Plan to BF, do I need to buy anything for newborn?

[MsKitten]

What do I actually need to buy in advance of my baby being born if I plan to bf?

Do bf babies need bibs?

Should I get some bottles just in case it all goes wrong and I need to formula feed? There seems to be fairly conflicting advise on this.

Should I get a breast pump just in case I'm having problems feeding and need to express rather than resort to formula?

Is there anything else that is essential to buy before the birth other than breast pads and lanisoh?

Thanks in advance for your advise and views on these questions.

no bibs but muslins come in usefull for the spitups that are sometimes produced.
I didn't bother with a pump at first, only got one a few months in. not essential imo, but usefull if you need to go out for a few hours without baby.

A feeding bra?

The bottles/breast pump thing is up to you. I didn't have any of it and did have to send DH out but it wasn't a problem as we have shops very locally.

If you do buy bottles/pump you will also need to buy something to sterlise them in too.

Baggy tops for you to breast feed in comfortably. Nothing with buttons etc, just baggy jumpers etc that you can lift up easy peasy. And decent feeding bras, and definatly muslin squares instead of bibs.
Enjoy your baby!

No bibs needed - disappointing really as we got given some really cute ones!

Comfy nursing bra - but don't splash out too much yet as you'll probably change size a bit, so if you want to get a really nice expensive one, wait til you've got bf established.

I personally wouldn't buy bottles etc in advance, as long as your DH/DP knows where to buy them. Ditto breast pump. If you're in hospital they'll have one if you need it, and maybe identify a friend who has one so you could borrow it if you needed one in a hurry.

Lansinoh isn't essential - you may not need it and hospitals or midwives often give free samples. My friend preferred vaseline anyway - softer to apply and much cheaper!

Put numbers of bf helplines in your phone before baby arrives - I didn't manage to find the number and ring until ds was 3 weeks old!

You can still use the bibs if you want, but I agree with the muslin sheets buy few of those. You will still need to buy bottles for storing breast milk if you choose to do so. I bought the bottles with my first one out of worry I could not bf - but it was fine.

I find bibs helpful. DD didn't need them until about 9 weeks then she started posseting. Its helpful when you have to change them partway through a feed and it stops vomit sliding down the neckline onto clothes when they're lying down to be changed! I am appalling for forgetting a muslin, have just got all comfy then have nothing to wipe up with so bibs are a good standby as are tea towels!

I recommend Lanisoh breastpads, they are very comfy and soothing. Johnsons ones feels nice but make you look like you have huge nipples and boots ones only have one sticky bit which is rubbish.

I bought lanisoh cream and have not needed it.

I second not getting a pump until you need one.

For when they'e tiny and still learning themselves I also recommend a V pillow. I found that having DD propped up really high helped for a good latch.

...and if you do use bottles, no need for steriliser if bottles come into contact with breastmilk only

I bought absolutely nothing and it worked out fine .

Companies make no money out of bfing mums so are very keen to try to convince you that you will need a lot of equipment, which you honestly don't.

If you are after a feeding bra then many local NCT branches have a volunteer Bra Fitter and they offer a great service. You can locate you nearest NCT branch here.

Please don't buy bottles or formula, research has shown that you are much likely to give up if you have them in the house. Plus in these days of 24 hour supermarkets, its no big effort if you do decide to buy formula after the baby is born.

If you do decide to express then you may find hand expressing works for you. I'd wait until the baby is here and see how things are going before you decide to buy a pump. I did have a pump with DC1 but hardly managed to express a drop, he was obviously getting loads out though as he was a right chubby monkey

FWIW I've had two and have never used nipple cream, have used breastpads though.

Haven't bought any Bfing tops either. I've always used a vest top with a Cardi, the Waterfall Cardis are ideal.

Second too what Marzipan said about putting the BFing helpline numbers in your phone. You could also find out if your local LLL, ABM and NCT have local Bfing Counsellors and get their numbers too, just in case.

It's also a good idea to find out where you local Bfing Support Groups are too and try to go to them before the baby is born, you don't have to wait until the baby arrives.

Oh, and add Kellymom to your favourites.

Keep posting and let us all know how you get on

Oh, and if you do decide to buy formula, buy the one which you local shop sells.

There were a few posts on MN during the snow of ff mums stressing because the only shop they could get to didn't sell the formula they wanted.

I was only going to BF, I couldn't 'understand' any Mum would didn't BF. I wouldn't hear of having any FF stuff anywhere near my house, I was going to be the uber-BF Mother. Then stuff went a bit 'wrong'. I won't bore you with my story (I could fill pages, and none of it would be helpful!) however it ended up with DH driving at 3am to a supermarket in a very sleep deprived state trying to understand everything there is to know about Formula/bottles etc.

I was going to say having some of the essentials in can be a good thing, however I take on board what marzipananimal has said, and my advice would now be that just read up on FF, so if your best laid plans do go awry, you are not too confused and lost in a super stressed state!

I hope all goes well for you and your LO.

you definitely need bibs!!!
And muslins. And if you can afford it I would buy a pump, bottles and a steriliser. Having all of that easily to hand in the early days really helped me to keep BF going.

Most stuff is pretty readily available if you need it and IME a sudden emergency at 1am on Sunday morning is more likely to be relieved by having nipple shields in the house than through having formula (temporary use of shields for a few hours has kept me going!).

If your baby struggles to feed or has issues with weight loss or through being in SCBU at first (like my baby) then it won't be a sudden middle-of-the-night emergency so you can send someone out for what you need or go yourself.

Deciding on what you'd get if you do need it may help, but you may find circumstances change that - e.g. we chose a (cold water) steriliser and formula brand based on what we got used to in hospital when our baby was in SCBU and they were different to what I would've bought beforehand.

Muslins (lots and lots), Lansinoh, good breast pads (I prefer the Lansinoh ones) and Medela contact shields are what I'd recommend buying in advance.

Having the NCT helpline number and a number for a local bfing counsellor, plus having read lots on here and KellyMom has also been extremely useful.

I didn't buy anything, got back from the hospital and sent DP straight to the shops to buy a pump and bottles as i found bfing really difficult. now i have got the hang of it i really enjoy it as a way to get close to youre baby. but the pump was a life saver although expressing takes a very very long time to start it would take me around 1/1 and a half hours just to express 2oz the 1st week or so but then it rapidly got easier and faster. my dd is only needing a bib the last couple of days at 4weeks.
lansinoh is great i think and the best thing is that unlike vasaline you dont have to take it of before feeding which makes night feeds easier.
good luck whatever you choose.

Few onesies, vests with poppers, a few sleepsuits, lots of muslins, cotton wool, baby oil (for that sticky bf poo that just won't come off). One mother care bottle that you can sterilise alone in the microwave and a couple of cartons of made up formula. Bin or give away the last two in a few months if you don't use them but I liked knowing I had them!

Lanisoh breast pads.

On a slightly different tack, but I would say make sure your freezer is stocked with really easy to prepare food - homemade if possible. Stuff you can eat with one hand!

Have lots of snacky stuff around (the thought of a chocolate digestive while feeding made rousing myself at 3am a bit easier in the early days).

Lots of pyjamas. I didn't want to get dressed for days, and it's nice to have clean PJs without having to put a load on.

Most important - support! It might be DP/DH, your mum, a friend - you need someone to bring you tea and tell you you're a brilliant mum doing a brilliant job even when it doesn't feel like it.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Get yourself set up with online shopping with your favourite supermarket too

Thank you very much everyone for your advice and encouragement, its really helpful :)

Oo oo pajamas that button down, old fashioned ones. Nighties are very undignified when you have to lift the whole thing up to find a boob. Especially when it's cold. And nice fleecy socks for sitting around feeding at night. I loved my Glider rocking chair too. Was great because even when DS/DD needed calming they were happy to be in the rocking chair with DH....and gave me some time without a little person searching for a boob!