Must-have items if you plan to breastfeed.

Want to make breastfeeding as easy and convenient as possible? Have these waiting for you when you come home from the hospital -- in fact, you may want to bring a few of these to the hospital with you!

Essentials:

• Breast pads (to absorb leaks; sold at drugstores with baby supplies)
• Daytime nursing bras (in the size you're wearing during pregnancy, or bigger)
• Nighttime nursing bras (soft cotton without much support, mainly just to hold breast pads so you don't leak)
• Nursing pillow (such as the Boppy or the My Breast Friend)

You might appreciate having

• Button-down shirts
• Shirts and pajamas with nursing panels (sold by companies such as Motherwear and Motherhood Maternity)

• Lanolin cream for sore or cracked nipples (at drugstores)
• A good breastfeeding book such, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics' New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding (2002) or La Leche League's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (1997)

If you'll be pumping

• Hand pump (for occasional pumping, relieving engorgement, or pumping someplace tricky, such as in the car)
• Electric pump (great if you'll be working or need to pump often)
• Collection bottles or bags
• Cooler to carry milk home
• Bottles and newborn nipples

And whether you're bottle- or breastfeeding, you'll appreciate these:

• Bibs
• Burp cloths
• Glider or rocking chair, or any seat that's very comfortable
• Footstool or ottoman

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.