I plan to breast feed but do I need to pack formula and bottles in hospital bag?

[familygirl30]

Do I need to pack them incase I can't breast feed?

 

[Pink Flowers]

I wouldn't if need be I am sure someone can bring you some. They have people who come round and help with BF.

The hospital do normally have some form of supply in case of emergencies.

Where I had my last they supplied everything, you got a teat and ready mixed bottle, I don't think many places have them any more tho.

 

[Katteh]

No you don't. It's very very unlikely that you won't be able to breastfeed initially, so I'd not worry about bottles etc unless it actually happens x

 

[familygirl30]

Thanks ladies,with been a FTM I hadn't got a clue on this sort of thing

 

[Sephie]

I was thinking too of this, but what's the best thing to do is perhaps contact the hospital where you'd be having your baby and ask what their policy is about the breastfeeding and difficulties encountered if they will provide some formula and bottles if needed?

I was told it was different here depending on the hospital's policies.

 

[xsadiex]

Don't bring any, if there are problems hospital will provide it. I'm sure you won't need to use any though

 

[_Lexi_]

I haven't fully decided if I'm breastfeeding yet, so I'm just taking a few of the ready made bottles. At least then if I can't/don't want to, I'm starting her on my chosen formula x

 

[summer rain]

If you have problems BFing and need to give formula all hospitals provide it in that case including 'baby friendly' ones. When they say they don't provide formula they mean to mums who have chosen to FF from the get go xx

 

[x-kirsty-x]

I wouldn't take any as if you do have any problems BF then you'd be more likely to just give in and feed baby formula instead of asking for help. If you did need formula the hospital should supply some until you can get your own xx

 

[BabyB2]

I had problems last time and they supplied formula, although I kind of feel like they jumped the gun a little. Your milk will likely take a couple of days to come in. Until then your baby will rely on colostrum, that contains everything baby needs. If you're having problems latching on you can try to hand express some of this and cup rather than bottle feed. This will avoid any problems with nipple confusion. Be aware too that the colostrum may seem like not enough to feed your baby, but it more than likely is! Your baby's tummy is teeny tiny at this stage. I don't think that's something I appreciated first time around and I panicked that she wasn't getting enough and so fed her formula. I think she was a lazy little thing and quick to realise that the bottle was a lot less hard work than the breast! Despite lots of effort, she never did latch on and I ended up expressing for about 5 months, which makes life difficult as you end up more confined to the house and don't have the freedom of being a mobile milk machine! I hope you don't think I'm being preachy, I just wanted to warn you of my experience and the kind of pitfalls that you can fall into as a FTM. Good luck with the breast feeding. Hope it all goes well for you, and the most important thing I think is to try to stay calm and relaxed as babies pick up on your tension and stress, which can make it more difficult. Finally, if for whatever reason breastfeeding doesn't happen for you please don't beat yourself up about it! xx

 

[Mum2BKW]

I wouldn't take any as if you do have any problems BF then you'd be more likely to just give in and feed baby formula instead of asking for help.

We're not bringing any - I'm not even buying any formula for this exact reason. I don't want to have an easy way out, I want to persevere if/when it gets hard (unless I'm advised by my Dr that baby isn't thriving and needs formula of course)

 

[Dragonfly]

No, Trust your body.

 

[Giggs]

I'm on my phone so can't see if your in the uk or not.

My hospital in West Mids does not supply formula if there are any problems with bf so I'm taking Aptamil ready to drink bottles just in case.

You give them at room temp so its less hassle if needed.

 

[cantwaitforu]

Sometimes baby won't latch right away, and your milk might not come in right away either. You would be surprised in how little food your baby needs in the first couple days.

I don't see why a full term, avg weight baby would need ounces of formula within the first day or so of their life.

Check out this chart to see the size of a newborn's stomach: https://www.ameda.com/ages_and_stages_list

I expressed drops of colustrum and fed DS with a small medicine cup for the first day, then the hospital brought in their pump for me to use.

I had a CS so was in the hospital for three nights and had a lot of support too.

If you are determined to bf, have a lactation consultant's phone # on hand and bring a breast pump if your hospital doesn't have any.

I was determined to bf and successfully did for 12 months.

 

[MrsWhy]

Hi,

With my first pregnancy, I was adamant that I wanted to breast feed however suffered a haemorrhage after my son was born. In order to allow me time to get my energy back up to be able to look after him, the nurses watched him overnight and gave him ready mixed formula. The hospital supplied the formula for him as well. Once I was feeling ok, I started to breast feed him and did so successfully for 6 months.

One thing I will recommend is to be able to use different positions for breast feeding - I ended up using the rugby ball method where he was curled around my side rather than using the normal method because he had trouble latching on due to a tongue tie. Once that was sorted out, everything was plain sailing.

I did buy a couple of ready mixed cartons of formula as a just in case and these sat in my cupboard at home till I started using formula (they have a long shelf life)

 

[aliss]

Nope.

If you encounter true problems then you can express and use a syringe in the hospital, a syringe or a cup is what a newborn generally uses if they struggle to latch/feed (instead of a bottle).

If there is a problem with you and you are unavailable then the nurses will provide a bottle and formula or donor breast milk.

When my 1st was born with a broken collarbone he could not nurse without terrible pain so we started with a pump/syringe right away. There was no need for a bottle.

 

[krysb]

NO. it is really rare that someone can't breastfeed. i know a lot of women who in a desperate or fearful moment with the new baby fed formula and started a decline in their milk coming in or supply. your baby will be born with enough bodyfat to continue to thrive even with some initial latch difficulties.

 

[Noo]

You don't need to take formula milk if you plan to breastfeed. If your hospital is "baby friendly" they will still keep a small supply of formula for the instances that BF babies need topping up for medical reasons (diabetic mothers, low birthweight babies). It is very rare that you wouldn't be able to physically BF and if this is the case - The first line would be hand expression and cup feeding. The baby's tummy is tiny and only a small amount of colostrum is required during those early days. Having formula on hand is more likely to make you give up and give it for an easier life which if you're really wanting to BF could lead to regret and a feeling of failure (not that you've failed but it CAN feel like that) and ideally it's best to go down all avenues with the staff's support first. Not being able to BF is very very rare. Giving formula can adversely affect your milk supply - The more baby suckles, the more your breasts aim to produce. Unless you absolutely HAVE to - Avoid formula if you wish to BF.

Trust your body - Above all else - Remember both you and your baby are learning this new skill. You've never done it before - He's never done it before. You're both learning and may end up fighting eachother as you're working out what the heck to do. You'll get there - It's not always as "natural" as it is made out to be, it's a learning process and a very worthwhile for both mum and baby. Good luck

 

[mspotter]

NO. it is really rare that someone can't breastfeed. i know a lot of women who in a desperate or fearful moment with the new baby fed formula and started a decline in their milk coming in or supply. your baby will be born with enough bodyfat to continue to thrive even with some initial latch difficulties.

Actually thats not true at all and you do make it sound like people who cant do it didnt really try.
I dont want to turn this thread into an arguement at all but i was completely unable to feed my son (he wouldnt latch and when i tried to express there was nothing there) and we were re-admitted to hospital the day after he was born because he hadnt fed AT ALL and was basically starving.

That said, personally i'm going to take some of the ready made bottles to hospital with me just in case even though i am intending to breast feed.

 

[Noo]

NO. it is really rare that someone can't breastfeed. i know a lot of women who in a desperate or fearful moment with the new baby fed formula and started a decline in their milk coming in or supply. your baby will be born with enough bodyfat to continue to thrive even with some initial latch difficulties.

Actually thats not true at all and you do make it sound like people who cant do it didnt really try.
I dont want to turn this thread into an arguement at all but i was completely unable to feed my son (he wouldnt latch and when i tried to express there was nothing there) and we were re-admitted to hospital the day after he was born because he hadnt fed AT ALL and was basically starving.

That said, personally i'm going to take some of the ready made bottles to hospital with me just in case even though i am intending to breast feed.

That is VERY rare though and if this was the case they'd have some milk to give your baby xx