When I had my first baby at 25, I thought breastfeeding would be the most natural thing in the world. After all, my mom had breastfed me—so of course it would “just happen” for me too, right? Oh, how naive I was.
Nobody really tells you how hard breastfeeding can be. Sure, you hear things like “it’s a beautiful bonding experience” or “it might be a little uncomfortable at first.” But the reality? For me, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.
At 25, I didn’t prepare. I didn’t even own a nursing chair (sooooo naive!). I had no pumps, no creams, no lactation cookies, not even the faintest idea of how to handle sore nipples or cluster feeding (honestly, I didn’t even know what cluster feeding meant at that time). I thought my body would just know what to do. Spoiler: it didn’t (ha!). Those first months were painful, exhausting, and made me feel blindsided (why nobody warns you about it?), failing at something that was supposed to be “natural.”
Fast forward nine years. At 34, with my second baby, I knew better. This time, I was determined to prepare for breastfeeding like it was an Olympic sport—and I was coming in with a full training kit.
I promised myself I’d get the best nursing chair I could find, so and I bought the Babyletto Kiwi Glider with the electric recline and built-in chargers. Worth e-v-e-r-y penny.
And if I was going to live in that chair, it might as well feel like business class. I got not one but three pumps: the Spectra S1 (quiet and strong), the Momcozy Portable (because sometimes you have to pump while making a sandwich), and the good old Medela Harmony, (for those emergency, I’m-about-to-burst moments).
Accessories? I had them all lined up: the Haakaa milk collector, pump bras (because holding flanges by hand is medieval torture), Legendairy Pump Lubricant, silver nipple covers (the only thing that healed my nipples quickly, I got mine from Willow), and Lansinoh hot/cold breast therapy packs for when I felt like I was smuggling bowling balls or needed a fast let down. And I rolled all of this around on a utility cart—basically my little breastfeeding bar cart.
I stocked my body too: Legendairy supplements (Liquid Gold, Miss Bliss, and Inositol), my favorite pre-natal combo from Thorne, a giant water bottle, electrolytes, collagen drinks, and an endless supply of lactation cookies. For comfort, I had button-down pajamas and silk hair ties (trust me—you’ll want a soft tie over a claw clip in the nursing chair).
And for sanity? A portable night light so I didn’t blind myself at 3 a.m., and yes, a cow sticker for my pump that made me laugh every single time. Because when you’re pumping at 4 a.m. and questioning your life choices, a hint of humor really helps.
And you know what? Postpartum was so much easier this time! My boobs didn’t hurt, I had everything I needed within reach, and I felt like I had some control over the chaos.
But here’s the thing… even with all of that preparation, my milk still wasn’t enough for this baby. The pediatrician kept pushing me complement with formula. The lactation consultant told me to feed every hour—switching from one breast to the other like clockwork. And I remember thinking, “At what time am I supposed to go pee? Or, you know… live my life a little bit?”
That’s when it hit me: no matter how much you prepare, breastfeeding is going to be hard. It demands more than you think possible. And this time, I wasn’t willing to compromise everything just to say I was “exclusively breastfeeding.”
The difference, though, was that this second time around, it was a much less painful, less exhausting experience. Preparation didn’t make breastfeeding easy, but it made it survivable—and sometimes even funny.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway: you can’t control your supply, but you can control whether you have snacks, a comfy chair, and a cow sticker to get you through it.
Baby #2 Breastfeeding Prep Checklist
Here’s everything I had on hand this time (aka: my “training kit”):
- Babyletto Kiwi Glider – reclining nursing chair with chargers
- Spectra S1 Pump – quiet, hospital grade
- Momcozy Portable Pump – on-the-go pumping
- Medela Manual Pump – quick relief
- Haakaa Milk Collector – simple and effective milk catcher
- Pump Bras – hands-free sanity saver
- Legendairy Pump Lubricant – comfort game-changer
- Silver Nipple Cover – fastest nipple healing
- Lansinoh Hot/Cold Therapy Packs – relief for engorgement, speed for let downs
- Legendairy Supplements:
- Thorne pre-natal combo – recommended by Dr. Gary Brecka
- Rolling Utility Cart – the breastfeeding bar cart
- Portable Night Light – soft glow for night feeds
- Giant Water Bottle – hydration is everything
- Electrolytes
- Collagen Drinks
- Lactation Cookies – snack + supply boost
- Cow Sticker – humor when you need it most
- Button-Down Pajamas – easy and comfy
- Silk Hair Ties – tiny luxury
- Photographer – to capture those raw, real moments
Breastfeeding may never be “easy,” but with the right tools (and a little humor), it doesn’t have to break you either.
Good luck mama! You’ve got it 🙂
The Curator Mom 
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