Panic attacks and Nursing bras

Amy - posted on 06/30/2010

Panic attack's aren't the best, you should mention it to your dr and see what he/she wants you to do if another one happens. To help prevent panic attacks you need to reduce your stress level, stress typically brings them on.

For breastfeeding, yes you can get by with out nursing bra's, however you will most likely need to buy some braws after birth when your milk comes in. I bought some with my first pregnancy and before I had the baby (and when I was no longer breastfeeding) they were a good 1-2 sizes too large. One suggestion is at night, look for a soft braw with no underwire, you'll want a little support at night (and protection if you leak). For that I actually used one I had from pre-pregnancy, it just got a little more stretched out.

Katie - posted on 06/29/2010

Thank you all for your responses. They were all very helpful to my husband and I. We have started working on ways to reduce my stress levels and are hoping for the best. As for nursing bras, I was able to find some cheap ones so I guess it's worth trying. Thanks again!! :)

Brandy - posted on 06/28/2010

Haha, from the title of this I thought you were saying that you thought your panic attacks had something to do with wearing nursing bras lol. Ok, I had panic attacks where I would be hyperventilating (sp?) with my first and she came out ok but that doesn't meant the stress is good for the baby. Try to stay calm as much as possible and avoid stressful situations. You may even want to ask for a bit of help from friends or family in these last few weeks to make your life easier. I know how it is, you have a meltdown then you spend the next 2 days wondering if your baby is ok and feeling guilty about it. Just try to breathe, take a bath and relax.

About the nursing bras, I've nursed two children and I HATE nursing bras! I tried them for a month or 2 and couldn't find any that supported nicely or gave my breasts a flattering or even normal shape lol, they seemed to distort them somehow. Eventually, I switched to just using cotton bras from La Senza and just pulling them off to the side while nursing. Seems so much easier and they are much more comfortable and you don't have those big ugly straps sticking out every time you wear a sleeveless top.

Sarah - posted on 06/28/2010

if you dont wear nursing bra's make sure the ones you do wear dont have the underwire inthem because they can block your milk ducts which will cause problems for breastfeeding.

Jane - posted on 06/28/2010

there is a great book to pick up that is an easy read; Breastfeeding Made Simple. you can get it on Amazon.
you can do w/out a nursing bra but you want the best support you can get so that your breast tissue does not get mushed around. i'd rather use a nursing bra b/c they are so easy to get open and closed. i really like the Gerber breastpads, they are nice and thin.
good luck!

Lauren - posted on 06/28/2010

I had a panic attack when I was in the hospital last Thursday and they had to calm me down quick because your oxygen level goes down and can harm the baby if your oxygen goes down. I would just try to get as calm as quick as you can because if you are only taking quick shallow breaths the baby is only taking quick shallow breaths!

As for nursing bras I think I am doing a combo of both (this is my first as well) I just bought three nursing bras when my breasts started to grow so that I wouldn't have to buy other bras that were bigger and that I would most likely never wear again when my breasts shrink again. I guess basically I just got them instead of buying bigger bras. I haven't had my little man yet, so I can't tell you if they are better, but just bought them because it was more convenient then buying bigger bras that you only use for a while!

Niki - posted on 06/28/2010

having the odd bad day is perfectly normal and bubs will be fine, but if your under huge amounts of stress the whole time then it does affect the baby. because they get all your stress homones going into their body it affects the way they handel stress in the future which could result in a baby that cries a lot or a child that has trouble handling stressful situations, temper tantrums, learning difficulties - even asberges/ADHD has been linked to extreem stress during the 3 rd trimestor.
Just make sure your doing relaxing things to balance it out, everyday take time out to do something relaxing that you love. and have a regular 'date night' with your man where you talk, do romantic stuff, and remember why you love each other so much. And when you get really stressed do something physical as this burns up the hormones and lets the stresss out - also think about going to see a naturopath or herbalist or homeopath who can give you some natural remedies that will help you be more resiliant to stress, so little things wont phaze you so much. Diet also makes huge difference, as stress burns up certain nutrients, if your dificient in anything then your body just cant cope with stressfull situations.

Chelsea - posted on 06/28/2010

I just went out and purchased a couple of nursing bras and they were $20 each at Motherhood Maternity ( you can find them on line and in most malls) I love them because it will be more discreet when Im feeding my little one. If you really dont want one just make sure you have good support and use the breast pads. :):)
I have had a couple of panic attacks through out my pregnancy and I was wondering the same thing. I just try to stay calm and collected so that it doesnt happen again, just to be on the safe side. I would take a nice warm shower or have my boyfriend rub my back and I would calm right down. Hope this is helpful!

Laura - posted on 06/28/2010

I'm not a doctor so i dont know exactly but any kind of stress is not good for the baby, it's hard not to stress when the kids are acting up, just try to take it easy and relax, and hopefully your husband can help out too, because the less stress the better, and about the nursing bras yes it will be a lot easier if you dont want to buy one, because they are kind of expensive, you could always go for a sports bra and use breast pads, your gonna need something other than a regular bra, because your breasts are gonna swell once the milk comes in and your not gonna want to wear a regular bra. good luck! and i hope this helps.