Breastfeeding purchase question

LCLaw3

So I plan on going to pick up my breast pump this week at a store designated for lactation, etc., but when I went to other stores like Target and Babies R Us, theres tons of "accessories" so to speak...like cream, pads, freezing bottles, etc.  I was just wondering if anyone who has breast fed before or knows more about this can tell me what it is that I need exactly and how much of it.  I don't want to buy things unnecessarily, but I want to bring what I need to the hospital so the nurses can teach me how to use it all.  Thanks!

TKx2

You will definitely want nipple cream (I really like Lansinoh).  It will take awhile for your nipples to toughen up and the lanolin cream helps a lot.  You also need breast pads to prevent leaking through your shirt.  Again, I used Lansinoh and really like them.  And then, if you are planning on building up a freezer stash you'll need freezer bags to store the milk in.  I just started with one pack of everything and then bought more as I needed it.

thefarmchick

Your pump will have all the piece's it needs.

Other things you will need are:

Lashinoh(sp) Cream- This will help with dry cracked nipples buy 2 tubes!

Nursing pads: These are for leaking, I would at least get some disposable ones for the first few weeks.  I leak a lot and the disposables irritated me so I had cloth reusable ones.

Whatever you are storing the milk in: I use Lashinoh freezer bags and had extra bottles for the fridge

If you are going to be pumping exclusively or at work I HIGHLY recommend getting a hands free pumping bra. I have THIS ONE.  I EP'd with DS and I was able to work on the computer, read, eat, or take care of DS all while I pumped. I would also occasionally pump in the car and it made it much safer, lol.  

When I pumped with DS I also kept a bottle of water and snacks in my pump bag.  Breastfeeding makes me thirsty and hungry almost instantly.

If you start to feel like your pump isn't working as well at it used to make sure you change out the membranes.  They can get weak from wear and weaken the strength of the suck.

med380

I used breast pads (I liked the Gerber reusable ones the best), freezer bags, Lansinoh cream, the microwave steam clean bags, and cleaning wipes. Also I think I bought some extra Medela bottles.

For hospital purposes, since you're just wanting someone to show you how to use it, you probably just need the pump and you can wait on the accessories until you start to actually use the pump and get a better feel for what you need.  I didn't start using my pump until DS was maybe 2-3 weeks old.

Squirrel29

I didn't even bring a pump or any equipment to the hospital - I spent my time there focusing on getting DS to latch and making sure we could nurse.  In my opinion, the pump is fairly self explanatory and I didn't need anyone to show me how to use it but really appreciated the nurses and lactation specialists for help with actual nursing.

I think I started pumping when he was three or 4 weeks old just to build up a supply for when I returned to work and then pumped only at work after that.  For me, I started with the basic equipment and went from there.  Your pump should come with all the stuff you need to pump along with 4 storage bottles, a cooler pack and an an ice pack.  I also bought the Medela microwave steam cleaning bags for easy sterilization and used those to sterilize everything before I used any of it and then after each use.  You'll want storage bags to freeze milk in and a couple bottles to feed from.

As far as nursing supplies, ditto pp on needing breast pads (to catch leaks) but I preferred the gel pads over the lanolin cream for nipple care.  I think I bought a box of each to start with and then just figured out what I liked best. A lot of this is trial and error - I wouldn't stock up on too much stuff unless you live far away from a target - otherwise, you can figure out your needs as you go.

hoping4sticky

I wouldn't be too worried about the hospital. I had a preemie and was not really prepared for my hospital stay and really the hospital had everything I needed. Lanilon is good to have on hand, but you can just put a few drops of BM on your nips and let it air dry. Worked the best for me. You will need some sort of nipple pads, but not generally in the hospital because most of the time your milk doesn't come in until you leave so your heavy leaking will be later on.

Most of the time you do not need to pump at first and it is often recommended to not start pumping for at least a month. Baby is going to stimulate you more than the pump and at first you are doing so much feeding that you do not need to pump in between. It can also create an oversupply. Certain circumstances (preemie etc) the pump is helpful but generally not necessary in the hospital. Also I recommend if you do pump in the hospital to just borrow theirs. More powerful and you get an extra set of horns if you have the same type of pump. Again, not really necessary for the hospital, but I highly recommend a hands free pumping bra if you are going to pump.

BarefootRI

When I got my pump, I also bought the cream, the freezer bags, pads, and a couple nipple shields.

I definitely suggest the reusable pads as you will probably leak a lot. I started off with the disposable ones but didn't like them very much. The cloth kind were more comfortable for me and it was nice to be able to throw them in the wash instead of going through a whole box of the disposables.

I didn't expect to use the nipple shield, but we had latch problems in the beginning and I believe the nipple shield is the only reason why we were successful. The first night home from the hospital, I was having a lot of trouble breastfeeding so I tried the nipple shield and DD took right to it. We used it for a few weeks while we got the hang of things and then I was able to ditch it. I would get at least two so you always have a clean one.

AprilAngie

TKx2:

You will definitely want nipple cream (I really like Lansinoh).  It will take awhile for your nipples to toughen up and the lanolin cream helps a lot.  You also need breast pads to prevent leaking through your shirt.  Again, I used Lansinoh and really like them.  And then, if you are planning on building up a freezer stash you'll need freezer bags to store the milk in.  I just started with one pack of everything and then bought more as I needed it.

 

this and I would add if you want a nursing pillow- but you can use a regular pillow too.

 

I recommend waiting to ensure you can and are successful at breastfeeding before buying a pump - as you can rent them and they are so costly to buy if not using 

katcarls

I wouldn't bring your pumping supplies to the hospital.  They're pretty easy to use but they can always show you a hospital pump if you're concerned.  Do bring your nipple cream, BF pillow, and a few nursing pads.  Don't open your pump until you need to use it because it can't be returned once you do.

Items I used: Lansinoh lanolin cream, Lansinoh nursing pads, Lansinoh freezer bags, Boppy Pillow, and Medela microwave steam bags.  I never needed them, but Soothies gel pads are good too.