Baby stuff...do I really need it all???

aknif said:
Nursie, you might just be my new super hero.... Black leather and a harness.... LMAO!!! :bowing:

Aren't all the MEN glad they're reading about this stuff??

:hi:
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:D :D Gee thanks!
You know the guys are reading it to see something interesting.. :Angel:
May as well give it to them.

The breast cream is a must, and so are nursing bras and pads, since we are on the topic. They make life easier. Also decide if you plan to do it in public or not. Some people have a great technique and drape a towel or blankie over them and the baby so you don't even realize what they are doing. I was never that comfortable, I prefered privacy. When we brought the second child home after I had a c-section, my mother in law stoped by. I was in bed and was going to feed the baby..she pulled up a chair and sat down. IMO...your bedroom is not a social venue, and I don't know why she thought I was going to nurse the baby in front of her. You might want to work out a code with your husband to clear uninvited guests out of the area. Irf I'd have been more mobile I'd have gone to another room.
My MIL has never been known for her tact...
 
I bought nursing shirts used off of e-bay. My aunt used this big drape thingy and I personally thought that it made things way more obvious even though she was completely covered.
 
nursie said:
The breast cream is a must, and so are nursing bras and pads, since we are on the topic. They make life easier. Also decide if you plan to do it in public or not. Some people have a great technique and drape a towel or blankie over them and the baby so you don't even realize what they are doing. I was never that comfortable, I prefered privacy. When we brought the second child home after I had a c-section, my mother in law stoped by. I was in bed and was going to feed the baby..she pulled up a chair and sat down. IMO...your bedroom is not a social venue, and I don't know why she thought I was going to nurse the baby in front of her. You might want to work out a code with your husband to clear uninvited guests out of the area. Irf I'd have been more mobile I'd have gone to another room.
My MIL has never been known for her tact...
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I wouldn't plan now on whether to do it on public or not. If baby is hungry, and you're not at home, baby still has to eat. It's too much stress to worry about being caught in an inconvenient place. And you don't want to feel stuck at home either. The nice thing about breastfeeding is you can do it anywhere, it's always sterile and at the right temperature, and it can easily be done without drawing attention (most of the time it just looks like baby is asleep on your lap.)

I had a c-section with my first, and it made the process of breastfeeding a more difficult, especially with the delay of milk coming in. If anyone came into the hospital room at the time, they got a show, 'cause, darnit, there was no way I was going to be private and secretive about something so important. It's a big learning curve for mom and baby...and you have to practice a lot to get it right!

The first time breastfeeding in public was a little scary, but I got over that really fast. I'm not the type to whisk baby off to the bathroom (yuck!) to breastfeed. A receiving blanket over the shoulder provides plenty of privacy, and eventually you don't need that either. I found that a regular t-shirt provided way more privacy than a nursing shirt (which, no matter how fancy, always looked like a nursing shirt...ugh!) A sling can be good for very discreet breastfeeding, and, if you're confident enough with it, you can do it on the go. :)

I always had my little speech ready for anyone who dared to comment about "going somewhere else to do that!" I was almost disappointed that I never got challenged on it...guess I was always discreet enough for noone to notice. :D
 
Exactly Mishi.... I didn't "plan" on nursing in public either, but the first time you're out and about and things are taking longer than you planned... when that baby cries, you're going to get her to her lunch FAST! ;) I actually only used nursing bras and pads for the first few months, until things got regulated, then I went back to my regular bras... Quite honestly, for me, it was easier to just grab the underwire and pull the whole thing up than to fumble with an opening snap or clasp or whatever!

But do try on and actually attempt to use MANY nursing bras. I just went out and got a few different styles in my size and didn't even try them on. Well, lemme tell you, if the nursing flap has a hook and eyelet closure on it, it's freakin' impossible to get closed again after you nurse without looking like a freak digging around in your shirt! Some of them are very easy with this plastic hook jobbie that you just hook it in place and then press it and it clicks closed, others are impossible to close again without fumbling about.

I had a sling, an "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder" (you can google it) I loved the thing. I also had a bjorn, but I didn't use the bjorn until later, my kids seemed more comfy laying in the sling than scrunched up in the bjorn... With the sling, you can be out, and if the baby needs to nurse, you can just pull your shirt up and position the baby, your shirt and the extra fabric of the sling covers everything you want covered. After a couple months, you'll be a pro... I'd be walking down the aisle of the grocery store, the baby gets hungry, and she's at the, uh, Dairy Fountain without me even missing a step!
 
(Um guys, please skip this one) :o
I breastfed my daughter for three months, but I could never do it in public because I had to work really hard to make it happen. I have an inverted nipple, making it difficult for baby to latch on. It was usually pretty painful for me too because she couldn't latch on exactly right and it caused "pinched" places. With my son I only breastfed halfway for a month. He just wasn't interested in breastfeeding, and wouldn't latch on good enough to feed. I'm a little jealous of you who have had the option to "feed on the go". ;) But, when I look back, I don't see any way I could have done differently, and I don't have any real regrets because I did the best I could. Sorry for the graphic thoughts, but I thought it might be helpful to read a story from the "other side of the fence". :D
 
flyingfish said:
(Um guys, please skip this one) :o
I breastfed my daughter for three months, but I could never do it in public because I had to work really hard to make it happen. I have an inverted nipple, making it difficult for baby to latch on. It was usually pretty painful for me too because she couldn't latch on exactly right and it caused "pinched" places. With my son I only breastfed halfway for a month. He just wasn't interested in breastfeeding, and wouldn't latch on good enough to feed. I'm a little jealous of you who have had the option to "feed on the go". ;) But, when I look back, I don't see any way I could have done differently, and I don't have any real regrets because I did the best I could. Sorry for the graphic thoughts, but I thought it might be helpful to read a story from the "other side of the fence". :D
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I'm sorry you had a tough time. It's good that you gave your babies the time you did...a little bit is better than none at all, especially with giving them colostrum. :)

It's the rare woman who actually has no problems with breastfeeding. Having access to a lacation consultant is so important to get through the first while. Unfortunately most women get very little support, plus negative feedback from family, friends, and society in general. Without that support, or at least a lot of determination to keep going, it can be easy to give up. And it takes three months to fully develop a solid breastfeeding relationship. An inverted nipple can be overcome as well, but it takes some perserverance...help from a lacation consultant could do the trick (not just once, but over time.)

My kids actually had a horrible latch, and I cracked and bled for the first few weeks with all three of them (that's where Lansinoh is a god-send!) The latch issue didn't stop my breastfeeding because I had a good let down, and a lot of milk...in fact, the excess milk probably caused the latch problems because my babies were trying to regulate the flow. I was also determined that it was going to work out, and there was no way anyone could have told me otherwise.

I'm considering becoming a lacation consultant myself. It will mean a lot of school though...still have to think it through. Becoming a doula (probably post-partum support) is something I've been thinking about as well. However, being a doula for birth would be tough for me, as I'd want to only attend homebirths, rather than hospital births.
 
Maybe I just didn't go anywhere.....and I only brestfed for 6 weeks before I went back to work. The first was a premie, and had to be tube fed and then nipple fed. She never nursed well...always had to suppliment.
The other had hypoglycemia issues at birth and they bottle fed her in the nursery and she was an impatient crab. (still is) She would nurse and then scream because it wasn't what she wanted. She's the one I had the section for, and I gave up..I hurt, she was screaming and it is not worth the fight. The pediatrician I had was no help. SHe had adopted her kids and wasn't real sympathetic to someone who wanted to nurse.
Get some good advice if you want to do it. ON the other hand....bottle fed babies do just fine too.
 
Paedeatricians and Drs, in general, are not the best source of information on breastfeeding. Their training is too limited in that area, and there are too many times a mother is recommended to supplement unnecessarily, which leads to a drop in breastmilk production and early weaning. That's why seeing a lactation consultant is the best choice. I think that the limits to maternity leave in the U.S. leave much to be desired, and can make breastfeeding more difficult. When I had my first child, I had a full six months off with benefits, plus took an additional 6 months unpaid. Now, in Canada, the leave is for a full year.

In terms of breastfeeding/breastmilk compared to formula and bottlefeeding, I won't get into that debate here. Do your own reading about it to find out the facts. Here is one good place to start: Infact Canada Fact Sheets and La Leche League La Leche League is an excellent resource for support...they are everywhere, and it shouldn't be difficult to find a local group.
 
I was really lucky with my first one. I had no help but he learned to nurse with no problem. The second on the other hand was born with some medical problems and couldn't nurse at all, so I pumped for four months straight until I just dried up. We tried the sling and to me it felt awkward, like he was going to fall out. As for the nursing shirts, well some styles are starting to look much better and I really like them. As for all of the different parenting styles and opinions, I'm sure that most of us feel like what we do is the best way to do it, however, I have seen really good and healthy kids raised all sorts of ways.
 
Must haves are Mylicon, infant tylenol, receving blantets alot of bottles and 6 or so different kinds of nipples babys get sick of nipples fast mines now on the 3 hole playtex nipples shes 3 1/2 months old and a pig see attached pictures to See my Daughter :D Sophia Angelina Ferro :D

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