08 March 2012

More Than The Obvious ~ What You Need In Order To Breastfeed

Lets be honest, all you need to breastfeed is a breast and a baby. Simple, right?

Maybe not so much. Companies all over are trying to tell you that you need this or that, or that other thing over there. And of course very little of that is cheap.

This week the ladies with the Breastfeeding Blog Hop are talking about tools of the trade. What they needed or found totally useless. So here's my list sorted into children.

Child #1 - Aedyn
Needed - 
  • Lansinoh Lanolin (loved this stuff!)
  • Nursing Basket - in this I kept nursing pads, a notepad and pen, the remote control, my phone, lanolin, a burp cloth, kleenex, snacks, baby fingernail clippers, nasal aspirator.
  • Nursing Cover - Nursing without it was not a possibility with Aedyn
Useless -
  • Breastfeeding pillow - I gained so many cup sizes on top of already being terribly "blessed" that Boppies and the like only supported my breasts and there was no room for Aedyn. Pointless. (Nursing Tips & Positions when you have large breasts)
  • Nursing Bras - At least the typical kind. Once again, because of my size, I couldn't find a nursing bra that fit. Apparently once you pass a 34M then you're an anomaly. A poor fitting bra can cause blocked ducts and mastitis, so I found a well fitting regular bra and put a hook and eye where the cup and strap meet. (DIY Nursing Bra Tutorial)
  • Breastpump - I had an extreme over production of lipase in my milk and couldn't store it for longer than 3 hours (it was so bad that even scalding the milk didn't work).
  • Nursing Pads - Never ever leaked. I will admit they helped keep the lace bra from irritating my nipples, but that was it.
Child #2 - Jaron
Needed - 
  • Nursing Cover - I didn't have to have it this time, but I was a lot more relaxed and comfortable when I was using one.
  • Breastpump - I has massive oversupply this time and had to block feed and pump off some of the milk on the side I wasn't nursing from that day.
  • X-Large Flanges - my breast/nipple size had changed and I needed to upsize the flanges on the pump, the size I was using were causing my nipples to swell and bruise. (Florida WIC has a great diagram on how to tell if your flange fits or is too tight.)
  • Nursing Pads - I leaked all over the place while I was trying to reduce my supply.
  • Disney/Star Wars Movies - to keep my toddler calm and still while I tried to get my highly distractable baby to eat.
Useless
  • Nursing Basket - my toddler wouldn't stay out of it. I started tucking my phone into my bra and that was it.
  • Lanolin - I just didn't need it for my nipples the second time around. However, if you're fingernails/cuticles are dry, this stuff is excellent just for that too!
  • Tips on Taking Care of Your Toddler while Nursing Your Baby - I think Aedyn must've read those articles and decided to mess with my head, none of that stuff worked.
So those are my two lists, ask me again in a year or so and I'm sure #3 will have completely changed things up!

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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the tip re. Lanolin on fingernails and cuticles.  I need to try that!!

    ReplyDelete

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