Due next month, dont want to BF!

[Ethereal]

Hi, am due LO next month and I've thought about how I want to feed her from the get go.
At first i was set on EBF as I'd had it drummed into me that breast is best, and as a first time mummy to be I'm finding myself to be easily influenced by other mum's experiences.

However, I've thought and thought, researched, stalked forums for months, and I now don't really want to BF. Mainly because i don't want to do all the feeds myself for six months, i won't want to get my boobs out in public and i want her to be able to stay with the family now and then. I don't feel as though pumping is something that i would want to do at all either.

I am considering trying to BF for a few weeks so she at least gets some, and then switching to formula when I'm ready.
Has anyone else done this? Will the switch upset LO? Maybe i should just FF from the start to avoid her getting confused? It's hard to get advice as so many people are being horrible to me about it.

I have bought the tommee tippee CTN starter set, which formula should I get?

 

[MrsButterfly]

Hi hun. I started EBF my lo and managed with pumping to do it for nearly 4 weeks. We had to stop due to a combination of latch and supply issues. Now we EFF and lo took to it very well. I'd def recommend trying breastfeeding to see what you think. I thought i'd hate it but actually loved it and was devastated to make the decision to stop. Good luck

 

[annanouska]

BF did not work for us BUT i enjoyed it which i didnt think i would. LO got 4 days of breast milk so colustrum and a little 'milk'. i would say to give it a go even if you just do the first 2/3 days of the colustrum that is a good start and just right for them when they are first born. you may change your mind and carry on or you may not.

i feel guilty that i dont BF as im a ftm too and felt under a lot of pressure to BF also. FF is easier in a lot of ways but at times its harder (waiting to heat it up, steralising bottles etc) but these are easy to overcome and not major issues. LO is much happier now he is FF and took to the bottle no problem. xxx

 

[Ethereal]

Is it best to wean onto formula slowly when I'm ready?
How long will the transition take?x

 

[BethHx]

hi, i know how you feel. i always said i would breast feed then when i got pregnant one week i was all for for formula then breast then formula. in the end i did one week breast. one week expressed and one week combination. breast is hard!! expressing is even harder i got blisters and mastisis twice. if i were to have another i would breast only to be fair. i have been happier giving Izzy formula and so has she. im glad i gave her the best start i could but i don't regret putting her onto formula. forums put so much pressure onto people when it comes to breast definitely. do what you want to do and what you feel comfortable doing. how about doing breast whilst in hospital then formula when when you are out (then little one will get the colostrum) and you will both be happy ) sorry about the easy wanted to give you my experience xxxxxx

 

[BethHx]

sorry about typos on my phone. also Izzy has gone from nipple to avent teats to tt teats back to nipple. etc without any confusion.

 

[Laucu]

You probably won't know how you feel about it all until your LO actually arrives. I recommend that you try BFing, but don't put too much pressure on yourself and don't feel guilty if you decide to stop.

I BF Emma for 12 weeks and felt AWFUL when I switched her to formula! When I was pregnant with Jack I was dead set on EBFing him until he decided to wean, but I felt completely different about it when he arrived. I ended up EBF for about 10 days and then switched to formula (just did it one feed at a time rather than cold turkey).

 

[annanouska]

If you are just doing a few day BF for the colostrum then just start with FF when you want to i dont think you need to gradually introduce it. i think you need more gentle intro if you have BF for a long time but im not entirely sure on that. Marcus didnt get ill or fussy going from the BF to the FF and as PP said some are happy to combi feed too which might work for you if you FF during the day and a BF at night (a friend does this very well and LO is now 7 months) xxx

 

[jenn2282]

if your thinking of pumping/combo. My advice from what i didn't do and now have supply issues. is try to pump 8-10 times i understand fully if you can't do that as i couldn't that why i had to supplement. I was losing my mind pumping so much and getting depressed. Combo feeding is what was best for me. and it's the best of both worlds.
i'm okay with it but every time i get in a good place some brestfeeding guru makes me feel bad urg.

forgot to add i BF for 4 days she had issues and i was heading to depression. I wish i could have BFed but mommy's sanity is important

 

[time]

i am planning on formula feeding, i have been made to feel very down about it but i have started to ignore it.. it is what i think is best for me and my family and my lifestyle.

i will try and breast feed for the first few days in hospital/at home so baby gets the colostrum and then go straight onto formula, i would do the full 2 months i have off work but i have heard quite a few people whose babies get used to the breast and have a nightmare going onto formula and bottles, and i have to be back at work (i am self employed so have the option to have baby there with me but not all the time, so sometimes she will be at home with dad and sometimes i will be at home etc etc) and so because of our upheaval and irratic schedule it will be so much easier for us to formula feed.

i also got the tommee tippee closer to nature complete starter set and a few extra bottles, and will be using cow and gate so long as it agrees with baby, only have a small amount until she is born and then i can go and really stock up once i know whether it is going to work for us

 

[HellBunny]

We switched at 1 week and my LO took formula fine, had no problems except he faffed with the teat abit for the first few feeds x