Nursing Must-Haves

[alotofyarn]

I'm trying to get prepared - what do I NEED to prepare for nursing? I'll be going back to work and pumping, but I'd like to feed her myself when I'm home if possible.

So far I have:
- Bravado Silk Nursing Bra (I'll get another couple of bras once I have a better idea about what size I'll be, but this one is super flexible size-wise)
- Nursing camisole from Target (I need more of these - are any better than another?)
- Medela Advanced Pump (not quite the PIS, but pretty much the same except for the bag, I think - got it free through insurance)
- Simple Wishes hands-free pumping bra
- Extra valves and membranes
- A few bottles, although I want to wait and see what baby girl likes first
- Lanolin
- Disposable pads
- Gel pads
- Boppy pillow

I also finished reading Milk Memos, which was great. Any additional tips for introducing pumping would be awesome though - I'll meet with the LC at the hospital when and after she's born, and hopefully they'll have some good advice, because the BFing class they taught was super generic and not overly helpful. I'm also going to get a small fridge to put in my office at work, because I'll pump in there. The building has a pumping room, but I hear it's not that nice, and my office is.

[Thirteen]

A supportive staff team to help you with the ever-changing demands of a nursing child (find a few IBCLC lac consultants, or a breast feeding support group led by one, that you trust).

Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter (the Medella lanolin stuff did nothing for me)

Patience, patience, patience: it took me about 6 weeks to get the hang of it all, and 3 months until I felt completely comfortable enough to handle everything.
You will be naked from the waist up, a lot. There are many growth spurts: the first is at 2 weeks, then 1 month, then every 4 weeks until 1 year of age. Your baby at the breast will dictate supply BEFORE your body catches up. You may feel like your child is starving, or you have a supply problem, but don't panic! Obviously if your baby is losing weight, the ped will know and make it known.
A baby can extract milk from a bottle much easier than nursing at the breast, so keep that in mind when worrying/panicking about numbers and ounces.
DS nursed every 90min to 2 hours during growth spurts, and took 30-45 minutes at the breast.




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[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I wore my Gap pregnancy tanks under literally everything the entire time I nursed. That was you can pull up your shirt or your dress over and you're not showing any skin but the nipple. I used a nursing cover but I forgot it once or twice and was able to discreetly nurse in public no prob.


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[OrionGrad]

It sounds like you have most if the basics covered. The only thing I'd add is a large water bottle (preferably with a straw). I remember being SO THIRSTY those first couple months, and you can't always just get up and fill up a glass while you're in the middle of nursing.

[scrub-jay]

It sounds like you have most if the basics covered. The only thing I'd add is a large water bottle (preferably with a straw). I remember being SO THIRSTY those first couple months, and you can't always just get up and fill up a glass while you're in the middle of nursing.

Keep the gigantic plastic cup with the straw that the hospital gives you. I still have mine from both kids and I'm still using it nightly to keep my supply up (ds is 9 months). I can't recommend the Medela Freestyle enough, I loved it and although it wasn't free, it was worth every dime.

13 is right - patience is important. Cluster feeding is very real and will make you wonder if you are making enough milk, but really the baby is just putting in the order for more milk next week.

Both of my kiddos did well with the breastflow bottles.

[SoonerTexan]

I'll also agree nipple butter was way better than lanolin and stained less. Use it on your nipples before you pump too...makes a big difference.

I'd wait a week or two to introduce pumping. You have time and just figuring out breast feeding is enough.

Maybe find a lactation consultant you can call if things get tough. It was very helpful for me!

And remember its normal for milk to take a few days to come in. The colostrum is enough (of course there can be complications, but I don't think it is stressed enough that it takes a few days and people assume their kids are starving and jump to formula)

Good call on waiting on the nursing bras. I bought some right when my milk came in and I was engorged and they were too big a few days later.

[MrsC]

I agree that patience and an open mind are necessary. I'm only now beginning to nurse more frequently and find it easier after 6 weeks. I was all for nursing excusively but when DS was 2 days old DH and I knew he wasn't getting enough colostrum due to problems latching and he was clearly hungry. The nurses and LC's tried to convince us otherwise but we demanded he be weighed and sure enough he had lost 2% of his body weight in less than 12 hours which meant he was down 12% total since birth (a 10% loss is acceptable). We had to supplement and due to other problems I had he was mainly formula fed for a couple of weeks. I felt horribly guilty and stressed about it so much. But I kept pumping and remained determined and now we're doing great, still supplementing but nursing is much easier.
I'm sure you won't have any problems but just wanted to share my experience because it's easy to get discouraged when everyone makes you feel like crap for supplementing. For me it was just a case of trusting my own instincts and altering my expectations.
Also, it took a whole week for my milk to come in.
Dr Browns bottles made the transition between breast and bottle much easier.
LC's can be helpful but if you find they're just repeating the same thing over and over and it's not helping, skip them and go with your instinct.

[ladymoreta]

It sounds like you're set! I agree with Thirteen that it will mainly require patience at first. It's such a steep learning curve, and once you come home, there isn't really anyone there to teach you or the baby. Kelly Mom is a great website for middle of the night questions.

I'm going to go into controversial territory, so apologies in advance. I remember that you've mentioned reading Babywise. If you do want to continue nursing, I'd recommend holding off on implementing the feeding part of the system for a few months. That book has so much incorrect information about breastfeeding. My friends who used Babywise generally ended up switching to formula because of supply issues after a month or so. You can still do eat-play-sleep, but try to work in extra feedings during awake time, and put the schedule on hold when she starts cluster feeding for a growth spurt.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Yes to what LM said. Establishing a solid supply will be key to BF success and should take precedence over any schedule initially.

Now, what was that stuff Thirteen you recommended for mama recovery? Some type of sprays or something? Last time was brutal on the nether regions so please do share!


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[alotofyarn]

I don't plan to strictly follow babywise, and I know that spurts/cluster feeding are exceptions! I'd like to get her on a schedule, but I won't refuse to feed a screaming hungry baby.

[spotty_dog]

Now, what was that stuff Thirteen you recommended for mama recovery? Some type of sprays or something? Last time was brutal on the nether regions so please do share!

I had an Earth Mama Angel Baby kit that included a witch hazel-based spray for down there (think Tucks pads) and also some herbs for sitz bathing. Verrah nice. I preferred the spray with my first and the warm herbal baths with my second. Go figure.

[Pollyanna]

I don't plan to strictly follow babywise, and I know that spurts/cluster feeding are exceptions! I'd like to get her on a schedule, but I won't refuse to feed a screaming hungry baby.

Just to make you aware that it is really hard to determine why a baby is fussy. Even if my babies had eaten 30 min prior I would always always try to nurse them again first if there was no obvious cause for the fussing. You just never know if the burp they had gave them more room to eat, if they got distracted and didn't eat enough, or if they just need suckling time from mama again. I have had six newborns and the only constant is that there will be no schedule for the first six weeks. After that you can start to develop a schedule but really I would encourage you to let baby lead. Relax about all the other stuff, nurse that baby, eat well, drink lots of water, and rest whenever possible for those first six weeks. Nest with that sweet baby as much as possible. Laundry, cooking, dirty floors, are things that can wait. I promise you this is true.

If you haven't already done so get Penelope Leach's Your Baby and Child. It will bring you great comfort. I have nearly every baby book and this is the best one out there. Put Babywuse away for now, if you really like it then at the very least put it away until baby is 6-9 months old.

Good luck mama, you're gonna be great!

[Thirteen]

Just to make you aware that it is really hard to determine why a baby is fussy. Even if my babies had eaten 30 min prior I would always always try to nurse them again first if there was no obvious cause for the fussing. You just never know if the burp they had gave them more room to eat, if they got distracted and didn't eat enough, or if they just need suckling time from mama again. I have had six newborns and the only constant is that there will be no schedule for the first six weeks. After that you can start to develop a schedule but really I would encourage you to let baby lead. Relax about all the other stuff, nurse that baby, eat well, drink lots of water, and rest whenever possible for those first six weeks. Nest with that sweet baby as much as possible. Laundry, cooking, dirty floors, are things that can wait. I promise you this is true.

If you haven't already done so get Penelope Leach's Your Baby and Child. It will bring you great comfort. I have nearly every baby book and this is the best one out there. Put Babywuse away for now, if you really like it then at the very least put it away until baby is 6-9 months old.

Good luck mama, you're gonna be great!

Penelope Leach is great! Agreed!
Spotty, you're right also - I'm pretty much a big fan of anything that Earth Mama Angel Baby makes. I sound like a salesperson, but if it works, I endorse endorse endorse.

Another thing I just thought of is going to a maternity specialty store to be properly fitted AFTER your milk comes in. Try on all kinds of bras, pick a few, and treat them well. They tend to be pricey, but I saw it as an investment. That is to say, I started with cheaper bras (estimated on what I needed) and wound up trashing them all.
(e.g. I'm a 34 DD, and as a nursing/post-parteum mother, I was actually a 40 G). Helloooooooo boobs! Sheesh.

[SoonerTexan]

Oh...the other must have? Your iPhone.

Lets face it, it is time consuming and boring when not frustrating, at least in the beginning!

Though eventually they will try and grab the phone...

[ladymoreta]

Oh...the other must have? Your iPhone.

Lets face it, it is time consuming and boring when not frustrating, at least in the beginning!

Yes! I also loved the Total Baby app. I tracked everything, probably a bit obsessively, but you can use it just for nursing. It helps keep track of which side you started feeding on last and how frequently your baby ate. The pediatrician likes to spring questions on you like "How often does she eat? How many wet and dirty diapers does she have a day?" With my first, I think I answered with a blank stare then mumbled "Lots" before falling asleep in my chair. (Slight exaggeration...) It also keeps track of your baby's growth and vaccinations, so I still use it to keep track of their doctor visits.