Planning on breastfeeding...what do I need to buy?! (first baby)

[FlirtyThirty]

Hi ladies...

I'm looking for a little advice.
I'm pregnant with my first child and planning on breastfeeding. Assuming that this is possible, please can you tell me what I need to buy?

Breast pump? Bottles for expressed milk? Stuff for my poor nipples?!

Let me have it...

Flirty x

I found Lansinoh for sore nipples great.

The things I bought and didn't use were a b;/feeding pillow (normal cusion was easier) and breast pads (I never leaked).

My electric breastpump was also a godsend, but you might not need one.

Lansinoh

I found a BF cushion excellent for the fist few weeks0 Might still have one about if that could help?)

othr than that- lots of food / drink

soft sofa (lol )

thats about it really

breast pump / bottles can wait a bit I think, might be a good buy if you get vouchers when baby born

The only thing I regret not buying was a nice comfy armchair. Obviously, you don't need it, it is not essential but at least makes loooooong feeds comfy (DS would be feeding for 40 min at a time)

4 front opening night dresses? mother are seem to be only place that does them. and 4 nursing bras.

c&c - you v lucky not to leak, dp gets soggy cuddles every morning

Lansinoh. It's expensive but worth it on poor sore nips.
Breast pads.
Breast pump. I ended up being really pleased I was organised and got mine before DS was born as I ended up needing to pump to encourage my milk to come in.
I liked the Tommee Tippee pump which came in a plastic box that you could use as a microwave steriliser.
If you buy a Tommee Tippee steriliser it comes with free bottles - well worth it, especially if you can get it on offer.
Nursing bras. Wait until as late as possible in pregnancy to get measured. Buy a couple in different styles, then work out which style you like best and buy more of that style.

hmm, I was going to say big box of breast pads, nipple cream (and use it religiously from the start) and I loved my breast feeding pillow! They are expensive but it made a big difference to me at the start (may be as our sofa was very soft and unsupportive) my husband now has it as he likes to sleep on it..

CAKE! [GRIN]
and Lansinoh

chocolate and some good books for the early weeks when you're stuck feeding for hrs and hrs and hrs and you're trying to keep yourself awake in fear of nodding off and suffocating your baby...prrob a good book on breastfeeding itself would help, I haven't found one yet tho

Comedy dvds or a pile of good books. Because you may be glued to the sofa for a while at first.

A good book, Camillosan niple cream, some sort of cushion is handy and yes breast pads- I liked Johnson&Johnson best. Oh and lots of finger foods!

I would say Lansinoh and a stack of muslins. I used my breast pump all the time with dd but I expressed from the beginning as I was going back to work when she was 10 weeks. Ds is now 23 weeks and I have only used it about once, so no need to buy it beforehand I would say. I paid out for an electric Medela one but hated how noisy and difficult to clean it was and have found the Avent Isis much better

Wow - thanks for all the replies! HUGE help!
Seems Lansinoh have cornered the nipple care market!

Will go and check out the other things and start a more detailed list...hmm...more shopping!

next do front opening nightwear to. when i bought maternity pj's from next and la senza(for growing bump) i didn't realise until they arrived that they had bits to make it open but would be subtle to use.

Oh - thanks Ema!

Lansinoh nipple cream, I had to cadge some off my friend who delivered at the same time, breast feeding cushion, muslins, breastpads, good nursing bras.

Lansinoh nipple cream, I had to cadge some off my friend who delivered at the same time, breast feeding cushion, muslins, breastpads, good nursing bras.

Jess not sure I was lucky not to leak really - have always had a really crappy milk supply

Good Nursing Bras, Breast Pads and definately silverette to prevent your nipples getting sore.. also loads of biscuits and crisps!

Breast pads and nursing bras. If you like you can get front opening nighties from mothercare or asda.

That's it really. All the pump/bottles/steriliser stuff can wait until you have established feeding (around 6 weeks) and know whether you want to express or not. Not everyone does.

Lansinoh is a must, a bf cushion, and a bf bra.

I wouldn't get a pump for afew weeks. A few of my friends had one in the house and at the first obstacle started to express and give a bottle. It was a slippery slope to the end of bf

Flirty I can send you breast pads free for postage if you are interested.

Lansinoh is great (and works a treat to keep your lips nice and soft, Mumsnetter tip I picked up on here!).

Normal firm foam pillow worked fine for me, still using it with DS. Use cushions to keep your back straight if you're on a sofa; you don't need to get bf chair (I found the arms always got in the way).

You can buy breast pump and keep it in packaging until you decide whether you need to use it (I got an Avent Isis from Boots, check with retailer for returns policy); or you can hire them (NCT can hire them in my area). I never got DS to take a bottle, so pump was actually waste of time in my case.

Good nursing bra - hospital I went to had lady who came and fitted them at home or in hospital, so I bought mine after DS born. If you keep going, you'll probably need to get refitted after the Dolly Parton weeks/months have ended. I got washable breast pads, but outline showed under bra, not v flattering!

Strappy t-shirt tops that unclip; you can wear normal long-sleeved t-shirt or jumper over these and avoid baring your flesh to the world/chilly winter air. Mamaway do nice ones that lift up very discretely.

Best thing will be to have numbers of breastfeeding support in your area, whether a hospital/health visitor group, NCT or La Leche League. The main thing is to get a comfortable latch on from your LO.

sorry c&c - i thought you just had increadibly well behaved boobs