We’ve reviewed a heck of a lot of breastfeeding products over the years – some great, some not so great.  So for this week, I went straight to the source:

I asked some Moms who have or are breastfeeding what their favorite products were and this is what they came up with -

Bebe Au Lait

Jen from After the Alter and Mommies with Style loves her Bebe Au Lait.  She uses it with her son and loves that it allows her to “feed my son wherever, whenever, without feeling exposed!”  I loved my Bebe Au Lait too (as you can see from the photo with my second son years ago)!

Bamboobies

Danielle Friedland from Giggle  said that besides her boobs being the best product of all (of course!),  she loved her Bamboobies, washable nursing pads that prevent leakage!

My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

Ciaran from Momfluential said her best friend was her Brest Friend nursing pillow.

Glamourmom Nursing Tank

Julie and I both loved our Glamourmom Nursing Tanks.  These tanks were the best – they hold in your stomach yet provide easy access for nursing on the go.

Lansinoh Lanolin

My friend Stefanie relied on Lansinoh Lanolin to help with chapped nipples and lips for she and baby.

What about you?  What are your favorite breastfeeding products?

Other links from Mommies with Style about Breastfeeding:
I told my breastfeeding vs. formula feeding history earlier this year in this Bump Month Breastfeeding Post

Mixed Reactions as the Breastfeeding Doll Hits the States

Read more Breastfeeding reviews and thoughts on our Breastfeeding Tag and Category here on Mommies with Style

Every nursing mom knows the dread you feel every time you go to buy a nursing bra, only to find yet another bland nude colored one. Yes, the nude bra goes with everything, but it certainly does not help to make you feel at all attractive. And who doesn’t want to feel attractive sometimes? Why can’t there be a nursing bra that mimics “regular” lingerie? That way you can nurse, and feel pretty at the same time. Ladies…the good news that there are nursing bras that can do that. You can find  a bunch of options with You! Lingerie ! A pretty solution to the a common nursing bra problem.

You! Lingerie’s mission is to make new mommies, and mommies to be to feel confident and look beautiful every day. That’s a wonderful goal if you ask me. The bras provide a perfect balance between functionality, support and comfort with out sacrificing style.

Here are some great and unique features that make You! Lingerie bras ($29.99-$34.99) special.

• Soft cups (no under wire) for maximum comfort when breasts are at their fullest to accommodate their size.
• Luxurious fabrics and sexy colors with soft cotton lining to prevent chafing
• Easy and convenient nursing clips for one handed opening
• Matching panties to make the lingerie all come together

I personally liked the Isis blue bra and panty set. The colors were so fun and playful! The moment I put it on I was hooked. The bra was extremely comfortable, and the matching panties were a great fit. Very true to size. That is very important when ordering a bra…knowing that it will fit.

You! Lingerie would also make a great gift! Mom’s never think about themselves, so why not treat them! Going to a shower? How about for the lingerie line?

It’s time for mom’s to feel sexy again, and a You! Lingerie bra and panty set is a great way to start.

Breastfeeding 3 week old Cole with my Bebe Au Lait Nusing Cover. Look at his tiny little legs sticking out!

This week’s topic for #BumpMonth is Breastfeeding.

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I think I have a somewhat unique experience as I formula fed my first and breastfeed my second.  I’ve written about this a few times so here’s a little excerpt from a review I published here last year:

I formula fed my first son when he was an infant.  I walked into the hospital at 41 weeks and if someone had stopped me and asked me if I was going to breastfeed or formula feed as I was walking in, I would have responded, “I’m going to try and breastfeed and see how it goes.”  But I didn’t know much and after a horrible first time delivery that ended up in an emergency c-section, I gave up breastfeeding after two weeks.

When my second son was born in 2006, I was a little better prepared.  He was breastfed until he was 11 months old.  It was easy.

While I have two totally healthy and happy children and I don’t believe in regrets, I do often wonder if I would have made it beyond two weeks with Nate had I been given more breastfeeding support.  But I didn’t know that I needed to get it. I had cans of formula, I was depressed and breastfeeding was hard, so it seemed like an obvious path.

While I find nothing wrong with formula feeding, I do wish for every new Mom that they could receive as much support as possible to make the breastfeeding choice.  To know that, hell yah, it’s really hard in the beginning – but if you power through it, it gets easier.  It may not work out for everyone – and everyone has to do their best to do what’s right for both their baby and themselves but I wholeheartedly feel that making the effort and having the support in the beginning is key.

I wanted to add too that besides the obvious better choice health-wise, I think in the end breastfeeding can be so much easier on Mom too.  It was for me.  I got more sleep when I breastfeed since I was the bottle.  Getting up with Nate to get a bottle, heat up the formula, etc ended up being much more a hassle than when you’re a walking milk machine.  And of course going out is the same – I loved not having to lug around a bunch of supplies when it was Cole’s turn.  (Other than a nursing cover.  Which I will also note was huge for me as I’m a modest person and having a cover made it possible for me to comfortably nurse in public.  But I digress…)

Check out the other Bump Month posts for the month of May.  I also have a giveaway for over $1000 worth of baby products in conjunction with Bump Month.  Haven’t entered yet?  You can do so here.

This post is apart of a series of posts inspired and sponsored by “All about the Bump Month.”  To visit our sponsor page please click here.

Meet the 9 Bumpin’ Bloggers

Kelly Whalen              The Centsible Life @centsiblelife
Julie Meyers Pron    Just Precious @justprecious
Andrea Fellman        Savvy Sassy Moms @savvysassymoms
Jessica Rosenberg   It’s My Life @kikarose
Laurie Cooper         Guessing all the Way @clueless_mama
Leticia Barr               Tech Savvy Mama @techsavvymama
Alison Ray                Sassy Moms in the City @sassymomchicago
Grace Duffy               Formely Gracie @graceduffy
Whitney Wingerd    Mommies with Style @WhitneyMWS

As a breastfeeding mom I am sometimes forced to feed my son in places other than my couch. Luckily I am not extremely shy about it, but there still is a need to cover up. I have a nursing cover, but sometimes it’s just to big and bulky to carry around in my already full diaper bag. For times like that it’s nice to have something small and versatile like The Cover Me Strap.

The Cover Me Strap ($12) is an adjustable strap that clasps onto any blanket or towel so that it instantly becomes a nursing cover! It is certainly a less expensive option to a large bulky nursing cover. The strap comes in twelve different colors and patterns that is sure to suit everyone’s needs. I loved that I was able to easily throw the strap in my purse and diaper bag. It definitely gave some truth to the saying “less is sometimes more!”

The Cover Me Strap can be used for many other things too!

• Nursing Cover (bib style)
• Nursing Cover (diagonal style)
• Bib Clip
• Sun Blocker
• Blanket Keeper
• Lovey Leash

I like the lovey leash idea! I am sure soon enough my little guy will be throwing stuff out of his stroller. Having it safe and sound attached to The Cover Me Strap sounds good to me!

Now you may get the chance to try one for FREE! One Mommies With Style reader will win a Cover Me Strap of their very own! The winner will be drawn on Sunday April 17th.  Here’s how to enter…

Go to the Cover Me Strap Website and tell us which pattern you like the best!

In the meantime, or if you don’t win, you can still get a Cover Me Strap at a 10% discount by using the code STYLE.

Any product that has multiple purposes and can make my already full bag less full is a winner in my book. I think you’ll like it too!

I was provided with a cover me strap for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a nursing mom I am torn when it comes to nursing bras…I don’t want to buy alot because lets face it eventually I will be finished nursing and I won’t need them. But then I find that if I don’t have enough, I am constantly washing the ones I have. And who has time for that? So I am always happy to get a new nursing bra, and I was excited to try the Allure Underwire Nursing bra from Bravado! ($54 from Bare Necessities).

I waited a little while to go with the underwire nursing bra because I heard that it’s important to not use one until your milk fully comes in. But now that it has, I was ready to give the girls some more support! I went a little crazy and got the bra in Black! That’s right, I strayed from the beige and the white! Shame on me right? Nah! I loved the look of this bra with the lace features. It made the bra feel a little more feminine and less like all the other nursing bras I have.

The one negative I found with this bra was the sizing. I feel like it runs a bit big, so keep that in mind when ordering for yourself through Bare Necessities. One thing nursing breasts done need is less support, fit is very important. All in all I was pleased with the Bravado brand bra, and extremely pleased with Bare Necessities!

If underwire is not your thing, be sure to check out the Bare Necessities site for tons of other nursing bras in many different styles and price ranges. They have something for everyone!

I was provided with the Bravado! Nursing Bra for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my favorite features was the built-in bottle holders on the purple pump unit, so I didn’t knock the bottles over (yes, that’s happened to me before and I do cry over spilled milk). The pump is designed for everyday long term use and I was really happy with how it performed. It’s guaranteed to prevent milk backup in the tubing & pump and everything is BPA free. The pump comes with two extra white valves, two bottles and caps for pumping.  It doesn’t fit the same size bottles I have from another company, so I recommend purchasing more bottles if you plan on pumping often. I wish that I could use Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags to pump directly into, but they do not work with it (too bad, because I love them).

All parts can be steam-sterilized in a microwave bag except the tubing which never needs to be cleaned or sterilized because it does not come into contact with breastmilk. You can also use boiling water to sterilize as well.

If you are going to store your milk – here are the guidelines on the Lansinoh website.

Thank you to Lansinoh for providing the Affinity Double Electric Breast Pump for product testing purposes.

When it comes to nursing comfort is key in my book. As a matter of fact, since I have pretty much been home bound, I basically wear anything comfortable that makes nursing as easy as possible. That means nothing at all fashionable. Thus far I have stuck to zippered sweat shirts, and nursing tanks. Things like that have been my day time wardrobe, but when it comes to the night time, I have found a GREAT pair of pajamas that not only are comfortable…but a little sexy too! The brand is HOTmilk, and I am in love with this pair of pajamas.  It’s time for this mama to feel sexy again!

HOTmilk is a brand that sells nursing lingerie. So many of the nursing items out there are so basic and plain (can you say beige??)…which most of the time is ok. But sometimes a woman  wants to feel pretty even when wearing nursing items,  and that’s where HOTmilk comes in. They sell nursing bras with matching underwear and pajamas. All the items are feminine and pretty. A feeling I don’t always get to feel with undone hair and sweatpants.

There are so many factors that are great about this pair of pajamas. The pair I received are no longer available, but the ones pictured above are close.  They are called “Delighted by her victory” (Top: $24.80/Bottoms $24.60). My favorite part is that you don’t have to wear a separate nursing bra. The camisole offers great support, and a place for nursing pads right in the top! I also love the snap down straps that make it easy to drop each side for easy feeding. The bottoms are great too! They are comfortable and fit great.

Can you tell that I love these pajamas? I really do! I may get another pair because I get so sad when this pair is in the wash! HOTMilk pajamas get an A+!

HOTmilk provided me with a pair of pajamas for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

There were many things I liked about it — it fit snugly ( it’s adjustable with velcro panels). You can wear it without or with straps – which can be configured in a halter, tank or racerback style. It zipped from the top to the bottom- which at first I thought it was odd, but worked really well. Especially with taking off the breast pump shields (attached to full bottles of milk.). Not a drop of precious milk spilled out of the breast shield openings on the bustier while pumping – the seal was tight (the opening is layered 4 ways with fabric). The only thing I didn’t like was that I kept  putting it on upside down and confusing myself, so to make sure I got it right, I attached a black hair band to the right strap on the bustier and my problem was solved!

Thank you to Simples Wishes for the product sample.

So I received this note in my inbox yesterday.  Sponsored by donation of product from Lansinoh, Cottonwood Kids and more, there are now roughly 200 hospitals nationally that give a Healthy Baby Bounty Bag to a new Mom at discharge.

The bag contains milk storage bags, disposable nipple pads, samples, coupons, and information that supports and encourages breastfeeding benefits for both mom and baby.

When I had my first son, I walked out of the hospital with numerous goodies – both Similac and Enfamil samples and formula-branded products.

I formula fed my first son when he was an infant.  I walked into the hospital at 41 weeks and if someone had stopped me and asked me if I was going to breastfeed or formula feed as I was walking in, I would have responded, “I’m going to try and breastfeed and see how it goes.”  But I didn’t know much and after a horrible first time delivery that ended up in an emergency c-section, I gave up breastfeeding after two weeks.

When my second son was born in 2006, I was a little better prepared.  He was breastfed until he was 11 months old.

While I have two totally healthy and happy children and I don’t believe in regrets, I do often wonder if I would have made it beyond two weeks with Nate had I been given more breastfeeding support.  But I didn’t know that I needed to get it. I had cans of formula, I was depressed and breastfeeding was hard, so it seemed like an obvious path.

While I find nothing wrong with formula feeding, I do wish for every new Mom that they could receive as much support as possible to make the breastfeeding choice.  To know that, hell yah, it’s really hard in the beginning – but if you power through it, it gets easier.

Which is why, I’m all for the breastfeeding bag being given to new Moms. Give Mom a choice.  And when you’re home those first few days, to have a bag filled with products that help encourage breastfeeding and ease the pain those first few days seems like a step in the right direction.

Is your hospital on the list as one of the hospitals that gives out the bag?  I know that one of mine is, and one isn’t.  You can submit a letter to get your hospital on the list.

While I was familiar with their products, I had a very positive experience testing out their More Milk Plus capsules ($23.95) — which contains their more milk plus alcohol free liquid concentrate in vegetarian capsules. This herbal formula is designed to quickly increase breast milk production (don’t use if pregnant). It contains fenugreek seed, blessed thistle, nettle, fennel seed, non-GMO soy lecithin, modified vegetable cellulose, and coconut oil. All of the herbs are Certified Organic. The capsules does not contain any milk, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or gluten.

Next, I tested out their Nipple Cream ($9.95).  This soothing salve does not contain lanolin or vitamin E and really relieves sore, cracked nipples. The ingredients are extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, and calendula.  All the ingredients are safe for baby and it doesn’t need to washed off before nursing.

Also notable is their Diaper Rash and Thrush Cream ($9.95), which is an all-natural salve for diaper rash. Contains extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, oregon grape root, myrrh, yarrow and calendula.

Thank you to Motherlove Herbal for providing product samples for review purposes.