There are several different types of breastfeeding products, each aimed at making nursing more comfortable and convenient for both mom and baby. A breastfeeding pump is one of the most common nursing products, especially among working mothers. Nursing apparel, such as specialized tops and bras, help to make breastfeeding quicker and easier, particular for mothers of frequent eaters. Nursing pillows and breast pads are also routinely sold as breastfeeding products.
A breast pump is used to express milk from the mother so her baby can be fed when she is away. They can be either manual or electric and pump from both breasts at once or one at a time. The milk is pumped either directly into a bottle, common with manual single breast pumps, or into a milk storage bag.
A breast pump can also help relieve some engorgement prior to an infant nursing from the breast; engorgement causes the breast to harden, which can make it difficult for baby to latch on. Most working mothers use a breast pump to express milk for their child when they're away from home. Even mothers who do not work often pump their milk so another caregiver or the child's father can feed the baby.
Nursing apparel is uniquely designed to provide the baby with easy access to the breast. Nursing bras usually have thick shoulder straps with a hook at the top of the cup that removes the cloth from the breast area. This eliminates the need for the mother to remove her entire bra before nursing and provides discretion when nursing in public.
Specialized clothes are also considered breastfeeding products. Tops are typically designed with a removable piece of cloth over the breast area. This allows for a nursing woman to easily expose her nipple area for the baby to latch on, while still keeping the top of her chest and her stomach covered. For many women, these types of tops remove the need for breastfeeding covers or blankets because the body remains covered when the child is eating.
Nursing pillows are uniquely designed to help breastfeeding mothers nurse their child in comfort. When nursing, the baby has to be held up to the breast in order to latch on and eat. A breastfeeding pillow used underneath the child reduces a great deal of strain from the mother's arms and back. These types of breastfeeding products can also be useful for mothers of twins; the U shape of the pillow, which wraps itself around the mother's waist, provides support on both sides of her body for both babies.
Breast pads protect clothing and bras from breast milk stains, thereby making them popular breastfeeding products. Breast pads come in both washable and disposable forms, and fit inside a woman's bra. If any milk leaks, which is extremely common in the first several months of nursing, the pad absorbs the wetness. This not only protects a woman from unsightly damp spots on her chest, but also protects her nipples from chaffing. These breastfeeding products are sold all over the world and can help to make breastfeeding an easy and comfortable way of feeding a child.
