Planning to Breastfeed- confusion re equipment needed...

[Scarlett175]

other than the ahemm obvious, I feel massively confused as to what I need equipment wise to breast feed.

I am guessing a breast pump (any reccomendations would be welcomed, and manual versus electric?????)

and then bottles/containers/ steriliser???

is it worth buying formula just in case all doesn't go to plan?

any thoughts would be welcomed!

Jess x

honestly, all you need are your boobs, a couple of decent nursing bras and a good supply of chocolate and biscuits. You will be spending a lot of time on the sofa so music, good dvds will also help. When you get more confident you can read or talk on the phone while feeding so get some good books in

Personally I would concentrate on breast pads, feeding bras and possibly some cream to help stop cracked nipples. I bf my first 2 dcs and am planning to bf this one too, due in 8 wks. I have not bought anything apart from breast pads!

It is recommended not to express until BF is established. By then you will know if you will need to express or not.

As there are so many shops open 24 hours then if you are really desperate I'm sure someone could go and buy bottles and formula for you.

If you buy formula (etc.) in advance you might be undermining yourself -- it works that way for a lot of women.
You CAN do this. Nearly all or maybe even all of your female ancestors did it quite successfully or you wouldn't even be here.

Best equipment is the telephone number of several support people or groups in your areas. Phone before baby is born just so you feel like you already have a relationship, and you won't feel like a nuisance prat if you do feel the need to phone again after baby is born.

We've bought an Avent manual pump, steriliser and a couple of bottles, some Lansinoh cream and will get some feeding bras to fit once my milk comes in.

Hopefully this is enough kit...

We've decided against getting formula 'just in case' - if it really gets to the point where I want to ff then I'll send DH out to the 24hr Tesco to get some then!

I wouldnt buy anything except a maternity bra and some pads. I never had need for a pump or lansinoh until my third came along, and its a lot of money to spend if you dont need too.

Save your ££ and buy something really cute for your little one with it.

NCT bra fitters usually recommend getting fitted at about 36 weeks pg (if my memory serves me right - twas a while ago). Apart from anything, you will be otherwise occupied "when your milk comes in" You can buy nursing bras on the high street but Mothercare has a poor record on fitting FWIW.

I can't emphasise enough how much support bf mums get from going to groups where there are other bf mums. It doesn't have to be only bf mums but it does need to be somewhere that actively supports bf (bfc drop in/peer supporters present/baby cafe). Nor do you need to go to talk only about bf (which would be a bit dull). Sharing stories about the birth or what it's like to be a parent, losing babyweight, Japanese Anime... whatever, it gets you out and about.

Finding out when and where you can go is a good idea before the baby arrives. Some groups welcome pg women too which is ideal. Then you are not faced with the ordeal of walking into a room of strangers carrying your new and howling baby. Getting to know other women who bf can be a huge support. Make sure you have phone numbers for your local bf counsellor and the national helplines. I had most luck getting through to the NCT one but there is also La Leche, the Association of Bf Mothers and the National Breastfeeding Line 0300 100 0212 (happen to have a freebie pen of theirs from a drop in I used to go to )

I'm going to go against the general opinion here and recommend you buy some cartons of formula just in case...I had an 80 hour labour, two shots of pethidine, and an epidural. DD struggled to feed in hospital but they discharged us anyway, the first night I was home I was up till 5.30 in the morning trying to feed her and the next night till 4.30 in the morning. At which point I think DH gave her some formula (it's all a bit hazy ). It didn't undermine my determination to feed and it didn't mess up DD's efforts to bf, it just got some food into her so that we could all go to sleep. After a rocky start, we happily bf for 16 months and it was just the best thing.
Now you probably won't have a labour like mine and a poor little sleepy baby like mine, BUT if you do you might be glad for a box of formula. Believe me if your DH has been up for more than 24 hours already he is not going to want to pop to the shops for you if you do decide you need formula .
DC2 is due in 6 weeks and I will be getting a carton or two in just in case, although I'm hoping that this time it'll be a bit easier (at least I'll have more of a clue as to what I'm doing!)
Regarding other equipment, lots of breast pads, at least three comfy bras, nipple cream (I think I used Boots own brand, much cheaper than Lanisoh), possibly a pump (I had a second hand Avent manual one) and some bottles/teats. Up to you whether you get a steriliser or just use cold water and tablets, I got a steriliser in one of the half-price baby offers that the supermarkets sometimes do and found it very useful but you could probably manage without.
And then you need a comfy chair, a supportive DH and health care professionals, a nice cup of tea and some cake .
Best of luck with it all, hope it all goes well!

We have got a Closer to Nature manual pump, 6 Closer to Nature bottles (as I plan on expressing sometimes so DH can 'have a go')and also a Closer to Bature microwave steriliser.

Will also get a couple of nursing bras, nursing nightwear and breast pads closer to delivery date (am only 17wks but equipment was on special so....)

Agree with previous comments re formula. Don't buy it as you may at times feel like you just cannot breastfeed and FF may seem like an easy alternative.
I did this with my first baby and wish I'd just persisted a little more.

heehee 'Bature'. obviously that wassupposed to say 'Nature'

John Lewis are great for fitting maternity / feeding bras while you are pg. Personally I'm glad I didn't wait til my milk came in! a) I was still in hospital (unplanned, but these things occasionally happen), b) I was leaking and bursting and would have found it hard to try on bras in a way that left them fit for sale c) didn't feel quite ready to be traipsing the high st at that point.

The nice ladeees in JL are experienced, reassuring and specialist, it's what they do. I bought a few from them, then some cheaper ones in Mothercare.

you just need two breasts and a little bit of patience and a willing baby. I wouldn't buy a pump just yet tbh

Another one recommending you hold off on both pump, formula and bottles. Buy yourself HUGE bottle of water to have with you constantly instead.

breasts, bras, breast pads and lots to eat and drink!!!!

don't buy formula - in the unlikely event you need you can buy then including bottles - all supermarkets / chemists sell it. Bottles can be sterilised in a pot of boiling water if you don't have steriliser.

I personally wouldn't use a pump for the first month until breast feeding is established, so wait and see for that.

Breasts. Sofa. Cake. Remote control.

I'd have a couple of bras and some Lansinoh, personally. A pillow can be handy, but I just used an ordinary one.

Breastfeeding 'equipment' is one of my bugbears as it totally bamboozled me when pg with DC1. A lot of it is a way to make money out of something that is free.

You probably live pretty near a Boots that will have breast pumps if you decide you need one. Or you can have my hand pump, which I bought at about 26 weeks pg, used a couple of times and has sat in the cupboard since. When I actually needed one I bought a super-snazzy electirc one but that wasn't until later on

Ditto formula. DD did have some formual at first for various reasons. Cartons were handy and not much of an investment but I don't think I had any before. A mixing bowl with some Milton in does just as well if you're not going to be using much formula.

I always felt more self-conscious poking my nipple through the hole of a feeding top than lifting up a t'shirt, and they soon went to sit next to the sterilising bowl and the breast pump.

The number of my local breastfeeding group however, I found invaluable. Not only did they help with DD's tendency to fall asleep constantly I also made a ton of friends there that got me started good and proper into motherhood.

lots of cushions. A little box to (figuratively) put any remaining selfconsciousness in. A little bell to summon your helper when your enormous bottle of water is empty.

oh. IME you do need flapjack. As far as I could tell, the most nutrition (B vits from the oats, lots of calories) you can get in a hand-held food!

Yes to flapjack.

You might find that once feeding's established you can hand express. I always found it quite straightforward. You don't really need a steriliser either. A dishwasher does exactly the same job or wash in hot soapy water. And dd never took a bottle so I'm glad I didn't shell out. She would take milk from a cup though.

i agree with bettymum- i have bought 3 cartons of ready made formula incase its 2 in the morning and i need to feed baby.

I tried BF my DD and didn't get on so well, lansinoh cream was amazing, i also used nipple shields to stop my nipples chafing against my bra. I tried one of those nursing pillows but i didnt really get on with it, but got it second hand so didnt waste that much. Pillows worked better for me.

I tried for as long as I possibly could, but it got to the point where i was dreading being near my baby, and she could sense i was wound up and feeding just got even harder. when i swapped over to bottles i felt a weight lifted. Only saying this as there is a lot of pressure to BF but it isnt the end of the world if you decide it isnt for you/baby.

Once i decided to bottle feed I did express, tried a tomee tippee manual pump which was useless. In the end a friend lent me her electric avent one which was amazing and the cup thing is padded so really comfy to use.

Baby number 2 due in just over a week, I am going to try to BF this one too, so have some lansinoh cream ready to hand, as well as a few cartons of formula, breast pump, and breast pads. Oh i also got a 'latch assist' by lansinoh as i have flat nipples so am hoping this might help things more this time round.

Also, you will get very thirsty when you BF so have a tall glass of water to hand once you've settled in your chair with baby! And good luck!!

Thank you BYM
The reason I said cartons, not a big tin of powder, is that they're literally just there for emergencies, they only do one feed, whereas if you had a carton you'd have 100 feeds or whatever it is and maybe you would be tempted to switch if you were having a hard time.
I had a really rocky start, but I had good support from the BF clinic in the hospital, the maternity care assistants and midwives in the 10 days after I left hospital, and also our local children's centre where we went to get the babies weighed. I agree that meeting other BF mums and being able to chat is very important. I could also talk to my mum, sister and SIL who between them had BF seven babies .

well with my DS the hospital gave me pethadine n i was very daisy when they tried to get me to bf and then left me.. i was still so out of it that i blistered my nipples and was left for ages in pain every feed and ended up givin up after 3wks as not mt milk just never came in either.. with my DD i tried but again i couldnt feed.. was gutted both times
took me 9hrs to express just 4 oz..
i am now preg with my 3rd n will be more determined this time. i will be buying loads of breast pads and comfy feeding bras (needs to be dont b4 baby here in my opinion).
with formula thats is your choice.. i think i'll buy 1 lil carton just incase (worse case senario) as you CAN still breastfeed at the same time but wont harm baby either way. i was told after i stopped with my DD i can do a lil of both bein i dont make enough milk.. as far as pumps by all means buy one but dont use it too much at the begining if u can help it. hope all goes gr8

sorry meant to say "if you had a big tin you'd have 100 feeds..."

Those little medecine cups you get free withcough syrup etc are great for little babies to drink from, BTW.

I found disposable breast pads really annoying. Reusables were much comfier.

Your choice but the presence of cartons of formula tends to undermine the confidence of the bf mother. If you are having bf difficulties but still want to carry on then you need proper bf support not a bm substitute. Hence the phone numbers and groups. As you (or someone mentioned) if you change your mind there is always the 24 hour shop. Not having them in the house tends to be predictive of more success at bf - it's a confidence thing for the mum. All things being equal you are less likely to use them if they aren't there. But, I accept that others may feel differently. Oh and good luck with the labour and delivery. It could be absolutely fine - lots of people do

I'm agreeing with Bettymum:

'I'm going to go against the general opinion here and recommend you buy some cartons of formula just in case...I had an 80 hour labour, two shots of pethidine, and an epidural. DD struggled to feed in hospital but they discharged us anyway, the first night I was home I was up till 5.30 in the morning trying to feed her and the next night till 4.30 in the morning. At which point I think DH gave her some formula (it's all a bit hazy ). It didn't undermine my determination to feed and it didn't mess up DD's efforts to bf, it just got some food into her so that we could all go to sleep. After a rocky start, we happily bf for 16 months and it was just the best thing.'

I could have written that myself. Having a few cartons in the house in no way altered my determination to stick with bf. It did save the day though, because that crisis at 4am on a Sunday morning is a little less awful if like me you don't live near a 24hr Tesco/chemist but you have some 'just in case'.

Personally I think, if you give up bf just because you have formula in the cupboard and its the easy option then you were probably not going to bf for very long anyway. Most mothers who want to bf try really hard to stick with it, but sometimes it is too hard. Its more likely to be the mastitis, the unsupportive comments from people, lack of access to a bf counsellor that means they give up, not the formula in the cupboard.