Breast Feeding - Chicago,IL

All I ever needed was Lansinoh nipple cream and breast pads. I had a hand pump, just in case, but never needed to use it.

I had a Playtex pump, it cost around $100. There are pumps ranging from cheap hand pumps to hundreds of dollars, but I was quite happy with my middle of the road one. Basic supplies: A pump (if you plan on pumping, not all moms do), breast pads (disposable or cloth, they don't cost much), some lanolin or other cream for sore nipples in the beginning, and that's about it. It's cheap and super easy! My husband was shocked to learn how much formula cost when we picked it up for a friend, I breastfed my son for about a year and a half and we saved thousands not having to buy formula.

I have a dual electrical pump that has never been used if you want to come get it. I was thinking I'd use bottles with my last baby, but she was a good sleeper. PM me if you want it. I'm west of the city.

All I needed to breast feeding my three kids was a nursing cover. NONE would take a bottle.

Find a good lactation consultant to help you - it's natural, but that doesn't mean it's easy. Nursing camisols are great - they cover your tummy and keep it warm, provide modesty, and are easy. Nurse first as much as possible. Your baby will suck harder than any pump, so take advantage of that.

Welcome to mamapedia!!

It all depends upon if you are pumping at work or home...

I loved my Medela Pump-In-Style. I also pumped after every feeding to keep my breast milk supply up as well as getting the hind milk out.

You will need a comfy pillow - a Bobby or something that works for you - as babies can get heavy when holding for 15 minutes....

You should buy a variety of bottles and nipples to find out what will work with your baby....some babies do GREAT with the Dr. Browns...others don't...buy one of several different types...then see what works...

Breast feeding does NOT require a pump - it helps - but you do NOT have to purchase one. If you plan on having your husband help you - a pump is WONDERFUL thing to have...

It really depends why you need it.

Are you a stay at home mom, and just need a pump for an occasional night out? Then a basic single-side hand pump will be fine.

Are you working mom, and you'll be pumping every day to make bottles for daycare? In that case you'll need an electric double pump.

Medela is the tried-and-true trusted brand. I worked and pumped for many months, and so I had a Medela Pump-in-Style. It worked great through my two children (and I bought it used, pumped for a year each with 2 kids, and sold it after, so who knows how many babies that thing fed - a LOT). I also had a Medela single hand-pump, because I kept the big pump in my office, and wanted something simple for occasional use at home. And I got Medela for that too, so that the parts and bottles were all interchangable between the 2 pumps.

Medela's new one is the Freestyle. It's also a double electric, but tiny in size compared with the Pump in Style. I don't know much about it though, because it came out after my 1st was born.

What else do you need?
Lanisoh
Some layette blankets
I personally liked nursing tank tops (Target) more than regular nursing bras because they covered my belly when I pulled my outer shirt up to get the baby under it to nurse.

If you are going to be at home with your baby, you really don't need much else to nurse.

Hi N.,

Good for you! As a veteran breastfeeding mama, here's my 5 cents:

If you are going to be working, you'll want an electric pump. If you work in an office where there is a pump, you'll want to get parts to match. If not, a double-electric (Medela is great, but the Ameda Purely Yours is wonderful and a bit less expensive). If you'll be pumping a lot, I highly recommend a hands-free bustier. If you won't be pumping a lot, an inexpensive manual pump should do the trick. Medela makes a good one.

Also, if you'll be pumping, you'll need bottles, or nipples to go with the storage bottles. We liked the Born Free bottles, but I didn't do a ton of bottle feeding, so I'll defer to others.

Rather than traditional nursing pads, I'm a huge fan of LilyPadz. They are silicone adhesive pads that hold leakage and can even be worn without a bra! You can wash (with a gentle dish soap) and reuse them until the adhesive wears off -- a few months. A couple pairs of cloth or disposable nursing pads are good to have, too. And, like others said, some lanolin cream (available at your local pharmacy) is good to have for sore and cracked nipples.

Good nursing bras (I like Bravado and Medela brands) are important. And I LOVE MyBrestFriend nursing pillow. Unlike the Boppy, it actually has back support. I could sit against a wall and nurse comfortably with it. And it helps with newborn positioning, which was so helpful.

If you are not a fan of nursing in public, a nursing cover is good to have. I have one by Bebe Au Lait, but there are other good ones out there, too.

Breastfeeding isn't easy, but if you stick with it it can be the snuggliest nicest thing! There are some wonderful groups, etc. at Be By Baby (Roscoe & Lincoln). Do ask a friend, lactation consultant, La Leche League leader, or fellow mama if you have questions or need support. You can do it!!

Best of luck,
R.

I had the Medela Pump In Style Advanced and it was great. Very easy to use, worked well, no complaints. It comes with a battery pack if you need to take it on the go. You will also need:
Milk storage bags
Breast pads (for when your milk leaks)
Good nursing bras and shirts/tank tops
You may want to consider a bra that lets you pump hands free. I never had one.
Mothers Love Nipple Cream - I think it works much better than Lansinoh. It's also all organic and food-based, so you can put it on before the baby nurses and you'll get less irritation this way.

I liked having two sets of shields & valves (the part of the pump that actually goes on your breast) so that there was always one set that was clean and dry. I found it easier to pump into a bottle (the ones that come with the pump) and then transfer it to bags. This way, you can easily portion out the bags with a certain amount of milk.

Also, always pump both sides at once. You'll get more milk that way and you finish much faster.

The hospital has one you can try and figure out if you need it. If you get WIC, then they will loan you a hospital grade one. I personally wouldn't invest in one until you know what is going to happen and know how well you will feed and produce milk.I personally was not able to breastfeed, even with all the books, pumps, lactation specialists, etc.. And, to top it off, both of my kiddos were allergic to it, even in the hospital, so....I say save your money until you really KNOW what you and your baby need.

I do recommend a boppy pillow and either a rocker/foot stool combo or a comfy chair to feed in. Bottle or breast, baby needs to be rocked and held when being feed.

Also, this is a tip I tell every new mom, you should buy a Nose Frida, or the "snot sucker". This is better than any bulb syringe and it works in ways that the bulb doesn't! And, yes, it is expensive, and worth every single penny.

Good luck and congrats new mama to be!

Get a workhorse, like Ameda Purely Yours or Medela Pump In Style. I suggest you don't get the backpack for the Medela. It didn't hold up well, though my pump was fine. Some insurances will cover the pump as medical equipment. Look into it. You will want spare parts and you will want to be measured for properly sized "horns" if you find you are having trouble expressing milk. Nevermind what bra size you are - I'm not well endowed, but I needed to go up a size with the pump. It made a HUGE difference. You will want bottles and a few spare bags. I was told to skip the steam cleaning kit because you can ruin your tubing. I also had a small cooler and a special ice pack for bottles, though that's not mandatory. I had about 10 bottles that I rotated, all small ones of 5oz or so. Never needed big ones because the milk changes to have more fat as needed. The hands free thing I used was the $10 pumpin' pal that went across my neck. Very simple. Very portable.

I hope everything goes well for you!

I have a Medela. I used it seven years ago with my first, constantly for a month and then she finally nursed on her own. Then my sister borrowed mine for both her children for many months. It still works just like new, so it's good quality. Hope you find the one you're looking for!

I had a whole thing typed up and it got lost. Let's try this again shall we ;)

What kind of pump really depends on what you need it for. If you have to go back to work when your baby is little then you need an electric pump. Medela Pump in Style is the most recommended. If you just want one to have an occasional bottle to go out, a hand pump may be more than enough. I have 3 kids and never once needed a pump. I was home with them and worked anything that needed me to be away around their schedule, brought a sitter to sit with baby in the waiting room etc. They never once needed a bottle of pumped milk or formula. I was able to make it to every doctors appointment or other things without needing to worry. It can be done!
A properly fitting bra is a must. Make sure you get yourself fitted to get the proper size as breasts change as does the rib cage. An ill fitting bra can lead to problems like plugged ducts and mastitis which is no fun to get. A nursing bra makes things easier because you only have to open one cup at a time to nurse. I tried a front hook with my first and found it to be a huge pain in the rear. Lifting your breast out of the top of the cup of a normal bra isn't the best idea because it'll cause pressure on various parts and might make it hard for baby to empty the breast which leads to issues.
I would suggest having some breast pads on hand. I preferred the washable ones to the disposable ones. They come in handy until your milk regulates itself. You may not need them for long. Depends on the person. I would often have to break them out during growth spurts after not needing them for a while until things settled down again.
I liked having breast cream on hand to keep things a bit more comfortable, especially in the beginning. I used Lansinoh brand. I have a lot of allergies and found that one to be the best for me.
People will recommend nursing tanks, special nursing shirts, boppy pillows, nursing covers, even nipple shields. I never used any of those the entire time I nursed my 3 children. I wore shirts I could easily lift from the bottom to expose just enough of the single breast I was feeding from. I didn't like how nursing shirts fit me and found they exposed more than me lifting my shirt a little from the bottom. Nursing tanks fit awful as well, they don't work as well if you are large breasted I think, I never even bought one just tried it on in a store. Also having an extra layer didn't always sound all that comfortable, especially with my summer baby.
All you really need is a breast that makes milk and a baby. Everything else is just what makes it easier or more comfortable for you. What those things are can be very different depending on the person. I needed very little at all. I found most of it to be in the way and just one more thing to keep track of. I nursed my first for 3 years, my second for just shy of 5 years and my third continues to nurse at 4.5 years.

Madella seems to be a popular brand... But I had an electric one and wasn't too impressed. I was able to pump more with a manual one (can't remember the brand though...)

You will want breast pads, to absorb milk leaks. I would suggest investing in several washable ones, as opposed to the disposables. It really sucks if you run out. :/

Also, at least two or three nursing bras that are COMFORTABLE! you will have to wear them to sleep in, or wake up in a puddle. Probably a couple sexy ones too for your husband's benefit... It's not too romantic when you start dripping on him, or spray him in the face as he makes his move... ;)

A nipple shield or two, just in case you have sore nipples. (Come in handy during the initial teething stage...)

Lasinoh nipple ointment.

Breast milk storage bags.

At least a couple of bottles. My daughter was able to use the cheap-o old school nipples, and never had any problem whatsoever.... But this varies greatly among children, so after you have baby nursing like a champ, you might want to try a few to see what she will take.

I never had a nursing pillow, but I kind of wish I had gotten a hoppy or something. It's to have something to help bring the baby up to the right level.

Okay...what Rachel S. said.

I would not buy a pump before the baby's arrival. See what the hospital offers; mine gave me a manual pump (new), which served to prep me for what was to come. Once I learned the ropes, I had a better idea of what my needs were, and I knew how to buy the electric pump that would meet my needs.

Good luck!

Hi N.,

You've received a lot of good answers here. I used a Medela Pump In Style which I got off Freecycle and got fresh parts for at a lactation clinic.

One thing no one has mentioned, but I did feel worth mentioning, is that you might want to hold off on this purchase until you are sure that the breastfeeding is a go. I only say this b/c I've had a couple of girlfriends who really wanted to nurse, but due to one reason or another, couldn't. A good pump is a significant expense, so do set the money aside, but consider waiting until you are sure everything is a 'go' before making that purchase.

That said, I loved nursing my son and did it for quite a while. The pump really helped enable me to get some nights out away from baby or to feed him when we had tradesmen at the house/professional conflicts with breastfeeding (it's not quite businesslike to just whip it out when someone comes to one's home to do repairs or work). Saved me!

Best to you!

I used medela in-style pump. That worked great for me.... It's so hard to tell.

I used lanolin for cracked nips. I didn't use breastpads because honestly - they didn't breathe well - and I just felt like it made my nips a potential breeding ground for all kinds of infections / yeast.

I had a hand pump but never used it. You might want to look up how to milk yourself. That's what I did when the pump didn't work....

Sorry I don't have tips on brands to buy, but I will say that the best advice I received while pregnant was to use a scruffy on my nipples everyday in the shower, it made breast feeding painless! Also, be sure to get your pump before you deliver, you'll want to pump those first few days when you'll be engorged with milk. Taking flax oil or any omega 3 is good for your babies brain development and will help with milk production.

Just stick with it. It gets easier after a month or so.

Have you found the website kellymom.com, it's a great resource. I work 3-10 hour days and used the Medella Pump in Style, it comes with the size regular flange (part that goes on you) you can find the manual online to see if you need a different size for a good let down.
Hang in there for the first few weeks, if you get stressed higher a Lactation Consultant or go to your local LLL meeting.
Don't buy a ton of one type of bottles/nipples until you know you baby likes them.
Best!

Don't get a manual one if you plan to pump regularly. Mine squeaked like crazy. Woke my husband up from a dead sleep from the living room! I finally had to hand express in the shower so I could go back to sleep.