Breastfeeding Questions
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Anonymous
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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? 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? 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? 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? 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? |
Anonymous
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1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have? I HAD 3-4 OF EACH, AND USUALLY WORE THEM FOR TWO DAYS BEFORE WASHING. 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? NEVER WORE ONE AT NIGHT 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. LEAVE THIS TO THE LARGER CHESTED MOMS TO ANSWER! 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? 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 THINK I HAD ONE BEFORE AND THEN WENT FROM THERE 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? PUMP AS MANY TIMES PER DAY AS YOUR CHILD IS DRINKING AT DAYCARE. EMPTYING YOUR BREAST SIGNALS IT TO MAKE MORE MILK. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? HAVE ON HAND THE NAME OF A GOOD LACTATION CONSULTANT. IF YOU'RE IN VIRGINIA, HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BREASTFEEDING MOMS GROUP AT MEETS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT VA HOSPITAL CENTER. RUN BE A FABULOUS IBCLC. IT MIGHT GO EASILY FOR YOU AND YOUR INFANT, OR IT COULD BE HARD. UNLESS YOU ARE AN OVER-SUPPLIER, GET FAMILIAR WITH "GALACTAGOUGES", THOSE THINGS THAT WILL BOOST YOUR MILK SUPPLY (OATMEAL, ALMONDS, FENUGREEK). DRINK WATER, DRINK WATER AND DRINK MORE WATER. Congratulations and enjoy the experience! |
jloukiss
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First, congratulations and good luck!!
Second, don't stress. Breastfeeding is hard--but you can totally do it. The Breastfeeding center (on K street downtown) is a great resource. Pat Shelley, the lactation consultant, makes house calls. As for the prep... don't worry about it now. You can buy what you need later. Especially in the first few weeks you should not be wearing a nursing bra (you will be engorged, most likely and the bra will be tight, which can cause clogged ducts). Instead I wore a sleep bra until things settled down. Medela makes them. I needed to wear one every night, partly for support and partly to keep my breast pads in place. I also really liked the nursing tanks. I bought some from target the last time around. This time (baby due in 6 weeks) I treated myself to a Bravado nursing tank. They are more expensive, but much better quality. Best wishes!! |
Anonymous
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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 have about 10, half are underwire for work and half are for sleeping. I am a 36 DD(E) and I am very uncomforable without a bra, so I sleep with one on. I bought two before I left the hospital (had a fitting), then ordered more of those online. I bought several underwires at a motherhood maternity outlet before I went back to work. All this was with first in 2005. I am using them again now with no. 2 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? Yes, I never sleep in the underwire and only use them for work. Also, one reason to sleep with a bra on was to have a nursing pad in place. I leaked a lot. 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 never got any bigger than when DD was born. I also never went back down to my pre-child size. I went 6 years between pregnancies, and only just went down to a D cup from a DD just before I got pregnant. I am looking forward to getting back into the one I fit into before my second child was born. 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? Medela and Motherhood. See No. 1 above. 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? No. 1 above. 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? Don't worry about pumping before you go back to work except for a few practice sessions to get to know your pump and put up a little bit of milk in the freezer. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? Have some nursing pads on hand. I also use receiving blankets for just about everything and keep one in my pump to cover my clothes during pumping at work. |
Anonymous
You should ask Jeff to transfer this to the GENERAL PARENTING forum. Those moms know more, but here we go 
1. I went to Walmart and got 5 packages of those "3 for $10" cotton sports bras. Best thing ever... easy to wash, cheap and easily replaceable. 2. I slept topless. Easy access for the baby - we co slept so she'd nurse while I slept (saving my sleep) and much healthier for you. I kept a towel under me when we were in the leaking phase. No nursing pad would keep up with the gushes of milk 3. I was E before pregnancy and go to I during the time my supply was getting established. The Walmart bras worked just fine. I don't really know why women spend so much money in nursing bras!!!! 4. I tried plenty of bras on at Kohls and maternity stores before deciding to go the Walmart route - BTW, if you're nursing in public they're much much more discrete than nursing bras. 5. I bought a bunch and started replacing as they were getting some wear... I went back maybe 2 times during the 15 mos we breastfed 6. Get a hands free pumping bra, the kind that zips in the front. Also, pump as much as you can during the day and try to pump one side while your baby eats in the other during the weekend. Build a freezer stash during your maternity leave - you'll practice pumping and will have some reserves for days that you might have to skip a pumping session or when your period comes (your supply might drop a few days before the period) 7. Learn to nurse laying on your side. You can sleep and feed the baby at the same time. Keep a bottle of water in every room. And ALWAYS drink when you feed. Don't ignore the thirst that comes with let down - it's your body asking for more fluids to make more milk. Nurse on demand, forget the clock. The baby eats when they want and your only job for the first few weeks is to feed them. Ignore the phone, the laundry, the dishes and the guests. Nothing can substitute those first weeks to build a healthy supply. |
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? 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? 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? 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? 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? |
Anonymous
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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? Bought 1 bra before giving birth. Had 2 light weight sleeping bras from target that I used the first few days in the hospital. At the hospital (Inova Alexandria) I was fitted for a nursing tank (bravado) and 1 bra, also bravado. 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? Yes- night light support ones from target day- more supportive ones. 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. Pre=pregnancy I was a 34E, post 38D. So they got big. I also gained way too much weight in pregnancy which I am sure didn’t help. 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? Like bravado bras a lot. 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? Buy a few cheap/light ones and a nursing tank from target, buy more later. Also once your supply regulates around 4 weeks your size may change/decrease. 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? Be sure to pump and bottle feed as soon as you can. Most people say 4 weeks, but honestly I think that is too long to wait and just makes for a really hard time getting a baby to take a bottle. Or so that was the case for us. I also think you need to be very disciplined about giving a bottle frequently while on leave. At least every other day. It is a pain and so much easier to just nurse, but if you don’t you pay for it later with a kid who had a hard time with the bottle. Thus so much more stressful when it comes time to leave your baby and return to work. Really not worth the headache. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? Don’t go crazy with buying a ton of nursing stuff pre-baby. Even women who have every intention on nursing sometimes run into problems and things don’t always work out. You can always buy bras at a lactation center/hospital and they often even sell them at a slight discount. Skip the boppy and get the brest friend nursing pillow. Oh and Ameda hydrogel pads work wonders on sore nipples. Just don’t use and creams or lanolin when you use them. Don’t stress too much. You can always get what you need. |
Anonymous
| 13:51 here and bring a tube of lanolin to the hospital. It saved my life! The LC brought me a sample and make the initial latch much more bearable. I was using it for the first weeks with every feeding and it really helped to avoid nipple friction. |
Anonymous
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1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have?
Four bras, three tanks. 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? Yes, one sleeping bra. I could do with another. 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. Mom with a smaller chest, so NA. 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? See above. 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 tanks in advance, based on advice I read on this site. Your cup size can change quite a bit in the first few weeks, and good nursing bras are not cheap (~$50). 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? We introduced a bottle of expressed milk at 3.5 weeks, and it was a perfect time. Our daughter has no trouble with either, though she prefers the breast. You'll hear that pumping often doesn't produce as much milk as the baby could get from nursing; I've found mother's milk tea and fenugreek helpful for increasing my supply, but it may not be necessary. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? I wasn't prepared for how much time I would spend breastfeeding those first few weeks. Hours a day, sitting on the couch. It helped to have a full water bottle close at hand, my laptop, etc. I had no appetite at all, but many women are the opposite, so having snacks on hand could be useful. The initial latching on can be quite painful, but that should ease once the baby starts sucking. Now, at 3.5 months PP, I barely feel a thing. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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Relax! You will pick up what you need on the fly. Just have some support available (LCs and a few friends who have EBF'ed are the best support you can have!). It's also important to remember that BFing makes you hormonal and you'll think you're doing it wrong at LEAST some of the time. BUT, you'll probably be fine, and you've got your support system for if you really do need help.
1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have? I have like 10 now (I'm a 38DD). However, I only got three sleep nursing bras for the first 4 weeks (when I was sleeping all around the clock and didn't really get out much). I got these ones: http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Womens-Sleep-Nursing-Bra/dp/B000JIH8WQ. They were also nice for putting pads into. Get them just a little on the big side (I got L and XL and I appreciated the roominess of XL). 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? Again, not at first. Now, I only wear regular nursing bras during the day (I love Nummies). I wear nothing at night (we cosleep so DD can have access with minimal waking up from me!). 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. Just get a few sleep bras now and get fitted after you give birth and AFTER any engorgement subsides. You don't want to end up with the wrong size. 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? I love Medela and Nummies. You can get LOADS of great bras (and a free fitting) at the Breastfeeding Center on K St. I highly recommend it. They also have free classes for new moms (you can take them when you're pregnant so you know what to expect, though). 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? Yes, and they don't fit! So, no, don't buy anything but a few sleep bras. 6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? Join a group and take free classes. VHC and K St have free support groups (VHC's is Weds and K St's is Tues) and those are GREAT places to learn more details. The free pumping class at K St is also great (but fills up quickly). In general, don't worry about pumping until you're about 4 weeks in and you're starting to get the hang of things. You have plenty of time to get used to it and build a freezer stash. I started pumping at about 6 weeks (once per day) and built up 200 oz for my stash. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? You literally never know if you or the baby will have issues, but know that breastfeeding is HARD the first time you do it. It is still SO WORTHWHILE and you will eventually just love it so much, but there are lots of challenges. 1. It will (probably) hurt. Those books that say it only hurts if you're doing it wrong are LYING!  It will probably hurt for 2-6 weeks. I hurt like hell for 2 weeks, and it was a little uncomfortable for 2 more weeks. Now, at 9 months, all I feel is the happy hormones from nursing. It takes a while for your nipples to adjust, and for the baby to get good at latching (even if they latch well). Triple nipple ointment is your friend if you get damaged nipples (get it from a compounding pharmacy like Prestons).
2. LCs are a godsend. Call one whenever, wherever. They are worth every penny. If you can't afford to pay for a consult, the groups at VHC and K St are run by LCs who can answer your questions. 3. You WILL think your diet is making your baby have reflux/gas at about 6-12 weeks. They are just fussy and gassy at that stage. Literally like 90% of the moms I know thought their kids had reflux or went on elimination diets. It's just a phase. 4. Kellymom is a great resource: http://kellymom.com 5. You will be fine! Breastfeeding is pretty hard but ends up being pretty cool. Best of luck to you and congrats! |
Anonymous
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Lots of awesome advice thus far...a few things I have different experiences with but generally I agree with most of what's above. I am four months post-partum, FWIW, and about to go back to work.
<b>1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have? </b> Now have five tanks and four bras (plus two night bras that barely count). That seems to be a good number to avoid running laundry to have something to wear. Started with three tanks and one bra; wish I'd had more tanks early on. <b>2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? </b> Yes, but I'm small-chested (34B now, 34AA before). Wore tanks at night too though. <b>4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? </b> If possible, get a fitting---they will have a range of brands to try. <b>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? </b> Start with a couple and wait till your milk supply stabilizes at 3 months to buy the rest. Size may change! <b>6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? </b> Start pumping at least once a day at 4-6 weeks; this lets you build a freezer stash, get your body used to pumping, and get your baby used to taking a bottle. Don't expect one pumping session to equal one feeding (though it's great when it does!) You may need to add a session at night or early morning. Know that your body will adjust to the new pattern--give it some time (and ask for help from an LC if needed!) <b>7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? </b> What 16:41 said for this! Best advice I got was to give it till 12 weeks, whatever it takes, because it will be SO much better by then! (And also to get help early from an LC if you need it.) |
Anonymous
| OP, NEVER give up on a bad day. |
Anonymous
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I had three sleep bras from motherhood that I wore all the time at the beginning.
I wish I hadn't bought a nursing bra ahead of time. It ended up not being the right size and I wasted $45 or something. My breasts were totally engorged for a day or two and I felt like a adult video star--not in a good way. It hurt. Then it got better. I did not feel pain from nursing at all. This is very individual. I second the rec on the breastfeeding center on K street. They have a nursing support group where I met a lot of great moms. We are still friends and I will be going back when this one is born! Best part of maternity leave was going there. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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6. Any advice on what to expect when transitioning from EBF to a combo of pumping and breast feeding? Be sure to pump and bottle feed as soon as you can. Most people say 4 weeks, but honestly I think that is too long to wait and just makes for a really hard time getting a baby to take a bottle. Or so that was the case for us. I also think you need to be very disciplined about giving a bottle frequently while on leave. At least every other day. It is a pain and so much easier to just nurse, but if you don’t you pay for it later with a kid who had a hard time with the bottle. Thus so much more stressful when it comes time to leave your baby and return to work. Really not worth the headache.
THIS!!! |
Anonymous
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1. For those who did EBF, how many bras and nursing tanks did you have?
I started with a few tanks and sleep bras. After the first 3 months I just switched back to regular bras and push the cup aside. 2. Did you have different bras for night time and for during the day? Yes. Sleep bras or nursing tanks for nighttime. 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'm not a large chested woman, but I was surprised to find that my breast size decreased a lot after the first 3 months - smaller than pre-pregnancy. I would wait to buy nursing bras. I bought a few one size up from my regular bra size and had to get rid of them because they were way too big. 4. What brands work best for that size and will I have to order them online? I got all mine at Target. 7. Anything important I am not asking that I should know? Definitely use the breastfeeding support group at VHC or the Breastfeeding Center on K Street. Hearing other moms share their challenges will be helpful. My baby and I have had no issues with breastfeeding (no latch problems, no undersupply/oversupply, no thrush, no vasospasms, no inverted or flat nipples, no mastitis, no bleeding cracked nipples, no nipple confusion, etc.) and learning to breastfeed has been the hardest thing I have ever done. The first 3 weeks were incredibly painful and confusing, then we got the hang of it. Be prepared for it to be difficult. My baby is almost 6 months now and I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's totally easy and comfortable now. Good luck! |