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Breastfeeding and the Baby Registry A guide to breastfeeding products and accessories
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ecently a friend of mine asked me to accompany her as she set up her baby registry. When we arrived at the nearest baby superstore the clerk at the registry help desk gave us a hand-held scanner and a print-out entitled “registry must-haves”. The list of items that one presumably must have is a bit on the overwhelming side and left me to wonder Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles how human babies survived throughout the ages without all of these items that every par(213) 596-5776 ent must have. These suggestions can be www.breastfeedla.org especially confusing for the mother who plans to breastfeed. Here is a summary of breastfeeding products and accessories commonly suggested to expectant mothers and some tips on whether a mother may want to register for them: Breast pads: These absorbent pads are worn under the bra to soak up leaked milk and are a convenient item for a great number of breastfeeding mothers. Many mothers tend to leak breast milk, especially in the earlier stages of establishing a milk supply. Of course, a woman may also experience little to no leakage of breast milk and this does not mean that she is not producing enough milk. Breast shields and shells: These are items that can help with nipple problems and latch difficulties. It is recommended that breast shields be used with the guidance of an internationally boardcertified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who can make sure that a mother has a true need for the device, is using the correct size, and that the issues that caused the need for the product are improving so that the mother may eventually stop using it. This is an item to skip when registering. Breast cream: Breastfeeding is not supposed to be painful, and if it is a mother should seek qualified help as soon as possible. Breast cream won’t solve a latch problem, but it can be handy to have a tube around if a mother is experiencing mild irritation as she adjusts to breastfeeding. Look for creams that contain no artificial ingredients or alcohol. The most popular brands are 100% lanolin, but a mother who has a wool allergy should look for an alternative. Breast pump: Breast pumps are becoming so popular today that many mothers believe they should get one. The reality is that not every mother needs a pump. If a mother has a healthy, full-term baby and is planning to be home with her child, chances are she will be fine without a pump or may perhaps want a very simple one. If she finds herself in a situation where she unexpectedly needs a pump (for example, having a preterm baby) one can be rented from many hospitals or lactation consultants. A mother who will be working outside the home or going to school will almost certainly want a pump. Pumps are a big-ticket item, so it is no wonder that retailers are promoting them, but it may be wise to purchase a pump from a lactation consultantwho can offer information and guidance about the product and how to best use it. Breast milk storage: This is similar to the situation with the pump. A mother who will be staying home with her child may find a few bags or containers useful if she decides to express some milk to have on hand in case of an emergency or for the occasional feeding that she might not be home for. A mother who will be going to school or working outside the home will likely find these very important. Don’t forget to follow the collection and storage guidelines provided with the product. Nursing pillow: Proper positioning is essential to a successful, painless breastfeeding experience and a good nursing pillow may help to reduce strain on a mother’s arms, shoulders, back and neck by lifting the baby closer to the breasts. When everyone is relaxed and comfortable, breastfeeding tends to go easier. A pillow can also reduce the pressure on the abdomen during nursing which will be especially important to a mother who has had a caesarean section delivery. Currently, many breastfeeding experts are recommending “biological nursing” (see the website www.biologicalnurturing.com for more information on this important Lindsey Nelson serves on the Board of Directors of the topic) which focuses on a reclined nursBreastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles. She ing position rather than an upright seatis a founding member of FirstRight, an organization ed position. When utilizing this dedicated to advocating for mothers who have expe- approach, regular household pillows rienced discrimination for breastfeeding in public and work great. It is also important for a is mother to breastfeeding two-year-old twins. She mother to learn how to nurse without a pillow so she can breastfeed anywhere and can be reached at lindseyn@firstright.org anytime with ease. There are quite a few The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater LA offers a options when it comes to pillows, so an variety of opportunities for education and involve- expectant mother may find it helpful to ment for professionals and laypersons alike, through ask her breastfeeding friends or family, a workshops, internet links on its website, and joining La Leche League Leader, or a lactation forces with others to create the kind of supportive cli- consultant about what features to look for mate we would wish for mothers, babies and families when selecting this item if she decides it who choose breastfeeding. Consider attending a will be useful. Breastfeeding Task Force Meeting. Meetings are held Nursing stool: A nursing stool is a special quarterly, in Inglewood, from 9am to 12pm, are free footstool that angles a mother’s feet and and open to mothers and professionals. elevates them to an ideal height to help For more information about the Breastfeeding Task facilitate good positioning. And they Force of Greater Los Angeles, and links to other continue to be useful even when nursing breastfeeding information and activities, visit the is done. This is an item that could be very Breastfeeding Task Force on the web at useful, but is not a necessity for a nursing www.breastfeedla.org. mother. Nursing wraps and covers: A woman’s right Babies are born to breastfeed!
by Lindsey Nelson, Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles
to breastfeed in public is protected under California law. A nursing wrap or cover is not an absolute necessity and if a mother feels comfortable and confident nursing without one than she should skip this. A lot of moms, especially in the earlier days when latching on may require a little more effort and exposure, find that having a cover, shawl, or even lightweight blanket gives them the coverage they need to feel confident nursing their child wherever they are. Many babies, though, do not enjoy being under cover, especially when they start to discover the world around them and they will pull off covers. Pacifiers: Pacifiers are a tricky item for the breastfeeding mother and most experts will suggest avoiding their use. They can cause nipple confusion, especially in very young babies, and can negatively affect a mother’s milk supply because she may not be getting enough suckling stimulation at the breast, which is what triggers milk production. Another significant drawback is that a pacifier may suppress an infant’s expression of hunger cues, which could lead to the mother not feeding frequently enough. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pacifiers be used only after breastfeeding is well established which is after the baby is at least a month old. Bottles and nipples: If a mother will not be working outside the home or going to school, she may find that she does not ever need a bottle. There are even moms who are apart from their babies who choose not to use bottles and use spoon feeding, syringes, and cups to have expressed breast milk to their babies. If you find that you will need or want to have bottles, it would be wise to consult a lactation consultant or other reliable resource about which bottles are easiest for babies to use without suffering from nipple confusion or problems with the speed of the flow of milk. It is also a good idea to make sure that all your bottles are free of Bisephenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in making many plastics. Bottle cleaning supplies: This category includes bottle brushes, sterilizers, drying racks, and dishwasher baskets, just to name a few. If you are only going to have one or two bottles around for the rare time you might miss a feeding, you’ll probably be fine with just a bottle brush. If you’ll be using a pump, bottles and storage containers often then you may find the other accessories useful and convenient. As I walked through the store with my friend, I was clearly reminded of my own baby-registry experience about four years ago when I believed that I must have many of the items on the list, only to find in the end that the things that were most vital for my children to have couldn’t be purchased in a store: a parent’s love and my breast milk.
Need more covers?
Dy-Dee Diaper Service has covers available in Classic White and Blue and Pink (if you like to make diapering fashionable!)
Dy-Dee Diaper Service, Pasadena, California (626) 792-6183
Looking for help through your birth and/or postpartum days? DASC (Doula Association of Southern California) offers a FREE doula referral program to expectant parents. Go to www.DASCdoulas.org or call (877) 4-A-DOULA (toll free) for referral to certified and/or trained birth and postpartum doulas in your area.