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Alabama Babies
mrssamuels2b
member
BFing Essentials?
mrssamuels2b
member
Okay...so I'm still not sure as to whether I'm going to BF or not (my OB suggests I at least try)...I plan to simply wait and see what feels right at the time....I do, however, want to prepare for the possibility that it does work but I'm not sure what all I need...I know I can initially rent a breast pump but what should I pack to take with me? What else can I go ahead and get for home? I plan to do more research but wanted to see what you ladies are thinking...thanks in advance!
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Re: BFing Essentials?
I did not pump until 3 weeks, so you may not need the pump right away. When your milk comes in, a hot shower will be your best friend. You will want to use tons of pillows to support you and the baby in the beginning. fwiw I didn't take any pillows to the hospital-they had plenty.
BFing is hard at first, but you can do it!! If you have any questions, please ask. I was so appreciative of advice I got from BFing friends on here.
Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to add Soothies to my list...
I would say a couple of nursing tanks (I like the target brand) as well as a nursing sleep bra.
They will have nursing pads and lanolin at the hospital for you.
Something to rememeber, your milk may not come in right away. Mine didn't come in until 4 days after I had Kennedy... and it was hard because she was so hungry and the milk took forever. But still, even before it comes in your are still producing colostrum, which has SO MANY nutrients and disease fighting antibodies in it. The lactation consultant called it liquid gold. So, even if you only breastfeed for a little while, it is still helping the baby.
Also, while you are in the hospital, use the lactation consultant as much as possible. They are great resources for advice on breastfeeding. They can make sure baby's latch is good and that everything is going well.
Kudos to you for breastfeeding! The first couple weeks kind of suck because of sensitivity.. but if you can get through that, it gets so much better. For me, the big plus was HOW MUCH money you save. Kennedy gets a bottle of formula every rare once in a while, and I cringe whenever we have to buy a can of formula because it is so expensive. I can't imagine having to buy formula all the time.
natural m/c and d&c at 10 weeks - 1/24/2014
DX w/ hetero C677t and A1298C MTHFR - 3/4/2014
ditto to the PP - I like the Lansinoh Lanolin better than the Medela (that they offered in the hospital)
I'd also recommend getting one good nursing bra - I love the bravado body silk bras (and they are comfy enough to wear now!). When my milk came in, the tanks were not supportive enough for me - I really needed the extra support.
and a Boppy Pillow - ESPECIALLY if you end up having a c-section...that was a life saver.
and I recommend taking a BFing class - ours was 2 hours long and it was So so so helpful
I don't think I can add much - the only thing I can think is I had the My Brest Friend nursing pillow and really like that (as opposed to a Boppy).
Other than that, I think you just need to be prepared (mentally) that it *may* be a very tough few weeks, but if you can keep remembering that it WILL get better, that's REALLY important. I was SO sore the first 3 weeks or so, and I think a lot of people give up early on b/c of that, but I think if most people stuck it out for just a few more days, it would get better. So, if you are kind of on the fence, set a goal for yourself (say 6 weeks or so) and just go from there. Once you both get adjusted it really does not hurt at all and like pp's said, can save you a ton of $ on formula!
Good luck, and know that there are lots of us here if you need help!