Breastfeeding Shopping List

I have created my baby shopping list and intentionally left out my breastfeeding needs because this is a whole different animal all on its own. I have already identified things that I will be needing.

1. Breast Pump I am fortunate because my brother and SIL gave me their Medela single electric pump so I do not need to worry about getting this. UPDATE: It is not a good idea to share a closed system pump like the Medela single electric pump. As such, I am now going to buy a new pump. More on this in this post.
2. Nursing Cover I am not sure if this is necessary since I think I have shawls in storage that can double as a nursing cover. I have to check if those shawls are safe for the baby.
3. Nursing Clothes I have managed to get to 22 weeks without having to buy so many maternity clothes in total I only had to buy five mainly because I have so many loose shift dresses. Nursing clothes is a different story though. I have not worn pants in a while but now that I am going to breastfeed, I might have to start wearing them again because I have not seen many dresses that are breastfeeding friendly. I dread the day when I have to go pants shopping because my waistline has gone where it has never gone before! I am also anticipating a Cesarean operation so I am not sure how easy it will be to wear pants. Update: A friend of mine recommended Mamaway Philippines. They have tops and dresses that are supposedly great for nursing moms. I can't figure out though how I will be able to pop one breast for my baby in some of the designs. I wish they had an illustration of some sort. Update: A mother of four told me that I can do without buying new clothes if I have button down blouses. I can just undo the top buttons if the top is a bit tight or I can undo the bottom buttons if the top is loose enough. The top can serve as a modesty cover as well.
4. Nursing Bra I have bought some in two waves. My size is continuously changing thanks to my appetite and to my hormones. I may have to buy more depending on how my size still changes. I was surprised that there were not so many options at SM Department Store. Wacoal and  Triumph do not offer nursing bras. It was only So-en that carries this type of bra they have been okay so far but I wish they offered more support.
5. Breast Pads I do not know what brands there are, I just know that I need to get these because I have been forewarned by my mom that I will get leaks if I decide to breastfeed. She thinks I will have a very difficult time once I go back to work. I agree but I want to try at least because I have heard of the many advantages of breastfeeding. I saw Mamaway Philippines also sells breast pads. It's almost 1300 PHP for 240 pads. I wonder how often I will have to change these. I was told the Pigeon brand is the best because this has adhesives around it so that it stays in place. I hear the locally manufactured ones are bulky though. To save on breast pads, I can also opt for washable breast pads that I can use at home. I will definitely consider this option.
6. Nipple Cream I have first heard of horror stories about how the nipples get chafed and raw on Oprah way back when I was in college. It scared me then and it still scares me now.  I read that ice can  help soothe the pain. I can only imagine the horrible pain described by mothers but as they say, smart people learn from their mistakes, smarter people learn from other people's mistakes. I want to be smarter. I will not go through this unprepared. I will be scared but prepared hence, the nipple cream. Update: I was told that I may actually not need a nipple cream. If I develop rashes, I can simply use my breast milk to heal myself. Breast milk can also be used on the baby's rashes apparently. Will read on this first and then update this post as needed.
7. Milkies Milk Saver This product is meant to catch the milk from the leaking breast while the baby feeds on the other breast. I only read about this today and I think this is a great idea. I read though that it tends to spill when the mom leans forward or when the mom is lying down. I am not planning on buying one right away, will try to catch leaking milk with a bottle, maybe that will work just as well.
8. Pump and Save Bags Since I will be going back to work two months after I give birth, I will have to stock up on breast milk. I hear I can store milk this way. Apparently, I can freeze the milk but in small amounts so the milk can thaw quickly. Also, I must remember not to microwave the milk because it can burn my baby's mouth. There are more tips in this site. Update: I was told that it will be easier to get more bottles and use them as storage for the milk, this way there will be no need to transfer the contents of the bag to the bottle. I will have to check the size of our freezer though.
9. Cooler I do not know how big the cooler should be or what kind I should get yet. I did see a 9-quart Coleman cooler yesterday at Ace Hardware that's less than 1,000.00 PHP. This looks like a small ice chest and it can hold up to maybe six cans of Coke so maybe it's big enough. I saw that there's a commuter tote that has the same capacity on the Coleman website. What's nice about the tote is that it can be compressed if there aren't so many things inside. I have not seen this in malls but that might be because I have not been actively searching.
10. Ice Pack Breast milk can only last up to 24 hours only if it is placed in a cooler with ice pack. Otherwise, it will only last up to six hours. 

This is my list so far. Will try to add more if I learn from other moms that I need more. I will also start to scout for the actual brands at stores.