Breastfeeding.....An idiots guide?

[Lizziewhizzie]

Hello lovely ladies,

After a bit of help really, I really really want to try and breastfeed my baby (due in Sept) but I have no idea what I will need? My boobs obvs haha but what else? I would ideally like to express so my husband can help out if needed so maybe a breast pump and bottles - do I still need a steriliser? Bit confused?

:)

What's the best time to express? As I dnt think I had enuff milk last two times as sometimes I couldn't express that much and then I gave up breeding altogether as I needed to go out somewhere and couldn't leave bubbs with no food!

That's the pillow I have, LimeLeaf

I would agree with everyone who says not to buy bottles and and other stuff until breast feeding is established. I also don't think you need a special breast feeding pillow. I used a normal pillow as I had a cs and that was just fine. If you do decide to express an electronic pump is a lot easier than a manual one. And I used cold cabbage on my nipples if I had soreness and that worked a treat. You really don't need a lot of special 'things' to breast feed. Good luck with it all.

you need nothing except your breasts, some vaseline (or lansinoh if you want to spend £10, the evidence is that they are equally effective) and some breastpads, althoug I didn't even need these. everything else is, in my opinion, a racket designed to make some other people lots of money and the whole business seem more complicated than it is.

the most important thing is determination, in my case it was sheer bloody-mindedness to breastfeed. It was very very hard for me for the first few weeks but I have now breastfeed 2 babies up to the age of 2 and the way I got through those first weeks with my first was never thinking for A SINGLE SECOND that I wasn't doing the best thing for my baby. I was quite militant about it! Oh, and demand feed, even if it seems totally bananas, like every 10 minutes and then not for 6 hours. And yes, definitely get in with breastfeeding network, la leche league, whatever is near you, while you're still pregnant. enjoy it, I have very much. x

You don't NEED a special pillow, but the one I used for DS3 made life tons easier. I could get up and re-fill drinks, put on shoes etc whilst bf-ing... a life saver if you have two other kids to take on a school run. (appreciate this may not be relevant to OP!).

And good point, the cabbage thing really worked for me too! (Smelt foul though)

Congrats on pg and wanting to breastfeed. My DD is 8mo and I was ebf up until we started weaning and she's bf morning, late pm and at bedtime. I really enjoy it and will be sad when she decides she wants to stop.

During pg it was my intention to express during the day and get dp to do a late night feed and for me to get to bed circa 9 to try to get 6 hours of sleep before the next feed. In practice that just didn't happen. Not really sure why. Expressing and sterilising was a faff. I felt like I was feeding, changing, pumping, getting to sleep and then having to start all over again. Plus it took me all day to express a bottle full. Then I didn't get into any proper order with storing the milk and all the info seemed to contradict itself. I just didn't bother in the end. DP took over bathtimes so he had something just for him and DD and I did all the feeding.

I did buy the Medela Swing pump, which is v. good and easy to use. I was given a steriliser but didn't use it. On the times I did pump I just used cold water sterilisation tablets. Means you can just do one bag/bucket a day and keep chucking stuff in there.

I bought lots of muslins expecting to hide under them when out bfing but after s few weeks and once we'd perfected the latching on etc I just didn't bother. Such a faff!

Get a couple of good bf bras and some shoestring stretchy vests and you'll be well away!

Congrats again!

LANSINOH LANSINOH LANISINOH. No I don't work for the company but it is a brilliant cream. Bf'ing my 3rd DC and only used it this time and what a difference to the cracked sore nipples it makes! Do expect to get some chaffing of your nips btw, after nine months of no touching the onslaught of your LO's mouth for most of the day and night WILL PROBABLY result in soreness but this was reduced to 2 weeks with lansinoh, rather than a month without (in my case anyhoo.) I used it after every feed from day 2 onwards.

cheekychops I ebf my DD until 6mths when she started solids & continued bfing til she was 9mths (had to stop for medical reasons) so knew I had enough milk but still, I couldn't express much unless she'd skipped/dropped a feed, even with a medela swing electric pump. I think sometimes your boobs only want to feed baby & the pump doesn't do it for them iyswim!!

I could however leak for England when I fed her, so I used the Phillips AVENT breast shells, & would collect an oz or 2 at each feed. I popped this in a freezer bag in the freezer & over a day or 2 would get enough for a full feed. Over time, this built up a nice little stash ready for use when I needed it.

I'm planning to breastfeed my first baby due next month. I decided that knowledge was my best support with feeding and so invested in two books:

The Food of Love - an entertaining illustrated book that's got great advice
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - a really comprehensive book produced by the LLL

I'm also going to go along to a local feeding class next week to see what support there is in my local area.

I haven't bought bottles, pump or sterilizing equipment. I don't think its something I'd want to do in the early days. If we change our minds then the shops are usually open and in an emergency we can improvise at home with hand expressing, a cup and sterlising with boiling water.

We also haven't bought formula, though we have discussed which one we'd use if we do need to supplement at somepoint. My feeling is that again we will be able to get some from a shop or relatives in an emergency, but that having it to hand would encourage us to use it when we'd otherwise persevere.

I've been given a partial box of breastpads that my sister had leftover, if I need them we'll get more. I've got myself a few cheap vests with narrow straps and I'm still to get a couple of nursing bras. I haven't made a decision about special pillows etc, I guess we'll just see what we need once baby is here - same goes for nipple shields, shells etc. I have got a tube of lanisoh.

I've got a little basket that I'm going to put things I might need whilst nursing when I'm back home - emergency snacks, muslin, a good book, tv remote, phone, breast-feeding book for trouble shooting, bottle of water etc. So that I can make wherever I find feeding baby comfortable into a little nuring station if my DH isn't around to fetch things for me.

Try to focus on what you are likely to need in the first week or so if everything goes well (breasts mainly!) and arm yourself with the knowledge of how feeding works and what common challenges can arise (and how to solve them!) so that you know what to look out for. A supportive partner/family and the numbers of local or national breastfeeding support groups are also helpful.

You can always pick up (order online or send someone out to get) any of the extras once you get an idea of what would be useful. That's what I'm planning anyway.

yes, don't waste money on expensive breastfeeding tops except perhaps one or two really nice ones. for everyday wear buy a well fitting vest in a few colours from primark or similar that you can wear under your normal clothes so the top top goes up and the bottom top goes down, and you can feed without feeling exposed, if you think you will feel exposed.

Hi
I would say that if you really want to BF, make sure you communicate this with DH. If you have a difficult patch trying to feed, you'll need his support. We discussed this extensively before DD1 was born and I found it a huge help. DH kept me fed and watered whilst I fed DD. I also told him that I didn't want any formula or bottles in the house as I didn't want to undermine my decision.
A good friend of mine didn't BF either of her children for more than a few days as she felt that her DH wasn't 'on board' with her decision. He would watch her feeding and make comments that he didn't think the babies were getting enough milk, that they would sleep better with formula etc. I felt sad about this as I think with a more supportive DH she might have had more success with BF which is what she wanted to do.

Maybe get a copy of "so thats what they're for" by Janet Tamaro. Its really American but I found it quite helpful and accessible.

Get the BF support group contacts in your area and maybe see if they do a pre-birth class and get to meet other BFing moms and mom counsellors.

IME BFing is about learning and that generally comes best from other women.

Also the La Leche (spelling?) League have been an absolute ROCK for me in the past, as have other BF Support organisations.

Get the contact info - when I have needed advice, that offered by HVs and MWs has been mixed in its usefulness and reality - they don't ALWAYS know all about BFing (as they need to know LOADS of other stuff too).

Hi - I've loved breast-feeding so much. Been going for 4 months now. I would say to be prepared for the strangeness of when your milk comes in over the first few days- somehow I hadn't known how odd it is. You boobs swell dramatically and go all hard but soften again over 24 hours. Apart from that I think the single most helpful thing was going to the Nhs breastfeeding class. It was a solid 3 hours after work at 32 weeks so a big ask, but it was so useful to have theoretical knowledge of the right latch and mechanics of breastfeeding so I knew what was happening when I acuall tried it. Also I had 3 cheap ikea pillows for propping both baby and me up on sofa / chair/ bed. And feeding lying down is amazing for you both to have a nap together. Good luck!

P.S make sure you drink lots, so have lots of nice whatever soft drink you like, in the house - I used to drink at least 1 pint of fluid (not gin, sadly) at most feeds. You don't need to drink milk - just fluids, so your body can do that amazing thing it does

Remember that everyone is different and have different experiences. I BF all 3 of mine until 18 months and once established ESP after 1st one it was easy. I only managed to express with him too and that is because I started early and got him started on a bottle early so he was used to it. With the other two I bought into the whole nipple confusion thing and tried later on and neither of them would have a bottle. I also found it much easier with a manual agent pump than an electric one.
This time I will also be giving my baby a dummy from early on. I def found with the last two that they were using me for comfort rather than hunger but as they wouldn't take a dummy it was tough. With #1 who had a dummy I had a little more freedom.
Breastfeeding hurts to start with which I wasn't prepared for but the lanisoh cream was brilliant.
Good luck x