Using Breast pump whilst 38 weeks pg....

[biglips]

just a question...

i want to use the breast pump now so my nipples be ok for when the baby arrived...ive got very sensitive nips and i thought it was ripping my nips off using it. What is the best way to use it? eg put cream on nips first or whatever??

ive never used breast pump before and i only breastfed my dd for 2 days before i gave up so i do really want to give this a go at breastfeeding.

you don;t need to prepare your nipples before birth

although you can stimulate contractions doing so

Best thing to do is to make sure you have all the breastfeeding helpline numbers and access to advice re BF to ensure latch and positioning is correct and you shold not have pain, ccertainly not protracted pain

thanks lulumama - ive got all the numbers handy.

also, the way a baby extracts milk from the breast is different to a breast pump. make sure you have some lansinoh cream. it is really good and if you don;t use it for your nips it is great nappy cream and apparently good for your face too!

yes i do have that cream too. I had Avent cream last time and i had an reaction (burn feel) to it which it didnt help

lansinoh should be fine
i cannot believe you are 38 weeks! did the leaking stop?

Agree with lulu.

I'm still breastfeeding 2.6 yr old dd and am nearly 36 weeks pregnant. Wanted to express milk in advance for ds (due to gestational diabetes), but after a couple of failed attempts my mw said that she really wouldn't recommend a pump at this stage, as it could potentially damage some of the sensitive tissue.

Great that you have the helpline numbers to hand already .

lulu - yes it had stopped the leaking as it only happened once but still keeping an eye on it esp with the baby being breech - thanks again

cantsleepwontsleep - blimey i didnt realised you are pg....im abit sssslllllloooowww!!

thanks for the info.

i would not really like to say , as i am not an expert on BF by any means at all! bleeding nipples and pain are usually to do with latch and positioning, and then maybe you are into territory of thrush if it continues.. did you see a breast feeding counsellor, peer supporter..? midwives and HVs are not always up to speed on breastfeeding...

Leonie: a lot of people call themselves 'breastfeeding counsellors' when they are not really so. I am not saying this is the case of the person you saw but it is a common issue for the people who have sought certification as one with one of the 4 breastfeeding organisations in the UK. Many people have had some training, maybe as a part of the work they do but they have not done the rigourous study which bfc actually do.

the point i am trying to make is that if someone is calling herself a bfc, ask her which organisation trained her and how long the course took her to complete. (it is around 2 yrs long and only done by the charities.) Alternatively, make sure you contact a charity yourself then you know who you are getting.

from your pic it is hard to say I am afraid. the cheeks look full, the upper lip seems ok but a view of the bottom lip is crucial to see as well and of course to see the jaw movement during the feed itself. This is why a mw popping into your room looking for 3 secs or less and saying 'oh yes, perfect latch' is a potentially dangerous thing to do and say. they really need to sit through a whole feed. sometimes the latch slips during the feed for example and the mother doesn't pick up on this.

in my case, i got 'perfect latch' every time in hospital. I had no pain or crack nips but my daughter was so sleepy she never really fed properly for at least the first 3 days and ended up under lights with severe jaundice which took a month to disappear in the end.

please try not to worry too much ante natally. Find yourself a bumps and baby group now. They are run by the NCT so a counsellor will be there. then you already have a contact post baby. of course MN is here day and night 24/7 and no time of the day or night is inconvenient for those who stalk the breast and bottlefeeding board.

you may find a group near you on this link too.