The Baby Registry: Part 3- Nursing/Feeding

Welcome back! This post is devoted to the topic of nursing and feeding your little one. I'm going to go ahead a share a few non-registry related tips on the topic while I'm at it, too.
It was my goal to exclusively breastfeed Smith while on maternity leave and continue to give him breast milk by pumping once I return to work. I am thrilled that I was able to complete the first part. We had a ROUGH patch early on around 2-3 weeks old, but everyone I talked to encouraged me to keep at it, and I am so glad that I did. Smith and I are old pros by this point, and I'm sad to think we won't get to spend as much time together in that way.
Here's what you will need if you are nursing and plan to ever give your little babe a bottle:
(It's up to you whether you want to register for breastfeeding items. Because they are a little more personal, people have mixed feelings about this.)

Breastpump
Every working mother I know uses the Medela Pump n' Style Advanced. You can choose from the shoulder bag, the on-the-go tote, or the backpack version. I got mine from a friend. "They" say to not get a used breastpump, but I'm not quite sure why. I wouldn't get one from a stranger. You can buy new tubing, but your milk only touches the bottles and horns that you place over your breasts. I suppose a fresh motor would be beneficial as well.

Check with your insurance plan, this year I am able to buy or rent one! I am going to buy another Pump n' Style and keep one at work and one at home. How awesome is that!! (Plus, I am pretty forgetful..so I think this will help the back and forthness of school to home, home to school .

Side note: I began pumping when Smith was only 2 weeks old because I had heard horror stories of people returning to work and "drying up." I was pretty paranoid about it and now I have a freezer FULL of milk. I would pump after the first few feedings of the day gathering an ounce or two at a time early on. I had the time and extra support to do this, and if you can swing it- I recommend it. My goal is to never have to buy formula. STOCKPILE.

Pumping Bra
This is a must if you have a double electric pump. Multi-tasking is key when you are a mom. I pump and eat breakfast, put on make up, play with a baby...and soon I will be pumping and grading papers and using the computer at work. If you don't want a boring white bra, you can get a polka dot one.

Storage Bags
I have been using Lansinoh storage bags to freeze my milk. I have had a few leaks which can be frustrating. I'm not sure if it's the way they freeze or what, but I keep using them because it's what I have. If I were you, I'd try a different brand. I have also used the Medela brand bags, but they are designed to pump directly into the bag. I am a little nervous about that so I don't do it.

Bottles/Nipples
This is an area that you will just need to wait and see what your baby prefers. If you are nursing, you don't need many. We began giving Smith a bottle at 7 weeks once we had breastfeeding down pat. John gives him a one bottle as a "dream feed" around 10:30-11:00. It gives me a break and allows me to get a bigger chunk of sleep. We started with the Medela bottles that came with the pump- no need to by extras. Smith sucked on that nipple hard and drank it fast! I remember John saying it only took him like 10-15 minutes the first time, and I was like, then why does it take an hour on me???? Smith seems to be a pretty easygoing baby so he'll take boob or bottle just fine. We started using a Similac bottle the hospital gave me on the tour of the maternity ward at the hospital. John liked it better than the Medela  and we haven't felt the need to buy anymore yet. In 2 weeks, Smith will be having 3-4 bottles a day...so we may need to invest in more.

Pacifier/Dummy
I registered for a couple packs of the Soothies because that's what my friends used. We actually got 2 from the hospital, so you really don't need to register for any except the Wubbanub. I'm also partial to giving Wubbanubs for gifts. So stinkin' cute.

Disclaimer: I was really freaked out about using the pacifier because I don't want Smith to be dependent on it. I also did not breastfeed on demand- I used the Baby Whisper's E.A.S.Y. method. She says that the pacifier is one of the only ways a newborn can self-soothe. Luckily, Smith never fell in love with his dummy and the plan is to stop using it in the coming months (per The Baby Whisperer)



 Nursing Pillows
I registered for both the Boppy and My Brest Friend. My Brest Friend beat out the Boppy by a long shot. It felt more sturdy and supportive for both me and Smith, and I actually like how it clipped around my entire body. I would just walk around wearing it. I used it every day for about 10 weeks. Now Smith is big enough and awesome enough that it is a hindrance to nursing.
Boppy? Who needs ya? Not me! (Although I hear I could use it to help Smith as he's learning to sit up. We will see. We will see.






Nursing Covers
Expectant mothers have you received an offer for a FREE nursing cover through an email, website or magazine? I did. Several times. And I paid the $12 shipping and handling fee to get it. I heard they weren't great, and they are not. Mine is a little on the small side and the peek-a-boo top isn't very sturdy. Once Smith gets a little more active, he will probably kick or punch his way out of it. My favorite is made by Bebe au Lait. (that means something about baby and milk in French, I think). It is cute and large enough to cover me well. I use the heck out of my nursing cover. Church, restaurants, wherever...I'm not packing a bottle when I have a boob. And I don't have to wash my boob. (Well, you know what I mean.)


Nursing Clothes/Bras
Folks, I haven't been impressed with the clothing options out there. That wrap look really screams nursing top if you ask me I've managed with button down blouses, henley style shirts (buttons half-way down, cardigans over regular shirts, and stretchy camis under shirts.
As far as nursing bras go, there are a couple of options out there: the nursing tank with a built in bra, sleep bras, and regular ol' nursing bras.
I hate the tanks. I tried them early on, but I should have known. I was never a girl who could wear anything with a built in bra in the first place, and now with my mom boobs? No thank you.
Target sells something they call a sleep bra, and I am so grateful to my friend Nancy for telling me about these. They look just like a sports bra use the wrap design so you don't have to mess with the awkward hooks. I have LIVED in these during my maternity leave, and I will continue to wear them at home and under bulky clothes.
I'm still searching for a favorite regular nursing bra. Oh, Victoria's Secret! Why isn't there are Very Sexy nursing bra??? Why???
I've read to avoid underwire bras because they can cause clogged milk ducts. Seriously??? I eventually caved and wore some of my regular bras when I was out and I knew I wouldn't be feeding Smith. I need something with support and a bit of thickness to it. I probably need look elsewhere and plan on spending some $$.

Other nursing stuff:
Nipple cream- The Lansinoh brand lanolin is super thick and sticky. Yuck! I was happy with a brand called Motherlove. It's not lanolin, but it's amazing. I hear you can use it for diaper rash and cradle cap, too. It comes in a tiny 1 ounce jar, but it's worth it. This stuff was my best friend during the first 6 weeks.
Nursing pads-I've only used these to protect my clothing from the icky sticky lanolin I used. No leaking problems yet. It's likely I may see more of that once I'm back at work. Lansinoh and Medela brand pads have adhesive on the back which is handy. I like the shape of the Ameda brand the best.
I also used some the the gel pads during my rough patch of breastfeeding. I admit that I reused them a handful of times and stored the pads in the fridge for that extra cooling factor. I think you can put cabbage leaves on your chest, too- but I didn't have any cabbage handy and the hospital LC gave me the gel pads, so there you go.

Bibs
No need to register for these. People love to buy baby clothes and bibs tend to fall into this category. I did spend the first 2 months wondering when I would ever use bibs, and now I have a drool machine on my hands. They also come in handy for saving outfits from spit ups.
I have no experience with the usefulness of bibs once food enters the picture, but I think it's pretty obvious they are necessary. I'm thinking the kind that you can rinse off after meals are the best choice at that point.

Burp Cloths
I received several really cute burp cloths from some crafty friends that added fabric to cloth diapers (the prefold kind). If you don't get/make any cute ones, just grab from prefold 3 or 4 ply cloth diapers and you are set.

Other Feeding Accessories:
Drying Rack- We use the Boon Grass daily. I am still choosing to hand wash pumping supplies and bottles at this point.
Bottle Brush- We registered for the Munchkin bottle and nipple brush at Target. While it's handy to have a bottle brush, I don't recommend the Munchkin brand. The nipple brush falls out of the handle consistently which is annoying. It would be great, too, if there was a little suction cup at the end of the handle so it stands up.
Bottle Warmer- Not necessary in my eyes. We stick the bottle in a cup of warm water.
Sanitizer- I'm not looking to add unnecessary "stuff" to my kitchen, and a sterilizer falls into this category for me. I recommend sanitizing with boiling water. I only did it before I used an item for the first time. Otherwise I wash with soap and hot water. I do have steam bags to keep with my pump in a pinch, but I haven't used one yet.

Highchair
No experience in this area yet. I registered for a Chicco one that we liked, and a few of my friends got it for me as a shower gift. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fit it in my car for the trip home :( This led to having it returned in Illinois for a gift card (cheaper and easier to get to Georgia). My mom ended up bringing me my nephews' highchair so I could use the money towards diapers and whatnot at Babies R Us. I really liked the design of the chair we registered for, but you can't argue with free! 
When selecting a high chair consider: Do you want a full chair or a booster seat that you can strap onto a chair? Does it fold and store easily? Is it adjustable? Is it easy to clean? How big is it? (they can be HUGE!) You probably won't use one until the baby is around 6 months old, so this is not a necessity to have early on. One popular highchair is the Graco Blossom 4 in 1. It serves as a regular high chair, toddler booster, infant feeding booster, and youth chair. You can use the latter two simultaneously!!  There are 6 height positions and 3 recline levels. It seems like everything is covered!

WOW! Hope you caught all that....