Mummy's who have breastfed!

[bek74]

It seems like a bit of a cop out, but is there anyway you can just express milk and feed that to the baby?
I would love to breastfeed, but im not too sure how I would cope, I have no idea what to expect - with anything yet!

I know it sounds like im being really stupid, but im just curious. I want to seek out all options!! Nothing is set in stone anyway. xx

Honey I think breastfeeding is a completely personal choice.

I am waiting to express and feed through a bottle too, I am expecting twins and I don't want to be confined to the lounge with breastfeeding constantly.
The thing with the bottle is you always know exactly how much they are drinking, which was a life saver when my 2nd son was so ill as a baby.
I will be more than happy to express and bottle feed for the first 3mths and then change over to formula.
When breastfeeding you also need to watch your diet and stay clear of certain foods, as the quality of your breastmilk is based on how good a diet you have.
I also like the advantage of the bottle because it gave hubby a chance to bond and connect. Every evening after work he would come home have his shower and sit down and bottle feed the baby, he did this with each and everyone of them, he LOVED it, he felt connected and involved. It was something special he enjoyed every single evening with the boys.

You do what you want honey, what feels right for you and your situation and family.

 

[cherryglitter]

Thanks bek
I do like the idea of expressing, because I do want OH to be as involved with the feeding too.
Im going to be carrying this baby, he can help out by feeding haha ! xx

 

[bek74]

Thanks bek
I do like the idea of expressing, because I do want OH to be as involved with the feeding too.
Im going to be carrying this baby, he can help out by feeding haha ! xx

It is something my hubby really did enjoy and after a long crappy day at work he loved nothing more than coming home, showering and relaxing with his bub giving him his evening feed.

 

[Plus2]

If you are going to express I would definitely recommend buying an electric pump - I found those manual pumps so time consuming and they really hurt ur hand!!

 

[cherryglitter]

Lol, I think electric might have to be the answer then!
I do really want to breastfeed, but im not too sure how I would cope with it.
That sounds really pathetic and like an insult!

But I feel like my bodies already in meltdown. I can't imagine what it would be like afterwards.
x

 

[bek74]

Lol, I think electric might have to be the answer then!
I do really want to breastfeed, but im not too sure how I would cope with it.
That sounds really pathetic and like an insult!

But I feel like my bodies already in meltdown. I can't imagine what it would be like afterwards.
x

sweetheart don't worry about it now. You will know what you want to do and how you feel about it once bub is born. It will all fall into place when the time comes.
Just enjoy your pregnancy

 

[wannabubba#4]

I would highly recommend trying it and seeing how it makes you feel - For me, it was the most wonderful special bonding time I ever have had with my babies. I felt so good that this was soemthing that I could provide for my babies and the love that i felt for them when feeding is undescribable. Even before getting my BFP this time; I was daydreaming about how wonderful the bf-ing was going to be lol - I can't wait.

And as others have mentioned -it can be very discreet -I fed my LO's wherever and whenever they required fed, and no-one noticed or if they did -never passed comment or made me feel uncomfortable. It does take practice, I remember at first sitting at home boobs akimbo, struggling with bra straps, breast pads and leakage problems occassionally too but it really just takes practice ... and believe me it is great once its established!!! No sterilisers, no getting up through the night to heat bottles or trying to apease a screaming tot whilst a bottle is being heated lol.

However if you really dont want to breast feed, then YES you can use expressed breast milk and bottle feed exclusively - you need to spend alot of time expressing to ensure your supply is sufficient but it can be done. My baby nephew was premature and couldn't suckle so my sis had no choice but to express for the first 6 weeks and even when he was able to suckle she had got such a ahndle on expressing that she continued to do it so everyone (3 older sisters and FOB) could get a chance to feed him.

xx

 

[Fly]

I breast fed my DD exclusivley until she was seven months old, and then carried on after she was weaned until she was around two and a half to three years - stopping when she was ready. Not everyone does it like that, but it worked really well for us. I'd love to try the same again with this one.

I found it tiring, but not as tiring as making up, cleaning and sterilising hundreds of bottles. Also, I'm clumsy, careless and forgetful. I could very easily go out and forget to take bottled milk - with bf, that just doesn't happen. I used a sling so I could bf hands free, which meant I could still get on with my day. It is possible to do it discretley (just take a blanket or muslin cloth out with you) but after a while you forget to be shy.

I did express milk so I could get out of the house on my own for an afternoon or evening now and again, but I didn't like it so didn't do this regularly and wouldn't consider doing this long term - it hurt me and it was too much of a faff, although with a better pump and perhaps more motivation on my part (ie a baby who couldn't take milk from the breast) I'm sure I would have perservered.

Not to offend anyone, but I never really understood what people mean when they think ff is easier - for me all I think about is all the washing up, and it makes me shudder! bfing was, for me, the lazy woman's option...

 

[ryder]

Dont feel guilty if you decide you dont want to do it. Some people love bfing their babies, and it fits their lifestyle greatly, and some people just dont feel the same. There is no shame in whatever you choose, and the most important thing is that you and your family are all happy and enjoying life.

 

[WhosThatGirl]

I think breastfeeding is so much easier. I always got so much more sleep, I wouldnt even have to get out of bed at night to feed the baby, let alone go downstairs and make a bottle. You dont have to make foruma, steralize bottles, nipples, ect. Really formula feeding (I have done both) is MUCH more work. I understand not feeling comfortable breastfeeding in public, you can alawys pump a supply so you can bring some in a bottle with you if you just don't want to nurse in public. But once you get feeding down, you can easily nurse in public and people will just think baby is asleep on you covered up. It can be done very discreetly

 

[im_mi]

I love breastfeeding. my son will be two in feb and we are still going strong.

it was really hard at first but i am so happy that i stuck with it even when i wasnt sure i wanted to. it is so natural and amazing and just..... ah, its what babies were born to do. I always think, if there was something we could buy in Boots or Superdrug to give to our babies that would protect them from illness, grow them big and strong, and was tailored to be exactly what they need from one day to the next, everyone would be queueing up to buy it! but we can get it for free from our own bodies!

I have been volunteering for over a year as a breastfeeding peer supporter for la leche league, and one of the best pieces of advice i can give is this: dont give up breastfeeding at the end of a long, hard day. Its like handing your notice in at the end of a rubbish day at work. If you think you want to stop breastfeeding, think about it for a while and make a thought-about decision or you may well end up regretting it.

Breastfeeding is so much more than just a way of getting milk into a baby.

 

[bek74]

Not to offend anyone, but I never really understood what people mean when they think ff is easier - for me all I think about is all the washing up, and it makes me shudder! bfing was, for me, the lazy woman's option...

there really isn't that much involved in bottle feeding, it's not like your chained to the sink and it does allow you that extra bit of freedom and it allowed my hubby to get in on the feeding also.
breastfed babies tend to feed more often as your not really sure as to how much they are getting each feed.
I made 6 bottles fresh every morning, it takes 2sec to rinse them out and pop them in your automatic sterilizer.

It is each to there own.

 

[bek74]

Dont feel guilty if you decide you dont want to do it. Some people love bfing their babies, and it fits their lifestyle greatly, and some people just dont feel the same. There is no shame in whatever you choose, and the most important thing is that you and your family are all happy and enjoying life.

Very true, what works for one family isn't always the case for another.

 

[ryder]

Not to offend anyone, but I never really understood what people mean when they think ff is easier - for me all I think about is all the washing up, and it makes me shudder! bfing was, for me, the lazy woman's option...

there really isn't that much involved in bottle feeding, it's not like your chained to the sink and it does allow you that extra bit of freedom and it allowed my hubby to get in on the feeding also.
breastfed babies tend to feed more often as your not really sure as to how much they are getting each feed.
I made 6 bottles fresh every morning, it takes 2sec to rinse them out and pop them in your automatic sterilizer.

It is each to there own.

I didnt find bottle feeding that hard either. It was much fast to get a premade bottle and feed your baby... to me anyways.

I really didnt have a good bfing experience though, I was alone alot because of hubby's work, and my baby just didnt seem to take to it. She would just be frustrated and screaming etc. With the bottle I just had to pop it in and she settled. She slept 4-5 hours too when I stopped trying to bf and just didnt formula.

The sterilizing etc wasnt a biggy either?

I also liked being able to let my hubby feed and bond with her when he was home.

 

[lizzieredrup]

I also love breastfeeding...I bottle fed my 1st and I have breastfed my other 2, I wouldn't say either one is easier, they both have their ups and down but one thing I do say is just do what is best for you and your baby!

With my 1st I was 19 at the time, I didn't know much about breastfeeding but wanted to try, when I gave birth I had complications so my DS's 1st feed ended up being a bottle, I still tried breastfeeding but I got no support from the midwifes and ended up getting mastitis and gave up Felt like a failure, but also relieved!

With my 2nd I was totally convinced i'd do it this time, I read up ALOT about it, got my self mentally ready this time, when my DS was born it was wonderful, he latched on 1 st time, it wasn't all plain sailing, he was a very tired baby and all day and night i'd have to wake him during feeding as he would fall asleep at the breast, but I just couldn't imagine it any other way, I loved feeding him myself and seeing him grow and his little face while feedign was enough for me to carry on, once your past the first 6 - 12 weeks I say it is so so easy and a great feeling! I fed DS2 untill he was 15 months, he decided he'd had enough then.

DS3 is 20 months and im still feeding him on and off now, I just couldn't imagine life any other way now, I will def try and breastfeed this little one too, obvoiusly if something did happen and I wasn't able to I would never feel guilty for bottlefeeding!

Sorry about the essay there, I just think it's such a personal choice, I have 1 sister who didn't breastfeed at all and 1 who did, I looked at them both as wonderful mothers which they are! Everyone is because they do what is best for them and their baby. But I would say at
least give it a try, you might just end up loving it

Just wanted to add, my OH has never had a problem bonding with any of my children, he just took over other things like cuddles, burping, and getting them down for naps, he loves the fact I have breastfed and supports me all the way, which is such a big help for me

 

[clairebear]

My experience with bf was a positive one. I bf my son until he was 13 months and i really miss it. I was lucky and didn't really experience any latching problems or soreness.

Happy mummy happy baby! Dont feel like you have to bf x

 

[Katherine]

I would love to breastfed my baby. But probably I will not be able to do it all the time, as I have to work.

I think I will breastfed my baby at home, and express the milk at work, so that the nanny (or the person that will help me take care of the baby) can bottle feed that to the baby on the next day when I am away.... Does it sound as a good plan? Can the milk be kept for 1 day without problem?

 

[Fly]

I'm sure you can freeze it and keep it up to a month.

 

[Katherine]

I'm sure you can freeze it and keep it up to a month.

Really? That is great! and will I have to boil it before I fed it, or just reheat it a little bit till it it warm???

 

[vicwick]

I'm sure you can freeze it and keep it up to a month.

Really? That is great! and will I have to boil it before I fed it, or just reheat it a little bit till it it warm???

Hi hun, You don't have to boil or reheat breastmilk as the heat kills off all the antibodies that are in there. Because the milk has all the antibodies it doesn't need boiling to kill off germs like formula does. Its amazing stuff!!!! You can just take it out of the fridge/freezer and leave it to get to room temp or if you need it faster run it under a warm tap

And just to reply to one fo the posts it is true that BF babies need feeding more often in the early days as breastmilk is digested alot easier than formula, because your milk is specifically tailored to your baby it is much more easily digested so baby will want to feed typically every 3-4 hours, sometimes more sometimes less, depends on the baby of course. If yu wanted to leave baby with anyone or needed to go out you can pump milk to give to baba, i don't think you are more restricted if Bf over FF its just getting the hang of pumping and giving your baby your milk in a bottle/cup/syringe

This is a fantastic website for mummies who have any questions about BF, it answered many many oif my questions in the early days

www.kellymom.com

has info on storing milk, pumping, latch problems, EVERYTHING