It's time for Top Ten Tuesday! This week is all about breastfeeding...and specifically all of the things I wish I had BEFORE I started my nursing attempt.
Now, many breastfeeding advocates will tell you that all that you need to start breastfeeding your newborn is simply a baby, and well, a breast or two. And although that is technically true, there are some things out there that will make it significantly easier. Let's face it, breastfeeding may be natural but it can also be very difficult...and these are the things that made it much easier for me!
1) Good lactation consultant - get their number. On speed dial. Take it with you to the hospital. Keep it next to your nursery rocking chair. Just get one! After brief meetings with several LC's at the hospital, working with the nurses, and spending tearful hours talking to friends and researching online, our newborn munchkin still wasn't able to nurse correctly. One call brought an amazing lactation consultant out to our house, where she spent over an hour working with Munchkin and I until we both had a much better idea of what we were doing. That phone call was the number one reason that we are still successfully breastfeeding today, over eight months later! For all of you local central KY girls - definitely give Lynne Humkey at Bluegrass Lactation a call!
2) My Brest Friend - Many people told me that this was a gimmick, or that I didn't need to spend money on a nursing pillow when all I really needed was bed pillow or two. Ha! Maybe my post-partum pooch was more ample than most, but whenever I tried to nurse our itty bitty newborn, she always fell into the gulley between my still-poofy belly and the also-poofy pillow. This was the perfect solution - it is flat on top, not rounded, so there is no place for the baby to roll forward. Plus the belt latches around your waist and keeps the pillow snug against your belly, right where it belongs without a gaping crevice. Now that Munchkin is almost nine months old, I can nurse her any old way and rarely take the time to strap on this pillow. But in those first few months of wriggly newborn-ness, this pillow was a lifesaver!
3) Manual Pump - Again, before I had the munchkin I was told not to worry about a pump right away. Sure, in those first few weeks of breastfeeding you should nurse your baby right at the breast, and if you absolutely must feed your little one otherwise, you can hand express your milk, right? Unless you're like me, and hand expression doesn't work. Using a pump was so much easier, and unlike hand expression it actually resulted in some milk! Plus a pump is useful for stimulating your let-down for impatient babies, or relieving a litte milk when you are so engorged that your little one can't latch correctly. My pick is the Avent ISIS manual - although it is a little pricier, it is very comfortable and worked well for gently getting my milk to let down. Of course, if you're planning to go back to work or just pumping on a regular basis, you might want to just invest an a quality electric pump like the Ameda Purely Yours.
4) Nursing Stool - good positioning is the key to a good latch, especially in those first weeks. Buying a separate stool for nursing might seem like a waste of money, but getting your feet in the right position is actually a lot harder than it might seem and I found it was impossible to find something in my house that worked correctly. I actually found mine at a consignment store for a great price, which made it definitely worth it.
5) Lanolin cream - Ouch. That's right. Ouch. Unless you have nipples of steel, those first few weeks of breastfeeding can hurt. REALLY hurt. One answer is pure lanolin cream, slathered on generously after each feeding. Our hospital provided us with Medela's lanolin lotion, but I found it too messy and greasy. Once I got home, I bought Lansinoh's lanolin cream, and it worked much better because it was thicker and felt less greasy. I kept a tube in every room where I nursed her.
6) Nursing tank - Who wants to think about wearing regular clothes right after birthing a baby? You? Ok, then read no further. But for the rest of us, some kind soul invented nursing tanks. Slip on one under your hospital gown or robe for easy nursing access with the comfort of a cotton tank. I liked the Gilligan & O'Malley tanks that I found at Target. One word of warning, though...make sure you have enough room for your blossoming bosoms. Mine got too tight from engorgement and caused a blocked duct. Not fun!
7) Nursing bra - Sure, I would've loved to lounge around in my tank and yoga pants for weeks. But reality means that you must get dressed one day, and when you do you'll appreciate having a comfortable, supportive nursing bra. If you can, find a local store that carries them where they can fit you for the correct size. You'd be amazed at the differences in sizes between brands and styles. Try to budget for a couple of really good bras - you'll probably be wearing them for a long time and you'll want something with ample support. I liked the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Bra, which has a lot of stretch to accomodate your wildly fluctuating size. Sad about the thought of spending months without your sexy lingerie? Check out Passion Spice for some more flavorful selections that will help remind you that you're more than just a nursing mom!
8) Breast pads - I'm sure you've heard the embarrasing stories about women who leak through their shirt every time a baby cries at the grocery store. The sad thing? For most of us it is true, especially during those first couple of months when your body is so eager to please your hungry little one. I found these to be a must-have from the beginning, as soon as my milk came in. Fortunately after a few months my body gained a little self-control and I rely on these a lot less, but I've had friends who have needed them for their entire nursing experience. Choosing a breast pad is very personal - do you want disposable or cloth? Thicker and more absorbent or thinner and less noticeable? I suggest trying a few different ones before investing in the larger boxes.
9) Nursing Cover - Chances are, you will probably want a little time to perfect your technique before you attempt to nurse in public (otherwise known as NIP). But again, reality sets in and brings frequent pediatrician appointments, surprise visits from in-laws, and spontaneous excursions that you just can't pass up. So, I would suggest keeping a nursing cover on hand from the beginning. Why not use a blanket? Sure, you can save money that way. But a good nursing cover offers a stay-in-place strap around your neck to keep you covered despite all of the undercover baby wrangling, as well as a gaping neck that lets you peer down at your little one while also providing good ventilation. I like the Bebe Au Lait.
10. Resources - Of course I would recommend books - I went to the library and got copies of The Nursing Mother's Companion, The Breastfeeding Book, and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I also bookmarked the Kelly Mom breastfeeding site, which offers a huge site of resources for breastfeeding. There were nights when I was searching kelly mom at 4 in the morning! And, the standby of breastfeeding support is your local chapter of the La Leche League (LLL).
Since I've used these things, I've become more aware of some of the smaller mom-owned websites that offer great breastfeeding items. In the future I will feature some of these, too!
