Looking for helpful tips to get you through the early days of breastfeeding? Find out what tools can make your and your baby's breastfeeding experience easier and more enjoyable.
There are plenty of tools to make the breastfeeding experience one that is as stress-free as possible. Here's a look at some breastfeeding essentials no nursing mother should be without.

Bras Built for Nursing

"It is helpful to have a few nursing bras or 'sleep' bras that mothers can wear under hospital gowns and around the house," says Jan Ellen Brown, RDH, IBLCLC, with The Nursing Mother's Place at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Some mothers also will purchase a few everyday nursing bras ahead of time since they may not be shopping after the birth for a few weeks. Most nursing bras allow for growth and expansion as well as the ribcage shrinking after delivery," Brown adds.

Nursing bras can be found in various sizes and styles, including underwire and seamless. When selecting a bra, allow room in the cups for nursing pads which keep leaking milk from damaging your clothing. Purchase more than one bra and look for bras that are easy to unhook and unsnap—ideally using one hand.

Clothes for Fast Feeding

Many women appreciate the convenience of wearing clothes designed specifically for breastfeeding moms. These shirts, dresses, and pajamas have openings on both sides, allowing women to breastfeed their babies discreetly. While wearing nursing clothes is a matter of personal preference, many women couldn't live without them. "I wear one—usually a nursing tank—everyday and have several nursing gowns/sleepwear that I also use," says Pinson. "Wearing nursing shirts made me feel more comfortable when I was learning how to breastfeed in public; also, I find it more convenient to nurse at home in nursing wear."

Nursing fashion is known best for being practical, but with organizations such at the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending mothers nurse for the first 12 months of babies' lives, more women are breastfeeding longer—which means more fashions to choose from. Today nursing mothers can choose clothes that fit their lifestyles and occasion; whether it's for a postnatal yoga class, an important meeting at the office, or a night on the town, nursing fashions have come a long way with designing clothes that are current and trendy.18dfd84fb1f97f146589626a15707ce5.js" "">