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You might have heard that all you need to breastfeed is well…breasts. And that’s true!

However, there are a lot of things that can make breastfeeding more comfortable and convenient.

Some of the links in the post are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission, at no cost to you.

I was able to breastfeed my baby for 13 months and I couldn’t be more proud of myself!

It required a great deal of luck, stamina, and determination. There were so many days where I wanted to quit.

You’ll see below that there are pumps on this list. Prior to having my daughter, I was given a Spectra pump and Haakaa. I never thought I would use them – but once I needed them, I was so grateful that I had them on hand.

I eventually started pumping during naptime and freezing the milk to build a freezer stash. It is NOT necessary to have one, but it made me more comfortable to have one.

My husband was able to give our baby a bottle of milk so that I could have a break. It sounds counterintuitive, but if I didn’t pump that one bottle every day and get that break, I probably would’ve quit breastfeeding. It gave me a small dose of freedom and time so that I could fill my own cup.

So, keep reading to see what’s on my list of breastfeeding essentials.

A High Quality Lip Balm

An Insulated Water Bottle

Power/Protein Bars

Nursing Tanks

Nursing Bras

A Boppy

A Stylish Boppy Cover

Muslin Cloths

Disposable Nursing Pads

Reusable Nursing Pads

Nipple Butter

Breast Ice Packs

The Haakaa

A Spectra Pump

Spectra Pump Parts (make sure to measure before purchasing)

Breastmilk Storage Bags

The last thing I’ll add is this book on nursing. Friends and the internet were my main sources of help when it came to breastfeeding, but The Nursing Mother’s Companion had a lot of great tips in book form!

Be sure to check out my post on my experience with breastfeeding here!

Did you use any of these while breastfeeding?

Is there anything you would add to this list?

Let me know below!