MS Tips for Breastfeeding 'stuff'

fernliebee

Don't know about anyone else, but my main expense whilst BF was the extra food I went through. Oats were really good though at staving off the hunger for longer, used to make flapjacks or have porridge (though the flapjacks were yummier, and easy to nibble while feeding!)

I found the tommee tippee breast pads best, the rest for me were false economy, and believe me I tried everything going!! They would end up soggy slush in the bottom of my bra! bleurgh! Thanks for the tesco 1/2 price heads up, will keep my eye out for the offer as I want to stock up for when my second bubs is due in June.

I second the not bothering with breastfeeding clothes. Stretchy vests underneath then top over the top was fine, and also gave good coverage of everything! In hotter months I found a vest with just a cropped, short sleeved cardi good so you didn't have double layers.

Becles

I didn't bother with breastfeeding clothes and just made do with normal clothes.

Every time I did a breast feed, I drank a big glass of water while I was busy. It's important to keep yourself hydrated, and tap water is cheap and plentiful :money:

Feeding can take up a huge part of the day. On some feeds I used to try and find one handed tasks I could do while feeding - like ordering an online grocery delivery or reading my uni notes. I was really into an essay once when Charlotte woke for a feed, so I just popped her on and carried on typing

mummy_Jay

A couple of odd tips from when I did it.

It breast feeding in a cafe or public place try to sit near a group of older ladies if possible. As if you get the odd person making rude comments about you doing so they are normally the first to jump to your defense and tell you your doing a good job.

Also again for public feeds, wear a lose shirt over a top, allows you to wrap it round and makes it less obvious your feeding little one and you don't end up exposing yourself

got-it-spend-it

Rather than spend a fortune on BFing nightwear, I just wear a BF vest and PJ bottoms. The vest keeps breast pads in place without need for a bra.

I bought my BF vests in H&M. Much cheaper than Mothercare and more comfy in my opinion. I paid £20 two and they wash really well.

Also I find keeping a cereal bar and bottle of water in the changing bag helps me avoid buying expensive nibbles when I'm out and about and the BF hunger pangs hit.

PrincessPlaty

mummy_Jay wrote: »

A couple of odd tips from when I did it.

It breast feeding in a cafe or public place try to sit near a group of older ladies if possible. As if you get the odd person making rude comments about you doing so they are normally the first to jump to your defense and tell you your doing a good job.

Also again for public feeds, wear a lose shirt over a top, allows you to wrap it round and makes it less obvious your feeding little one and you don't end up exposing yourself

I wear a lose top over one of the primark vests that were mentioned before, i actually had to take DD2 up to a&e last night was sat in the childrens waiting room with only one other person in there which happened to be a mum from the school when DS woke up wanting a feed, i had a nurse approach me who i would hazard a guess was in her late 50's asking me if she wanted her to find somewhere more private for me to feed him, found it quite bizarre but it felt like she was uncomfortable with me feeding him where i was rather than worrying that i would feel uncomfortable.

retro_bluebell

I never bothered with any bf clothes just as the other have said the vest under a normal top will do...as for the feeding in public most people dont know you are doing it unless they know what they are looking for iykwim the more you do it the easier it gets...Ive done it everywhere and up here is not the most breastfeeding friendly place...if you see someone looking give them a smile as it disarms them, soon makes them turn away lol if not keep some good retorts up your sleeve...sorry off topic there lol I was quite lucky in that I never had to use breastpads after I came out of hospital so cant really comment on them...dont know if this is MSE or not but a good baby sling is a must if you like to go out and about or have other kids to see to its quite easy to get the hang of feeding them while carrying them around and it frees your hands up to do other things, and you are covered up so no one knows.. its always better to sit own a relax obviously but there are times when that just cant happen.

neneromanova

What's with the cabbage leaves? I didn't manage to breastfeed last time (only lasted a week) so I don't really understand. Also how did you ladies stop your boobs being so hard in the mornings?

nonnatus

For the night time, cut a nappy in half (so you have a back piece and a front piece) and use as really absorbent breast pads.

pigpen

neneromanova wrote: »

What's with the cabbage leaves? I didn't manage to breastfeed last time (only lasted a week) so I don't really understand. Also how did you ladies stop your boobs being so hard in the mornings?

I never bothered with cabbage leaves TBH.. and throughout 12 years of bf I really didn't see the need... though when I had mastitis and thrush.. never one to do things by half.. I wanted to pull my boobs off and feed them to the cat!

The engorged mornings stop after a few weeks.. especially when they hit the 6 weeks growth spurt and guzzle all night and all day for 2 weeks! I would also feed first thing in the morning and have the breastpump on the other side.. came in very handy for weaning and the occasional emergency bottle feed.. Breastshells were crap.. only hold half a spoonful.. the breastpump was so much tidier too!

3onitsway

Cabbage leaves: Women have been using cabbage leaves to relieve engorgement symptoms for years. But does this natural remedy actually work? Some women swear by it, but few research studies have been able to medically prove if cabbage leaves actually alleviate engorgement.

Cabbage leaves are usually rinsed off (and sometimes chilled) and the veins of the leaves crushed or removed. The leaves are then placed on the breast, leaving the nipple exposed. Some women place the leaves right in their bra, which helps keep them in place.

In 1993, a group of researchers evaluated 120 breastfeeding women who were split into two groups. One group used cabbage leaves on their breasts to relieve engorgement and the other group received "routine care." The cabbage leaf group tended to report less engorgement, but the trend was not statistically significant. The researchers did find that the women who used cabbage leaves were more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at six weeks than those who did not.

In 1994, British researchers set out to determine the effects of using cabbage leaves for breast engorgement. They concluded that the use of cabbage leaves resulted in fewer women giving up breastfeeding but that more research is needed to determine if cabbage leaves actually treat engorgement