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Mothers of New Babies and Toddlers
Breastfeeding
Accessories to make breastfeeding more convenient
Think Support!
Support your tummy muscles with either dance type tights or special reinforced underwear (over girth). In the first few weeks postpartum, wear your nursing bra with nursing pads in it as a transition type of bra during the light physical activity you may be doing. In fact, until you are used to being regularly active again this might be a wise rule of thumb to continue as you may experience milk letdown during an activity. It is not uncommon for a new breastfeeding mother to experience an uncontrollable milk letdown from her breasts during physical activity, especially high impact physical activities. . Once this is under control wear a bra when participating in any physical activities that helps to stabilize the breasts -tight enough so that there is a definite feeling of support but not so tight that the breasts are uncomfortable or painful. DO NOT wear nursing bras during any physical activities or sports. There is not enough support in the straps or the cups. Look for bras that have wide shoulder straps, higher backs and seamless cups (to avoid nipple chafing or abrasion).
Compression bras are 1 piece over the head bras (your typical sports bra). These are hard to keep nursing pads in and are often uncomfortable for larger breasts but more comfortable for smaller breasted women.
Encapsulated cups (e.g. Speedo, Wonder Bra) have an individualized cup and give more support to the breast and less vertical displacement (movement up and down!). The end result is less leakage. In the past many women have found more support using two bras during physical activities however... this method causes pressure points around the fasteners and straps, stops all ventilation, increases friction on the breasts and increases skin irritation. Go to the following sites for information on sport bras:
http://www.saint-mihiel.net/sports_bras_canada.htm
http://www.thebreastsite.com/bras/sports-bras.aspx
Breast pumps
When your schedule gets a bit more hectic with perhaps an increase in your physical activity and a return to work, breastfeeding your baby might be a bit more demanding and harder to fit into your busy daily routine. This does not mean that you have to wean your baby off breastfeeding earlier than planned. Effective breast pumping systems are now available to help today's busy mom. Breast pumps can help you to continue to offer the ultimate nutrition to your baby. These pumps are also great if you want to participate in more intensive activities and return to your pre-pregnancy training program. Milk can be pumped from your breasts at a convenient time and refrigerated or frozen for later use. These pumps can also alleviate the engorgement of your breasts, making it easier for you to exercise at a more convenient or scheduled time. Go to http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/babies/Breastfeeding.htm for more info on extracting and storing milk.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Storing breast milk also means that someone else (like your partner, other family member or babysitter) can feed the baby, leaving you more time to attend to yourself and your physical activity/training. To find out how to choose a breast pump http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pump.html.
Breastfeeding products
www.medela.com