Breastfeeding Buyers Guide

Breastfeeding Buyers Guide

Breastfeeding is the easiest, safest and most natural way to feed your baby. It's always available, always at the right temperature and it's free! All you really need to breastfeed your baby successfully are your breasts (and of course your baby) but there are products out there that lots of mums have found made the experience even easier and more enjoyable.

What you might need - The Basics:

Breastfeeding is the easiest, safest and most natural way to feed your baby. It's always available, always at the right temperature and it's free! All you really need to breastfeed your baby successfully are your breasts (and of course your baby) but there are products out there that lots of mums have found made the experience even easier and more enjoyable.

Nursing bras (we recomend that you get measured in your last month) - the usual rule is down 1 back size and up one cup size from your maternity bra - this is not true for everyone! A loose guide would be that if your Pre-pregnancy size was a 36C, during pregnancy you'll most likely end up a 38D and while breastfeeding you will change again to a 36E.

Try and pick up at least one bra that makes you feel great, sometimes new mums can forget that there is a yummy mummy lurking under that baby-spit covered t-shirt! Have a look at our sexy selection from Cake and Hot Milk lingerie. For more practical day-to-day bras we have some great choices from Bravado and Carriwell. It's recommended that you have at least 2 nursing bras as they can need frequent washing and changing.

Sleep bras - especially in the early days if you leak a lot and need to wear breast pads at night.

Breast pads - it's cheaper from an economic and environmental point of view to use washable breast pads. The amount of milk leaked varies greatly from woman to woman with some almost never leaking and others needing to change breast pads regularly, these natural silk breast pads from Carriwell are deliciously soft and comfortable against tender nipples and are highly absorbent too.

Muslin squares - regardless of how you choose to feed your baby, one of the most useful things to have in your baby arsenal is a lot of decent muslin squares and these high quality Egyptian cotton ones really fit the bill. They can be used as burp cloths, nappies, changing mats - in short they are a must have bit of baby kit!

A good book about breastfeeding - "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is produced by La Leche League International and is widely regarded as the definitive breastfeeding resource for Mums! Pick up a copy in our new Books section.

Also nice to have - The Little Extras:

Nursing cushion - Many women find that a nursing cushion can make feeding the baby easier, lifting the baby up to the breast they can help take pressure off your back and arms and in the early can leave you with two hands free to get your latch sorted, Also, if you should need a c-section, the cushion can help keep pressure off your scar area. Check out the gorgeous Widgey pillow in our shop.

Breast Soothers - Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt but it is a learned skill and while you (and your baby) are learning, sometimes you might become sore or engorged - these shaped soothers can be kept in the fridge and used as a cold compress when you need it.

A breast pump - if you decide that you would like to be able to express milk for either the occasion when you need to leave your baby with someone else or if you are going to continue nursing after you return to work. Lots of women find hand expressing do-able but many more find it a chore and prefer to use either a manual pump (great if you only want to express occasionally) or an electric pump if you are going to pump regularly.

If you think you might express for occasional bottles then we strongly recommend choosing a bottle from our range of Think Baby BPA free bottles.

Breastfeeding in the Beginning:

Firstly remember that breastfeeding is a learned art - both for you and your baby. Don't panic if everything doesn't fall into place straight away - there is lots of help out there so make sure you shout! Your maternity hospital should provide you with information on local support groups such as Cuidi§u (in Ireland), the NCT (UK) or La Leche League, your local health nurse may also run a group. If you have friends or family members who have successfully breastfed then ask them for any advice or tips they might have, These friends will also be great to call on when you decide to feed your baby in a public place for the first time - moral support is invaluable in taking this step. It is probably a good idea for you to try to attend at least one support group meeting BEFORE your baby is born - this can make a huge difference in the early days when you know what to expect and know who to call.

Get plenty of rest - cooking and cleaning can wait, you're doing a far more important job! Eat to hunger and drink to thirst. Make sure you are seated comfortably in a chair with good back support and use a foot stool if necessary. Most importantly make sure you have your TV remote control, books, magazines, phone and mobile to hand - you can be guaranteed that as soon as you are sitting comfortably and just have baby latched on and the phone will ring - especially if you don't have it beside you!

Positioning your baby is important - remember the mantra "Tummy to Mummy, Nipple to Nose" - make sure your baby is lying with his or her tummy turned towards you so that their neck is straight and they are not trying to feed with their head turned (try taking a drink with your head turned to one side and you'll see that it's not exactly easy!). Position your nipple at their nose and as they root for it gently move it down towards their open mouth - this helps to make sure that the largest amount of areola is taken in and positioned properly. If it doesn't feel right then break the latch by gently pushing your (clean) little finger between the side of their mouth and your breast to break the vacuum (never pull the baby from the breast without breaking the vacuum as you could really damage your nipple that way) and reposition the baby again - keep doing it until you are both happy. Feeding should not hurt (although in the early days a little discomfort when baby latches on first is not uncommon) - if you find nursing painful then call for help as soon as you can - neglecting it can lead to further problems.

Try to eat regular, healthy snacks and meals. There is no need to radically cut out major food groups from your diet - and the vast majority of women don't need to eliminate dairy/wheat/curry/cauliflower/beans/onions from their diet. Even the odd glass of wine is fine - just don't go mad!

Make sure that the bra you are wearing is the correct size bra to ensure that your breasts are correctly supported and reduce the risk of blocked ducts or mastitis. Check out our guide to getting the right bra.

Knowing when baby is latched on properly:

The baby will be relaxed and you will be comfortable.

You can see that the baby is swallowing by looking at their temple and jaw.

It should NOT hurt.

The baby should have most or all of your areola in their mouth (this is the dark part of your breast surrounding your nipple) - remember it's called BREASTfeeding not Nipple feeding!

Knowing your baby is getting enough:

Many women worry that if they are breastfeeding that it's difficult to know how much their baby is taking and if it's enough. The following are some of the signs that your baby is getting enough milk (but if you have any concerns about your baby's intake or development we strongly recommend that you seek further help/reassurance from either your health visitor or a group like La Leche League).

Initially babies need to feed as much as 12-14 times in a 24 hour period - this is intense but important for your supply to develop. A baby's tummy is tiny - about the size of it's clenched fist so it empties very quickly!

Your baby appears content after a feed (that wonderful milk drunk look you''ll come to treasure!).

Wet and dirty nappies - remember if it isn't going in, it can't be coming out. (In the early days it can be difficult to tell with a disposable if the baby has done a wee or not - it's much easier to tell in a cloth nappy.) For the first few weeks your baby will probably poo at each feed (or even more than that!), this will settle down after a few weeks and it's not unusual for an exclusively breastfed baby to go for a week without a poo - this does not mean that your baby is constipated but that your baby is literally using every bit of milk and not wasting any! They should always produce wet nappies.

Where to go for help:

UK:
La Leche League UK: www.laleche.org.uk
National Childbirth Trust: www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com
NHS Breastfeeding Info: www.nhs.uk