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Pillows and Breast Pads and Books, Oh My!
What You Really Need to Breastfeed By Kelly Burgess
Cindy Curtis tells moms that all they need to breastfeed is just one breast – everything else is a bonus. She developed that philosophy a few years ago when she worked with a woman who had given birth after a bout with breast cancer. The woman went on to nurse her child for a year.
However, Curtis, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and administrator of Breastfeeding Online is quick to add that, if you have the money, other products can be very nice. Although when she was nursing she never felt the need for any special nursing products, she does admit that she recommends a book, The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman (Prima Lifestyles, August 2000), to all her new mothers.
"I've seen the growth in the market of products for breastfeeding moms, and all I can tell my clients is if they like it and it works for them and they can afford it – great," says Curtis.
"There are different kinds of nursing pillows," says Curtis. "I think the comfort level depends upon where you nurse the baby and how you're built." Many mothers may do just as well to pile pillows around them or sit in a chair with higher, padded arms. Curtis's concern when talking about products for breastfeeding is that breastfeeding might be seen as too complicated or expensive for the average mother.
Wendy Shore, IBCLC, the director of the Lactation Resource Center at Memorial Hospital in York, Pa., agrees. "I'm all for any product that makes breastfeeding a little easier, but I don't want anyone to think they need that product to feed their child," she says. "As it is, it's so rare to see mothers breastfeeding around the community, and until we get to that point, many women will never feel truly comfortable breastfeeding. Why make it any more difficult?"
Personally, I liked breast pads when I was nursing my children because they were much more absorbent than handkerchiefs and much smoother looking under clothes than folded washcloths.
Curtis is all for breast pads because they're rather inexpensive. She and Shore also always recommend a pump – especially for working mothers. However, the type of pump will depend upon how much you depend upon it. If you're only going to pump once a week so that you and your hubby can get out without the baby, you'll need a far simpler model than a mother who is going back to work full time.
