Breastfeeding Questions

[Anonymous]

FTM – completely overwhelmed with the supplies needed for breastfeeding. I have searched through the forum, but was hoping to try to get all of this in one place because it has been really confusing putting everything together. My plan is to EBF for the majority of my maternity leave – 12 weeks – and then pump when I go back to work. Here are my questions thus far:
1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have? I had 2 nursing tanks and one nursing bra. I would do laundry every 3-4 days anyways.
2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? No, I basically lived in the nursing tanks.
3. For the moms with a larger chest (pre-pregnant in the 36E range), how much bigger did you get? Thus far I have been able to stick with most of the bras I was using before getting pregnant but they aren’t breastfeeding ones so I will get new ones. I was a 34A pre-pregnancy and a 36C/D during nursing.
4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? Not really applicable to me since I'm relatively small up top, but I wore Target brand (Gillian O'Malley I think).
5. Did you buy breastfeeding bras before the baby was born/do you recommend I have a couple to start with and then add to them? I bought them during my late third trimester. This time, I started wearing them when my bras got a little tight in the early second trimester.
6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? Not really applicable to me because I EP'ed after 8 weeks due to reflux/weight gain issues and my baby always took a bottle no problem (we supplemented since day 1 until my supply evened out around 12 weeks and I was keeping up with her). If you have supply issues (baby seems always hungry), its good to pump for 10-15 minutes following a feeding to stimulate more milk production. If you don't have supply issues though, this is a bad idea because it'll give you supply issues (you'll have an oversupply, which is bad too). Make sure you offer a bottle early on so that the baby goes between bottle and breast easily. Maybe offer pumped milk or a bottle of formula for one of the middle of the night feedings so you can get some sleep. You don't want to have issues with taking a bottle since you know that you are definitely going back to work and can't really be pure breast. Good luck, I hope it works out for you! Don't sweat it if it doesn't though.

[Anonymous]

Here's what I'd recommend as a supply list to buy before baby is born:

2x sleep nursing bras--I think PP mentioned the medela ones, which I like because the sizing is s/m/l/xl. They don't have to fit beautifully.
1x nursing tank. I like the ones from target
Tube of lanolin. The breastfeeding center (http://www.breastfeedingcenter.org/) sells sample sized tubes, which is nice as you can put one on your nightstand, one in your purse, etc
Pack of nursing pads
Nursing pillow like a boppy or my breast friend

And also have on hand a lactation consultant's phone number.

You can buy other nursing clothing once the baby arrives and you figure out what works for you and what doesn't.

[Anonymous]

1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have? I have 2 tanks and 2 underwire bras. I also bought a sleep bra. We end up doing laundry almost every day bc we have a spitter-upper, but Im considering getting more tanks/ sleep bras.
2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? I didnt wear one at night at first but then I started leaking, so I wore the sleep bra at night to hold the pads in place bc otherwise I was sleeping in a wet tshirt. I also wear the tanks to sleep regularly.
3. For the moms with a larger chest (pre-pregnant in the 36E range), how much bigger did you get? Thus far I have been able to stick with most of the bras I was using before getting pregnant but they aren’t breastfeeding ones so I will get new ones.
4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? Sorry, I cant help you with these two!
5. Did you buy breastfeeding bras before the baby was born/do you recommend I have a couple to start with and then add to them? I bought one of each to have in the hospital, but only wore the tank there. I wanted to make sure I had something but didnt want to have too much if it didnt fit. The bra actually ended up being too small but I did wear the tank in the hospital. I bought more once my milk came in and I knew the size better.
6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? I was surprised when I started pumping 5x/ day (4 at work and 1 at home) at the discomfort for the first few days, but it subsides, just like the pain from nursing does.
7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? Even if you see a Lactation Consultant in the hospital, I would go after the baby is born to a center or group. Where are you located? Shady Grove has a free B.E.S.T. group a few days a week in Rockville that I found really helpful. They will check your latch and you can talk to other moms for tips, ask questions, etc. Especially great when you are just getting started to have that extra support. Breastfeeding is harder that I expected it to be at first. I almost quit on day 4 and Im so glad I stuck it out, but I wouldnt have been able to do it without support. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

i honestly wouldn't buy a ton of stuff to start because you just don't know what will happen. the LC at our pediatrician told me not to buy a pump until after baby arrived. i had a few bras - i would HIGHLY recommend going to the breastfeeding center in DC to get a bra fitting - especially for larger breasts. none of the cheaper things i tried 9from target etc) gave me any support. was 34DD before pregnancy. at the breastfeeding center, the woman brought me like 10 different choices of bras to try on.

at the end of the day, my supply never increased, baby never got latching and i had to stop BFing after 7 weeks after investing in all the big and small breastfeeding acccessories. if i had to do it again knowing what i know now, i'd probably wait to buy a lot of stuff until after baby came.

[Anonymous]

I had a larger chest pre pregnancy (40dd) and, once my milk started to come in in the hospital, by measurements I got up to abou an H cup, so, yes, I had to order online. I think I liked Bravado well enough, but I had to send my mother and husband out to try to get something, anything, for the hospital, so I wish I would have gone to the hospital with at least one. I ended up with sleep bras (I leaked so much and kept a towel under me for about the first three months). A friend who'd had a baby before me gave me nursing pads (loved) and lanolin (LOVED) and thank god cause I used them all the time in the beginning.

I pumped for a month (long story) and when I started to hurt it was excruciating; it was thrush. Got that treated and then the first few days were uncomfortable, but tolerable. I wish I'd known about the "boo sandwich" as my LC called it, although I don't know if smaller breasted women need to rely on it so heavily. I never had nursing tops or tanks, but that,s because I preferred strongly to nurse in private. Also, I am so glad that I had the formula, and thank god we rented the Symphony.

It wasn't bad once I got the hang of it. You'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Okay, I'll make this brief! Your own post was a little tl;dr so the responses probably aren't helping you feel less overwhelmed!

Buy a few nursing tanks and a couple of nursing bras. Any tank will do, even a non-nursing tank! Wear those under long sleeved button downs or cardigans during the day, and to sleep in a night with pads if you area leaky. I liked Bravado nursing bras...two nude, two black. I have huge boobs....like 40 DD before nursing, no idea now. If you aren't leaky, you can wear anything to bed that is easy to pull down or up.

[Anonymous]

I recommend renting a hospital grade pump and learning how to use it before your baby arrives. You never know when you might need it and it's a good idea to figure it out while you're on leave. I needed to pump a little in the beginning to give my nipples a break and I was doing it all wrong!

Buy a handsfree bra for pumping (simple wishes bustier is the BEST), flanges in a couple of sizes, four valves, and some extra membranes. You can always order whatever you need on Amazon if you need more. But it's good to have something to start with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recommend renting a hospital grade pump and learning how to use it before your baby arrives. You never know when you might need it and it's a good idea to figure it out while you're on leave. I needed to pump a little in the beginning to give my nipples a break and I was doing it all wrong!

Buy a handsfree bra for pumping (simple wishes bustier is the BEST), flanges in a couple of sizes, four valves, and some extra membranes. You can always order whatever you need on Amazon if you need more. But it's good to have something to start with.

Cannot disagree with this advice more. If you need a hospital grade pump, you can get it at the hospital. The lactation consultants at your hospital will be more than willing to help you out with that. Wait to buy pumping accessories until you know that things are working out -- you don't want to end up exclusively pumping if you can avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recommend renting a hospital grade pump and learning how to use it before your baby arrives. You never know when you might need it and it's a good idea to figure it out while you're on leave. I needed to pump a little in the beginning to give my nipples a break and I was doing it all wrong!

Buy a handsfree bra for pumping (simple wishes bustier is the BEST), flanges in a couple of sizes, four valves, and some extra membranes. You can always order whatever you need on Amazon if you need more. But it's good to have something to start with.

Cannot disagree with this advice more. If you need a hospital grade pump, you can get it at the hospital. The lactation consultants at your hospital will be more than willing to help you out with that. Wait to buy pumping accessories until you know that things are working out -- you don't want to end up exclusively pumping if you can avoid it.

You CANNOT rent a hospital grade pump from most hospitals to take home. I had to rent mine from NoVA lactation consultants....which meant I had to drive and get it when I was 2 weeks PP and getting out of the house was difficult. OP indicted that she will be pumping in the future, presumably because she is going to go back to work. I only had my Medela PIS at home after I came home from the hospital and didn't have the right sized flanges or parts ready to go. It was a mistake. The PIS is a pain in the ass because you HAVE to do two sides at the same time for it to work effectively. I was trying to just pump one breast because I had a very severely cracked nipple that needed to heal before I could nurse again without excruciating pain. Can't do that with a PIS. Plus, the hospital grade pump is really so much more gentle and effective. If OP is going to pump regardless, no harm in being prepared. Plus, she's going to want to pump a little during maternity leave to build up a bit of a freezer stash. I don't know anyone who NEVER pumped on their leave. Most other moms I know pumped because they needed to boost supply, relieve engorgement, needed a break, or needed to build a stash. Also, I recommend renting the pump during leave and waiting to buy a work pump until you actually go back to work (or keep renting) since you don't want to waste money on a pump you might not use.

[Anonymous]

--start with sleep/casual bras and nursing tanks since your size will go up and down. I got cheap, stretchy jog bras, 2 majama sleep bras and some stretchy nursing tanks from target (I think it was called Basics brand?). I found the gillian o malley from target to be constricting. Don't buy expensive nursing bras until you are closer to going back to work. I needed a lot because I leak a lot at night and wanted to wash/change them daily. That's why I went for the cheapies.

--don't buy a pump now. see how pumping goes. I rented from the breastfeeding center the first month.

--dont buy bottles ahead of time, or start with one, babies have preferences sometimes and one works where another one doesn't.

--what else to expect...I didn't know how to deal with engorgement for the first baby, no one warned me how hard it would be. With the second, i stayed ahead of it--ice packs every hour!, ibuprofen, strategic pumping/massaging--and got by without the multiple rounds of mastitis (and bad latch) of #1.

--oh yeah, don't plan on wearing a dress if you are pumping. I remember sitting in my unlockable pumping "closet" (a storage room at work) basically naked, since I had to remove my dress to pump. I was always convinced someone would walk in on me at that moment.

--breastfeeding #1 sucked at first--hard, painful, unsuccessful, and I was WAY too stressed about establishing supply and refused to supplement or let DH do bottles at first, which in retrospect was nuts.....eventually we turned the corner at 6 weeks and made it to 15 months, although I supplemented at 9 months. Breastfeeding #2 has been easy peasy from the start--and it was the second time that I was totally okay with supplementing, etc, if it wasn't working out. You never know how it will go for YOU but don't let the craziness of FTM, hormones, etc, drive you nuts if it is not working out. Take a deep breath, know that it gets better and if it doesn't, there are alternatives to EBF.

[Anonymous]

I am the 1343 poster from Tuesday. I wanted to add about the whole giving a bottle thing. It was dreadful with both my kids -- the first because I waited too long to give a bottle and the second, not because I waited too long, but because I became complacent because she was so good about taking a bottle so early. Be consistent in giving a bottle every other day after the baby is nursing well. We gave no. 2 her first bottle at 2 weeks, which turned out to be a god send when I had to go to work for a day during leave.

Yes, I forgot between kids how much nursing hurts after you come home from the hospital. Sore nipples plus painful let down curled my toes. I also forgot about the uterine contractions that hurt more than my pre-epidural contractions during labor. It all subsides in a few days, and if it doesn't, call a lactation consultant.

I have my old handy, 2005 model pump-in-style that is effective for pumping one or both sides. I am not sure what PP is talking about.

I have two pumps - one I use at home and one I use at work. I don't remember why I bought pump no. 2 in 2005 with my first, but I am glad I have it. It's a Playtex model that isn't even made anymore. It's more discrete than my PIS, so I just leave the pump apparatus on my kitchen counter. If you don't know what is it, you'd never guess.

[Anonymous]

I know you want to be ready and prepared now, which is great. But just buy a few tanks and a few bras. Once you actually have the baby, you'll be able to buy more of what you decide you like and need in stores and online. No need to get fully stocked now.