Good idea to have formula just incase?

[Lizzybee]

Planning on bf, but my mum never could. How long before i know if i can and should i get some formula just incase i cant?

 

[calliebaby]

It usually takes between 2-4 days after you give birth for your milk to come in. Just make sure to nurse often as soon as baby is born to encourage your milk to come in quicker.i don't think you need to buy formula.

 

[staralfur]

We didn't have any formula in the house when we brought LO home and when I decided I "needed" some (on the heels of some bad advice from a doctor) we just nipped to the grocery store, at 11PM, to pick some up. Not a big deal.

If you live near a store that's open 24 hours or for a good portion of the day (our local grocery store is open 7AM-midnight), then it wouldn't be difficult to just go grab some if for whatever reason you need it.

 

[Noo]

Not a drop of formula in my house. If you are determined to BF then you will make it work & work through problems. If formula is needed to top up then it will have been the result of issues that will be apparent over time and not an all of a sudden baby needs formula NOW. You'll have time to go out to buy it if you need it. If it was in the cupboard I think there would have been a couple of nights I 'd have been tempted to use it but that wouldn't have needed - it'd be out of convenience. Short of a medical condition - with the right support, most women can breastfeed and will not fail if their family is fully supportive and the determination to succeed is there xx

 

[Emz1982_in_uk]

^^ I agree with this. First baby we bought formula and I used it after two weeks and that was pretty much the end of BF. Second baby we didn't buy formula and despite coming up against the same issues as first time around, we are still going strong now and we've never used a drop of formula this time. Good luck

 

[septemberbaby]

It can't hurt to have one of the little ready made bottles there if you're unsure.

I was dead set on breastfeeding from when I found out I was pregnant. I ended up 2 weeks late, was induced, 2 day labour, forceps delivery...she found the boob right away, but I obviously didn't have any milk yet, and colostrum didn't seem to be enough for her (is it possible that late babies may be hungrier? that's my theory anyway) so I asked for a bottle of formula the first night while still in the hospital (she was born at midnight, and I asked for it at about 2 am the next day, so 26 hours after she was born) she had a massive one ounce out of it and then settled nicely to sleep. that was the only bit of formula she ever had, and I breastfed her until 15 months. I seriously think that one ounce saved me that night, I was so tired, I had been feeding constantly since she was born, no sleep in days...giving her that ounce of formula allowed me to have a bit of sleep, recover a little, and then go at breastfeeding full force when she woke up again. I was told off by one of the midwives, she was talking some rubbish about how I've now messed up my daughters intestines forever and how my milk won't come in and she'll never breastfeed. Another midwive took me aside and said "I'm not meant to tell you this, we're meant to promote breastfeeding only, but I think you've done the right thing there, you needed a rest."

anyway, long story short: a bottle of formula won't hurt and it may just save our sanity a little, especially if you end up with a long labour/hard delivery (fingers crossed you don't of course!!) and it won't mean your milk won't come in or anything like that.

do keep in mind that it's normal to feed constantly the first few days/weeks, and that this doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. If you struggle in any way at all, get help as soon as possible. Most women can breastfeed, but some need extra support. no shame in that at all.

if you haven't used the bottle after the first 10 days and your baby is doing well and gaining weight, throw it out, you won't need it. if he/she isn't gaining well, that still doesn't mean you need formula. get help, have your latch checked, and just keep at it. it's hard, but so worth it.

 

[flosie]

I've heard alot of the older generations say they didn't have enough milk, when in reality this probably wasn't the case it was just a lack of information and research thats available. If you go into breastfeeding with a realistic idea then there should be no reason for you to need formula. Babys cluster feed, they go through many growth spurts and it can feel like they are attached to you constantly in the early days,this is how they send the message to your body to produce more milk and as long as you feed on demand the supply will increase. If any problems arise they can usually be easily sorted through proper advice not hv or doctors they seem to be rubbish with outdated advice. If you have a peer support group near you go along before and after baby, they are fantastic and a great way of making friends. I went to a free anti natal class and the midwife covered breastfeeding really well and told us what we should expect

 

[annio84]

I might be going against the grain a bit here but I bought 2 cartons of ready made formula before DD arrived because I wanted to be prepared. I too was determined to breastfeed but I felt i needed it to feel fully prepared. Anyway, I never used it and the bf is still going strong. I would say you don't need it but there's no harm in having it.

 

[Dragonfly]

This makes me sad. And I done it also with my first . People told me I would need it and give up. Which was horrible and undermining woman's bodies. You can breastfeed. Second and third time no formula in sight in my house.

 

[Cyan]

I faced the disapproval of my mother and didn't get any formula in as a back up. I'm so glad I stuck to my guns because there almost certainly would have been a moment in those delirious, sleep deprived early days that it would have seemed like a good idea. And just once would have become just once more and I'm fairly sure we'd be exclusively formula by now. It just would have been too tempting not to! Perhaps I'm just weak willed and for others it is a good comfort knowing there's a back up.

 

[sue_88]

I had some bottles in, those pre-made mini bottles. I was determind to breastfeed but as a single mum, brand new baby, I did not feel that I could just 'pop to the store' after delivery.

As it happens I was happily traipsing round the shops at 4days pp, but I thought it would be much worse when I was pregnant.

Still had the formula, and only once thought about using it, but then the thought of my baby drinking the stuff and not my milk was enough to not touch it.....WILL POWER! Some people do have it even after a hard induced labour and delivery!

 

[Pielette]

Personally I wouldn't have any in the house.

I had some in the house after I had my eldest and three days after his birth we used some. Slippery slope which we never really came back from.

Having said that, we've had some in the house from day one with my second and he's never had a drop of formula. But I think my experience with my eldest made me utterly determined to never go near it.

Older generations often say they didn't produce enough milk but it seems to be a lack of understanding of normal breastfeeding. Plus a long time ago women were told to feed every three or four hours, no feeding in between. For a newborn that just doesn't work. The supply is going to run out.

 

[RaspberryK]

No I wouldn't.

The only thing kept me going in the early days was proving everyone who said I wouldn't be able to do it wrong!
And I think dh would have caved seeing me in tears after 4 days of no milk and brought me a bottle to feed ds.
Xx

 

[Sarah125]

I personally didn't have any formula in the house.

There were a few times I was exhausted and ready to give up and if I had formula there I might have given it.

Honestly it is very rare for someone not to be physically able to breastfeed. It is usually due to poor advice from health professionals that someone ends up not producing enough milk.

Just feed on demand, even if it is every 15 minutes, and you'll be fine

 

[katherinegrey]

I genuinely couldn't breast feed, so if I hadn't had formula and bottles in the house, we'd have been pretty stuck. I never got a drop of milk in. The midwife was shocked that I hadn't had any milk at all come in, but I never did, not even colostrum, it happens more than people would have you believe.

 

[Perplexed]

Hospitals where I live do have formula in case there is an issue with bf'ing. And they do sell it at the hospital pharmacy if you end up ff'ing.

If your hospitals are anything like that, you wouldn't need to buy any beforehand and could just wait till you've delivered your baby to see how you get on.

 

[Claire788]

I'm having formula in, this pregnancy just in case. Tried to BF but no-one diagnosed LO with severe tongue tie till he was 5 weeks...

So this time will be having my Medela SNS at the ready just in case!!

 

[liz1985]

It depends how determined you are to breastfeed. With ds I bought formula and gave it on night two. I didnt understand breastfeeding, cluster feeding etc. I thought he wasnt getting enough from me and gave the formula. I did carry on breastfeeding but gave in quickly.

This time I didnt buy and formula. I almost did but OH talked me out of it. On night 3 I got so mad at OH saying I couldnt carry on and baby was going to starve because he'd not let me buy formula and I couldnt carry on. I was very dramatic lol. Of course I did do it and everything looked better in the morning. I was so glad I didnt have the formula in the house.

Of course its upto you, if it makes you feel better to have it in then get it.

 

[armywife11]

I was determined to breastfeed. I wasn't near family or friends and the breastfeeding help here was less than desired. I knew if I had any hiccups if it was around I would be all to tempted. The first night we were! Breastfeeding isn't always easy at first but I asked for help repeatedly till we found something that worked.

 

[Lizzybee]

Thanks all, esp to katherinegrey. My mum too never made any milk, she doesn't know why! I've been leaking since 20 weeks so things look better for me! So I presume 4 days of this colostrum will surfice then?