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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

First time mum breastfeeding question...

34 replies

suburbanslob · 27/03/2011 18:03

I'm planning to breastfeed but was wondering what equipment I need to buy before the baby is born - i.e. do I need a breast pump? Steriliser? Bottles? Formula just in case? Totally confused with it all! Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Chynah · 27/03/2011 18:11

If you are planning to breastfeed I wouldn't buy anything. If you get on OK you wont need it and if you don't you can pick most of it up at your local supermarket.

pooter · 27/03/2011 18:17

all you need is the number of a local breastfeeding support group - maybe even a couple in case one line is busy.

Make sure you are really well supported at home and wont need to lift a finger for a couple of weeks.

I would go to a meeting of Le leche league or another bf group to get an idea and see it in real life, and to have a chat about other mums' experiences.

Hope all goes well.x

southlondonlady · 27/03/2011 18:19

I would buy a few cartons of ready made formula and some microwave sterilising bags, which are quite cheap. If for whatever reason you end up bottle feeding you can buy a big steriliser then (though lots of people don't bother sterilising at all). Re a breast pump maybe wait until a couple weeks in and buy one then if you want to try it. I hated expressing because a) was spending so much time feeding already it just seemed too much work on top and b) got a tiny amount each time I tried.

Original poster

suburbanslob · 27/03/2011 18:26

Thank you all so much for the advice. As you can probably tell - I'm totally clueless! Mumsnet is fab for this kind of stuff.

OP posts:

firstsupermum · 27/03/2011 18:27

you realy dont nee nothing if you decide to full breastfeed, just think about outing, are you still going to breast feed out, all what i need is just poncho that i am using to cover if i am out to feed, beleive me, i was excited like you in my first one, i bough steriliser, bottle, breastpump, i didnt use none of them, my baby refuse the bottle, and i just breast feed him naturaly for a year and 9months, he is now 2years, and i am pregnant with 2nd, i didnt buy nothing, just poncho to cover if i am feeding out, and a breast pads. thats all, and good luck.

firstsupermum · 27/03/2011 18:30

oh, eas buy one bottle of formula milk, incase, because, some mum loose milk at the pegning,(incase), if you need more than buy after, if everything went good, than you will be loosing just one bottle of formula(small one).

pinkclouds · 27/03/2011 20:14

I wouldn't buy anything. If you don't have it then you can't use it . It made me stick with it on the night I thought I couldn't do it more. The next morning I was so proud of myself for getting throu it there was no way I was going to give in . BF for 9 months even had 3 months while I was pregnant.

Good luck.

thesurgeonsmate · 27/03/2011 20:35

Pooter is right, find some useful telephone numbers and put them somewhere sensible. I agree that you may well not need much stuff, but if you are a control-freak type shopper you might want to make some decisions about which steriliser / pump etc you would want if you were sending someone out on an emergency dash. (I did need a pump urgently at one stage.)

SelinaDoula · 27/03/2011 21:25

Some lanisoh lanolin might be useful if you get sore nipples. Its quite expensive but doesnt have to be washed off between feeds.
www.amazon.co.uk/Lansinoh-LANSINOH-lanolin-56G/dp/B0012CZR94
If you have big boobs a boppy cushion could be useful too.
baby.shop.ebay.co.uk/Feeding-Pillows-Supports-/66675/i.html?_nkw=boppy
S x
PS I'd also recommend the book food of love-
www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Love-Formula-Successful-Breastfeeding/dp/0954930959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301257139&sr=8-1

Original poster

suburbanslob · 27/03/2011 22:24

Thank you!! Really appreciate all this advice.

OP posts:

PANCHEY · 28/03/2011 22:11

I advise you to buy a manual breastpump, something to store milk in, formula and bottles. Lansinoh also is a must. I followed to the letter no formula with my first child, and in my panic ended up feeding ebm, I did this for 6 months. Second child had issues latching on, but when baby got desperate gave a formula feed and expressed the breastmilk. Once both of us in a better frame of mind, picked ourselves up and started again. By two weeks in I was exclusively breastfeeding and was doing so for 9.5 months. I would never have done it if I had not had a full complement of bottles, formula and breast pump it made things more relaxed. Hope that this helps.

theresapotatoundermysink · 28/03/2011 22:12

DVD box set .

firstsupermum · 28/03/2011 22:18

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180646063770&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
this link is for breast pump in half price and brand new, its very good one if you planing to take milk with you out, go for it, i bough one in my first, and was very good.

firstsupermum · 28/03/2011 22:19

i think even if you contact the seller they will sell it to you in buy it now price with £20, which great for it, it worth £42 in the shops. good luck

firstsupermum · 28/03/2011 22:22

or go to ebay and write this title
new Chicco adjustable breast pump Om+ , RRP £42
than you will find it, it sold by interlink2go, realy good price, and excellent items.

Meglet · 28/03/2011 22:28

You really don't need anything except the details of the local bf support group, comfy sofa and lots of help at home..... and the number for the local takeaway .

If you have a large supermarket nearby they will probably have breast-pumps if you are desperate. Just don't worry about buying anything unless you need it.

Valpollicella · 28/03/2011 22:34

What Meglet said...And cushions...to make sure you're propped up and your baby is at a good nipple level till you get established.

An insulated cup/travel mug is good as well, so your tea stays warm.

And cake. That's pretty much essential.

Oh, and knowing that it might take a while to get into it, and that breastfeeds aren't as quick as bottle feeds. I drove myself up the wall getting worried about 'how long it was taking'. But all normal!

And please know that how much you can express (if you do) is apparently not an accurate representation of your supply (ie - you might 'only' be able to express 20 mls) I'm sure someone more knowledgable than me will be able to explain that. But just another thing I tied myself up in knots about...

How I wish I knew about MN when DS was a newborn!

DancingThroughLife · 28/03/2011 22:40

I'll second the Lansinoh. Make sure it's in your hospital bag, and use it right from the start. It's pricey, but a little goes a very long way. I used it after evry feed for 6 weeks and I've still got more than half a tube left.

Breast pads for early trips out. I learnt the hard way after taking a 3 week old DD to visit DH's work for the first time. I ended up with a damp front. In the summer. With no cardy to hide under

And definitely the number for your local support group. The Surestart centres here run a fabulous free group and I met a lot of mums that I'm still in touch with even though most of them have stopped going now (they've 'graduated')

I hand expressed to start with until I got into the swing of things and needed to express more regularly.

Do they offer a breastfeeding antenatal class near you? If they do, get yourself booked on. Our hospital ran one, and it covered all the basics - what to expect, what could go wrong, how to fix it if you think there's a problem etc. It was very useful to know that everything DD did in the early weeks was pretty much by the book. Although I missed the last lesson as I was in labour

Good luck!

bessie26 · 28/03/2011 23:18

Chocolate & cake are essential! Closely followed by Lanisol & breast pads.

You'll need a few comfy feeding bras, but only buy 1 or 2 before your milk has come in & you know what size your boobs are going to be! I also had some crop-top style bras for sleeping in - they give some support & keep the breast pads in place!

If you're going to feed out & about (or when visitors are round) then a couple of tops you can do "discrete" feeding in might be handy (saves grandad getting too embarrassed!)

I'd look to see what sterilisers/bottles/pumps your local supermarket sells & decide which one you like the most, but save your cash & only send DH out to buy them if/when you actually need them I had to express for the first 3 weeks as DD was in SCBU, but didn't use any of the equipment after that.

If you do have any problems or questions then do ask your HV, mine arranged for a BF councillor to come round & she was fab, just one slight adjustment to our position & everything was much more comfortable!

Valpollicella · 28/03/2011 23:23

It's quite easy to do discreet BF if you are worried if you do the 'double top' trick.

Wear a vest top under whatever 'proper' top you're wearing. When you need to feed, pull down the vest under your boob, unhook bra, and then pull top 'top' up

Nowt on display!

CarysFach · 28/03/2011 23:25

I have to agree with the Lansinoh. Nothing else helped me as much as that sticky goo! I found that it helped if I sat on the tube as I fed, making it easier to handle.

Have to agree with decent cushions, too. I had a long great big sausage from Blooming Marvellous which has done the rounds around Cardiff.

I had help from breastfeeding support group who also made me realise that to b/f is perfectly acceptable in public. I've had my boobs out (discreetly, of course) in loads of places.

Good luck with it all. You'll be great.

theborrower · 29/03/2011 10:04

Actually, I would make sure that you have at the very least a bottle of sterilising fluid and a few cartons of ready made formula just in case you are sent home with a baby cup and to get you through the first night.

I planned to breastfeed and didn't buy a thing, but did not expect to leave hospital with a baby that wouldn't/couldn't latch, a baby cup to feed her and instructions to express and give formula. We had a bottle of Milton in the house anyway, and a kind midwife gave us some bottles of formula to take away and get us through the night, but it was a mad dash to the shops for DH in the morning to get equipment. Sorry, not being pessimistic, but it was really unexpected and stressful - I wouldn't want anyone else to have to do that.

ZacharyQuack · 29/03/2011 10:17

A comfy chair with good back support, and assortment of cushions and pillows, possibly a footstool, a side table with room for glass of water, cup of tea, plate of cake, remote controls, lamp, magazines, chocolate, iPhone.

Good luck!

G1nger · 29/03/2011 10:21

To those of you who've done the "top" trick, or other ways of covering up everything in public while feeding, my question is: doesn't the baby get hot and uncomfortable under there? or is it okay? Thanks.

Bobby99 · 29/03/2011 10:24

I think it's worth being prepared just in case breastfeeding doesn't work out for you and your bay. Despite what some people say, sometimes it just doesn't work and there's no shame in that - for example I got mastitis in both breasts and LO wouldn't take my milk as I guess it must have tasted different. And once the mastitis had cleared up for the second time it was too late as DD would only take milk from a bottle. I'm sure most people get on much better than me, but it's probably worth having a few bottles and a cheap cold water steriliser and tablets handy - keep the receipt, and you can always take it back if you don't need it. Also a tub of formula - if you don't need it you can use it later on to make cereal for your baby when weaning. Before the mastitis breastfeeding was amazing - I do hope you have a wonderful breastfeeding experience.

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