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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

BF - what equipment is really necessary?

74 replies

LionRock · 02/03/2011 18:00

First baby. As a general principle I'm keen to get the genuine essentials before the baby arrives and buy other stuff once we know what we actually need or will find useful. (I don't like being manipulated by marketers!)

So, I plan to breastfeed and am getting conflicting info on what's essential equipment. I'd appreciate others' thoughts and experiences.

I'm thinking the essentials are nursing bras, breast pads and Lansinoh (or similar). Do I need to buy a steriliser though? My thoughts are that I only need one if either expressed breast milk or formula is given to an infant under 6m old.

thanks

OP posts:
BadRoly · 02/03/2011 20:52

Breast pads, drop down bra and cloths (muslins, tea towels, dh's t shirt Wink) were all I can remember needing as essentials. I leaked like fury, especially with dc1 so the pads were essential. I used disposables with dc1-3 then washables with dc4. Cloth of some sort to stop the spurting if the baby "fell off", certainly for the first few weeks.

I have no idea what Lanisol is Blush

TittyBojangles · 02/03/2011 20:57

Face clothes? What the hell are they? Hmm Cloths obviously Blush

gaelicsheep · 02/03/2011 20:57

I don't generally agree with nursing pillows myself. What are you going to do when you're out and about - cart the pillow along too? The sooner you learn to feed au naturale the better IMO. Lots of pillows required to prop you upright in bed at night though, until you can learn to feed lying down (which can take a little time).

Breast pads, yes, but you might not need them for more than a few weeks.

Lansinoh - personally I found it worse than useless. Nature provides a very good soothing ointment for the nipples in the form of breastmilk.

Nursing bras - yes.

The word "equipment" conjurs up lots of dosh in my head. I would hate anyone to embark on breastfeeding thinking they must have pump, bottles, steriliser, etc. If it turns out you want/need to express you can sort all that stuff out then. But I do wish I had mastered doing it by hand to avoid the need altogether.

naturalbaby · 02/03/2011 21:08

you can get lansinoh free on prescription! only found out after i bought it.

lilipadz. the one day you don't bother going out with pads on is the day you get embarrasing wet patches so i always had something just in case.

i planned to express for the odd day out, emergency supplies for dh and for weaning. i got a cheap cold water steriliser and the cheapest manual pump i could find - avent with teats that attached onto the containers so i could use them as bottles and use the containers for weaning.

i never had a proper feeding cushion but was given a wigey foam one and it was a nice luxury to have, but only for the newborn stage. ds1 liked to use it when learning to sit up - he used to throw himself back onto it!

shmoz · 02/03/2011 21:10

Muslins, muslins and more muslins, agree Alibaba you cannot have too many
I use tesco bra pads, cheaper than tommee tippee and just as good IMO
Get chocolate, get lots
Lansinoh is really good, but expensive, see how you go before taking out 2nd mortgage Shock
Nursing bras absolutely - Am wearing Mothercare, and TBH they are not v good. Would definitely recommend sleep bras (thank you ebay)
Never bothered with a nursing pillow, just used cushions
I use the tommee tippee elec breast pump, it comes with a plastic container for microwave sterilising - wish I hadn't been hasty when pg and bought a separate steriliser, grr Angry

shmoz · 02/03/2011 21:13

naturalbaby free lansinoh on prescription!?!?!...grr..thank you mw for not telling me (mind you she was crap TBF)

naturalbaby · 02/03/2011 21:14

i remember feeding newborn ds2 in a feeding room and seeing another mum with a newborn (out the corner of my eye) pulling various blankets and cushions out her bag then spending 10mins folding them and placing them 'just so' on her lap cause she didn't have a feeding cushion. made me feel a bit inadequate that i wasn't doing it properly - ds2 just got plonked on my knee and left to get on with it!

Nagoo · 02/03/2011 21:16

if it works out, get one of these it has revolutionised my life, i feel like a proper woman again and i'm more likely to continue for longer now i don't have monoboob.

but really, you don't need a lot of £££ stuff.

people with unused lansinoh, you can use it for everything, sore lips, soft elbows, getting rid of the red raw bit under the baby's neck where you thought you'd washed it but obviously hadn't

naturalbaby · 02/03/2011 21:21

i found out off another forum. never heard it from mw or hv, and not sure how i'm supposed to get a prescription for it - i wasn't going to make an appointment with a gp for one or wait till 6week check to ask.

half the stuff i've used is only cause i was given it or it was there. burp cloths seemed like a waste of time/money but have been used for the usual mop ups and wiping snotty toddler noses. ds1 claimed the enormous pile of muslins as his bedtime comforter so i'm not allowed to use them for anything else now and had to buy more (in a different colour) for his baby brother! having been caught out several times i now feed with a bib on baby, muslin on shoulder and extra within reach for backup.

naturalbaby · 02/03/2011 21:24

just thought of something else - am using my early pregnancy bump band as an extra layer so i don't expose wobbly bits when feeding in public. also half my trousers don't fit yet so am still in baggy maternity trousers, bump band bridging the gap between them and my t-shirts. extra vest tops and cardis to layer up for feeding in public too.

molejazz · 02/03/2011 21:26

I took the advice of a friend and didn't buy a pump but I researched the one DH would buy if I needed it (and I did). It's hard enough having a small baby and feeding issues let alone working out what you want/need. I didn't research the steriliser though so some head-hurting time was still spent over that one.

ArthurPewty · 02/03/2011 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

molejazz · 02/03/2011 21:28

And I second the unused lanisoh - I actually still use it, but for my lips (best chapstick ever!) and cracked heels as well as my nips!

ckny1 · 02/03/2011 21:33

I'm so grateful for this thread!!! Nice to know that we won't need to buy a sterilizer for EBM.

Though won't experience BFing until next week, a friend mentioned to have a jug of water by your side at all times b/c BFing mums dehydrate easily. As if pregnancy didn't drain every last ounce of water from me, now I'll be even MORE dehydrated?!?!

Choccies sound like a nice touch! :)

gaelicsheep · 02/03/2011 21:34

Just about the only help anyone gave me with latching DD was "use a cushion". Great. So as well as struggling to latch on an octopus with claws and a killer suck I had to wrestle with a cushion as well? Most helpful - not.

gaelicsheep · 02/03/2011 21:35

RL help I mean. Lots more useful help on here. Smile

molejazz · 02/03/2011 21:37

Actually probably all you need is mumsnet. And something to keep you awake watch on TV.

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 02/03/2011 21:41

Breast pads- very useful if like me you leak everytime you have a let-down. Boots own brand are ones to avoid as they stick to your nipples and leave fibres on them so when they are a bit tender and you take them off for a feed it's like ripping off a plaster! Ouch! I prefer the Tommy Tippee ones now.

A nursing pillow- Lovely and comfy and saves your arms from aching and your back from hurting.

Disposable change mats or inco pads- as they are handy to lie your baby on in bed if/when you master feeding lying down and protect your matress/sheets from baby sick and leaky breasts. I was using towels for a bit but it was creating too much washing so these are much easier and I just chuck them in the bin every couple of days and lay a fresh one down.

Comfy, stretchy nursing bras- bliss for when your milk comes in and your breast are like boulders for a week.

Steam steriliser- I did get one and have found it very useful as I needed to express a bit due to engorgement and for DP to give a few feeds and also with DC 1, it was handy for sterilising his dummies. I never used the Milton solution as I didn't want any chemical residues left on the teats/bottles or dummies.

Bottles and a pump- I would wait though and see if you need them.

Milk storage poouches- As above.

ArthurPewty · 02/03/2011 21:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bonkers20 · 02/03/2011 21:46

So, it looks like it would be best to wait on the nursing cusion. I honestly could not have done without mine - I am quite tall with small breasts.

I learnt to nurse lying down fairly early on so only used it during the day. I never took it out with me - yes, I just made do then, but I did often roll up a jacket to rest him on. I just found that my arms got really tired otherwise or I'd lean down to feed him which killed my back.

Awww, I'm missing the newborn days now. Nursing a toddler is quite a different story. Now I find my DS Lite is essential as I get some quality gaming time in while he's popping off for his nap or bed time! I also read ALOT!

tilde · 02/03/2011 21:47

I'm not sure if anyone has already said this, but you can ask your GP to prescribe Lansinoh lanolin - my midwife told me this, and I tested it - it's true Smile!

gaelicsheep · 02/03/2011 21:50

If when you're out and about you find a chair with arms, then that gets around the arm ache issue to some extent. In the privacy of a nursing room you can also cross your legs in a "manly" way and get the support that way. Smile

Tolalola · 02/03/2011 22:25

I used nursing bras, but nothing else. I bought nursing pads but never needed them as I didn't leak at all. Also got given lanisoh that I never used. Never used a sterilizer or nursing pillow or any of that faff. I bf for 2 years.

I did have a very soft, thin cotton scarf which I used for cover in public, chin wiping etc.

lucasnorth · 02/03/2011 22:53

Most importantly - get the number of a local BF counsellor. Either LLL or one of the others. Just incase you need some help or support early on.

In terms of 'stuff' the only thing you need is a comfy bra.
You won't know what size you need until things settle down a couple of weeks after you start feeding, so I'd recommend choosing a bra you like, and buying one each in your back size, and the cup size one, two and three sizes bigger than you are now.
Then buy more of whichever size is best when you know what that is!

I'd buy a pack of disposable pads, If you don't need them it's no great loss, but if you do need them you REALLY need them.

Other than that I would wait and see.

Good luck!

Tryharder · 02/03/2011 23:28

Nursing Bras - obviously.

Lansinoh if you need it but get free on prescription.

Never expressed any milk with DD so don't have a steriliser or bottles or any gadgets. Never leaked milk so no breast pads either.

I have a v shaped pillow which I have never used for bf but it looks nice on my bed.

However, the best thing I did buy was a Ikea Poang chair on eBay for about £20 which is lovely and comfortable to feed in; it is my chair and noone else is allowed to sit in it Smile