A breastfeeding shopping list - what do I buy?

[cheekster]

I failed miserably at breastfeeding DS and I really really want to be able to breastfeed this time.

I have read all the recommended advice and watched the DVD's, but now I would like to go out and buy everything I need that will help breastfeeding easier and more natural.

There is so much stuff out there - nipple sheilds, breastfeeding pillows etc I dont know what is worth buying or not.

So could anyone give me a list of things to definately buy and possibly a list of things not to

PLEASE

Definitely need the breast pads if you don't want wet patches! Pillow not essential but qite nice to have (I just used an ordinary V-pillow I already had). Never used nipple shields or fancy creams.

A nightie which opens easily for night time feeds, a couple of nursing bras and a tube of lansinoh is all you need.

Although some people find a BF pillow useful and I found breast pads useful at the beginning. I soon stopped leaking and never experienced the 'spray' when lo pulls away, so I didn't need them for long. I know other women who are using still them as their lo nears 12 months. Anyway you can get them in supermarkets so you can always buy more at a later date if you need them.

If you are going to express, then obviously you need more 'stuff', but you will probably not be doing that for a while and so can leave it until later.

Dunno. I bought nothing. (Sorry.)

I did use an old pillow. And eventually a pump (but not before 6 weeks and only because I had to work). I recommend somewhere comfortable to sit with something to do (books, magazines, tv, MN, something to look at...)

Good luck though - I don't want to sound flippant.

A drop cup bra you can work with one hand (I had a very soft Bravado one for the early days, and something firmer once it had all settled down a bit), breast pads (Johnsons, as they don't have a waterproof layer), nipple cream (Kamilosan was the best around when I was doing it, but I've seen others more commonly recommended these days). I did have a big V pillow and found it useful, but any pile of pillows or cushions would do just as well.

I never used nipple shields, but did have a hand pump. I was too scared to use one for several weeks the first time, so I suppose it's not exactly necessary, especially in the early days, but could become vital if you want to express so you can leave milk and get away from your baby from time to time. Second time, I used it from the first day to ease engorgement.

Good luck this time around.

its good to have a helpful partner / husband/ mother/ friend to do chores while you are bf. it does take over most of your life for the first few weeks

you can buy them at mothercare

Lansinoh.

Would recommend a few nursing tops which make nursing in public easier.

Nursing bras. I like Mothercare's padded t-shirt bras.

Essential/buy now:
Lansinoh
Breast pads
Cheap pull-over-head style nursing bras (for early days and to sleep in) - cheap because you may well grow bigger. Buy at about 38/39 weeks pg.
Numbers for BF helplines programmed into your phone/stuck to the fridge. Details of time/place of any local BF support groups.

Nice to have:
Co-sleeper cot or normal cot which you can convert
V-shaped pillow (buy it now if you want one, v. supportive for bump in bed)
Insulated mug so your drinks stay hot

Avoid:
Nipple shields unless you really find you need them - they can make problems worse rather than better so should be used as a last resort.
Formula/bottles in the house - too easy to give in at 3am when you really would have been fine if you'd just got through that night. If you know you'll be really disappointed by using formula. BF helplines are open 24/7 remember. Also you can hand express and feed by cup if your baby is really not latching on.

Partial, you were lucky. I leaked pretty much constantly throughout breastfeeding.

Johnsons definitely the best, didn't slip around (oh, the joys of feeling a damp patch on your front combined with a dawning realisation that there is a breastpad peeking attractively over your decolletage making a bid for freedom).

If you use the disposible breast pads, make sure they are the ones with the sticky strip on them. My DH bought me some without and I ended up with a very damp bed because they didn't stay in place.

Also do a spot test with the nipple creams. I found I was allergic to Lansinoh, which didn't help my sore nipples one bit . That's when I discovered nipple shields.I was fine with Kamilosan though.

The alternative to nipple creams is to express a few drops and rub the milk on your nipple. I was told this by our NCT BF teacher. Sounds bizarre, but it works; the milk has some natural oils in after all.

AND you can get Kamilosan on script (ie free). Lansinoh is about £10. I found L better though (but I'm not allergic to it!).

cheekster may I ask why you weren't able to BF before? Rather than relying on a load of BF equipment, is there any information you need to help things work out better this time?

You can get Lansinoh on prescription too. Also some midwives will have little free sample sachets. I was given about 5 and never needed to buy a tube. They have some at our BF group as well, a massive A4 envelope full of them.

Muslins - useful if you do happen to have a strong let down as it stops the milk spraying everywhere when the baby pulls away to stop themselves drowning .

I found Lansinoh really good, used an old pillow for feeds. You don't have to spend lots of money on nursing tops, you can just use a vest under a normal top and pull one up/ one down. See if there's a local breastfeeding group.

Good luck!

As above really

cheap fabric nursing bras (got mine form M&S)
lansinoh (take to hospital)
pillow (one I used in pregnancy)
breast pads

everything else (if needed) is an excuse to get out of the house at 3 weeks

i just bought a 1ltr flask for tea in the night, i am sooooo thirsty, i drink 2 flasks of tea normally every day

I find the c shaped breastfeeding pillow invaluable. I don't need it if feeding in bed but use it every other time at home. It's absolutely designed for max comfort for you and bub.

I'm using one for the first time on third baby and wish I'd had one for the first two.

lansinoh is expensive but i only used one tube in 5 years of bf

in fact i am still using it on Ds2s face, which is sore around his mouth as he keeps licking it

I think that one of the key things is to have a really comfortable chair in a good spot in your house where you will be comfortable and entertained (if you want). It doesn't have to be a breastfeeding chair, but it needs to be very comfy and have lots of space for both you and your baby. Some people find feeding in bed the best, but I have small breasts and never managed to feed in bed (more milk went on the sheet than into either baby!), so all my early feeding was in the comfy chair. Around it I had books, magazines, the remote control and lots of bowls of dried fruit (good if you are a bit on the anemic side).

These are the things I used all the time-

Breast pads (am definitely a sprayer)
Drop cup bras
Cotton vest tops to wear under normal tops (cheaper and better than breastfeeding tops)
Lots of chocolate healthy snacks
Books and DVDs and a big bottle of water for long stints breastfeeding on the sofa.

Ok, everyone else has given you the practical stuff. Here's my honest answer in addition...

One of those insulated cups that you see commuters with. I found it disproportionately good for my spirits that the cup of tea I left on the side half an hour ago to do a feed was still warm...but maybe I am just particularly dedicated to a cuppa!

to add on to Nookas post, somewhere to put all your stuff near the chair where you BF, i have a lovely armchair, but had to put a little stool next to it for my magazines, remote control, mobile, biscuits whatever i needed for that session to stop me getting up. i also found a little pillow to put behind my head was handy for me to relax and have five mins shut eye.....

Yes agree with most of these things.

Breast pads, drop cup bra and muslin cloths are very important

I didn't buy a special pillow, just used a normal one.

When DS was born, I had a lot of problems getting him to latch on because the nurse told me I had..ahem..flat nipples (sorry tmi). The only thing that helped was nipple shields.
Sometimes I had to express milk to help the milk flow so a breast pump was very useful to me.

I was only comfortable feeding DS lying down so put a towel underneath him to prevent having wet sheets/sofa.

I wouldn't buy a breastfeeding chair, they seem very expensive and a lot of women are able to do without.

Congratulations btw.

Sleep bra to hold breast pads in place at night.

COMFORTABLE nursing bras - not sexy. There is a time and a place to feel sexy and the early days of breastfeeding probably isn't it. So go for ones that give support and are comfy. I'd suggest Emma-Jane's as they aren't too expensive

Also nipple cream

And have face cloths or muslins ready to use on you - I found heating a face cloth with hot water so that it was lovely and warm and then putting it on my boobs when they were overfull helped relieve some of the pressure.

The main thing you need is a good bfing expert - from La Leche League, NCT, independent midwife.

Feeding pillow
Comfortable breast pads (Johnsons were the best disposable ones I found)
Nightie / PJ top with buttons
Feeding bras (La Senza and Mothercare do reasonably cheap ones)
Lansinoh - its pricey but worth every penny
A water bottle because you will get thirsty / bored sat still!
Plenty of snacks you can get at one handed - crackers, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate...
Vest tops from Primark are much cheaper and more practical (as you will at some point soak through your pads!) than actually buying breastfeeding tops