I really can't decide how to feed baby

[MrsKChicago]

Babyvaughan, I'm using a shield because my nipples are a little too flat, and the only real issue is that it's a bit of a hassle cleaning it between meals, rather than just popping a boob out. I'm hoping we can wean off of it soon, but it's still less hassle than preparing bottles all the time.

For the original question, I'd give it a shot. Different babies nurse differently, you may be pleasantly surprised. It's not like you can't switch to formula if you aren't happy, and even a week or two of breastmilk will pass some antibodies on to baby. I'm definitely financially motivated, though. If I can suffer for a few weeks in exchange for not buying a year's worth of formula, it's worth it to me. You may find that your priorities lead you to giving up nursing, and that's ok, too. Happy mamas are important, and formula isn't poison.

 

[Eleanor ace]

This is my first and I'm having the hardest time being okay with bfing! I mean no matter what I want him to have my milk & not formula so I'd pump no matter the hassle but Im freaked out by the baby sucking on my nipples and then I read all the comments on it being painful and what happens and I feel it will make it so much harder on me. Im planning to try it and then pump as last resort but then I think maybe I should just pump only and not even try breast. I do fine telling myself I'm going to try breast but when I think about it I get freaked out all over again. With the nipple shield I've read a lot of how babies refuse to eat without it after use. Is there something not pleasant about the shield? Or a hassle? Why not keep using it if it makes work for both of you?

I had real problems with pumping, it just doesn't seem to work for me. pumped every day for weeks with DS to increase my supply and then get enough milk to cover any times I might need to be away from him. It would take me an hour to get an ounce, it just wasn't sustainable. I tried again with my DD and had the same results, despite having more than enough milk, it was very frustrating. I would suggest trying breastfeeding to see how you get on, just because it is so much easier and less time consuming than pumping! Plus you might not have any problems with it

 

[Button#]

This is my first and I'm having the hardest time being okay with bfing! I mean no matter what I want him to have my milk & not formula so I'd pump no matter the hassle but Im freaked out by the baby sucking on my nipples and then I read all the comments on it being painful and what happens and I feel it will make it so much harder on me. Im planning to try it and then pump as last resort but then I think maybe I should just pump only and not even try breast. I do fine telling myself I'm going to try breast but when I think about it I get freaked out all over again. With the nipple shield I've read a lot of how babies refuse to eat without it after use. Is there something not pleasant about the shield? Or a hassle? Why not keep using it if it makes work for both of you?

I had real problems with pumping, it just doesn't seem to work for me. pumped every day for weeks with DS to increase my supply and then get enough milk to cover any times I might need to be away from him. It would take me an hour to get an ounce, it just wasn't sustainable. I tried again with my DD and had the same results, despite having more than enough milk, it was very frustrating. I would suggest trying breastfeeding to see how you get on, just because it is so much easier and less time consuming than pumping! Plus you might not have any problems with it

I had the same with DS so I'm not even going to try pumping this time. I was lucky that we figured out latching within a couple of days and had no sore nipples after that. When my milk came in I used nipple shields because he couldn't latch on, but only for a day or two. I found trying different positions helped a lot, I used football hold on the left boob and cradle hold on the right boob for a while.

OP I would suggest what the others have said about trying BFing first and then switching if you decide you'd rather. Even if you just get the colostrum into baby you'll feel like you've given baby a head start and then hopefully it'll be easier to decide how you want to feed longer term.

 

[babyvaughan]

Okay yeah I did a lot of research last night, if I struggle to much I'll use the nipple shield see if that's helpful, try pumping too and just see what is best for my body/supply! I feel a lot better about trying off the breast after asking a bunch of mom's in a group last night a ton of questions! I'm the type that if prepare myself then I do great if I go in clueless I'm likely to break down so learning the issues that may/can come up gives me the advantage of knowing to get through them!

 

[patch2006uk]

Pumping is hard, nipple shields are a faff. I would say that the first couple of months of breastfeeding can be horrible. There are numerous growth spurts, a demanding little person chewing on you around the clock, you have to learn a new skill just at the time your brain is completely addled with PP hormones and lack of sleep...

But once you're past that, it is so easy and liberating to just be able to go out with a nappy in your bag. No way would I have been organised enough to formula feed! I physically can't forget my boobs!! Don't judge breastfeeding based on the first few weeks. Those early weeks are *hard*. Longer term, breastfeeding is very much the lazy option

https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/

 

[Delphine11]

This is my first and I'm having the hardest time being okay with bfing! I mean no matter what I want him to have my milk & not formula so I'd pump no matter the hassle but Im freaked out by the baby sucking on my nipples and then I read all the comments on it being painful and what happens and I feel it will make it so much harder on me. Im planning to try it and then pump as last resort but then I think maybe I should just pump only and not even try breast. I do fine telling myself I'm going to try breast but when I think about it I get freaked out all over again. With the nipple shield I've read a lot of how babies refuse to eat without it after use. Is there something not pleasant about the shield? Or a hassle? Why not keep using it if it makes work for both of you?

Please don't freak out about pain. Although some women do have pain, many, many women don't have any at all. I didn't have any pain from my baby sucking. How I was imagining breastfeeding was nothing like the reality ( I was only young and thought the baby sucked on the nipple like a straw *blush* ). I found it so convenient and simple - and pretty much totally pain-free.

Know what you're doing, get support and you'll be fine. Remember most women don't feel bad pain from breastfeeding. Like childbirth, where the stories you can read are always extreme, most women give birth and are absolutely fine. Same with breastfeeding if you choose to do it

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

I wanted to add for pumping, how long it takes depends on the pump. I used an electric pump the first time around and found it was brutally slow. This time my hubby grabbed a manual pump and I really preferred that one. I thought the manual would be crappy but I had better control and could just hold the suction to draw out more milk with each pump. I was getting 5 oz in about 30 mins with the manual, that same amount with the electric was took about an hour.

What worked for me probably wouldn't work for everyone but my point is not all pumps are created equal and you might get better results with a different kind.

I ended up getting both kids back on the boob, but I thought I would throw that out there...

 

[bungle]

As somebody who has tried breastfeeding (twice) and been unsuccessful (twice) what I will say is: if it doesn't work for you then don't give yourself a hard time about it. Breastfeeding is great for some mums but it certainly isn't for everybody. In the UK there is such a push on breastfeeding that mums are often left feeling guilty and like they're a bad mum if they can't manage it. That simply isn't the case. You must do what suits you and your baby best, whichever road that may be. This time around I've decided I'm not prepared to even start the emotional breastfeeding journey and will be formula feeding from the word go, I feel happy that that is the best decision for me, my baby and my family. Good luck on whichever path you do decide to take x

 

[babyvaughan]

I will have both manual & electric pump! Im not against formula but I want to give my baby what I feel is best if I can so I won't give up easily! I'm prepared for pain and I can get through it just not excited about leaking and how it will be another uncomfortable part of my life I have to work through becoming a mother, my body changes, and then being the supply for my babies food seems overwhelming but I think about so many people I know and if they can do it, I can too! I think talking out my fears, getting advice, and learning is helping me with being so weirded out! Once I hit 4-5 months where I introduce baby food (which I want to make myself) won't the amount I'm being go down? did you all leak all the time or did it get better with time?

 

[MrsKChicago]

It's overwhelming at times, but everyone tells me it gets better after the first couple months. The leaking is manageable, you just have to make sure to use a sleep bra and pads. I only really leak if Teddy goes a long stretch overnight, and some women don't leak at all, or only leak for a short time. I wouldn't let the leaking stop me from nursing.

The WHO suggests waiting til 6 months for other foods, fyi. And until baby is a year old, it's more for fun than nutrition. It won't replace nursing, but baby will get more efficient, and they don't keep needing higher volumes of milk after a few months, so things will level out.