FAQs – 13 of our top questions and answers

While we’re not experts, we have three founders of this company who can offer their advice below. Our CEO has a PhD in immunology and can attest to the health benefits of breastfeeding and how it helps develop his/her immune system. Our VP Product Development was a maternity nurse and midwife for 40 years in Vancouver, B.C. Canada and she nursed all three of her children (including the CEO!). I’m the President, and by far the least knowledgeable BUT I have been nursing our son for 27 straight months now, and being in the category of “extended nursing” means I have recent, hands-on experience with breastfeeding. Our son was born in the fall of 2001 and I am still nursing in spite of working full-time. Finally, we have the other side of the coin. Our VP-Sales suffered badly from mastitis and has her insights and experience to offer.

1. How many bras do I need, and do I really need nursing bras?

We suggest you have at least 2 nursing bras, and probably 3 is best. In the early stages when your milk is coming in and your body is adapting the amount of milk your baby needs (we’ll talk later abut the supply/demand curve), you’ll tend to leak more often and thus wash bras quite frequently. Pregnancy tends to add, in general, one size to both cup and band. If you were a 36 C before pregnancy, a 38D is likely your pregnancy size. Most women in their last month of pregnancy will be about the same size as when they begin nursing. The first 2-3 days after birth are your largest!! Here you’ll likely add yet another size to both cup and band. So, your pre-pregnancy 36C that became a pregnant 38D is probably now a new-nursing/just-delivered 40 DD or 40E! Fear not, though, you’ll go back down to a “pregnant” 38D soon enough – usually in about a week. You’ll probably need to change sizes again after you’ve been breastfeeding for some time and that one is likely to be the same as your pre-pregnancy bra, but still with the convenient nursing flaps and stretchy fabric. You’ll need two-three bras because early on you will tend to leak milk more often and thus be washing your bras more regularly.

If you plan to nurse and don’t mind buying a few bras we actually think this is the best selection:

• 2 sports-style or soft cup cotton-spandex bras for home-wear, sleeping, etc. If you don’t like sports-bra styles, at least ensure that the soft-cup you buy has good support. Side panels or a good, solid support band under the breasts are ideal.

• 1 underwire, pretty lacy bra for going out when you want to have great shape, enhance your bust and feel really sexy and beautiful. For this one, you should splurge and forget cost. A cheap underwire bra is not advised because of the danger of plugged milk ducts which can lead to mastitis (more on that below!)

We recommend buying a nursing bra as soon as your pre-pregnancy bra begins to feel too snug. Those breasts are tender and need some gentle care and a bit more space. We DON’T recommend buying a maternity bra. For your maternity/nursing bra (pre-delivery), one size up for cup and band should work for most women. (pre-pregnancy 32B will be a pregnant 34C). Better yet, think of the kind of bra that has overlapping sizes and is made of a stretch material so you have some space. The “nesting” instinct aside, it IS best to buy a bra before you deliver and your milk “comes in”. Engorgement is most common in the first few days and expect lots of fullness on days three to five after birth as your body learns how much milk is needed and regulates how much is created. It’s a magical process and a wondrous time, but NOT a good time for fitting a bra!!

Some women love underwire, some hate it. Whatever side of the fence you find yourself on regularly, it is best to avoid underwire in maternity/nursing bras. In truth, we feel that the reason underwire exists at all is that it is a simple way to offer support. Many bras use underwire because without the wire, there is simply not enough support in their style and fabric. We find that many nursing bras have the extra support built in whether soft-cup OR underwire. This is especially true of the sports-bra style bra that has side panels, a thick support band under the cups as well as the large back-panel to distribute weight evenly over a larger area. These three features make sports-bra styles a great alternative to underwire without compromising on support. Finally, when thinking about underwire, don’t forget that in the last few months of pregnancy rarely will any underwire be comfortable, especially when you sit down and it pokes into your belly and baby!

All this said, however, if you are an “underwire” gal and simply can’t imagine wearing a soft-cup bra you’ll still need to buy at least ONE non-underwire bra for sleeping. Underwire is NOT recommended for sleeping as the wire can put pressure on the milk ducts, leading to blocked ducts and mastitis. Almost every doctor you speak with will agree on this point, no matter where he or she stands on all the other breastfeeding issues. You’ll definitely want at least one soft-cup bra for sleeping, and preferably one that is made of a stretchy or flexible fabric as you’ll find your breasts can swell quite a bit between nighttime feedings.

There are many important things in a bra such as:

• support

• fabric (expandability, cotton, polyester, spandex, washability, durability)

• strap type

• clasp opening location and style

• under-wire vs. soft-cup

• cost

• style

However, by far the MOST important thing in a nursing bra is FIT. You really must be comfortable in the bra and feel it is the right FIT for you. Make sure the bra you buy has a return policy just in case.

I hate to say it but marketing is the only difference. Most maternity bras are exactly the same as nursing bras, except the latter usually have flaps or opening cups to pull down or to the side. If you buy a maternity bra that doesn’t have flaps or opening cups for nursing, you’ll end up buying two bras where you could save money and buy only one. Our advice is to buy a bra that is BOTH a maternity AND nursing bra. There are many on the market and they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Even if you don’t think you are going to nurse, it really does make sense to buy a nursing bra just in case. You may find that when you hold your amazing new baby, you’ll think twice about all the benefits of breastfeeding and it might just happen without your having planned for it. I planned to nurse for 6 months, and here it is a full two years later (and I started a bra company – of all things!!). In other words – you never know! These amazing little people have an uncanny way of completely changing our lives and focus.

Bras come in all sorts of material, but by far the best and most popular is cotton. When you’re leaking milk, you need fabric that is natural and provides good breathability. Drier nipples, air circulation and a fabric that breathes will help keep you comfortable and can help reduce problems. However, one disadvantage of cotton is that when it warms up it may "melt" a little, thus losing a small amount of the needed support in larger sizes. Using a fairly breathable fiber in conjunction with cotton can give the softness of cotton and not lose the needed support. One nice fabric blend is the cotton-spandex blend. A good percentage of lycra is great because the fabric will stretch as your breasts grow and you may be able to wear the same bra in spite of your ever-changing size. We call it the “supply and demand curve” when your body is trying to figure out just the right amount of milk to make so that your baby is well-nourished, but you are not too engorged. One of the best things about extended nursing like I am doing is that my body knows this routine SO well by now that I never have to suffer swollen boobs! Make sure the cotton is a good quality: you want the "fit" of the new bra to be the same after the first wash and dry. Read the label carefully as many nursing bras recommend air-drying. While nursing bras are quite sturdy, they are still a delicate item and you want to take proper care to ensure it lasts as long as you need and want it to. One popular style of nursing bra has heat-shaped cups, but to retain the shape it has to contain some polyester. The shaped cups are very supportive, but the drawback is the reduced breathability of polyester. Overall, cotton or cotton-spandex gets our vote for best fabric. Lace is pretty, but it can be irritating if placed in a position where it rubs your skin.

When the baby first nurses after birth, you’ll see that your milk is a thick yellow fluid called colostrum. Consider this a super-charged boost to your newborn’s immune system. In the first 1-2 days after you give birth your breasts will swell quite a bit and become heavy with this colostrum. After this initial 48-hour period, your breast milk will change and both your body and the baby will go through an adjustment period. This is the time when my mother said that my boobs were like curling stones! Rock-hard, round and heavy! Sometimes this means expressing some milk (gently pressing/ pumping some milk out of the nipples by hand) so that baby can latch more easily and so that you feel more comfortable. One simple way to soften the breasts is to use a warm cloth or take a shower. I often found that I would drip milk whenever I got into the tub or shower. The mere presence of warm water got my milk flowing. We call it the “supply and demand curve” and it is one of the toughest parts of breastfeeding. Your body is a magical thing that has just given birth to a perfect human being, or at least a perfectly human being . Your milk will adapt, perfectly, too but it can take time. At first you will probably produce far too much which is why your husband has a big grin on his face and why your boobs feel heavy and sore. Take comfort in the fact that your milk supply will soon regulate itself and youll enjoy a great-looking bust without all the discomfort of curling stone boobs. Do be patient. I well remember how uncomfortable it was at times and how I loathed waking up in a bed that was a big puddle of milk. I feel your pain as your husband accidentally elbows you in the chest when he rolls over. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! I am with you when you are mortified over lovely wet-spots on your blouse. All nursing moms have had those same experiences, and we get through them by supporting each other.

Metal clasps should be painted with a rust-proof good quality paint or you’ll find your bra starts to look unattractive after some time. Metal clasps are the strongest, but will tend to be the kind that require two hands to open. This is not convenient for when you’re holding baby in your other hand. Plastic clasps are good so long as they are made from durable plastic, as many of the products in your home are nowadays. Plastic clasps tend to be the one-handed for opening but you’ll likely need two hands to close at least some of the clasps on the market. Center snaps (between the cups) or shoulder strap hooks (at the top of the cup) – well, it is a matter of personal preference! Some people find that center snaps are more discreet if you’re pulling up a T-shirt. Others prefer nursing shirts/dresses with slits on the side or down the center and in that case the top hooks are the fastest. Whatever you prefer, you want a one-handed clasp!! If you’re trying to quickly comfort your hungry child who is crying for milk, you want easy quick access with one hand.

Plugged ducts are when the milk flow has been stopped for some reason and gets plugged just like a pipe in your bathroom or kitchen. Some of the common reasons for plugged ducts are:

1. not draining the breast fully

2. not getting enough rest

3. stress

4. not drinking enough fluids yourself

5. poor nutrition

6. a tight, poor-fitting bra pressing on the duct

7. underwire pressing on the duct

8. skipping feedings

9. going too long between feedings

Usually it will look like a small red lump on one part of your breast, but it doesn’t have to be red! It might just be very tender. Plugged ducts are quite common early on because your body and your baby are still adapting to the “supply and demand” curve we talked about above.

1. Get plenty of rest, relax, drink lots of fluids, eat well. When sleeping, try not to put any pressure on your breasts. This means sleeping on your back or side, without any additional weight on your chest.

2. Don’t assume engorgement is OK. Yes, it IS part of the cycle early on while your body adapts to how much milk your baby needs. However, relieve engorgement as soon as you can and don’t suffer in silent martyrdom. Heat, massage, etc (below) will help with engorgement.

3. Nurse as often as you can, and certainly as often as the baby needs and wants it. In fact, if you feel your breasts getting full and uncomfortable, encourage your baby to nurse. Don’t stop feeding too quickly – nurse as long as you can at each sitting and definitely wait until baby tells you your breast is drained.

4. Heat! Apply warm, wet face cloths or towels to your breast. Take a hot shower or bath

5. Massage! GENTLY massage your breast to express some milk and get the duct unblocked. Before or as you nurse, gently run your thumb or finger along the plugged duct to help push it forward to baby’s mouth.

6. Get creative! Don’t always nurse in the same position. Sometimes sit, sometimes lie down. Direct your baby to suck from the area where the duct is plugged. I once had the baby all strapped in the car-seat ready to go out and I just leaned over the car-seat, on all fours, and fed that way. It was unintentional of course, but the end result was an unplugged duct! I think the simpler approach might be lying baby on the bed, however, and getting on all fours over your baby so that your breast hangs down to the babe’s mouth. The plugged duct will work with gravity and the baby sucking and may just heal itself.

7. Call for help! There are lactation consultants, community health services, La Leche League, online resources, chat rooms and bulletin boards galore. If you don’t know what to do, don’t give up on breastfeeding! Call someone who can help you or visit your health professional. The answer to a plugged duct is to get the milk OUT, not to stop it even more. Nurse frequently, and take solace through the discomfort as you know that you are giving your best to your child even if it does hurt a bit. The duct should un-plug itself quite quickly and you’ll be so pleased that you didn’t give up.

Mastitis is a plugged duct that has led to a breast infection because it was not treated. If this happens, it is very important that you get help as soon as possible. This is a case where you should definitely visit your doctor, lactation consultant or community health clinic/nurse. You may need antibiotics as a course of treatment. It is equally important that you keep nursing. Yes, you have an infection, but stopping nursing is NOT the answer. The milk is NOT harmful to the baby but continued stopping up of the milk-duct is definitely not good for you. Mastitis is that same tender, painful or swollen spot on your breast, or red lump, but you’ll have flu-like symptoms in addition. Chances are your breast will feel quite hot, too. Most likely you’ll have a fever and/or the chills and feel achy all over.

11. What does it mean to latch properly?

The latch is the KEY to successful breastfeeding. Getting baby onto the breast as soon as possible after birth is important, and having an experienced advisor help you with your latch is recommended. My first latch was guided by the hospital nurse who exclaimed how great it was. I was frozen from the chest down due to an emergency C-section and couldn’t feel the nursing at all but I could sure feel the three blisters on my left breast the next day! In other words, that was NOT a good latch. Luckily my mother-in-law is a maternity nurse and she not only showed me how to get our son to latch, but also showed my husband how to help me and act as watch-dog. It was a bit odd, having my mother-in-law grab my breast with one hand and the baby’s head with the other and literally shove them together, but it worked and the perfect baby now had the perfect latch. Those first 3 blisters were my last. I had a few bites when teeth came in, and a few sore days of engorgement, but I never again had sore nipples. Essentially, if your baby is latching properly, you won’t have sore nipples. So, my first nurse wasn’t the advisor I needed, my mother-in-law was. Before you go home with your newborn, make sure you know the look, feel and sound of a proper latch and feed. If you need any help at all, DON’T be afraid to ask. You’ll eventually get used to being manhandled and having “strangers” direct your boob into baby’s mouth! It seems strange but the issue is simple: what is more important, your sense of personal privacy about your breasts or your baby’s needs for nutrition and sustenance? For a pictorial tutorial by an expert, visit:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T021000.asp

Another great pictorial tutorial is available at:

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/31.html

There are all sorts of aspects to the physical side of breastfeeding:

1. Position: lying down, football hold, traditional chest-to-chest, or cross-over hold

2. Feeding on demand or parent-directed feeding

3. Using a pillow or not, a footstool or not, etc.

4. Rocking, singing, humming, meditating, simply enjoying while doing it

5. Nursing for a set amount of time per breast, alternating breasts, emptying both, etc.

All those things aside, the physical aspect of the latch is key and hopefully you can get a great teacher so that you don’t have any discomfort. The first few days will be tender in all likelihood, but the real pain should be over once the baby is born! If you have pain, it is likely an issue with the latch. Any pain that continues beyond the first few days isn’t right and you should seek help and medical advice.

Breastfeeding is a very individual thing. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that breastfeeding should “continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired”. Some women will wean earlier, some babies will self-wean before a year. Solids are usually introduced between 4-6 months old, and then baby is less reliant on your milk as his/her primary source of food. As you add more solids to baby’s diet, the need for breast milk diminishes. However, the benefits of breastfeeding are not only health-related in terms of immunities and nutrients, but also in terms of bonding, security, attention, warmth and love. Essentially, the longer your baby nurses, the greater the benefits to health and well-being. An increasing number of women are extending breastfeeding until age 2 and longer. It becomes your decision as a mother and a family. My advice is to keep going as long as you can and as long as you feel is right for you. NOBODY else can make that decision for you. You’ll be made to feel guilty if you don’t nurse, nurse for too “short” a time or too “long” a time. Everyone has an opinion, but nobody is you. My dream is that all new mothers will breastfeed for as long as they are able and willing. I don’t think anyone else has the right to tell them they can’t or shouldn’t supplement, or that they can’t or shouldn’t wean or that they can’t or shouldn’t do extended nursing! I’ve been given lots of criticism and numerous dirty looks, for example, for still nursing Noah after 2 years. Yet, others applaud me. I just do what is right for me and our son. Breastfeed as long as you can and want to – and best wishes!

The evidence is there to show that breastfeeding benefits mother, family and most of all baby. However, this site is NOT about trying to make you feel guilty about breastfeeding! You should do your best to try, and try for as long as you can. Some women will have to supplement with formula, others will choose to. Our advice is to try to breastfeed your baby and see how it goes and don’t give up too easily. Formulas contain no antibodies, no living cells, no enzymes and no hormones. The best formula and the best marketing claim cannot tell you that formula is better than mother’s milk. It simply isn’t true. Mother’s milk is by far the best for baby. A great site for the benefits of breastfeeding is:

Helpful links: The best and most informative sites we have found on breastfeeding are:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp

http://www.lalecheleague.org/bfinfo.html

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com

There are lots more out there that are great, but we like these ones best because they are not selling you anything - except the benefits of breastfeeding!