@SweetSweetTooth LC will probably give you a nipple shield at first. They typically un-flatten once you start nursing. I had one flat nipple and it caused zero issues after the first week or so. Though that was also my lower producing side. Don’t know if it’s related or not.
@SweetSweetTooth that's alreadt the best piece of adive I could think of, talk to a LC as much as tou can. Maybe look into if the hospital offers a free class on breastfeeding and any questions or concerns and try and prepare yourself with as much info before baby comes.
@KFrob I used a shield the entire time I breastfed DS even though the nurses did tell me to wean him off of it (I breastfed for about 10 months). I did try to wean him but everytime I would it hurt so badly that I ended up going back to the shield. They gave it to me because of inverted nipples. This time I'm hoping to be able to go without it from the beginning so I don't develop a bad habit! @nasalot188 No way! DS would take FOREVER to eat and I had no idea that it might actually be the shield that was the problem! That was one thing I was dreading this time around but if I don't use a shield maybe baby won't take so long??
@kfrob - I never saw the target brand! I will have to look. Also if it saves you bags, I would store all of the freezer bags inside one large freezer bag!
I am hoping to get the hakkaa this time around. I know it's relatively new- anyone tried it before? DD is about to be 3 so it didn't exist or at least I wasn't aware of it before she weaned at 15m.
I had a nursing cover I loved- mostly used it when pumping while driving so the truckers on the highway didn't get the giant nipple show. It was muslin fabric which was suuuper nice bc it was so breathable. Bebe au lait was the brand.
def get in with an IBCLC. It is such a major difference from (most of) the nurses in L&D.
@acdc1109 oh yeah! Once i got DS off the shield, feedings were cut in half!! I don't regret using one though, not one bit. @SweetSweetTooth yep I would recommend having a nipple shield ready. Obvioulsly give BF'ing a try without it, but you may need the shield for the first little bit until the nipple protrudes on it's own. I had inverted nipples and managed to BF for the full 12 months. Don't even sweat it
I liked the Boppy, but I mostly used it to hold DS on my lap. I also did a lot of nursing lounging on the couch, which was more comfortable than sitting upright, where a pillow would probably be more necessary. Probably not good posture-wise, but whatever, I was tired.
As far as covers go, I hate them all. It just got so hot under there, and they’re awkward for me to use. I used an apron-like one way more than the Milk Snob - it was easier for me to see him and there seemed to be better air flow.
Nip stuff... the lansinoh pads after being kept in the fridge were rad. For cream, I just used coconut oil, but after week 3 or so, I didn’t really need it anymore.
@SweetSweetTooth IBCLC = International Board of Lactation Consultant. Basically more training required to get the specialized certification. I worked mostly with an IBCLC just by chance. But I did notice a pretty big difference in her knowledge vs. the few "regular" LC's I met in other groups. But of course that's just one person.
@Lisa3379 I head that laying back can be easier breastfeeding! Allows you to relax and the baby is naturally held on your body by gravity. Read it in the LA Leche league breast feeding book.
@SweetSweetTooth Yep, the LC we worked with was all about reclining while nursing. Babies are naturally inclined to want to eat laying on their bellies. So laying back tummy to tummy makes a great latch.
@KFrob I used a shield the entire time I breastfed DS even though the nurses did tell me to wean him off of it (I breastfed for about 10 months). I did try to wean him but everytime I would it hurt so badly that I ended up going back to the shield. They gave it to me because of inverted nipples. This time I'm hoping to be able to go without it from the beginning so I don't develop a bad habit! @nasalot188 No way! DS would take FOREVER to eat and I had no idea that it might actually be the shield that was the problem! That was one thing I was dreading this time around but if I don't use a shield maybe baby won't take so long??
*lurker*
Oh my goodness! Someone who had a similar experience to me! Breastfeeding hurt from her very first latch. At the 24 hour visit, I was visibly wincing with every suck and almost in tears at times! I had never heard of a nipple shield except for the hard kind you wear in your bra. My midwife gave me one, and I used it for 2.5 months.
Yea, it's not supposed to be used permanently or long term, but it's what worked for us. At my one week visit, they said I should start weaning her off it. So I tried and for about a month and a half, the pain would slowly subside over 2-3 days, I would stop using it and then over the next 2-3 days, the pain would build back up until I had to use it again and repeat. At around 1.5 months, the intervals I could go without slowly increased until around the 2.5 month mark, I was able to quit using it entirely.
Breastfeeding still isn't amazing (my daughter is almost a year and is still mostly breastfed) because she has a bad latch, but it isn't painful.
We did the tongue tie thing and everything, and I'm convinced she's just a bad nurser. Sometimes they just are.
Anyway, just another perspective on nipple shields!
I ended up with a prescription nipple cream because I was nursing twins and couldn’t give my nipples a break by skipping a feeding on one side. I also ended up with a shield for a while to help with the rawness/pain.
I never used or wanted a nursing cover. Like somebody else suggested, I used nursing tanks and wore another shirt over it. Lift the outer shirt and unclip the nursing tank and it provides pretty good coverage. I would nurse like that in public and most people didn’t even notice.
I agree about the boppy being a bit low to use. Even with a short torso, my back hurt using it until I shoved pillows under it to get the boppy higher.
Another thing I found really helpful was the Moby wrap. The book comes with instructions for various ways to carry the baby and one of them was a nursing position. It was perfect for when we were out of the house - once I learned how to do it, I could walk around and nurse. I would have conversations with people while out at the store nursing a baby and they had no clue I was nursing (I did throw a receiving blanket over us when walking around in case the baby got curious and unlatched - I didn’t want to flash the other unsuspecting shoppers). Once the babies were older I learned to nurse in the Ergo. Same concept but different position and the Moby starts sagging once the baby gets to around 15 lbs.
As for LCs, if what they are suggesting isn’t working for you or you feel like they aren’t listening to you, don’t be afraid to change to a different one. The one at the hospital was amazing, but I had to change a couple times once discharged before I found one that I felt actually listened to me and gave me the advice I needed.
@sammierose464 I was looking at that in bed a few weeks ago and immediately handed the phone to DH and was like "omggggg it's a vibrator for your boobs"
Re: Product Spotlight: Nursing Aids
@kfrob - I never saw the target brand! I will have to look. Also if it saves you bags, I would store all of the freezer bags inside one large freezer bag!
I had a nursing cover I loved- mostly used it when pumping while driving so the truckers on the highway didn't get the giant nipple show. It was muslin fabric which was suuuper nice bc it was so breathable. Bebe au lait was the brand.
def get in with an IBCLC. It is such a major difference from (most of) the nurses in L&D.
@SweetSweetTooth yep I would recommend having a nipple shield ready. Obvioulsly give BF'ing a try without it, but you may need the shield for the first little bit until the nipple protrudes on it's own. I had inverted nipples and managed to BF for the full 12 months. Don't even sweat it
As far as covers go, I hate them all. It just got so hot under there, and they’re awkward for me to use. I used an apron-like one way more than the Milk Snob - it was easier for me to see him and there seemed to be better air flow.
Nip stuff... the lansinoh pads after being kept in the fridge were rad. For cream, I just used coconut oil, but after week 3 or so, I didn’t really need it anymore.
Oh my goodness! Someone who had a similar experience to me! Breastfeeding hurt from her very first latch. At the 24 hour visit, I was visibly wincing with every suck and almost in tears at times! I had never heard of a nipple shield except for the hard kind you wear in your bra. My midwife gave me one, and I used it for 2.5 months.
Yea, it's not supposed to be used permanently or long term, but it's what worked for us. At my one week visit, they said I should start weaning her off it. So I tried and for about a month and a half, the pain would slowly subside over 2-3 days, I would stop using it and then over the next 2-3 days, the pain would build back up until I had to use it again and repeat. At around 1.5 months, the intervals I could go without slowly increased until around the 2.5 month mark, I was able to quit using it entirely.
Breastfeeding still isn't amazing (my daughter is almost a year and is still mostly breastfed) because she has a bad latch, but it isn't painful.
We did the tongue tie thing and everything, and I'm convinced she's just a bad nurser. Sometimes they just are.
Anyway, just another perspective on nipple shields!
I ended up with a prescription nipple cream because I was nursing twins and couldn’t give my nipples a break by skipping a feeding on one side. I also ended up with a shield for a while to help with the rawness/pain.
I never used or wanted a nursing cover. Like somebody else suggested, I used nursing tanks and wore another shirt over it. Lift the outer shirt and unclip the nursing tank and it provides pretty good coverage. I would nurse like that in public and most people didn’t even notice.
I agree about the boppy being a bit low to use. Even with a short torso, my back hurt using it until I shoved pillows under it to get the boppy higher.
Another thing I found really helpful was the Moby wrap. The book comes with instructions for various ways to carry the baby and one of them was a nursing position. It was perfect for when we were out of the house - once I learned how to do it, I could walk around and nurse. I would have conversations with people while out at the store nursing a baby and they had no clue I was nursing (I did throw a receiving blanket over us when walking around in case the baby got curious and unlatched - I didn’t want to flash the other unsuspecting shoppers). Once the babies were older I learned to nurse in the Ergo. Same concept but different position and the Moby starts sagging once the baby gets to around 15 lbs.
As for LCs, if what they are suggesting isn’t working for you or you feel like they aren’t listening to you, don’t be afraid to change to a different one. The one at the hospital was amazing, but I had to change a couple times once discharged before I found one that I felt actually listened to me and gave me the advice I needed.
Skip Hop Tray Chic Dry and Store Pump Bag, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GB6ZVP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_U6yhBb4BD6WBV
Its good to know that my toy box has some, ummm, more socially acceptable uses...