breastfeeding, what equipment do i need??????

[nomorebooze]

Hi everyone! went to mothercare today and got in a muddle, what equipment do i need if im planning to breast feed? also what sterilizers are best chemical or microwave? do i need a breast pump. dont want to spend unnessesary amounts of money. Hope someone can help. thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SmallSCREAMCap]

Just breasts. I never needed lansinoh or pads. Helpline number did come in handy a couple of times.

Not an essential, but it's a huge help to have a fabulous, special someone who responds positively to every "Can I have a drink, please? Ooh, and a banana? Pass the phone? The remote? Can you bring me that book from the upstairs loo? That blanket? Can you bring me a cardigan? A tissue? Will you put the kettle on, please?"

For about 6 months.

[nomorebooze]

thankfully dh very supportive. sounds like pads and cream will suffice to start. then see how it goes!!!!!!!!!!

[nomorebooze]

thankfully dh very supportive. sounds like pads and cream will suffice to start. then see how it goes!!!!!!!!!!

[SmallSCREAMCap]

Hmm, thinking more along those lines... If you don't have a comfortable chair with a surface within arm's reach, it would be a good idea to arrange one.

I'm currently bfing DC2 and before going into hospital I had arranged a good solid sofa & side table combo, next to the phone and with a good view of the telly. The little table usually has remote, mobile, books, food, drink, MP3 player, the lot.

With DC1 I had a lovely, tasteful, USELESS sofa and no coffee table. The sofa was also too low to get in and out of comfortably with a babe in arms, esp. as I had a c-section. I was very bored and very thirsty to start out with!

[nomorebooze]

whoops posted twice!

[AnnieLobeseder]

AS has been said - boobs, lansinoh, breast pads. Good nursing bras are a plus, along with night bras for a more confortable night.

I would suggest a night bra with a high front of which separates the boobs a bit, since my boobs always fell out of lower-cut night bras. And I always leak LOADS!

[LackaDAISYcal]

Not much to add to what has already been posted, other than to say have a good old read up on sites like kellymom, the breastfeedingnetwork, lalecheleague etc as forewarned is forearmed.

I have two, slightly battered from the post, but new boxes of natracare breast pads that I won in a competition when DS was 9 months old that I was going to post on the free boards here.

CAT me and they're yours if you want them .

re support pillows; check out your local Mill shop for a V-Shaped pillow rather than spending unneccesary £££ on a branded thing. I paid £7.50 including two pillowcases.

Congratulations and good luck

[MumNWLondon]

you need breast pads and breastfeeding bras. maybe also lansinoh cream.

however i ended up wasting money by buying bras when pregnant ended up being totally wrong size! and then bought more the wrong size when DD was a week old! i recommend the breastfeeding camisole top things from mothercare to start with, you can then get measured up when the baby is a couple of weeks old.

i wouldn't recommend expressing into bottles for at least 6 weeks, wait and see if you want to buy one until after baby is born.

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

if you can, go somewhere with bf mothers (NCT group or bf cafe) and ask someone friendly & not shy to show you what they're doing and latching on (obv best to strike up a bit of a conversation first )
Everyone will be friendly as you have a bump, and this, and reading MN were the best thing I did in preparation.
Also, the NHS issued books are quite good in showing latch I think and telling you what to expect.
bear in mind you will almost always be able to stop the crying very reassuring. If he/she cries and there's nothing else obviously going on, feed!!

[nomorebooze]

thanks everyone! mind boggling stuff!!!!!!!!!!! some sound advice.

hope ur feeling ok and not to bored londonlottie?

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

oh, and, if you want (not sure from the name ) a drink every now and then!!

[SmallSCREAMCap]

Little lesson in anatomy & physiology helps, too.

I always thought breastmilk would come out of one small hole in my nipple.

I had a . Milk comes out of lots of little holes. good picture at the top of this page

[Morloth]

Breast + Baby (and someone to fetch you snacks/champagne etc).

[WorkingStudentMummy]

I was lucky and both DD and i took to BF right away... my DH used to milk cows for a living and he assured me that he'd be proud to have a milker like me in his herd! All we needed was Lansinoh (fab stuff) and copious amounts of cake (actually, thats a good point about being desperately thirsty for the first few weeks). I also didn't bother with feeding pillows, just used a regular pillow which did actually make life quite a bit easier for the first weeks.

Can't wait to start again (in Feb all being well) - hope its as easy with DC2!

[StealthPolarBear]

WSM, I am currently feeding DC#2 and despite the fact shes not as good a latcher as her brother it's much easier!
didnt really have problems with DS, but i'm more relaxed this time
Congratulations to you and the OP of course

[Bramshott]

Breasts. Cushions. Fruitcake. TV remote. !

[hattyyellow]

As others have mentioned, I think getting yourself set up comfortably really helps.

So when you get back from hospital with babe, make sure that your room is comfy (my mum very kindly put clean sheets on the bed for me while we were at the hospital). I found it useful to have a low light on the floor so I could feed at night without having to turn all the lights on and wake my babies up too much.

I also had snacks ordered in and a tv set up in the room. Plus lots of bottles of water and squash. I think that first week or so can be a big shock when you're breastfeeding as you're knackered anyway from birth and then you're woken up throughout the night when you really want to be sleeping!

I found oatcakes were good for snacks plus bananas and some emergency chocolate for when I was really struggling with night feeds.

Completley agree re supportive partners as well - I am always so hormonal and emotional those first few weeks and it really helps to have someone to encourage you.

[Bettymum]

Hatty makes a good point re: low light. I could never, even after 16 months, breastfeed in the dark as I couldn't see what I was doing - so I always had to get out of bed to go and feed (which actually I found easier to do in an armchair with a u-shaped pillow anyway, I never got the hang of feeding in bed). I have my old globe from when I was little in DD's room, it emits enough light to see what I'm doing but not enough to really wake me or DD up.
So get a little light - I suppose a nightlight would probably work - for wherever you're planning to feed at night.

[nomorebooze]

love the idea of a dim night light for not waking me or wee one up! in answer to my name!!!!!!!! only t total whilst preggers!will have a wee drink to celebrate after birth. however i have been told it effects the breast milk? dont want to get babs hooked on champers so young..................

[LoveBeingAMummy]

I used the following;

breasts
Lanisoh cream
Washable pads
Dimmer light stwich
pillow
Nursing bra
muslin squares for mopping and covering up in public
A drink
Snacks (i got sooo hungry)
Suitable chair, or bed
Supportive partner/friends (mn will do!)
Photo info on how to position baby and latch.

Good luck

[StealthPolarBear]

it doesnt make the baby an alkie
i think the worst possible side effect is on your supply - never been a problem fir me, don't think it's a common one
but it is your choice, think plenty of people choose not to, plenty choose to!
champagne after birth is essential tho!

[lola0109]

Don't want to sound as if I'm putting a dampner on things, but I had nothing in preperation for not being able to BF and the first two weeks were horrendous, I cried constantly as I couldn't get DD to latch and just felt a total failure, didn't help that my sister had just given birth to her 2nd and it was not a problem for her.

I have horrendous exczema and wanted to persevere so at 2 weeks I got DP to buy in some formula and bottles so I knew DD wasn't starving and what do you know breastfeeding got easier instantly! I still struggled until 6 weeks but again perservered as 6 weeks was my limit and then, like a switch, it was just so comfortable and easy, I then breastfed for 6 months until I had to return to work (couldn't express enough).

So basically, what I'm trying to say is be prepared for it not clicking instantly. It will become easier and I think a lot of it's mind over matter. So many people just give up rather than seek help/advice as they don't want to be seen "failing". As it turns out my dear sister then admitted she had 6 weeks of hell when breastfeeding her first but hadn't wanted to admit it!

Also, I felt asda breastpads were better than anywhere else and I tried loads of different makes. I didn't feel that lanisoh cream worked for me but rubbing some of my own breastmilk into my nipples worked wonders! (it is also great for if babe has sticky eyes!)

Good luck and it will be worth the perseverance!

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

I think you need to be prepared for bf not being as easy as many others on this thread seem to have found it. I really struggled and the Medela Breast Pump really helped. By all means wait until you see if you need it but make sure you know when and where to get it if you need it. If I hadn't been recommended this pump when dd was a few days old I would have had to give up. I was on the verge of mastitis and the pump meant that I could avoid this and also took the pressure off me. I would say don't waste money on a hand held breast pump. Don't mean to sound negative but I think best to be prepared as I have many friends who have struggled and have had to give up whereas this pump enabled me to keep going. Clare Byam Cook's book and dvdare also worth getting. Good luck.