Has anyone Breast fed collostrum and then gone on to formula feed?

[chickchock]

This is what I did last time, though i had planned tp BF completely but gave up after 5 days as it was too painful.

I intend to do the same again, but just wondered if anyone else experienced the same as me and if there is anything I should know about doing this again (was completely unprepared last time!)

Did your boobs really hurt and go red hot when you stopped? This is what happened to me, and I couldn't do much to releive it other than wait for it to pass (a day or two) and put cabbage leaves in my bra! How did you deal with the pain?

How many days did you BF for before FFing? I'm sure my milk never came in, and I got to day 5. I have nothing to compare to but everyone else I know who has BF (most people) says you know when your milk comes in. Just wondering if this means that 5 days is the length of time my baby will be getting collostrum from me??

Did you use nipple shields at all during the first few days? If so, any recs for the best ones for baby?

Thanks.

 

[summer rain]

I haven't been in your situation though it does sound as if your milk did come in last time as you experienced engorgement and pain when stopping BF; if you only have colostrum and your milk doesn't come in at all this wouldn't happen. xx

 

[heathergc]

I had mastitis twice before swapping to FFing so i used Medela contact nipple shields to try get me through the pain.They helped so much! don't think i would have been able to breast feed without them.

 

[chickchock]

Thank you both very much for your replies. I will look into the medella nipple shields. I wonder if I should stop gradually next time to avoid the pain of engorgement. Is there a general number of days usually for the collostrum? Thanks again. X

 

[summer rain]

Usually the colostrum lasts for 3-5 days, some ladies their milk comes in very suddenly; others it is a lot more gradual process so you may not notice it as much, if you're feeling up to it stopping gradually over the course of a few days would probably be less painful. Good luck xx

 

[moomin_troll]

for me the milk didnt come in for around 6 days (when it came in i knew about it lol my boobd went huge and hurt like hell and i was leaking milk) so i fed zane all the colostum i had and like u it was far too painful and zane couldnt latch so i went straight to FF. now looking back i wish i had expressed or maybe tried again but i didnt so i cant change that.

i am glad that zane atleast got some of the good stuff, to me thats something to be proud of too.
i suppose all u can do is feed for aslong as u want/can and then make sure u have ur sterliser on each day incase u want to switch to bottles right away x

im giving bf another go and hope to bf for 6 months, ive bought nipple sheilds to help with the latching and pain and also a pump as i will try to express if i have trouble bf again

 

[charlotteb24]

Sounds like you had the same problems as me, i managed breast feeding for 4 days as william didn't latch properly to start with making my nipples really sore and then i had no support offered to me when i got home so i made the decision at stupid o clock that morning to switch to formula even though i didn't want to. Sounds like you did get your milk come in as the pain you describe is engorgement pain i should imagine. My milk came in on day 3 ish, the day before i stopped and i could tell when william had been feeding as my breast would feel softer then would get brick hard again as the milk welled up. My boobs are still leaking now and ive not been feeding for well over 2 weeks! can't believe it! Wish i'd thought of nipple sheilds.. would have got me through a few days whilst my nipples healed as after 2 days of not breast feeding they were painless again but by then i didnt want o breast feed again as i didn't want to confuse and upset william anymore