Today, I am going to write about few products you must have at home if planning to breastfeed. Few things I wish I knew about before delivery.
1. Breast / Nursing Pads
Once your milk comes in, usually 2 or 3 days after delivery, milk will literally pour out of your boobs. I remember being constantly soaked. Proper breast pads are so important, I made a mistake buying just any, actually cheapest breast pads. They were horrible after using them for few minutes my skin and nipples would be so itchy. They were not breathable and had that plastic cover. If you use breast pads that are not breathable and they are soaked all the time you can get thrush easily and believe me you don't want to.
The nursing pads I would recommend are Lansinoh Breast Pads.
If you decide that you are definitely going to breastfeed, I would definitely recommend reusable breast pads. They are made from 100% cotton and are so soft and adsorbent. Using disposable nursing pads will cost you a fortune. I was going through a box a week, which is about 10€ a week. You can purchase your reusable breast pads from www.fluffybums.ie and get 10 pcs for €18.00. You can also them purchase them on Amazon or any other baby shop.
2. Lanolin or Nipple Cream/Balm
This is an absolute must after delivery. Once milk comes in your breasts and nipples will be sensitive and tender. Applying some lanolin will ease that discomfort. I am breastfeeding now for 7+ months and still have lanolin in every room in the house. For me there was no special brand that impressed me, they all contain the same active ingredient Lanolin.
The cream is roughly around €15, but it will last you so long. The cream is very greasy so you use very small amount
3. Nursing Bra and Nursing Clothes
When it comes to nursing clothes and nursing bras you will probably spend good bit of money. I was outraged when I saw the prices of nursing bras in some baby's shops. Plain nursing bra was around €50-60. Instead of buying nursing bras I just used my regular sports bras. They were more comfortable and did the job just perfectly. I bought few cute nursing tops as H&M and they are at a decent price, around €20 for 2 short sleeve tops. After a while I just started buying regular clothes that is stretchy or V-shaped. Don't buy too much clothes straight away because you will loose a lot of weight and once your supply regulates your boobs wont be as big.
4. Breast pump
In my opinion, weather you decide to exclusively breastfeed or pump+breastfeed, a breast pump is a must have!
You must be thinking now why do I need a pump if I'm going to exclusively breastfeed? Well for me it turned out to be so handy when we had to go out I was always able to express some milk quickly. At the beginning, your boobs will feel full all the time and you will leek easily. I remember the first day we got out of house with the baby and she started crying and my milk just started pouring and I was freaking out and didnt know what to do. Of course, we ended up going back home. From that day onward I always have my pump with me.
From the day one I suffered from oversupply, relieving the pressure in my breasts was a daily task.
3 months post partum I was back at college and my breast pump was everything to me. I had to express while being at college.
I purchased Avent manual breast pump. I found it on sale for I think €15 and just grabbed it. I never thought that I'm gonna use it, but it turned out to be my best friend.
It's absolutely a great pump, I was able to pump 6oz of milk in 10min (from just 1 breast). For a manual pump it's very powerful, it has great suction. However, different pump works for different people. I guess I was lucky that this one worked for me.
My baby went through a phase known as nursing strike and then yet again this breast pump was my best friend. During her "strike" I had to pump nearly everyday and bottle feed her.
Another pump that I would recommend is Haakaa pump. You can easily attach it to the other breast while breastfeeding. Usually, while baby is nursing one side, you can collect the milk on the other side.
You can purchase it anywhere its around €20. There are also generic brand and you can get it for much cheaper.
5. Lansinoh Therapearl 3-in-1
This is a great thing to have if you are breastfeeding and pumping. It can be used hot and cold. You either place it in the microwave for few seconds or put it in the fridge to cool down. Hot therapy is used to enchance the milk flow when pumping, it encourages the let down and will help you pump more milk. I used it very often. The cold function is very soothing when your nipples are hurting and are very sensitive. I used it several times a day after the feeding to get a cooling, soothing effect. For 3 months I suffered from Nipple Vasospasam and this thing was a lifesaver. Using it hot enhanced the blood flow to the nipple, preventing the vasospasam. The effect was felt immediately.