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Breastfeeding tips and tricks

3K views 40 replies 14 participants last post by  krickets 
#1 ·
Went to my first LLL meeting last night - it was fun! Ended up being just a few pregnant ladies and the leaders - I guess their morning meetings are much better attended by moms/babies/toddlers. I'm going to try to make it to the morning meeting next month to get a different perspective.

Anyway I have lots of questions about breastfeeding, but I thought I'd start with a kind of practical one - do you have a favorite nursing bra (either brand/type/both)? I understand that things will change a lot after the birth, but I'd like to buy 1-2 in advance just to have them on hand.
 
#2 ·
My favorites for the beginning are nursing tank tops and this bra from Medela: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17518906&cp=&parentPage=search&cid=1203628

Because of my massive breasts, I have to get sized nursing tanks from Bravado http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-essential-nursing-tank, over the cheaper versions at Target. I used the Target ones with my first couple kids though.

My other nursing bras are wireless ones from Bravado. I don't remember the styles, but they are sized and fitted bras.

I don't wear wireless bras ever, so that's why mine are all wireless.

Your cup size will probably grow quite a bit as your milk comes in and then settles into a nursing routine. I'd recommend waiting at least a few weeks before purchasing the more expensive bras.
 
#3 ·
oooh awesome!! people keep recommending nursing tanks, but I definitely tend more towards the "massive" as well, and the thought of a tank seems somehow insufficient...but if it's sized/shaped to fit right, could be great!
 
#4 ·
Your size will change a lot. My dd is almost 2 and I have changed sizes a few times since being pregnant.
I recommend having 2-3 nursing tanks or sleeping nursing bras on hand for when the babe is born. And when your milk has come in and seems consistent get measured and then buy your bras.
I just went to Victoria secret got measured and then went to a store with nursing bras. I was always on the smaller side though. But when I got measured at 1 week pp I was a 32dd when before pregnancy I was a b and during I was a c.
 
#5 ·
Have you examined your postpartum/non-maternity wardrobe yet for breastfeeding compatibility?

'Cause that was a shock to me after having my first baby. I'd been SO looking forward to having a waist again and getting to wear dresses... and then I went "Wait, hang on, there's no BFing access!" Which I really should have thought about sooner, but... yeah.

A lot of people are more comfortable lifting a top (say a T-shirt) up to breastfeed. For some reason I'm not; I feel more exposed that way. I prefer to access from the top, as it were - unbuttoning the top buttons of a button-up shirt, for instance. (It might be partly a vanity thing... my decolletage is far less unsightly than my postpartum tummy!) Of course, you can cover your tummy by wearing a Belly Band-type device if you prefer, but in summer?

So, yeah. Have a look through your clothes and see what you have. Most dresses will be out. Shirt-dresses, dresses that zip down the front, or really deep stretchy V-necks might work OK. Hoodies, buttoned/zippered shirts and so on are fine, with or without a nursing tank underneath. Tight shirts with built-in cups probably won't work, at least not without alteration.

It's worth trying stuff on (well, as well as you can with a bump in the way!) and seeing how far you can pull, say, a V-neck down or to the side to access a breast. Some fabrics are surprisingly stretchy; others not so much. And you want a decent amount of 'give', because there's nothing more annoying than a shirt trying to 'ping' back into position, scraping against the side of the baby's mouth while it's feeding a barely-accessible nipple!

Weird things to think about, I know. :p But better to figure it out now than when you're newly postpartum and out of clothes! Nursing tanks are a good staple.

Incidentally, I'm a B-cup and it's really hard to find nursing bras in my size. It seems bra manufacturers assume that if you're lactating, you're huge. Which, yeah, is the case for a lot of people, but not EVERYONE! It's very annoying.
 
#6 ·
I recommend H & M nursing tanks and Target brand nursing bras for nighttime.I bought a few different brands and these are a good quality thick fabric with a lot of elasticity. Right now I'm a 38D, probably DD by the time my milk comes in. I'd stay away from Wal-mart brand, even though the prices sound great, the elastic bands on the loving moments brand is the same material as itchy size tags.
My cousin nurses in a tank and tee all the time, she just pulls the shirt up and the top of the tank down so everything stays covered.
 
#7 ·
@Smokering - I have already started eyeing up shirts in stores for which ones are good to nurse in. The range of nursing bras in regular stores around here is quite limited. C and D cup are your best bets. With my first, I sent my husband out to find the biggest one he could, and he found a DD that was still too small. I am still amazed at how big my breasts get. It seems crazy.

My preferred method fir brreast feeding is a regular tank top, like Old Navy, that can be pulled down, while my shirt can be pulled up to cover my top boob while baby nurses. I don't use other nursing covers, but I definitely don't want my gut exposed.

The only time I've felt self conscious about nursing in public is when swimming. I show more boob in a suit that I do nursing usually, but popping it all out to the nipple makes me feel weird. Maybe I'll get over that this summer.
 
#8 ·
I can't buy bras locally at all, nursing or regular. Before pregnancy I was a 34FF or 32G in some brands. No idea what I am now, and I know it's going to fluctuate. The plan for now is to take a trip to the city where I can buy bras in my size (4 hour drive, sigh), and buy one or two sleep using bras, then wait for 6 weeks or so after birth when hopefully my size has evened out and then go back again to buy some regular nursing bras. Luckily we have family and friends in that city so the trip will be enjoyable. For nursing I'm planning on trying the tank under a shirt route like said above. Then when I pull up a t-shirt my belly will still be covered. We'll see if that works out for me. I'm normally pretty uncomfortable in anything but a t-shirt, no v necks or fancy tops so I'm crossing my fingers. I may try Undercover Mama tanks :)
 
#9 ·
Ugh, so sorry you've been blessed with the giant gazoombas. When I'm fit and thin feeling, I'm a 34/36 DDD/G. Not quite as drastic as yours, but still annoying. I'm really hoping as time goes on and I stop nursing and don't get pregnant that I drop down to a solid D cup. Or, wishes upon wishes, a C cup. My mom dropped a full cup size as her babies turned into kids and I want to do the same! Before I started having kids I was a 34/36 D/DD and I had no idea that cup sizes could get so huge! Haha, I thought my large breasts had plenty of room for milk as it was.
 
#11 ·
I just used sports bras that I could just pull up or down depending on the shirt I was wearing. I did have some nursing bras but once I became good at breastfeeding I preffered a sports bra. I went down to a C after 3 months and then about 9 months in I was back to a B cup so I dont need a whole lot of support.
 
#12 ·
I'm loving these tips!! :notes2

Another question: if you pump/make bottles for DH or others to feed with, do you use a bottle warmer or just submerge in warm water in any old container? DH says he doesnt want another appliance taking up space, but my dad loves to tell "horror" stories about trying to get the breast milk the right temperature when my mom worked nights when i was a baby. If you've ever used a bottle warmer - what kind? If not, what "procedure" worked best for warming milk (if you warmed it at all!)?
 
#14 ·
Because of our own pumping needs, which were rare, I usually pumped within hours of leaving and just left it out on the counter. Room temp milk. :)
Ooooh I like the sound of that!! Could just add a "pumping" block to my schedule on the days I need to go to school for a few hours :) With some spare in the fridge, too, in case...
 
#15 ·
I've typically done the tank and a tee method, and found it works well. Though I do have some nursing shirts I love. The biggest problem I have is that most nursing shirts are maternity/nursing, and/or have flowy, baggy waistlines. That's fine for the first couple months postpartum, but I nures my kiddos for over 2 years, and it would be nice to wear something that shows I have a waistline, once I actually do have it back.

DH preferred heating the bottles in a bowl of warm water. He hated the bottle warmer. We gave it away. When I had to work at 6am, I would warm a bottle and leave it by the bedside stand so that when the baby woke, DH could just reach over and grab it, without either of them leaving the bed.
 
#16 ·
DH preferred heating the bottles in a bowl of warm water. He hated the bottle warmer. We gave it away. When I had to work at 6am, I would warm a bottle and leave it by the bedside stand so that when the baby woke, DH could just reach over and grab it, without either of them leaving the bed.
Nice!! that sounds awesome. I think my DH would be into that approach.
 
#18 ·
I have one or two times. A few weeks ago I woke up and my areola was so sore and looked swollen. Later that night I was in the bath and in the hot water all of a sudden started leaking and it gave me so much relief. Ever since then once or twice I've had similar things happen but nothing on a regular basis or anything. It was exciting!
 
#19 ·
One things that I would recommend doing now is reading and having pics, and videos of proper ways to latch, and what a proper latch looks like. I wish I would've done more of that before DS was born.
 
#20 ·
OK - question about nursing bras/tanks -- when you use pads, particularly the cloth ones...how do you keep them in place and from showing through your top? The bras I have so far are pretty thin, so the pads seem to kind of bunch up and show through as big circles under my tanks/tops. I'm guessing I'll just need a thicker/more permanent bra??
 
#24 ·
I have no idea what brands anymore! Sorry. I have a few store bought ones that are a bit thinner and fit better under my bras. Then a few homemade and store bought ones that are thicker and much more noticeable.

I also picked up a bag of disposable ones at rummage already for super cheap, that I'll use when needed. Those ones can still be noticeable too sometimes.

And, at some point, I get to the point where I don't even care. Seeing a circle in my bra is better than seeing my nipples or wet shirt. ;) Just depends on what mood I'm in I guess.
 
#25 ·
I have a request if anyone feels like sharing: I am so.tired. of people issuing warnings about how hard breastfeeding is. Which I get - it's not a picnic, a lot of things can go wrong, it's really hard, especially learning for the first time (while your baby is learning for the first time, too!) BUT I feel like I have heard nothing positive from anyone except my mom, who basically just keeps saying things like: you'll be fine, it's going to be great. Anyone have any positive experiences to share? Things that work well for you/reasons you enjoy breastfeeding?? I could use some encouragement to go with all the stories of crisis and pain :)
 
#26 ·
I didn't do a lot of research our take any class before having my first. I didn't worry about it being difficult or not working because I didn't know it was a possibility.

And, maybe I was "lucky", but I didn't have any problems that made me consider quitting.

My right nipple hurt at latch on for a couple weeks. My baby nursed one side for five minutes per session. He peed and pooped all.the.time and was growing. So, I figured all was working out.

I say don't worry or stress until you need to. Chances are good baby will latch on, nurse, and gain weight. If you have problems call the lactation consultant asap and they will get straightened out.

In my honest opinion, lots of people like to pretend they want to nurse, but they really just want to say they tried, so they don't feel "guilty" alt formula.

Everything about parenting is difficult and wonderful and rewarding. Breastfeeding included.
 
#27 ·
I actually imagine that formula feeding would be more difficult, but I don't have any firsthand experience with it. Whenever you leave the house, you would have to pack formula and bottles, and deal with washing all the bottles. And at night, you'd have to get up and prepare a bottle when they wake-up to eat. No, thanks. When breastfeeding, I've got what I need with me at all times.

With DS, we did have a bit of an issue with his latch initially, but we got it worked out eventually. I really like Dr. Sears lower-lip flip, and found that many of my friends found that helpful, as well. That, and La Leche League's step-by-step how to latch with pictures. DD latched on well right away. I did end up having a foremilk/ hindmilk imbalance with her, but between her lack of weight gain, and green poop, I was able to figure out what it was. (With the help of kellymom.com which is a great breastfeeding resource.) And I was able to rectify the situation by nursing her more frequently, (offering her the breast even when there were no signs that she was hungry,) and at night when she would wake, I quickly pumped some of the foremilk off with a manual pump before nursing her so that she would get to the hindmilk before drifting off to sleep again. Within a week or so, that straightened itself, out, too. I've found that the first 2 weeks are the roughest, and that once you make it to 6 weeks, things are generally well established, and you're good to go for years after that.

My main advice would be to ignore people who say things like, "You're nursing him/her AGAIN?! Didn't you just nurse him/her?" Newborns nurse. Frequently. And sometimes for long periods of time. They will cluster feed, or marathon feed. You can't overfeed a baby who is breastfed straight from the tap. And babies don't "use you as a substitute pacifier." They use a pacifier as sustitute you! So what if they are "just nursing for comfort." That is just as legitimate of a need for an infant as food.
 
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#29 ·
I actually imagine that formula feeding would be more difficult, but I don't have any firsthand experience with it. Whenever you leave the house, you would have to pack formula and bottles, and deal with washing all the bottles. And at night, you'd have to get up and prepare a bottle when they wake-up to eat. No, thanks. When breastfeeding, I've got what I need with me at all times.
This is exactly what I think too. One of the biggest reasons I want to breastfeed is because formula seems like such a burden, between this and paying for it and ugh. That seems much harder to me than dealing with any breastfeeding issues.
 
#33 ·
Yes, I have used the gerber cloth diapers for when my milk first comes in. And I will tuck a pre-fold into my shirt just under my breast when nursing so that when baby unlatches during a letdown, it doesn't soak my shirt. It seems to regulate itself after a couple of weeks though, and I don't leak as much, which is great because as effective as pre-folds are, they don't look super great to use when trying to actually be around people.
 
#34 ·
I had a classic horror story with my first, and without enough support to get me through it we ended up bottle feeding. The whole experience really upset my confidence as a mother. I wish I had heard some horror stories beforehand.

My second was only a little bit easier in the first weeks, but the very fact that I'd been through it before gave me an extr push. We made it through the hard part, and it has been SO worth it. The ease of it is so amazing. You can be spontaneous with your baby and never have to worry. I haven't even switched out my purse for a diaper bag! And I never have to worry about how many ounces and blah blah blah. You never have to think about it at all. And it is SO sweet when they're latched on so contentedly. Definitely, totally worth the few hard weeks. (And don't take that lightly. I consider those weeks worse than labor and I still think it's well worth it.)
 
#35 ·
I was almost avoiding this thread as I knew I could go on and on forever.
I haven't read previous posts, but will start by saying that I trained as a lactation consultant, with Dr.Jack Newman, in Toronto - which was great. I continued training in Ireland when we lived there and facilitated a weekly peer support group, much like LLL but through the Irish equivalent of the NCT. Plus private clients.
So, my best advice is, try to have an intervention free birth, immediate skin to skin as often as you can (like all the waking hours), and follow baby's cues. I won't get into latching except to say that the one most important visual that helps a lot of moms is to think that most mammals in the wild reach UP to their mothers to feed. There's an extension in the neck. Now imagine chugging water when you're super thirsty with you're chin to your neck. Not gonna work. You won't be able to handle the flow! So think tummy to tummy, nipple to nose, and let baby r-e-a-c-h for the nipple, whilst gently guiding, and chin pointing in.
Some tthings that are common, but NOT physiologically a normal part of bf are; true engorgement (sign of poor milk transfer), PAIN, cracked, bleeding nipples.
Get to an LLL meeting ahead of time if you can, and also have a list of local IBCLCs (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants) nearby. Beyond their weight in gold.
Remember that though midwives and OBs/paeds have a lot of experience with breastfed infants, they may not have actually had any lactation-specific training, as (shockingly), it's elective. So an IBCLC is the true professional for all things lactation. I have had to undue a lot of really really terrible anecdotal advice offered by GPs/Paeds/MWs in the past.
Dr newman has a great site, with great videos about latching and great info sheets.

And, slightly related, my ibclc friend from Toronto might be flying up to be my pp doula in exchange for some videos of a multi-grav mom feeding babe in different positions for her website. YAY.
 
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