundry is already overwhelming
- You’re changing them multiple times per day
- Disposables are thinner and less visible under clothing
- You can just toss them rather than dealing with milk-soaked pads in your laundry
Once you’re past the heavy leaking phase (usually around 8-12 weeks), you can switch to washable nursing pads if you prefer to reduce waste.
Buy more than you think you’ll need. Running out of nursing pads at 2 am when you’re leaking through your shirt is miserable.
6. Nipple Shields (Backup Plan for Feeding Challenges)
While not every mom needs nipple shields, having them on hand can be crucial if breastfeeding difficulties arise. This is one of those “better to have and not need than need and not have at 2 am” items.
What you need:
Thin silicone nipple shields in the correct size for your anatomy (usually 20mm, 24mm, or 27mm).
Why it matters:
Nipple shields can be helpful—as a temporary tool—when:
- Baby has a shallow latch you’re working with a lactation consultant to correct
- Your nipples are flat or inverted and baby is struggling to draw them out
- You have severely damaged nipples that need to heal while you continue nursing
- Baby has tongue-tie or lip-tie and you’re waiting for revision
- Baby is premature or has a weak suck and needs the shield’s structure to latch effectively
- You have very fast letdown and baby is struggling with the flow
Let me be clear: nipple shields are a tool, not a solution. They’re meant to be used temporarily while you address the underlying latch issue with professional support. Long-term nipple shield use can decrease milk transfer and supply.
But in those desperate early moments when baby won’t latch and you’re in tears and it’s the middle of the night? Having nipple shields available can make the difference between giving up on breastfeeding entirely and making it through until you can get lactation support.
Size matters with nipple shields. If you can, see a lactation consultant to be sized correctly. If you’re ordering blindly, most average-sized nipples fit 24mm shields best.
What About Pumping Supplies?
You might notice I haven’t included an electric breast pump in this list. Here’s why:
If you’re exclusively breastfeeding and not planning to return to work immediately, you likely don’t need a full electric pump in the first few weeks. The Haakaa collects plenty of milk for occasional bottles, and nursing directly is establishing your supply.
If you’re planning to pump regularly (returning to work, exclusively pumping, building a freezer stash), you’ll need a double electric breast pump—but that’s a separate, comprehensive topic that deserves its own detailed guide.
If you’re eligible for insurance-covered pumps, make sure you’ve ordered yours during pregnancy so it’s ready when you need it.
The items in this list focus specifically on supporting your body through the physical demands and challenges of direct breastfeeding in those early weeks.
When Breastfeeding Doesn’t Go as Planned
Let me address something important: not every breastfeeding journey looks the same, and not everyone continues breastfeeding.
Some moms face challenges that can’t be overcome with supplies alone:
- Insufficient glandular tissue (IGT) that prevents full milk production
- Severe tongue or lip ties that require surgical revision
- Medications incompatible with breastfeeding
- NICU stays that complicate establishing breastfeeding
- Personal or medical reasons to stop
If you find yourself struggling despite having all the right supplies, that is not your fault. Sometimes breastfeeding doesn’t work out despite your best efforts, and fed is truly what matters most.
These supplies support breastfeeding when it’s working. They cannot force breastfeeding to work if your body or baby’s anatomy makes it impossible.
At The Birthing Noire Collective, our postpartum doula support includes helping you navigate feeding decisions—whether that’s supporting breastfeeding, helping you make an informed choice to stop, or supporting you through the grief of an unexpected feeding journey.
Don’t Forget the Foundation Essentials
These six breastfeeding-specific items are in addition to—not instead of—the foundation postpartum recovery essentials every new mother needs.
You still need:
- Postpartum underwear for bleeding
- Pain relief medication
- Afterease for uterine cramping (which gets worse with breastfeeding)
- Postnatal vitamins to support milk production and your nutrient needs
- Stool softener
- Large water bottle (even more critical when breastfeeding)
- Heating pad (great for engorgement relief before nursing)
See the complete foundation essentials list
And if you had a vaginal birth or cesarean, you’ll need additional recovery items specific to your birth type:
Vaginal birth? See perineal recovery essentials
Cesarean birth? See c-section recovery essentials
When to Get These Items
Order all breastfeeding supplies during your third trimester (around 32-36 weeks) so they’re waiting at home when you return from the hospital.
Here’s why this timing matters:
Breastfeeding challenges often begin immediately. Your milk comes in around day 2-5 postpartum. Nipple soreness starts with the first feeding. Leaking begins as soon as milk production ramps up. You need these supplies from day one, not three days later when Amazon finally delivers.
You can’t predict which items you’ll need most. Maybe your nipples handle nursing beautifully and you never need silver cups. Or maybe you develop severe cracking on day two and desperately wish you had them. Having everything on hand means you’re prepared for any scenario.
Postpartum you is too overwhelmed to research products. When you’re sleep-deprived, hormonal, in pain, and trying to keep a newborn alive, you do not have the capacity to read reviews and compare nursing bras. Do that work now, while you can think clearly.
How The Birthing Noire Collective Supports Your Breastfeeding Journey
These supplies support the physical aspects of breastfeeding, but successful nursing requires more than just products.
At The Birthing Noire Collective, our postpartum support includes:
- Home visits during the early weeks to check on breastfeeding progress
- Hands-on positioning and latching support
- Connection to our lactation specialist on the team for complex issues
- Recognition of when problems require professional lactation consultant intervention
- Emotional support through breastfeeding challenges and decisions
- Validation that your feeding choices—whatever they are—are valid
We don’t just leave you with supplies and hope it works out. We check in, troubleshoot problems, celebrate victories, and support you through the difficult moments.
Ready to ensure you have comprehensive support for both birth and postpartum—including breastfeeding?
to discuss how The Birthing Noire Collective can support your complete postpartum journey. Because breastfeeding support shouldn’t end when you leave the hospital.
The Bottom Line: Breastfeeding Requires Support
Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Your body is doing remarkable biological work—producing milk, healing from birth, adjusting to motherhood—all while caring for a newborn who needs you constantly.
You deserve supplies that make this work more comfortable. You deserve protection for your nipples, support for your breasts, and tools that help you succeed at breastfeeding if that’s your goal.
These six items—nursing bra, Haakaa, nipple cream, silver nursing cups, nursing pads, and nipple shields—address the real, physical challenges of early breastfeeding. They’re not luxury items. They’re recovery essentials for nursing mothers.
Don’t wait until you’re in pain to order these. Prepare now.
And remember: these items work best alongside the foundation recovery essentials every postpartum mom needs, plus any recovery items specific to your birth type vaginal or cesarean
Because successful breastfeeding starts with supporting the mother doing the feeding.
I earn a small affiliate commission from the items listed above
