But I would like to ask....what do I need to have on hand to get started?? I
want to be sure I have the few things I need before I have the baby so I can
just focus on the baby when we get home and can just go to it!

(1) A really comfortable place to sit for long periods of time. Ideally,
somewhere you can recline and doze. This could be a glider or recliner chair
with a high back, it could be your couch plus a footstool, it could be your bed
with lots of pillows.

(2) Pillows to help get your baby into a nursing position that won't strain
your back or arms. Boppy is the most widely available nursing pillow, but
there are others, and each type has its pros and cons. And some people just
use regular bed pillows or toss pillows.

(3) A large sport bottle or pitcher for water. Reasonably healthy snacks you
can eat one-handed. A phone, books, TV remote, radio, or whatever else you
want available to you while you are basically chained to one spot for hours and
hours and hours out of each day. :-) (Eventually you will learn how to nurse
on the move, but it may take some time before it's really comfortable.)
Possibly a clock and/or a notepad and pencil, if you end up needing or wanting
to keep more careful track of your baby's feeding times and diaper output. Put
all of this stuff on an end table or something of the sort near your comfy
place to sit.

(4) A supply of nursing pads; cloth or disposable is your choice. Don't buy a
ton, because you may or may not leak for a long time, but almost everyone uses
at least a few in the first couple weeks. And some hydrogel discs (ComfortGel
or Soothies) and/or a tube of lanolin ointment (Lansinoh or PureLan), to help
with sore nipples.

(5) Clothing and bras that provide you with easy access to and a clear view of
your breasts. You could just go topless for a while g and many moms find
that regular sports bras and/or regular tee shirts work just fine for them
later, but for most of us, 3 or 4 supportive nursing bras, a nursing
nightshirt, and at least one or two nursing tee shirts are very useful in the
early days when you feel as if you need six hands to get everything and
everyone positioned correctly.

(7) A good breastfeeding book or two, and a computer with access to this
newsgroup. :-) These will help you if you encounter any problems or have any
questions about stuff like whether green poop is normal. ;-) This group is
also a great place to go to complain about your MIL telling you to just give
the baby a bottle all the time. :-)

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04