Hoping to BF

[maddielynn321]

I'll be a FTM. Today I ended up standing in front of the BFing gear at BRU, holding a registry gun. With a completely blank face. I really, really hope to BF. If successful, I really hope to pump once baby is a little older to get Dad involved too. I don't know what I need, what's good or what sucks. I don't know if I should plan to purchase bottles, in case BFing doesn't work out.

Does anyone mind giving me a little advice please? It would be greatly appreciated.

[sweetpeabee]

It is overwhelming, isn't it!?! I will give you the list of what I have found helpful:

-Breastpump (check with your insurance company. Mine covers the Medela Double Electric InStyle, which I like. Even if you are planning on being a SAHM, you will want a pump so you can go out occasionally and not have to worry about your LO.)
-Bottles (I use the Medela ones because I can pump into them, store in them, and my DH can feed my LO from them)
-Slow-flow nipples (important for BF babies!)
-nursing bras
-nursing pads (I like the Bamboobies resuable ones)
-bottle brush

Some people like nursing pillows, like the Boppy or BreastFriend. I have a Boppy but hardly ever use it. It all comes down to personal preference, though I was glad to have it in the hospital. I am sure that I am forgetting things, but at least it is a start. GL! It takes some patience for you and LO to figure out what works best for both of you, but it is worth it!

[thedish]

Following because I also hope to breastfeed when LO arrives.

Question (hope you don't mind @maddielynn123!): I've heard mixed things on bringing the breastpump to the hospital or not. Some say no because you don't want to pump right away, but others have said yes because the LC can show you all the parts and how to use it. Is there one or the other that the ladies here would recommend?

[lilqt3929]

sweetpeabee has really great suggestions for starting out. I would also recommend a BFing class if there is one offered locally to you. The hospitals usually offer these and its a great opportunity to bring your spouse to it as well to get them on board, supportive, and knowledgeable in BFing. It's super important to have a very supportive person to help you out and encourage you throughout your BFing experience.

thedish I personally did not bring a pump to the hospital and I didn't really forsee a time that I would have even used one there. In the begining you are working to get baby to latch properly, get your milk to come in, and to establish your supply so it's important to BF directly if possible. Now, there may be certain situations where a pump would help and I hope others will chime in if they have any advice/experience on that. I've also heard of some hospitals that offer pumps while you are staying there, you may want to check into that if you decide you'd like one while there.

[hedgehog]

Adding to the list of breastfeeding supplies:
- Nipple Cream (I loved the MotherLove brand!)
- Nursing cover or nursing scarf
- Nursing bras and/or nursing tanks

I didn't use the pump until after my milk came in (around 4-5 days after birth, so we were settled back home) and I needed to relieve engorgement.

[kendy20]

I second the nipple cream, a good nursing bra, I use a boppy also. Didn't start using the pump until 3 weeks after DD was born. My LC suggested to hold off on bottles until DD was three weeks old to avoid nipple confusion.


And just know that you will hear both stories of good and bad experiences with breastfeeding, but keep at it! It came be hard at first but very rewarding. I had a rough time the first 6-8 weeks and would cry at the thought of having to nurse because my DD wanted to nurse every 60-90 min and that would be at least 30 min each side when she did eat. So it was constant around the clock, sore nipples, no sleep, ect. BUT she is now 8 months old and I wouldn't change it for a thing! Once she hit 2.5 months old she got the hang of it and now she eats for a total of 5-10 min and we're done. So I guess my advice is to know that it WILL get better and always try to stick with it :-). good Luck!

[britab]

I'd add a good pumping bra and maybe an extra set of pump parts. We love the kiinde bags, so you can pump directly into them. Just don't open things until you need them, in case things don't work out.

DD decided she only liked Nuk nipples in medium flow.

[masonjar]

Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple cream saved me in the first few weeks.
I loved my bobby pillow until LO had good head/neck control.
I didn't take my pump to the hospital. It was pretty self explanatory of how to use it. My insurance covered a Medela.
It's really overwhelming at first, but you can do it! Surround yourself with positive people. It took my little guy a few weeks to regain his birth weight, and my family wasn't being very supportive in my continuing to breastfeed. I'm so glad that I stuck it out. We're still going at 6.5 months.

[maddielynn321]

I don't mind at all @the dish !

Thank you for all of your wonderful suggestions ladies! They help a lot. I'll definitely be using them to help register for these items.

Hopefully I'll also be joining you this summer!

[momof5]

All the ladies said what I would have said. Breastfeeding is hard at first like Kendy said, but is also rewarding. I have nursed all five of my kids and still currently still nursing my 18 month old. If you have any questions about the pump I would bring it to the hospital otherwise I would just leave it home.

[lissydee]

thedish I would not bring the pump to the hospital. If you need to pump while there (for example, due to medical issues such as jaundice, low blood sugar or losing too much weight) the unit will have pumps for you to use and should give you an accessory kit that is compatible with most types of pumps on the market. I would hold off on pumping unless you really need to. Give yourself and baby a chance to really establish breastfeeding. With introducing the pump too soon you run the risk of creating an oversupply, which can cause a whole slew of other issues (mastitis, plugged ducts etc).

I also really recommend joining a IRL moms/nursing group. It provides you with a reason to get out of the house with baby. Its also a safe place to practice nursing in public. And the camaraderie is worth its weight in gold. Bonus if its ran by a CLC/IBCLC. Nursing can be so lonely and isolating in the beginning, and attending a weekly moms group really helped my sanity with my first.

[emilillies]

I highly recommend the Boppy Nursing pillow. It is shaped differently than the traditional Boppy and has an adjustable belt. When I was learning to breastfeed, it was so nice to be able to set the baby on the pillow and not have to wrestle with it because the belt kept it in place. It also made me feel a little more secure during middle of the night feedings, because I was so tired, I was afraid I could drop her if I dozed off. Obviously that's not really a selling point but it made me more comfortable.
I never needed any nipple cream at all. I never had a cracked or even chapped nipple. While I think it's wise to have some cream on hand, I wouldn't buy a huge tube or spend a whole lot because you may not need it.
Congratulations and good luck!!

[clldll]

Things that are sometimes overlooked:

-A list of resources for help in those first few weeks. Pick a couple IBCLC's (sometimes a second opinion is a life saver) and write their numbers down. Maybe a BF'ing support group and/or LLL meeting. Find a friend or relative who BF'ed that you feel comfortable talking with.

- A good BF'ing book like "The Womanly Art of BF'ing" also www.kellymom.com is a wonderful resource if you have questions.

- Be willing to accept help from friends/family with things like laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, etc. That first three weeks should be all about getting to know your baby & BF'ing and not much else.

- Have a good cup or two or three that you can fill up with water and leave where you typically BF. Like by your bed, by the glider, etc. Also stock up on easy to eat snacks like trail mix, granola bars, Lara bars, etc.

- I really liked having a ton of cloth diapers as burp cloths laying around everywhere. I used them not only for burping, but also to lay over baby while I ate & BF. And to catch overspray from a forceful letdown.

- Of course this board was invaluable to me too!!

[LBS2012]

I am a SAHM and used my manual pump waaaay more than my electric. I think having each is best of both worlds. DS was a fussy baby and finding 10-15 mins to hook up to an electric was tough. The manual left one hand free to hold him, eat a meal, brush my teeth etc. No cords holding me to a two foot radius. I would also throw it in my purse on date nights so I could pump on the way home. For me it was all about multitasking. I now work one day a week and my employer doesn't have a good place to pump near an outlet so the manual is handy. The suction is better too so I can do both sides in the same time an electric would take.

[mrssarahrenee]

I don't usually post on the BFing board but I have lurked. Hope it is okay if I jump in.

LO is almost 3 months old now and I found these items to be indispensable

- Medela hand pump. I have the double electric but the hand pump is good if you want to relieve engorgement, and I actually perform better on the hand pump than the double electric I have found. Personal preference
- Lansinoh Storage bags (Medela sucks)
- Angel Nipple butter as someone stated
- Breast pads - I go for the washable ones, especially needed in the first six weeks or so when supply is regulating...
- Nursing bras (not a fan of the tanks)
- I agree with the cup by the bed as clldll said - I found a water bottle worked well for me. And peanut butter crackers came to the bedroom nightly.

Good luck! The first week was the hardest and then every week got easier and easier. I just love my time feeding her now, but I pump now that I am at work again too.

[thedish]

You ladies are awesome! What a great resource. Thanks for the answers and thanks maddielynn321 for starting an awesome thread.

[LydiaDeetz]

I've been lurking on this board Since I joined TB. Just wanted to say how thankful I am for the knowledge that you all share. I'm due in July with my first and will be attending my first LLL meeting in February. Thanks again!

[jess9802]

I used to post regularly on the TB BF board, but it's now been nearly a year since I weaned DS, so I have mostly lurked and even then only occasionally. I had a difficult time establishing BFing, but managed to nurse DS for 19 months. I also pumped at work until he turned one.

I did not take my pump with me to the hospital. I didn't see a need to. We had trouble BFing in the hospital, and the nurse had my pump on hand and showed me how to use it.

I do wish I'd taken my nursing pillow with me. The hospital pillows didn't offer enough support. I used the My Brest Friend pillow until DS was about three months old. After that, I only needed a small pillow to support my arm as I cradled DS. The MBF did offer a lot of support, though.

Due to our BFing problems I ended up pumping and offering bottles much earlier than I'd expected (as in, pretty much from the day we got home from the hospital). Despite that, he generally didn't have problems going back and forth from breast to bottle. I do wish I'd had milk storage bags on hand. I used Lansinoh bags for a year and they were great.

I had a Bebe au Lait cover and neither DS nor I really liked it. I probably should have started using it much earlier.

[brusselssprout]

Much more important than any of the "stuff" - supplies etc., is the technique of getting a good latch. The nurses and midwives at the hospital had no clue (they only cared if she was eating, not how it felt). As much as I read about how to do it online, we couldn't get it right.

The very best thing I did was to go to a lactation consultant when my baby was just 5 days old. She set me right in half an hour, and my cracked and bleeding nipples healed very quickly after that! If I had waited any longer before seeing her I would have been much more likely to quit. Like anything in life though, it's hard to admit you need help, but I'm so glad I did. Chloe is 10.5 months old and we are still breastfeeding, although I've stopped pumping at work.


For the "stuff" - you don't need much at first (you, baby, boobs...maybe a scarf or two to cover up in public... some cheap V-neck shirts for easy access). It's actually easier than bottle feeding since you don't have to remember any food or bottles for the baby if you go out! But if you're planning to go back to work, that's when you need to start buying stuff.

The things I bought for pumping at work (I bought and started using these when she was 2 months old...):
-Medela Swing Maxi double electric pump
-A spare set of washable parts for the pump was helpful in case I forgot to run the dishwasher, or left something behind by accident
-An insulated lunchbox to transfer milk from work to home to daycare
-Lanosh milk storage bags
-A small cloth bag to put all your pump parts in the fridge at work...I learned that you don't need to wash all your pump parts between each pumping session, just stick them in the fridge!

[LBS2012]

I also saw a lactation consultant during the first several weeks. Know your resources ahead of time. The hospital had a free BF clinic but it was a 45 min drive. I was able to find a IBLCB consultant willing to come to us and she was a life saver. I wish I would have known about her and reached out sooner!

[octavia65]

Not too much else to add as PPs have covered a lot. I loved the Breast Friend Pillow for when my son was teeny tiny and once he got bigger we switched to the Boppy. The Boppy is great because it can be used for other things as baby gets bigger (popping baby, tummy time). I would also highly recommend a breastfeeding group if there is one in your area. I absolutely LOVED going to mine and I made some wonderful friends.

Also...as for Dad getting involved. My husband didn't get to bottle feed a lot because our son stopped taking one but he was always involved in feeding. H would get our son undressed and change his diaper and do a bit of skin to skin with him and then he would bring him over to me. They did a lot of skin to skin and H says he found it much more of a bonding experience than bottle feeding. Good luck!

[sweetpeabee]

I will add another vote to the MotherLove Nipple Cream. A little goes a long way.

As for bringing a pump to the hospital, I wouldn't bother. Mine came with easy instructions so it was NBD to figure it out at home. If you are concerned that you will need one immediately, call your hospital and ask if they have hospital-grade pumps available.

BFing classes are great. My DH attended the one that was offered to me, and we found that very beneficial. It helped get him on the same page about things and he was able to support me through the learning curve. Know your resources. A lot of hospitals have lactation consultants. Even my post-delivery RNs were a fantastic source of BFing information. Don't be afraid to ask questions!

[casey]

PPs have given great advice. My nutshell message:

Education will be your greatest bf tool.
Support will be your second.
Stuff is nice but isn't essential.

Stuff that I like:
Pump - from insurance, medela if you can, don't touch until after 3w growth spurt. If you need it before, you need an LC and maybe a hospital grade pump 
Nursing pillow - my Brest friend, get an extra cover
Book - the womanly art of breastfeeding
Nursing cover - ditched at 3m, but was great before that. Bebe au lait
Nursing pads - johnsons less itchy and smoother than Lansinoh
Nipple stuff - earth mama angel baby less sticky than lanolin
Nursing clothes - cheap tanks/camps for layering, sleep bras, no special clothes needed
Bottles - just the 5oz ones. Tommee Tippee or dr Browns. Only 2 each size until you know what lo likes
Water cup - swipe the big straw cup from the hospital

[casey]

I know it sounds good now, but pumping so daddy can feed isn't all it's cracked up to be. To do that, you need to get cozy with the pump, so it doesn't save time. You will want to intro and practice with a bottle, esp if you want/need to be gone more than a couple hours at a time as lo grows. If daddy wants to be involved, there will be plenty of time for diaper changes, nurturing baths/massage, and food prep.

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2015 23:37:56 GMT -5 casey said:

PPs have given great advice. My nutshell message:

Education will be your greatest bf tool.
Support will be your second.
Stuff is nice but isn't essential.

Stuff that I like:
Pump - from insurance, medela if you can, don't touch until after 3w growth spurt. If you need it before, you need an LC and maybe a hospital grade pump 
Nursing pillow - my Brest friend, get an extra cover
Book - the womanly art of breastfeeding
Nursing cover - ditched at 3m, but was great before that. Bebe au lait
Nursing pads - johnsons less itchy and smoother than Lansinoh
Nipple stuff - earth mama angel baby less sticky than lanolin
Nursing clothes - cheap tanks/camps for layering, sleep bras, no special clothes needed
Bottles - just the 5oz ones. Tommee Tippee or dr Browns. Only 2 each size until you know what lo likes
Water cup - swipe the big straw cup from the hospital

I like Casey's list pretty well.

(*)(*)
A lot of the stuff you really need like bras are pretty personal, so hard to register for.  Get a nursing bra, sleep nursing bra and a cami and try them on and see which you like.  everyone seems to like somethig different.

Pump from insurance
if you are going to register for one maybe a medela manual pump is nice or an Avent Isis. 
Earth mama nipple butter instead of the lanolin stuff-or Kerry's herbals miracle salve.
lots of moms like bamboobies nursing pads that are washable.
books, go to the library or amazon and get several to read.
I like the giant birdseye weave unfolded cloth diapers--depending on what you get they are as big as a receiving blanket.  great for spit ups, leaking boobs on one side while you nurse on the other side and can toss over you when nursing and it's not too heavy like blankets or most covers and breathable.  I'm in AZ so most of the covers were just created to make you and baby sweat greatly.
Moms either love Boppy or hate it and prefer the my breastfriend pillow instead.

Find the name and number of an LC outside of the hospital if possible and meet once for a few minutes before you give birth.  see if they do hospital visits, or house calls, or phone, txt, email or even skype messaging.  Hospital LC's seem to vary greatly in their experience.

[turtles7]

I didn't take my pump to the hospital but I would recommend taking the shields to ask the LC if you have the right size. I had to pump from day 1 because LO was a lazy eater and wouldn't latch. I was too stressed and exhausted to determine the size I had was the right fit and what size I needed to get.

[doglover31]

You have gotten some great advice!
for me in the beginning nipple cream helped so much. The beginning is hard especially when your nipples are so sore! Nipple cream definitely helps.
Also a pump is great to have. For bottles we have used Dr Browns and DS had done well with those. But I've heard some babies can be picky. 
I also recommend comfy nursing bras and nursing pads. There will be leaks (DS is 4 months old and I am still wearing nursing pads daily). 
Good luck! 

[mmheartspb]

I used lucies list to help me register for me my must haves are ameda lanolin, bravado sleeper bras, lansinoh bra pads, and I use the Similac app to keep track of my feedings and diapers

[babycaps]

You have already gotten a ton of great advice so I'm going to just add in a couple of things on selecting a pump.
I have a 10.5 month old and we are still going strong with nursing. I also work 9hrs/day 5x/week so I pump.
When M was born he had a poor latch and it took us 3 weeks to really get the hang of it and 6 weeks to be comfortable. For those first three weeks I had to pump A LOT. I was blessed to have had LO at a hospital that offered around the clock LC support and I visited them 4-5x in the first 2 weeks.
At first, the nipple shield was my friend and then it was pretty clear that LO could nurse a lot more effectively w/o it so I endured the pain and started nursing w/o and LO was much more satisfied and I was able to stop pumping around the clock and started feeding around the clock.
Here is my experience with pumps:

Medea Symphony-hospital grade. Great pump, quiet, but too big and very expensive to rent. In my opinion, not worth it and you'll see why below. I pumped 7-8x/day with this pump for 30 min each time for the first 2 weeks. It was very effective with the right size shield which was hard to determine. Sometimes I needed a 24mm and sometimes 21mm. You will definitely want your LC at the hospital to help you figure this out.
Medela Pump in-style double electric: Great little pump, especially on-the-go, but not comfortable at all. I used it a lot when I first went back to work. I swear it was sometimes more effective than the hospital grade Symphony.
Ameda Purely Yours double electric: This is the pump that my insurance provided. I used it 3 or 4 times before realizing that the volume I got with it was about half the volume I got with either of the above.
Ameda Platinum: This is what the hospital I work at has for our moms and in the pumping room. I tried it and it's good but the parts don't fit me well as their smallest shield is a 25mm and the 22.5mm insert pinches boob skin!
Medela Harmony: This is what I found to be the easiest pump and is also pretty fast if you are just going to relieve engorgement. I have 3 friends who are SAHMs and this is all they used. They would pump 2-3x/week and get a little stash of milk in the freezer for the occasional time they wanted to go out and have a bottle at home for LO. I only have this bc it was part of the pumping kit I got at the hospital to use with the MEdela symphony. I still use it now if we are on-the-go at my pumping time (LO nurses in the morning and night now but takes a straw cup for his bottles during the day. My supply is going away and I just don't have enough anymore during the day for him, but that's a different story).

SO....when I went back to work LO was 3.5mo old and until about 6 months I was having GREAT success with a mix of the pumps above. And then my supply plummeted and I found I had to pump for 40+min to get a good amount. Finally, I decided to try the SPECTRA S2 pump and it is AMAZING, THE BEST PUMP EVER AND I AM SO GLAD I BOUGHT IT!!!
Seriously, couldn't have asked for a better pump. It vibrates as it suctions and the mechanism of action brings the milk all the way back from the breast like the baby. The only downside is that I had to buy additional shields in the right size bc it comes with a standard 28mm shield that was far far far too big for me.
I read all about it here www.babygearlab.com/Breast-Pump-Reviews and they aren't kidding. It's amazing.
I've shared my pumping experiences with the LCs I work with (I work at a major medical center in the NICU) and they are amazed and considering a switch to this pump as the one they recommend moms buy for in-home use.

Long story short, if you are a SAHM you probably don't need a big pump! And you should see what your insurance may provide you. If you are going back to work, consider REALLY researching pumps and make sure you have the correct size shield bc that makes a huge difference.

[ellabee]

I'll second brusselssprout14 - the very best thing I did was go to a lactation consultant a week after LO was born. The LCs that came around at the hospital were nice, but I was honestly too overwhelmed to ask all of the questions I need to. As pp have said, it can take a while for nursing to not suck (5+ weeks). Before I went to the LC, I had a few blisters, a clogged duct, and difficulty getting a good latch. I was about to give up when I went to see the consultant and she gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going. They also do weighted feeds, so I could let go of my anxiety about not producing enough to feed LO.

Agree with the Mother Love nipple cream. I also pump and use the Twist Kiinde system...though the bags get pricey.