Breastfeeding
eyelovemascara
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Nursing away from home
eyelovemascara
member
I have been EBF my 7 wk old and it's going okay, my biggest complaint is a very overactive letdown. I can soak an entire dish towel with the spraying. Normally I just nurse at home with no bra on and the comfort of the boppy and a towel. How can I make it easier to nurse away from home? I always see women nursing in public and they make it look so easy! How do you hold up a 14 lb baby my BIG boy!! without the boppy? Doesn't your nursing bra get soaked? I just hate nursing with all my clothes in the way!
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Re: Nursing away from home
I sounds like you just need some good nursing tops and/or bras and some practice. I usually just wear nursing tanks (from Pea in the Pod) because they are so easy to just unhook and hook with one hand while you are holding a baby. I do have a Bravado nursing bra also that is very easy, but then you have to worry about lifting up or pulling down a shirt too (though that isn't difficult either once you get the hang of it). For your letdown, get some good absorbent nursing pads. Get disposable ones, as the washable kind do not absorb nearly as much liquid. Bring extra where ever you go so that you can switch them out if needed. At first you might want to use a nursing cover that allows you to see the baby and your boob so that you don't flash the world if you are struggling to get your boob out and the baby attached (if you care about flashing the world). And yeah, nursing isn't quite as easy without a boppy or pillow to support your arm, but you can always try to rest your arm on something, like your diaper bag.
With all the above, it might still take a little bit of practice to be good at it. You can do it!
ETA The nursing cover I have is Bebe Au Lait. It is great.
I would invest in some good nursing tanks (I have ones from Target) and disposable nursing pads (Johnson and Johnson works fine for me). It just takes practice and you'll be fine. I started by nursing while my MIL was over at my house. I figured that if I could nurse in front of her (we don't have the best relationship), then I could begin nursing in more public places. I've used a nursing cover a few times, but I found that to be added bulk so I typically don't bother with it.
The first time is the hardest and then it only gets easier from there. You'll feel so much better not being tied down to your house by having to schedule your life around feedings.
In the meantime, nursing pads will also help with leakage.
Man, a 14 lb. newborn ... my 26 month old just hit the 20 lb. mark this month. I have no advice there!