Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Please also note that I only recommend products that I use and trust. Thank you for your support!
Motherhood is overwhelming. As in really overwhelming. No words can really describe it and unless you’re a mom yourself, then you know what I mean.
I have been a mom for 4.5 months now. Yes, very fresh! And I had quite a steep learning curve as I did not do any major preparations for being a mom apart from buying the essential baby gear. I did not do any advance reading nor take up any fancy prenatal course. Since giving birth to my daughter, I was mostly winging it…and just asked a lot of questions to my midwife…and Google.
What’s great about insurance coverage in Switzerland is that it includes 16 midwife visits if C section delivery, and 10 visits if normal delivery, valid until 56 days after giving birth. The midwife visits really helped a lot in terms of learning things like how to clean my baby’s nose with saline drops, how to give her a bath, or how to give her a massage. In general it’s just a very comfortable feeling as a new mom to know that you have a dedicated resource person who will address your queries and concerns. And even outside the actual visits, my midwife was also kind enough to answer my questions via Whatsapp messages.
Apart from learning the ins and outs of taking care of my newborn daughter, I also breastfeed.
Breastfeeding adds another dimension to being a new mom. You think just because your breasts produce milk then you’re fine? Nope. Mainly, there is the pain of actual breastfeeding. The first time (and pretty much every time) your baby sucks on your breast, it’s like “holy mother of fudge!” kind of pain. And if you have a baby like mine that feeds like she has not eaten for days when in reality her last feeding was less than an hour ago, then your bosoms are in for a ride. Apart from pain management, there are also the following topics- latching, pumping, sufficiency of milk supply, and preventing mastitis.
As majority of my time is spent on feeding sessions, it’s no surprise that 3 out of 5 of my can’t-live-without products so far are related to breastfeeding.
So here are my lifesavers in no particular order:
1. Nursing Pillow
For the first 2 months as I learned how to breastfeed, I used the nursing pillow to support my arm on the feeding side.
Afterwards I discovered a better position of feeding where my back is more relaxed, which is when the nursing pillow provides a good cushion for my back.
There are many kinds of nursing pillows in the market but luckily I stumbled upon the Swiss based website mamastore.ch which has many soft, cute and cuddly baby stuff. The nursing pillow was my first purchase from the online store.
My nursing pillow is called Chic Chick Yoga candy sloth in powder pink. It’s really soft, compact and cuddly. It really saved my arms and back muscles from getting strained from breastfeeding.
2. Nipple Shields
When I started breastfeeding and realized how brutally painful it can get, I then started researching about products that can help ease the pain of breastfeeding. I can assure you, it’s no fun breastfeeding with cracked and already hurting nipples! I then came across nipple shields. This product changed my life. It improved my overall breastfeeding experience. Now before I continue, please note that in general, there are two schools of thought on the usage of nipple shields: there’s the one that are totally against it as it may result in nipple confusion, issues with breastmilk supply, etc. Then there are those that are in favor. My take on this is, give it a chance and discuss your concerns with your doctor/lactation consultant. Every baby is different too so you have to see what works with your little one. Luckily for me, I had no problems with my milk supply. My daughter is also fine with switching feedings between with/without nipple shields and with the feeding bottle.
There are many types of nipple shields in the market and you have to buy the size that fits your nipple. What I have is the Medela contact nipple shields.
3. Electric Baby Nail Trimmer
One of the tasks I used to dread the most was cutting my baby’s nails. Everytime you do it, there is always the fear that you might accidentally cut your baby’s fingers. As I was too scared to trim my little one’s nails, I had to wait until the nails have grown long enough to be cut. Babies’ finger and toe nails are cute until they turn into CLAWS. It was horrible! My daughter got scratches on her face and scratched me as well mostly on my chest. So when I saw an ad featuring the electric baby nail trimmer, I ordered it right away.
This product is another game changer! It’s very easy to use and really worth it. Baby’s finger nails grow quite fast so I use this every other day. It’s basically a battery operated nail file. You just need to try when the left (L) or right (R) rotation works better on which side of the baby’s nail. As a bonus, it comes with the polisher and nail file heads that can be used by mommy too! You can find it here: Electric baby nail trimmer.
4. Haakaa Hand Pump
I currently have a hospital grade Medela symphony pump. It’s great, very efficient. The downside however is that it comes with many parts that you have to assemble and wash every time you pump.
I learned about the Haakaa pump from another mom friend. I was a bit skeptical at first, like “Why would I need this additional pump when I already have a very powerful one?” It’s a fact that mostly whenever you nurse on one side, the other side also gets stimulated and leaks. Before buying the Haakaa pump, I would just let the leaked milk get absorbed by the breast pad. But with it, all those milk are saved. And wow, especially if the baby sleeps for more than 2 hours, the amount of milk can be as much as 40ml in one go. With the number of times a mom breastfeeds her baby in a day, a good amount of milk can be saved conveniently and without having to set a separate time for pumping. More time for mommy to have a snooze! Find it here: Haakaa hand pump
5. Baby Tracker App
This app definitely lives up to its name. You can track feeding sessions, diaper changes, sleep times, pumping sessions, and more. It offers a lot of help to already overwhelmed and sleep deprived moms to monitor the key activities with her baby which are basically feeding, sleeping and changing nappies. You think you’ll remember which breast you nursed your child with just less than an hour ago? Or when you last changed your baby’s diaper? Think again. Mommy brain is real.
And with all the data that you record in the app, you can then check the stats…and wish at some point that your baby’s sleep chart becomes more consistent. Read more about it here: Baby Tracker.
So those are the 5 products that I currently cannot live without. What do you think? Please let me know of your comments in the FB post.
