1 week into BF'ing - what to wear

[scubagear]

Hi everybody! I am currently one week into my breastfeeding experience and for the most part I would say so far so good.

The one thing that I do have a question on -

During the learning process (which is definitly still going on!) my nipples have become a little 'scabbed'. What is the best way to treat this? And, as me and baby learn to feed correctly, will these 'scabs' disappear altogether? Or do you always have them while your BF'ing.

And one more thing - what do most of you wear at night and during the day? I was wearing a nursing bra, with pads, both day and night, but I'm not sure if maybe a sports bra would be better? I find that I can't go braless because my nipples rub up against my t-shirt and it kills!

Any advice would be great!!

[lizajane]

don't wear anything. really. i didn't wear a shirt for weeks! if you have to go out, you can buy plastic shells that will keep the fabric off of your scabs. but for around the house when it is just you and DH, put on a button down shirt and leave it unbuttoned. at night, just put something waterproof under your side of the bed and know that you can't stop the leaking anyway.

sorry you are hurting!! i understand!!

[jd11365]

Congrats on your success...my first week wasn't so easy...
For the nipples, Lansinoh cream...it feels like a thick vaseline works great...very soothing and the baby can "eat" it safely so you don't have to wash it off to nurse. (Don't use anything not safe for nursing like regular Vaseline or creams.) They sell in anywhere BF stuff is sold. I got mine at Target. The Bravado bra is a nursing bra that feels more like a sports bra. I wouln't get a regular sports bra because you can't unsnap it to nurse...a pain in the rump. The Bravado is just like one though...very comfortable, but I only wear it as a night bra because it's not as supportive as say the Playtex...which has the most support IMO. You can get the Playtex at Target, Walmart, or Kmart. They are in the boxes with the 18 hour bras. Not pretty to look at, but they hold the puppies up IYKWIM.

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
5-1-03

[Jen in Chicago]

I just stopped wearing a bra 24/7 for 5.5 months. I am "blessed" so I needed the support and something to catch my leaking boobs. I did get some of the tank tops with built in bras that I wore on occassion at night with pads in them. I could pull it down easily to feed.

Good luck!

[jmofarrill]

Congratulations on having a great beginning to your bf'ing relationship!

I am seconding the Lansinoh - what a lifesaver!

While I was on leave, and still everyday when I get home from work, I would just go around the house wearing yoga pants and a nursing bra (with pads). It makes feedings soooo much easier. I HATE white bras, so I searched high and low for comfortable black nursing bras. I found a leopard print Bravado and a black Warner nursing bra. Here is the link: http://www.sierrablue.com/nurandmatbra.html They are not inexpensive, but I have been wearing them non-stop for over 6 months, and they still have a lot of life left in them. I also will wear the tanks with the built-in bra - VERY comfortable because the fabric holds your breasts in place and the nipples don't rub against the fabric

I have noticed that my nipples are lightly calloused (sp?) now from bf'ing, but it doesn't hurt at all.

Enjoy your little one!

[COElizabeth]

My scabs did go away after a few weeks. Another suggestion I read numerous times is to dab a bit of breastmilk on your nipples and let them air dry. The milk itself is supposed to help heal the skin.

Best wishes!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[houseof3boys]

As much as you can go amazon...wearing nothing at all...the better. In the beginning, I also loved sleeping in the tank tops with built in shelf bras (maternity stretch camisoles). I even bought some additional maternity ones since I was still carrying a ton of weight (so next pregnancy I am stocked up and ready)! The are really easy for the night feeds and very comfy. They are like $6.99 on sale at www.oldnavy.com. I also slept in the bravado bras or elita crossover bras until I stopped leaking since they are fairly comfy.

I hope your nipples feel better soon. They do tend to "toughen up" so it won't always be this way.

Kepp up the great work nursing and ask if you have any questions about anything!!! :)

[houseof3boys]

As much as you can go amazon...wearing nothing at all...the better. In the beginning, I also loved sleeping in the tank tops with built in shelf bras (maternity stretch camisoles). I even bought some additional maternity ones since I was still carrying a ton of weight (so next pregnancy I am stocked up and ready)! The are really easy for the night feeds and very comfy. They are like $6.99 on sale at www.oldnavy.com. I also slept in the bravado bras or elita crossover bras until I stopped leaking since they are fairly comfy.

I hope your nipples feel better soon. They do tend to "toughen up" so it won't always be this way.

Kepp up the great work nursing and ask if you have any questions about anything!!! :)

[SarahF]

Congrats on the new baby and on the bf success!

My doctor advised me to wear a bra 24/7 to avoid the "National Geographic" problem. I took that to heart and have worn a Bravado bra at night and Medela seamless (stay away from seams! they're hell on tender nipples!) during the day. I was too uncomfortable with my newly flabby body (not to mention chilly) to go topless, so I wore men's 100% cotton button-down dress shirts (stole some from hubby, actually bought a few at TJ Maxx) for the first month or two. They were great because they fit around my still large tummy, unbuttoned for easy feeding, and were comfy.

I used Pur-Lan (competitor to Lanisoh) and loved it. 3 months into BF I still use it when I pump (really takes the edge off the discomfort).

Enjoy the early days!

[mom2noah]

Lansinoh saved me, especially during the first couple growth spurts. I even had to put it on before I showered b/c the spray hurt my nipples. Now DS is 4 months & I barely feel it when he nurses. All healed!

Another good thing to wear at night or for lounging around the house is the majamas original nursing top. Kind of pricey but I've definitely gotten my money's worth. I got mine at www.babystyle.com.

[calebsmama03]

Just to offer a different opinion...
I know many moms swear by it, but I HATED Lansinoh and all the similar products! I found it painful to put them on because they were too sticky and DS refused to nurse when it was on my nipples, so I had to wash off before nursing, which hurt worse than nursing itself. I used Soothies and they worked perfectly. They are glycerin gel pads that you wear under your breast pads. You can reuse them for up to 2 weeks and can put them in the fridge for extra cooling/soothing. Here's a link, or just do a google search for them
http://www.fitmaternity.com/pss001.html
I tried the Gerber brand ones recently (a bit of a teething incident...) and didn't find them to work as well, plus they dry out quickly. These were a Godsend for me!

As for the scabs, I agree with the previous post who mentioned that they are now calloused but not scabbed.

I second the recommendation for camisoles with shelf bras. I wore them day and night for the first few weeks, and still wear camis at night. I found that the fabric didn't seem to shift as much, so there was less friction on my nipples. As for other bras, I wear Bravado and I have a few other miscellaneous bras for various funtions (seamless microfiber for under smooth things, tan one for under while shirts, etc.) but the Bravados were it in the beginning.Good luck and congrats!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03