*Any male blog readers will probably want to skip this post!
Nursing in and of itself is very frugal and doesn't require a lot of extras. So, the less you can get by with the better! Some women don't ever pump or don't need nursing pads or special shirts, and that's great! But if you do, here are some ways to obtain those frugally.
*Nursing pump: Borrow from a friend, look at yard sales while you are pregnant, or check-out the rental options at your hospital or baby store. I got a hand-pump one for my first baby and it didn't work so well and broke quickly. I borrowed an electric one with my second baby and found a brand-new, still-in-the-box electric pump for less than $2 at the thrift store for my third! I didn't/don't need to pump much but it is handy if you plan to leave the baby with Daddy for a period of time or if you get engorged. My ultimate tip is do not spend hundreds of dollars on a pump until you know if you can really nurse or not or will even need to use it. Borrow one for a while or buy one cheaply at a yard sale until you can figure out if it is really worth the investment!
*Nursing Bras: Nursing bras are a joke! At least that's my humble opinion. I once asked a friend who was nursing so smoothly and quickly, what her trick was. She replied that she didn't use nursing bras but used a regular non-underwire comfort-fit bra and just quickly pulled it up and let the baby nurse and then pulled it down. I have followed in her footsteps with all of my kids now! If you are quite large, you can pull the breast out of the center of the bra and nurse and then tuck it back in. Much, much easier and more flattering than trying to snap those nursing bras back into place without looking! Plus, nursing bras cost way more than regular bras.
*Nursing Pads: (Pictured above) Instead of actually paying for those uncomfortable, scratchy paper disposable pads, make your own in an hour! I got some clearance remnant fabric at Wal-Mart when I was pregnant with Ali and made 16 pads (8 sets) in an hour. I traced a CD or a wide-mouth cup on a piece of paper to get a circle the size I wanted. I put a circle of thick, white fleece between two circles of soft flannel. I just zig-zagged around the edge of the 3 circles a couple of times and they were done! These pads have held up through 3 kids so far and super comfy and cost me $1 total to make all of them!
*Nursing tank-tops: I just found this awesome tip at a site by Mrs. Fussypants (can't remember the exact link). Buy some inexpensive tank-tops (Wal-Mart currently has nice ones on clearance for $1). Cut a slit in each side of the tank top for your breasts. Wear the tank-top under another shirt and that way when you go to nurse the baby, you lift up the top shirt, but the bottom tank stays tucked in, hiding all that post-baby belly flab that otherwise sometimes makes an appearance! Much cheaper than buying a nursing tank for $30-$50 in a retail shop!
*Nursing Covers: Lots of great online stores and sew-at-home moms make cute nursing covers. Check out www.bebeaulait.com or www.newlittleblessing.com for some ideas. Basically, you can make your own by taking a lightweight cotton blanket or a good-sized receiving blanket and just sewing a strap on one side with a velcro piece on the opposite side so you can hook the strap around your neck when you are nursing, insuring that the baby doesn't yank your cover off.
Hope these tips make your nursing experience even cheaper and/or easier!
9 comments:
When I began nursing I didn't use nursing bras. But I found that it was easier for me when I was out and about to just unsnap and then nurse. As opposed to pulling my boob out. I struggled with the cost issue too but Target sells nursing bras and nursing camisoles that are pretty and the quality is okay. I got a few b/c I'm on the move a lot with the kids and I nurse standing up and moving etc. The nursing cami's are by far my favorite b/c when I lift my shirt in public my stomach still remains covered and I've found that most people don't even realize I'm nursing my son. I think I paid $13 for a bra and I believe it's around the same for a cami.
The biggest change I've made this time around is switching to cloth nursing pads. I love it. No more running out and I know we're saving money. Thankfully, I've never felt the need for special nursing shirts. I just need to have shirts that are a little larger in the bust than I had before I started having babies. My next step, is as you suggested, to not buy nursing bras. I have some from the previous baby, but it's getting time for new ones and I have been considering just buying regular. I am glad to hear it works.
Another tip about breast pumps: I learned with my first child that many insurance companies will buy a pump for you. I bought a battery pump while I was pregnant and then it wore out in a couple weeks after she was born. So I complained to my doctor that I just couldn't pump anymore and she wrote a perscription and the insurance company bought me a $500 pump for me. And I was thrilled because my baby wouldn't nurse directly, but through pumping I was able to feed her mama's milk regularly. Definately worth checking with your insurance company.
Yes, I work out of the home, and have gotten 2 wonderful electric pumps one with each child for no out of pocket pay! I have used them many many times being I have tons of milk, and I am not with my babies all day every day. So do check with your insurance co. Also, I am using washable pads this time around and keep thinking...why didn't I do this before?? Oh, and one more. There are things you can buy (I got some from e-bay) they are like a 1/2 shirt. I used them when I was pregnant to make my shirts last a bit longer, and then post baby to keep the flab covered while nursing. They look like a tank from the bottom, and are cute and comfy! I think I got 2 for $7.
This is a great post, thanks for all the info! All good things to think about for the next time around.
Thanks! I'm nursing number 2, only 3 mths, and have a question. I used cloth nursing pads with my first for a bit, but find this time that I leak through them. One friend gave me wool ones, really nice, which are supposed to hold so much more. Nah, leak right through. Same with the cloth ones I was given. So I'm using disposables :0( Any tips? Might it get better as things even out a bit?
Dear Rose,
With these cloth pads you can do lots of things to help you to stop leaking through. You could double or triple up on the pads if your bra could accomodate that! You could also use 3 circles of fleece instead of 1 of fleece and 2 of flannel in making the pads. Or, you could sew a 6 layer pad instead of a 3-layer.
I have found that with all of my children that I leak a lot the first few months but then after that I almost never leak and hardly use the nursing pads anymore. So, maybe as our supply adjusts to the baby, we have less overflow and spraying. Hopefully this is true for you as well! If not, I guess you will have to double up on pads and possibly wear a tanktop underneath your shirt and always carry an extra shirt around for emergencies!
One thing you might try is sewing your cloth pads out of microfiber cloth or fleece as this is really absorbant. Or maybe terry cloth.
Thanks! Great thoughts! Yeah, I eventually didn't need pads with my first, but I couldn't remember how long it took. I also had a c-section the 1st time and my milk supply is a bit different with the VBAC experiance. Again, thanks!
I agree with the nursing bras. I did the same as your friend (mine was actually a wire, but not padded). I did buy a nursing cami because I always wear tanktops underneath my shirt anyways, this made it a bit easier, especially when part of the purpose is to cover more up top (pulling it down defeats that purpose and if it is too high up it is hard to pull down.
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