Planning to breastfeed - anything I need to buy before hand??

[JamieJay]

This is probably a daft question but I've reached that stage of pregnancy where I need something to fret about!!

I'm intending to breastfeed and hope to express so DH can give a regular bottle. However I haven't bought any 'kit', thinking I'd just wait and see how it all goes and then buy whatever was needed after the baby arrived.

Apart from breastpads is there anything that I should consider getting before baby arrives or will my approach be okay??

We have plenty of 24 hour shops around us so if it does all goes tits up (no pun intended!) it would be easy for DH to fetch some formula and bottles.

Nursing bras.

Muslins.

Hi JamieJay
I had a breast pump given to me by a friend (electric) and it was good at helping me establish supply. I wouldn't bother with feeding pillos or chairs - bought both and they weren't used, waste of time! At 8 mths I got measured for a couple of nursing bras as knew I wouldnt want to leave the house straight after birth for a bra fitting! I would recommend going along now to a latch on/breasfeeding group at your local Childrens Centre as they will be able to give you lots of advice face to face and are really friendly - there will be loadsa mums there dying to impart their wisdom (nicely) IME!
Good luck with it
xxx

Lasinohl cream < excuse the spelling>

Also if you can, buy one of those long, sausage pillows. Mine was INVALUABLE.

H and M do really good breastfeeding tops, reasonable priced, in their maternity wear section xxx

Lansinoh (nipple cream)
or Hypercal (wonderful for cracked nipples)
both good just in case

Oooh yes, lansinoh for sure.

This book

Washable breastpads if you can afford the initial outlay - so much softer and more effective especially silk mix ones.

You are right not to get too much kit in beforehand as you just don't know what you will need or what will works for you. I'd advise trying hand expressing before buying a pump, I could never pump anything but did manage to hand express the odd bottle.

Another vote for Lansinoh - also lots of cake I was starving doing the night feeds in first few weeks and half a ginger cake a night kept me going Blinds on your windows if you are self-conscious - For the first week or so I was feeding topless as so much easier when you are learning.

cake
insulated mug to keep tea hot
sky+ or dvd box sets
novels
muslins to protect baby from dropped food for feeding during meals
breakfasts that can be prepared and eaten with one hand - it is impossible to butter toast whilst feeding. Croissants are good.

Wow - fast responses . Thanks everyone for taking the time to help me.

Have some lasinohl cream (1/2 price in Sainsburys at mo!) and muslins so okay on those.

Going to play it by ear on the chair and pillow front and see what I need as I have BIG boobs and lots of things I've read recommend the rugby(?) hold which I can't picture working with the standard feeding pillows.

Have just got some disposable breastpads for now as I've had zero leakage to date (get quite a bit if I squeeze nipple though ) so waiting to see how much I leak before investing.

Hadn't even thought about the nursing bras or tops, so guess I better put some thinking into those! Am planning on sitting on sofa topless as much as possible in the early days though, just have to make sure DH controls visits!

There is a weekly breastfeeding group (run by a NCT breastfeeding counseller) 1/2 mile down the road - do you think I could drop into that before baby is born for some more information?? I have had zero exposure to breastfeeding so knowledge is limited

Thanks again

Definitely buy Lansinoh, I also found breast shells an absolute must for the first two weeks, but haven't used them since, they're these strange cup things that stop your bra touching your nipples.

Sky+ was one of the first things I bought when I got to 20 weeks MrsBadger

Will add cake to the list........

I couldn't have managed without my breastfeeding support cushion, like this one here

Also lots of muslins and definitely the nipple cream - invaluable in the early days.

I never needed breast pads - very rarely leaked and if I did it was at night when DD started sleeping longer stretches - so don't buy packs and packs like i did (just because they were on special offer! You can buy small packs of washable ones in Boots and I wish I had just done that tbh.

I made a point of not having any bottles/formula in the house so that when the BF was tough, I wasn't tempted to give in to formula. If you have shops nearby, then at the worst way you can always send DH out for them. I subsequently bought a breastpump and a few bottles, but DD will not have any of it and only accepts the real thing - another waste of money!

Oooh and what I notice is that I get amazingly thirsty when breast feeding especially at night, so take a bottle of water to bed with you when you start breastfeeding. Good luck with it.

Cake
cake
cake

rubbish paperbacks (I read the entire Twilight series whilst establishing bf)

frozen meals

cake

good luck and don't panic. Well, you will, but try not to. They feed constantly, or so it seems, for the first six weeks or so, hence the cake and rubbish paperbacks.

Breast pads are good even if you're not very leaky if you're using the lansinoh or you end up with greasy patches on everything (and that stuff doesn't come out easily).

I'd definitely get fitted for nursing bras about 36 weeks or so but only buy a couple, you'll probably end up a completely different size and have to get fitted again down the line if breastfeeding is a success. Personally I never got to grips with nursing tops, much easier to just wear a normal teeshirt or unbutton a top - I could never line up the gap in my bra with the gap in my top and used to end up getting very fed up and just hoiking it up anyway.

Thanks guys so:

Cake
Nipple cream
Sky+
Cake
Rubbish paperbacks
Nursing Bra
Cake
One handed food
and
Breast shields (like to idea of keeping clothes off tender nips!)

Anyone able to recommend where to go for nursing bras - I'm currently in a 40GG/H bra(was a 36FF pre pregnancy honest!) and don't know if many places go that big

Breast pads.
Muslins.
Nursing bras including sleep ones.
I have bought a great jug with a lid for my bedside table as am always thirsty.

And yes TV and cake!

(Best to keep them in box and stick to the sleep ones only until your milk had come in so you know if they fit)

I only leak at night (as DS2 sleeping for 8+ hours!, now 10 weeks old) and during feeds.

This is useful for me too - am 36+1 and hoping to breastfeed. I have a nursing pillow I got off Freecycle - my friend said these were indispensable. I have a load of breastpads (disposable) and my friend is passing on some washable ones. She's also going to let me have her old manual breast pump and bottles. I'm not planning to buy formula or anything as yet - as the OP says there are 24 hour supermarkets in an emergency.

What I was wondering is when is the best time to get fitted for nursing bras, and where should I get them from? M&S? Or somewhere specialised like Mothercare?

For nursing bras you can wear whilst pregnant, I'd try hotmilk ones - they are lovely

Also I'd get a couple of stretchy vest tops perhaps one size higher than you think you'll be - then wear this under your normal tops and when you need to BF, you pull the vest top down and your normal top up - then feed! Cheaper than buying a whole load of new nursing tops (as I've found they are darned ugly and unfashionable or v expensive).

yes you can drop in at NCT groups - that's what they are there for and they give brilliant advice and support - I have met loads of people through the NCT

i'm quite well endowed, currently bf and in a 36H cup, which if i'm honest is a little small in the cup....

i've bought on-line from www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk and had no probs with them

i used them cos mothercare don't go big enough, m&s can't fit bras for toffee (imo only of course) and bravissimo don't do underwired bras...in fact, not many people do.

I'm wearing the anita underwired feeding bras and think they're fab - being so much bigger, i've really needed the extra support

ds2 is a still bf at 8 months, tho mostly at nights...am a little of you, dh says this is the last one

Thanks for the recommendation LaTourEiffel, will take a look. 8mo is still a baby though and you never know - DH's are very good at changing their minds

Newbiebaby have been brave and emailed the co-ordinator of the local group to see if I can pop in this week.

Thanks everyone else, will also take a look at hotmilk MrsJamin