For those plan on breatfeeding....

did u put stuff on your registry for this. I want to breast feed so bad but my mom and MIL but tell me they were unable to be successful at it. I dont want to go crazy buying things. I was thinking about renting a pump and all. If i do rent one how do i know which pads and all are compatible? I registered for the dr. browns drop ins for storing breast milk but again how do you know what is compatible.

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

You don't necessarily need to rent a pump to BF. Will you be pumping at work? If you'd like to rent a pump then you can always pour the pumped milk into storage bags to freeze or just store the bottles in the fridge short-term. I BF for a year but only pumped occassionally for bottles while I was out. Good luck!

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

I want DH to have the oppurtunity to join in on the feeding expeirence but i also want to make sure my child gets the important nutrients from breast milk.

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

I pumped exclusively for 5 months. I had planned on BFing but it just didn't work out. I was adamant about her getting the nutrients from BM so that is why I ended up pumping.

I was going to register for stuff, but didn't because I was told that if you get/buy a pump and don't use it (even if you never open it), you can not return it. I was afraid somebody would get it for me and if I didn't use it I'd be stuck with it. This info may be wrong or may have changed in 3 years, but this was the reason I didn't register for any of the stuff.

As far as pads, you'll have to just try a few to find out which ones you like the best. They are all compatible with everything. I personally liked the Lansinoh Extra Soft the best.

I think most BM bags and standard bottles are compatible with most pumps. I pumped into plastic bottles and then transferred into storage bags. that way I could split up the milk into usable sized portions for freezing.

Finally, I rented a pump the whole time. It ended up not costing me more than if I had bought one and it was a hospital-grade so I think it did the best job. It was NOT easily portable though. I was told that if you're going to pump exclusively that you should start with a hospital grade for the first month or so to get a good supply established and then you can switch to a more portable model. I pumped until it was time to go back to work and then I had to wean (mostly b/c there is nowhere to pump here and I don't get to take a break so I wouldn't be able to pump during work anyway).

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

I would wait on buying supplies before the baby comes. If you want to get some bottles you would use whether you BF or formula feed then that might be a good place to start.

There are a lot of moms who don't start pumping (if they have good supply) until the baby is 3-5 weeks old (some people believe it could cause nipple confusion if you start too soon). Since it is a big investment - I waited until she was 2-3 weeks old to buy my stuff - b.c I was worried that if for some reason I had trouble, didn't produce milk, etc I was stuck with some very expensive equipment. At BBB they told me they didn't recommend putting nursing supplies on my registry b.c you can't return them (ie the pump).

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

I've heard that as long as the box hasn't been opened, the pump can be returned. I'm not positive about this though. I put the pump on my registry knowing that no one would buy it. I just wanted to be able to use the BRU completion coupon for it. If I can return an unopened box, I'll buy it right before I give birth and use the coupon. If I find out after I give birth that i'm unable to BF, I'll return it.

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

I bought after the baby was born since I wasn't sure it would work out for us...the pump I waited to buy until 5 weeks since the lactation consultant wanted me to make sure that my milk supply was well established and that the baby was established with breastfeeding before I introduced a bottle...I only started pumping at 5 weeks because we went on a mini-vacation and didn't feel comfortable breastfeeding at my SILs college graduation ceremony.

I checked on BRU return policy for breast pumps and you have 45 days from purchase date to return it unopened.

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

yes I put tons of stuff for breastfeeding.
XOXO
BOTB

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

With my first child, I BF and pumped for 11 months. I put the pump & accessories on my registry and got it all. I didn't open the pump until after I knew I would be successful BFing (and even longer). I didn't pump until DD was about 2.5 months. Up until then I EBF.

Just don't open the goods until you know that you can use it. Then you have the option of returning it. Once it is opened, it's all yours no matter what.

Re: For those plan on breatfeeding....

If you aren't going back to work and just want to pump for occassional feedings a hand-pump, like the Isis, is perfect -- it's totally cheap and you can pump directly into Avent bottles.

If you're going back to work, the Medela Pump in Style is the way to go. It is expensive, so if you're not sure about breastfeeding wait on it. If you are totally committed to breastfeeding, even if it means having to exclusively pump for a few months -- I would go ahead and get it. I think it would cost about the same as renting a pump for a few months.

One word of advice -- lactation consultants sell pumps much cheaper than Babies R Us, etc. I can't remember the name of the website I got mine from, but it was about $100 less than the retail stores.

If you get the Medela, you can get adapters to pump direclty into Avent bottles and Playtex sells a kit that lets you pump directly into plastic storage bags. You could also get nipples for the storage bottles that come with the Medela pump. As someone who pumped for a year while I worked, I can promise you -- being able to pump directly into the bottle will save you tons of time.

As for breast pads, I liked the Lansinoh ones the best.