Breastfeeding, but do i still need formula?

[Arlandria]

I am going to breastfeed my baby but i am slightly worried i wont have enough milk...

My MW said not to worry as you 'cant run out' but i've seen mothers and babies on programmes where they didnt have enough milk for their bubs???

Am i best buying some formula just incase? How will i know if he/she's had enough??

Please help xx

 

[~KACI~]

I bought the sma little individual packets just in case, always handy to have some, but if not you should be provided while in hospital with formula and someone could always go and grab you some before you go home x

 

[Mrs_Nesbit]

You can keep a few pre mades in just in case. But dont forget *programmes* about births & babies in my view always tend to focus on the problems and worst case scenarios that only a small percentage of people encounter. If LO isnt screaming the place down, you can be rest assured they'll have a full tummy. xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

I got a few cartons of ready made stuff 'just incase'. As Mrs N said, try not to worry about problems before you've even started - it's unusual to not have enough milk. We tend to get caught up in exactly how much they are getting. Babies tummies are only the size of a small walnut when they are born so them taking little and often is perfectly normal, if a little exhausting!

 

[mommyof3co]

I personally wouldn't buy it and didn't with any of my kids, until I needed it with my first and my 2nd, my 3rdnever had a drop. The hospital...atleast here...gives you samples so say you HAD to give it you'd have that if needed. But really not having enough milk is very uncommon, your body just knows what it needs to do and if you are drinking plenty of water and nursing often, or on demand you should be fine

 

[Whisper]

It wouldn't hurt to get some small cartons of the ready made stuff but personally if you really want to solely breastfeed then i wouldn't get any, it would be a temptation (sp?) when you really need your LO on the boob to get your supply up, to meet their demands.

If you feel more comfortable having some in the cupboard just in case it wouldn't hurt

 

[mari72]

I have to admit it didn't even cross my mind to get formula, i guess i figured if it went a bit awry i could easily pop to the supermarket to buy everything, otherwise i was spending enough money on other necessities. Research suggests that less than 1% of women genuinely have problems with milk supply, most problems occur as a result of inconsistant bf interrupting supply. BF is really hard work,there's no getting away from it and i can see why so many women drop out or find it too tough/tiring/stressful to keep going but if you persist it is really rewarding and can be incredibly convenient. You just need to get past the difficult first 6 weeks-be prepared for feeling like you are a milking cow that never sleeps.

 

[Hevz]

I have to admit it didn't even cross my mind to get formula, i guess i figured if it went a bit awry i could easily pop to the supermarket to buy everything, otherwise i was spending enough money on other necessities. Research suggests that less than 1% of women genuinely have problems with milk supply, most problems occur as a result of inconsistant bf interrupting supply. BF is really hard work,there's no getting away from it and i can see why so many women drop out or find it too tough/tiring/stressful to keep going but if you persist it is really rewarding and can be incredibly convenient. You just need to get past the difficult first 6 weeks-be prepared for feeling like you are a milking cow that never sleeps.

I have to agree with Mari...this information is correct, I learnt lots about it when I did my Breastmates training. And lets face it, if things did get desperate for any reason, remember there are 24hour supermarkets nowadays.


Good luck babe, you can always PM me if you want any other help or direct advice

 

[Arlandria]

Thanks ladies that's great advice xx