What exactly do I need for Breastfeeding?

[sel2223]

Hi ladies,

I'm hoping to Breastfeed and also express milk into bottles so my OH can do the occasional feed. I'm a FTM and have no idea what I actually need to buy in advance....

Breast pump (any recommendations)
Bottles? Steriliser?
Nipple guards/cream?
What else?
Some back up formula?

What about for the colostrum I've read about that people start collecting in the weeks before birth? What do I need for that....baby syringes? Do you just squeeze it straight into the syringe?

Sorry if I sound really thick, I'm clueless. Thought I might as well start getting prepared while I'm stuck in the house though!

A large water bottle and plenty of biscuits

I had no idea. Thank you. (Too late for me to make use of that now unfortunately but I'll pass it on)

Hi op I breastfed for over 16 months. Here is what I had:

• reusable breast pads (try little lamb website or boots)
• nipple cream but hardly ever used it. You're only meant to use it on cracked or very sore skin as it's useful if the skin can breathe
• feeding pillow
• 2 boxes (one beside my bed and one next to the sofa) with general stuff in like snacks (SO many snacks!), hair bands, magazine. Whatever you want really as you will be spending lots of time sat down feeding.
• big water bottle (you'll be drinking loads of water).
• breastfeeding for dummies on the book shelf for reference
• nursing bras (2 for sleeping & 2 for daytime wear is all I needed).
• lots of comfy, baggy clothes!
• the national breastfeeding helpline on the kitchen notice board as well as the address of local bf support group (although I appreciate you won't be able to attend a support group at this time what with everything going on).
• batch cooked meals in the freezer.

Also worth doing some research to prepare yourself. There are lots of great YouTube videos e.g Emily Norris bf tips.

Stuff people pressured me into buying but I personally NEVER used:

• breast pump
• bottles
• formula
• nipple shields

Good luck! It's very hard to begin with but once everything calmed down I absolutely loved breastfeeding

Nipple shields and cream. Decent bras / crop tops are essential for sleeping or you will wake up soaked! I have the elvie breast pump which I use with avent cushions and it has been well worth the money!

I took the cow and gate sterile bottles / pre made formula to the hospital which I think took pressure off knowing there was a backup option!

Great advice from PP's. The only thing I would emphasise is drink drink drink! So many fluids. I don't drink hot drinks so for me it was having a big water bottle with me constantly. But if you drink tea etc then a thermal cup thing would be a good idea.

try to get a lactation consultant in hospital, to help with latch and rule out tongue tie. Both mine had that and getting it treated (a simple snip) made a huge difference, as then they could feed properly and sipply improved.

I had a Philips electric pump, found it great and cheaper than Medela.

I actually bought some bf tops on eBay while pregnant with my first and that turned out to be very handy. Though you don't need actual clothes marketed specifically as bf clothes, a few big vests and loose tops should suffice. Just do prepare in advance clotheswise.

I tried to collect colostrum in advance and had zero luck, but after the first few days and tongue tie sorted my supply was five so don't worry about that.

Good luck!

*supply
*fine

Cabbage leaves can soothe but also dry you up so I'd avoid them altogether. The best nipple cream is your own milk just squeeze a little out and let it dry in. I've found bamboo reusable pads amazing, so much more absorbent and comfortable than disposable, i just put them in wash with bras tumble dry, no problem and you can get them quite cheap. If you have social media it's worth following some IBCLC (lactation consultants) to learn about latch etc. Remember your milk won't officially come in for days, many women think they aren't producing enough but baby only needs a little to start with and keep latching baby as often as they want to help stimulate your milk coming in. I would avoid expressing for as long as possible and remember what you express isn't a reflection of what your body is producing. If you want to express for bottle feeding look into pace feeding as this can reduce chance of overfeeding amongst other things. It's so tiring at start but it's tiring having a baby. It's definitely so worth it too. If you're comfortable having caffeine (i have one portion in morning and it doesn't affect ds but some choose not to and some find it stimulates baby too much) then invest in nice coffee or tea! I like my marks and spencer nursing bras and some nursing tops (with the loose flap on chest for easy access) from ebay but it has taken about 4 months to get hang of feeding without feeling like I'm flashing. The most important things you need for success are knowledge about breastfeeding and confidence that you can do it. Good luck!!!

You only needs boobs and breast pads

My biggest tip having breast fed five babies is that it's largely down to the baby how successful you are, having already successfully fed two babies for 12 months plus when my twins arrived, one was a great breast feeder and the other one was rubbish, made me sore, couldn't get the latch right. I know what I was doing, the other baby was fine but he just never got the hang of it so I quit and switched to bottle feeding both of them, it was a sad decision but the best one for us. His mouth was just a completely different shape to the others.
I breast fed my fifth child for longer but not as long as the first two, all I'm saying is even with the right knowledge and the best will in the world sometimes it's not possible and you should be happy that you can feed your baby however you choose to
Good luck and persevere but not at the cost of everyone's happiness

I'm going to go against the grain here and say if breastfeeding is going well and you DO want to be able to give your baby a bottle, give one ASAP. DC3 is 5 weeks old and the only one to take a bottle. I waited with dc1&2 but neither of them would take a bottle and I tried everything! Spent an absolute fortune on different bottles teats ect but I think I just left it too long. (over 6 week for both) this time, I was determined this baby would take a bottle so tried at 6 days and he now takes a bottle no problem. No nipple confusion. Obviously if breastfeeding isn't going too well and your baby is struggling to latch, I wouldn't recommend trying that early.

The most important thing is support. It took me a few weeks with my first to get the latch right and not have cracked, bleeding nipples. Keep asking for support to learn it if necessary. (It's worth persevering - breastfeeding becomes the easiest way to feed your baby, and you know what to do next time round if that applies.)

Breast pads are essential as your breasts will leak. Washable/reusable or Lansinoh are good.
Nipple cream is good to have on hand - Lansinoh is a good one

For expressing:
Medela swing is good + the milk storage bags
Bottles and teats
Microwave steriliser bags or just use a microwave steamer bowl if you have one of those for cooking :) No need to buy an expensive machine if you will be breastfeeding

I exclusively breastfed and didn't use any formula at all. At one point with my first I was in a lot of pain and got my husband to go out and get those premixed cartons but I didn't end up using them. It might give you peace of mind to have some on hand, in the end "fed is best" and if you really can't manage breastfeeding you'll maybe feel better having something to fall back on given the uncertainty around getting things in shops at the moment.

Can I just add, someone said no need to collect colostrum in advance. This is correct however we ended up with an EMCS and I was in theatre for quite some time afterwards. I'm opting for an elective this time and will be collecting colostrum in advance for the very reason. You need small syringes to collect (if your hospital has an infant feeding team theses sometimes supply them otherwise pharmacy should have some). With regard to pump, if your looking for a decent one but have a low budget have a look for a second hand one and just replace all the contact bits. I got my hands on an Ameda Lactaline (RRP £200+ ish) for fifty quid and replaced the contract parts buying them from Amazon (£9.99 X 2).

I then stupidly went out and bought an Elvie to pump at work and have used it all of maybe three times. I HATE it. All the reviews rave about it but I just couldn't get on with it.

Get some good reusable breast pads. With regards to nipple cream I'm 15 months in feeding #1 and have never had a need to use it once.

Good luck

Cabbage is for when breasts become engorged. Not long term

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27820535

One REALLY important but though (not something you need but something I wish someone had told me).

Day 2 is a killer. Baby will probably want to be attached to you CONSTANTLY. It's normal and it's baby trying to stimulate your milk to come in. I just wish someone had warned me x

Nursing pads
Nipple cream
I used the Bella baby double breast pump and
Lansinoh milk bags

I'm due in September and think I'll buy a pillow this time and I didn't express colostrum beforehand, midwives were good in the hospital showing me what to do.

I started expressing at about 6 weeks

I didn't buy formula but can understand buying in these circumstances

I loved it and hated it at the same time! Lasted 6 months and hoping to do the same again even though I'd planned 1 year last time.

Good luck and congrats

You need at least one functioning breast. Nothing else is essential.

If there is a chance you will be having a c section then expressing colostrum is an excellent idea. It's now something the midwives recommend in the days before. You can look on YouTube for videos on how to do it. Even a small quantity is great, just remember to take it out of the freezer and take to hospital for them to store for you when you go in.
Breast pads are essential - for disposable ones I think the lansinoh ones are best but I've also just moved onto reusable which hare amazing.
I'd also get a tube or two of nipple cream (again lansinoh is best in my opinion) as it is painful to start. I'm on week 13 of feeding my second child and don't use it anymore. Used 5 or so tubes in the first month or so though (we had bad tongue tie so it was very painful)
Good luck, and enjoy the feeding moments (they are amazing)

Boobs and easy access clothing. I always found a vest I could pulldown with a little too I could pull up over the top the easiest solution.

I had a years supply of nipple cream and breast pads and never needed any of them so I wouldn't buy too many in case they go to waste.

*little top

I knw previous posters have mentioned not expressing till you have established breast feeding, but one of the things I really wished I had bought in the early days was a pump (a cheap hand one would be fine Because I found I became engorged a lot whilst my supply sort of evened out and it was agony. My left breast ended up so massively full I was genuinely concerned by skin was going to split and a pump would have been a god send instead of trying to express by hand when I was already stressed and tired.

My baby is 13 weeks. I'm currently breastfeeding exclusively. This is my 2nd baby, first one also breast fed. I had a c section with both.

I find pumping really helps me with keeping the baby fed. I feed right and left breast each feed and then offer expressed milk. A lot of feeds I put baby on one side and pump the other at the same time, time then swap if that makes sense.

Buy an electric pump dont waste time/money with manual pump.

I didn't pump as often with first baby and she was awake multiple times during the night for feeds. 2nd baby sleeps from 11pm to 930am every night, no waking. I believe this is due to the expressed milk top ups. I have never given her any formula. I breast feed her at 930 then go to bed at 10pm and husband gives her expressed milk.

I do need to get up 6am every day though to express milk as boobs need milked! I dont mind though as I've had a full nights sleep.

The first week will probably be hell. My milk didn't come in till about day 5. U will feel rubbish, baby will probably lose weight, u will cry and feel that u have not enough milk and u cant do it. U can!

Personally I wouldnt buy any formula milk as the temptation to use it will be high especially at the start. ( if u do buy it I'd hide it out of sight so u dont use it unless u feel u really want to).

Breast feeding especially at the beginning is hard. At least if u pump partner can feed baby and u get a break!

Btw I'm not anti formula. I plan to exclusively breast feed for 6 months then will go to formula when I go back to work same as I did with my first baby.

I had all the things you’ve listed.

Breast pump - medela
Bottles and steriliser - get yourself a starter pack of bottles. I had two and they lasted me until i stopped BFing when DS was 9 months old.
Nipple cream yes, don’t bother with guards. Few women need them.
Nipple pads for leaking boobs.
Also worth having a feeding bra, don’t spend too much as your boobs will change size when your milk settles at around 6 weeks.
Some back up formula - I had two bottles which I never used. I didn’t tell DH I had them as had he known, he would have used them whilst I was sleeping. Only out of kindness to let me sleep. But I would have been heartbroken had he interrupted my feeding.

Yes cabbage, comfy loose pyjamas (top and trousers or shorts) muslin towels, lansinoh, snacks, dtinks, loads of good pillows, i loved the donut breast feeding pillow, thrush cream. Netflix or dvds

Good TV to watch. I spent so much time just sitting feeding.

I think be prepared that it might hurt. I found it painful and difficult at the beginning, sometimes I was wincing but it got better I promise.

Make sure your partner understands about breastfeeding. That if the baby wants to feed all the time this isn't a sign you don't have enough milk they are just stimulating your supply. It won't always be like that.

I did a breastfeeding class through my hospital and they recommended collecting colostrum from about 37 weeks onwards . They showed us how to do it right into a syringe. It actually was quite useful for me as my baby had a severe tongue tie and struggled to latch until day 6 when I got his tongue tie snipped . I ended up feeding him most of my colostrum by syringe.

I personally went all out and bought everything possible to make breastfeeding a success .

Nipple cream

Soothing moist healing pads for your nipples
(Rite Aid Hydrogel Gel Breast). Expensive but a MUST for those first few weeks when your nipples are literally bloody and raw .

Breast pads for leaky boobs

My breast friend nursing pillow ( or any nursing pillow but I was a huge fan of my breast friend )

Breast pump and bottles that I rarely used lol ( Medela Swing)

A steriliser I rarely used lol

Nursing bras

I went to breastfeeding support groups every other day literally. It just felt nice to be around others and honestly it was really difficult those first weeks and I needed the support . I highly recommend these groups . The hospital gave me a list of them when I was discharged from the hospital.

I recommend the haakaa too ! I really only used it during the newborn days but you basically suction it to your other boob while nursing and it collects any breast milk that leaks out . Without it I was leaking out insane amounts of milk anyway . The haakaa would easily collect 100mls effortlessly 😮!