Breastfeeding, trying to prepare myself

[owltrousers]

Hello :)

I'm only 12+3 but I'm trying to get prepped as much as possible for the baby while I'm on my full (pitiful ) wage.

I've been given a lot of things from friends and family to help out, including bottles and a steriliser but I want to try breastfeeding first and foremost. I understand it isn't always possible and I might not feel comfortable doing it in the end but it occurred to me I'd like to set myself up for the best possible chance of taking to it.

Can I prepare myself in any way? I already have the lanisoh cream as I started getting dry, sore nipples already.

So, what do I need?
A manual pump/electric? I want DH to feed baby just as much as I can. How many bottles should I start out with?

Thanks in advance!

You really don't need much. I'd start with a pillow to help get comfy and some stretchy sleep bras (I got mine £18 for 2 from jojo maman bebe but I think primark do them too). And breast pads (lanisoh brand or washable ones - cheap ones are sweaty) in case you're leaky.

Otherwise I would spend your time educating yourself on what is normal (kellymom website and perhaps a local bf group), rather than worrying about what stuff you need. Don't even bother worrying about pumps/bottles/dummies until way after baby is here. Good luck.

You would be best to establish breastfeeding first which requires no extra equipment then you could hire a breastpump , some areas have breastfeeding support workers who may have pumps for hire where i live they offer them free of charge , you can store the milk in breastmilk bags then you would only need one bottle that can be steralised between uses

More lansinoh (seriously). Disposable breast pads, wait until as late as you can to buy them but comfy nursing bras (I bought mine too early and ended up having to buy more because they were too small).

More lansinoh.

Thrush cream

More lansinoh.

Snacks and a flask for tea/coffee. Decaf tea /coffee so baby doesn't accidentally get caffinated and not sleep for six hours (oops!)

More lansinoh.

Some ready made formula and bottles incase it all goes tits up at 2am.

More lansinoh.

Ok, brill - thank you!

Why is lansinoh so bloody expensive though? £10 in boots.

So its good to have some formula too, just in case?

I agree with other posts, don't worry about being prepared with equipment because it will only become clear when you start breastfeeding if it's going to be successful/what other items you might need. E.g. With my first baby I did breastfeed but I really struggled to express. It just proved too much work on top of breastfeeding itself so if I'd spent lots on an expensive machine I think it would have gone to waste. There's a lot of stuff you can nip out and buy or order online when/if you find you need them.
Some of the best help for me was just having my partner around to make me snacks and bring me a drink so I could sit and feed.
Having said all that the things that worked for me were nipple cream, disposable breast pads (I know not very eco friendly but I tried the reusable ones and I always leaked into them and through to my top which defeats the purpose of them, couple of suitable bras, breastfeeding pillow. I might buy a couple of suitable tops this time round but last time I used to just put a vest top under my top so I could pull it down while pulling other top up (saves you flashing your tummy all the time!)
Breastfeeding covers didn't work for me (my daughter hated being covered with something)
I'm 12+2 with my 2nd baby so we must be due about the same time! Good luck!

I haven't even got through one tube of lansinoh so I'm not sure I'd stock up too much. You probably won't pump for the first couple of weeks - no time plus it's best to just focus on feeding baby to establish your supply.

Definitely get breast pads but again not too many. I didn't leak so ended up giving loads away as I thought I'd need tons. Sleep bras are a must.

Vest tops you can pull down also very useful. I wear them every day. I got mine in H&M.

Thank you @KCpip yes we must! I'm due 12th Jan although my date has already moved around quite a bit! Congrats on your pregnancy :)

I'm thinking of putting a little stash of money away for 'just in case' purchases once baby arrives I think.

The thing I'm most glad I put aside money for was a home visit from a lactation consultant about a week after the birth, rather than a physical 'thing'. I wasn't having bfing problems but she helped me make it easier and more comfortable. Also I could then text her for advice over time!

dont spend loads on breastpads and lansinoh. If it doesnt work out you'll have thrown your money away. Buy stuff as you need it.

Had mine many years ago, but the little paperback I bought recommended just massaging your nipples for a few seconds each day with some cream. I used Nivea.

I have a few nursing tops which are really useful for feeding in public. Apart from our lo losing weight in the first 3 days (emcs) and having to mix feed for a while, we've not encountered any issues so far. I haven't really needed lanisinoh or breast pads, so i have a couple of boxes unused!
I would have some ready made formula in just in case, but i found in hospital they had formula and sample sachets of lansinoh.
Just be relaxed and go with the flow.

You don't need any creams if you use these shells, best money I ever spent.
Here's a bit about them:
www.itworksmum.com/natural-norway-breast-shells-history
And one place to buy:
www.bebe-nacre.com/gb/accueil/1-coquillages-d-allaitement-bebe-nacre.html

I am still going strong bf at 21 months and never had a cracked or bleeding nipple and no mastitis. The shells protect the nipple from your bra and allow the natural properties of breastmilk to sooth and heal the nipple. They are also really beautiful and a nice treat to see when you feel like a leaky whale!

Also read everything on kellymom website! Forewarned is forearmed.

I can't remember exactly how long you should wait until breastfeeding is established before you express, I think it's ideally 6-8 weeks?
I used lanisoh cream and breast pads. Unfortunately i had to have a procedure done a week after baby which meant I couldn't do feeds, I got oh to go to 24 hour Asda and get a manual pump. If you do realise you need anything there is always (unless Sunday) shops open, next day delivery etc so I wouldn't buy too much right now as you don't know what is going to happen.

You can rent electric pumps I think. If you plan to solely express then you should invest in one of them. If you have complications after the birth then you can use the hospital one which is usually a Medela (I think the brand is called).

Just the cream to start with and some loose shirts. Just let it all hang out for the first few days. I would second the pp about the lactation consultant or if you can see one for free somewhere. It's a million times easier and less painful if the latch is good from the beginning.

Totally agree with PP, don't go spending a load on stuff that you may not need/use. I bought a Medela Swing and ended up not really being able to express as I only got a few ounces, not enough for a feed and it took ages to get. Expressing is hard work. Also, with breastfeeding, it's hard to let your dp 'do as much of he feeding as you'. Unless you're prepared to spend loads of time expressing as well as breastfeeding. In my experience, dps can only really split the feeding if you're ff.

Oh and make sure your baby is thoroughly checked for tongue tie. My dds wasn't found and I had a terrible 12 weeks before it was cut.

Im very shy and for me being comfortable feeding, whether out and about or at home with visitors, really helped ensure that I kept it up.

I had a breast feeding cover that had a little strip of flexi plastic sewn into the top that allowed me to feel covered, but also gave me a great view of the baby feeding.

It was excellent, baby has been fed in cafes, restaurants, park benches etc without me feeling exposed and uncomfortable.

I've got a pump and steriliser etc but to be honest very rarely use them, I struggled to express and found direct feeding much easier. The main thing will be to not put any pressure on yourself to do one set way of doing things. Until the baby arrives and you start feeding its really impossible to know what will work for you both. Just relax and enjoy.

If you're struggling at all initially make allowances for the fact that you may need to stay in hospital for a day or two to get help from the midwives and support workers. Following that, your HV should be able to direct you to a local breastfeeding peer support group or lactation consultant. It's not easy at first but once you're over the hump it's great.

Also I'm 8 months in and still using my same tube of Lansinoh cream so don't go mad stocking up on that!

Agree with not buying loads in advance. My midwife gave me some free sample sachets of lanisoh, and almost 10 months down the line I've only used a couple. I've never really been leaky either so didn't use more than a handful of pads.

Definitely check out bf support groups and see a lactation consultant if you're struggling. I found bf the hardest thing in the world in those early weeks - she just wouldn't latch properly at all.

Once you crack it though, it's the easiest, most convenient thing in the world.

Oh, and yes to a bf cushion - made a big difference to me. Also, leaves you hands-free when they fall asleep!

Just the cream, feeding bra and breast pads. You'll need to get in the swing of feeding before expressing. Also expressing isn't easy - in my opinion it's much easier just to feed the baby yourself.

If you really want to try and breastfeed my advice would be don't buy any formula. In those early weeks I can guarantee you'll have at least one point in the middle of the night when you'll feel like giving up and if formula is to hand it might prove too tempting.

I remember when my lo was 6 weeks and I was up all night cluster feeding him how I was cursing not having any formula because I was so sure I wanted to quit breastfeeding! But morning came and I felt better and I ended up feeding him until he gave me up at 13 months! It's tough in those early weeks but gets easier and once you are in full swing it's soooo convenient. Any time my lo cried I just gave him boob and he'd stop and all was peaceful again lol!

Good luck and congratulations!

The best advice I can give for preparing to breastfeed is to read up about it before you have your baby.

I'm going to sound like a terrible know it all but I've met so many people who say 'I didn't have enough milk - baby just fed all day'. I think for some people it's an excuse because they really wanted to formula feed and were being pressurised to breast feed but there are some people I've met who I think genuinely had no idea about how breastfeeding works and about cluster feeding and feeding on demand. I think I was 'successful' with breastfeeding because I swotted up. Read about tongue tie, about different positions to hold the baby to feed, about safely co-sleeping.

Kelly. Mom is a really good site for learning about breastfeeding. Your hospital might offer a breastfeeding workshop, take your OH so they know about breastfeeding too. My dp really helped when I was spaced out after birth about reminding me about how to get dd to latch on.

Also lanisoh is great but just buy the one tube. My nipples were sore for a week or 2 and I had mastitis but I still have almost an entire tube left and I breastfed until dd was 13 months.

Lanisoh - I only got through about 1 tube before I stopped needing it, it's expensive but it goes a long way, though I'd suggest two tubes so you can have one upstairs and one downstairs, or one in the house and one in the changing bag. I couldn't find my arse with both hands on the first few weeks so multiples of everything saved me wondering the house looking lost.

I got a hand pump to try it first (didn't want to spend unnecessarily), and expressed occasionally from five weeks, then once a day from about 7 weeks. I got an electric once it was obviously working, and they are so much easier. Our aim was to feed one bottle a day but in the end I just found it easier to feed her myself in the early days (because you'd have to express that feed anyway, so it's like twice the effort) so saved the milk for a bit later, when I could miss a feed without feeling like I was going to explode.

Leakage and breast pads is different for everyone, I didn't really need pads after the first couple of weeks but SIL really does. I only used disposables, they were pretty shit, so washable are better if you need them.

Agree with whoever said 'let it all hang out' for the first week or so.

Don't put off calling the bf support people, that's what they're there for. It you think you might have mastitis go straight to the doctor, it's not worth being British about it.

Blocked duct (feels like a lump) or mastitis (hot, read, painful, and you feel like you've got 'flu), hot shower, massage from outer breast to nipple, hand express. Also keep feeding as much as you can. I really wish someone had told me this in advance!

I found bottles of water everywhere really helpful (OH can help by keeping these topped up), you get really thirsty while feeding in the beginning.

And congratulations and good luck!

Oh wow, that was long. Sorry!

Wow thank you all so much - such a lot to digest.

Right I'm gonna get my read on. I'll check out Kelly mom today. Are there any books anyone can recommend? DH is currently reading his expectant dad guide so I would like a book to set me on the right track with BF if possible!