Reddit reviews Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Hot or Cold Breast Therapy Pack with Cover, 2 Count

I'm a FTM who is EPing too. The initial guilt was something I struggled with too. I was worried about bonding and felt so bad when initially I couldn't pump enough for her or missed sessions because I was exhausted. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of the baby right now. I had to supplement about half too at the start, and do add about 1/4 formula now as well so I can save some. It's also so hard. Set some goals for yourself, my first goal was to make it to a month, now it's two months. Ultimately, I'd love to make it six months or longer but if I don't I'll be ok. My sanity is more important for the baby than my breastmilk. You can do it!

What I do is I have alarms set on my FitBit/phone every three hours during the day. It's not always realistic to pump at that exact time but I make it a point to pump the next opportunity I get. Or if I know the alarm is coming up and baby will be up or hungry shortly, I'll get myself started. Pumping for 10 mins is better than skipping. Pumping more often will stimulate more production, duration isn't the factor and going longer between pumps will decrease your production because it makes your body think baby doesn't need the milk.

Right now I'm lucky enough that my husband is still home and my mom was here for a few weeks so I can just pass baby over when I need to pump. But I plan to start getting baby used to napping in her crib, doing tummy time on the mat in the nursery, or something else so I can pump.

Stay hydrated, I get soooo thirsty.

Cleaning all those parts is a pain in the ass every time, rinse them and put them in the fridge until next time. I wash mine about once to twice a day.

Try to simulate cluster feeding when you pump. During the next really good nap, pump for ten minutes on then ten minutes off for an hour or so. Do that once a day for a week or so every so often.

Also not all pumps are created equally apparently. Hospital pumps are better at extracting. I have a Spectra and love it. I can get 4-5 oz each time and sometimes even more. Play around with settings, it shouldn't hurt and different ones work for different women. Also you can rent pumps from the hospital, or the Spectra is often on Groupon.

Get hot and cold compresses. I have some lansinoh gel packs I can freeze or warm in the microwave. I have one set for each so there is always a cold set when I need it and I don't need to warm a frozen pair when I need heat. Apply heat right before pumping and during pumping. The lansinoh gel packs can fit around your flanges. Afterwards I strap the cold gel packs in to my shelf tank. It helps with the soreness/inflammation that happens as your supply is growing. These are the ones I use: https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-TheraPearl-Breast-Therapy-Count/dp/B0070767DU


I feel like my post is all over the place, but hopefully some of it will help you. It's just a few things I've figured out for myself but or have found online in my six weeks of pumping. Kelly mom has a good page on EPing.

Yep. Not only are they cold (from being stored in the fridge) but they also have some chemical that helps a lot. I thought it sounded stupid but it helps.

I also like these ice packs for boobs.

I used ice packs as often as possible, no hot showers and sudafed. My milk didn't come in until 6 days post pardum and it was dried up within 4 to 5 days. I still feel a little sensation here and there but the pain and engorgement is gone. I'd consult your doc too though just in case he or she has other suggestions.

Here are the ice packs I got. They fit right into my bra. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070767DU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_16bUBbX1D5D2F

It's painful in the beginning, if the baby is latched on correctly it shouldn't hurt as much but until your nipples toughen up it's sore. I used nipple cream all the time to help with it, you can also try a nipple shield if it hurts a lot.

My sister got me these and whether you breastfeed or not they're wonderful for engorgement!
https://amzn.com/B0070767DU


If you can make it through the first two weeks things get a lot easier. It's a good feeling seeing your baby putting on weight and growing, knowing it's all from your milk. It's also nice to have that ability to comfort them anywhere. I've never really had supply issues, you just have to make sure you eat and drink enough. I fed my first on demand early on to establish my supply and let her decide when she wanted to eat instead of scheduling her and that helped, some foods like oats help too.

There's actually a subreddit entirely devoted to this called /r/breastfeeding if you want to check it out. I would definitely recommend breastfeeding though because it's a beautiful experience and it makes you feel so proud knowing your body created and then fed your baby. Good luck!

Lansinoh TheraPearl 3-in-1 Breast Therapy Pack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070767DU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.Uj7BbQRTVG1S

I use those but anything like them would work.

My girl hates being on her stomach, I kinda tilt her on her side and lay back on an incline. She normally has her head on my arm.

gel breast pads for heating or cooling. There are other brands, but I just liked these.

edit: I used them cool when I was engorged and then when my last baby was older i used them for heat with a clogged duct.

For less messy amazon links you can extract the part after "/dp/" in

https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-TheraPearl-Breast-Therapy-Count/dp/B0070767DU/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484417101&sr=8-3&keywords=breast+gel+pads

and make it:

https://amzn.com/B0070767DU

Or via smile link:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0070767DU

___

BEEP BOP

Plz send any recommendations to my owner via PM

You could try applying heat before you nurse. I got these gel packs that go in the microwave and fit in your bra. I found them at Walmart but it's these guys.

I'm not sure what would cause this change. Do you have a LC you can call for advice?

Ugh, boob pain!! Would something like this help? I've got 2 sets. One in the freezer and one ready to be heated. That or maybe a cold or warm washcloth. :( I hope your nipple feels better! They're already super sensitive!!

Check out the lansinoh 3in1 breast therapy pads... they help SO MUCH when you're engorged or have a clog.

https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-TheraPearl-Breast-Therapy-Count/dp/B0070767DU

I did the pitcher of formula & fed it to the baby cold, and it was a lifesaver. Before that I felt like all I ever did was make bottles! And the whole time my baby would cry and cry, begging for food. Now it's just pour twist serve, easy as pie.

I was very prepared to handle engorgement, and here's what I gathered from research, asking for advice here, and talking to my doctors:

1. Don't pump, as it will signal your body to make more milk; but it's ok to take a hot shower (gives you a bit of a letdown) or hand-express just a little to relieve pain.
   
2. Buy a REALLY supportive sports bra. Like the kind for high-impact exercise. It shouldn't be too small/tight as that can contribute to mastitis, but you want to keep those puppies as motionless as possible to minimize pain.
   
3. They used to give prescription meds to dry you up, but they no longer do that because it can cause blood clots (iirc).
   
4. Heat stimulates letdown and production, so don't use heat (unless you REALLY need that hot shower). Instead, ice it up. It helps with minimizing production and relieves pain (and lasts longer than cabbage leaves). I got these awesome boob-shaped ice packs.
   
   Then, I got very lucky and my milk never came in. My boobs felt sore and tingly for a day, so I was all geared up for the pain to start, but instead the next day I felt totally fine. It isn't guaranteed to come in. I hope you will get lucky too!
   
   One last note, there are SO many things I LOVE about formula feeding. I first chose formula for the exact reason as you, unsafe medication, but it turns out I love it so much, I would do it again even if I wasn't still on those meds. I hope it goes really well for you too!

I had similar concerns before my son was born 3.5 months ago. It seemed like everyone had trouble, so I was fully prepared for a miserable experience and was mentally steeling myself to power through for the sake of my baby. And then... it was super easy. No real latch issues. Minimal pain. No supply issues. Used a bottle day 2 and pacifier at week 2 without any nipple confusion. When needed, we used formula here and there without any problems. It's pleasant and sweet for me to nurse him and it's been a wonderful bonding experience! I was lucky, but I also think people with good experiences don't tend to comment online about them as much, so maybe they're underrepresented.

I will say that if it's in the budget, stocking up on some supplies, including just-in-case supplies, was helpful. It's great to have them on hand the second you need them - I'm not sure I would have thought to go out and buy them in the moment otherwise - and also provides some peace of mind before the baby comes knowing that you're prepared.

For me these included:
Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter - use early and often!
Hydrogel pads - Ameda, Lanisoh and Medela all make them; they are reusable over a 72 hour period or so and they feel AMAZING, especially when refrigerated first (I used and liked the Lanisoh; I snagged a bunch when the price dipped to ~$3). Don't wait till it gets bad to use these!
Lanisoh heating/cooling pads - cooling is soothing and especially nice when you're milk comes in; heat is good for encouraging let down and helping with any clogged ducts
Medella SoftShells - The least essential of the bunch, but a nice-to-have if you want to slather on nipple butter but not stain your nursing bras/tanks or just want to allow some more airflow. Worked great for me but possibly not for everyone's anatomy?

As I'm writing this I remembered many of these recommendations came from this excellent (and now recently updated) Lucie's List article on breastfeeding prep.

You can't predict how this stuff will go but for as much as there is to worry about, there's also a lot to look forward to with nursing. Good luck!

It didn't hurt at all when I quit, but the cutting back prior to quitting was pretty uncomfortable in an unpredictable, on-and-off kind of way. I have these that I would keep in the freezer for when I was sore and it was pretty helpful paired with a good amount of ibuprofen. Looked a little ridiculous, but whatever. You could microwave them if hot feels better than cold for you, too.

I use the Lansinoh hot/cold gel packs and I really like them. Also use the Simple Wishes hands-free pumping bra and it's a life-saver. We submitted the receipts to insurance for reimbursement along with the pump because they're supposed to cover "breastfeeding accessories" but I don't know yet what all they'll reimburse us for.