My Breastfeeding Book: Mama Milk - Chapter 1 - Essential Purchases (Extract)
Below is a short extract from Chapter 1 of my book, Mama Milk.
Back to those essentials! Now, whilst it is perfectly possible to breastfeed without any special accessories whatsoever (after all, all it really takes is mother and baby!), being a first-time mother I was firmly of the opinion that I would be well stocked up for the arrival of my longed-for newborn.
As a consequence near the end of my pregnancy I remembered I had a few extra preparations to make. Sure, I had bought lots of tiny little unisex baby-gros, mini nappies and all sorts of miniature accessories for the baby I so eagerly anticipated. And my own suitcase was near enough ready to go - but weren’t there still one or two odd things I had to buy: namely, a couple of nursing bras, some nursing pads, nipple cream and that breast pump?
By now I had become used to wearing huge shapeless maternity bras. That was all going to change once the baby was born, wasn’t it?
Think again.
All the books I’d read advised leaving it to around 36 weeks before getting measured up for a nursing bra. Dutifully, upon the appointed date, I made my way to the local Mothercare store, feeling a great sense of excitement that very soon I’d be sporting some pretty cool nursing bras. You can only imagine my sense of both horror and amusement when I was presented with the choices. It was like being a giggly schoolgirl meeting a rather disappointing blind date! Both (that’s right, my choice was limited to two styles!) bras featured huge triangles of old fashioned, white broderie anglaise patterned cotton. And here I had another choice to make between the two; I could go for the one that unclipped at my shoulders or the one that had a zip running under the cup. Oh…My…God!
I couldn’t believe that in these days of high fashion and Madonna-style pointy conical bras that this was all they had for new mums! Did anyone really expect me to wear either of these contraptions? Where had all the alluring, delicately embroidered under-wired bras of my past gone?
Bad as maternity bras were, I genuinely thought that once I’d made it through pregnancy I’d be slipping back into those sexy little numbers once again - oh I can laugh now, but I wasn’t then, I can assure you!
Since neither style even remotely appealed to me, I tearfully purchased both! The zip was a mistake. Have you ever tried to close a rather stiff zip with one hand whilst balancing a wriggling newborn in the other? I tried it several times only to snag and tear my tender skin… Painful isn’t the word for it!
Eight years on, I can smile at my naivety. However, I must point out that nursing bras have advanced tremendously in recent years. Nowadays dainty and shock/horror, under-wired nursing bras are all the rage. Perhaps I wasn’t naïve after all, just way ahead of my time!
Having just about recovered from the nursing bra debacle, I was then subjected to another shocking choice. Reusable versus disposable nursing pads. Now what on earth would I need those for? And nipple cream - now that was just plain silly. I quickly placed some of each in my basket and then remembered that breast pump; having neglected to do any research whatsoever on the choice of a pump I made the costly mistake of reaching for one I liked the look of on the shelf. After all it looked nice on the box, was manual so was going to be silent and well, it was cheaper than the electric one. (What would have been even cheaper would have been learning to hand express but back then I wasn't even aware that was an option!) That made up my mind for me. Cost was more important surely than practicality given the money I'd already spent on the new little person growing inside me! Then there were nursing pyjamas and t-shirts to consider. Please God no! The dark ages were more with it I was sure. Did I really have to put myself through this?
I was to find out very soon…
Top Tips
Make your decision to breastfeed and stick by it.
Read up about breastfeeding so you know what to expect.
Chat to other mothers who have already breastfed or attend a breastfeeding support group where you can meet breastfeeding mothers and professionals who will be happy to share their experiences with you and let you see babies breastfeeding.
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copyright 2008-2009, Sinead Hoben, http://BreastfeedingMums.com
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