Pregnant w 1st LO and have breastfeeding questions

[Jaylynne]

I'm just in my second tri but I really want to breastfeed as I think it's best for my LO and for my own body. So here are a few questions and thanks in advance if you respond

1) what breast pump in your opinion is best? I am leaning toward a dual pump that isn't manual as I will have to go to work and need to express fast.

2). I would like LO to be feed expressed breast milk by my husband in a bottle at some point so they can bond and it gets LO used to both nipple and bottle. At what point should I start introducing the bottle before LO gets used to sole breastfeeding and might refuse to feed via bottle?

3) I'm probably going to need to get back to work before 3 months normal maternity due to money unless I can find a good WAHM job. How long does it take on average until LO sleeps more than 4 or 5 hours a night between feedings? And did you have any issues with daycares taking breast milk?

4). How bad does breastfeeding really hurt in the beginning and should I invest in this nipple shield things?

5). How can I make sure LO is eating enough or that I'm producing enough milk? Just by their weight?

6). I plan on breastfeeding until at least 6 months if I can and ideally a year. After that I can express if they still want it. I am uncomfortable with the idea of a walking child or later a talking child still at my breast. Totally not judging any moms that still do, just my personal opinion. Is one year adequate to have a healthy immune system and all the good antibodies found in breast milk in place for my LO?

7). I plan on getting an ergo with the infant adaptor. Is it easy to breastfeed in that carrier? Or is there another better one?

8). Do you use one of those breastfeeding apron thingys when in public or do you find someplace private?

Ha didn't realize I had so many questions. If you made it through all that sorry! And thanks!

 

[kerrie24]

I cant answer all your q's but the ones I can-

2.
It is recommended to wait untill bf is established (6-8 weeks) before introducing a bottle,however some women start earlier with no problems.If you want to ensure baby tolerates it you could try the odd one (like one every 2 days) around 3/4 weeks and just stop if you find it causing a problem with breatfeeding.

3. There is no average lo and mine still doesnt sleep 4-5 hours at 16 months,however that doesnt mean your baby wont,its very much a case of wait and see.Most nurseries are willing to give ebm (expressed breast milk) around where I live,you shouldnt have a problem with that.

4.Im not going to lie,bf really hurt me in the beginning,as in raw nipples,bleeding and wincing through feeds.Some women dont get any pain at all,everones different.Nipple shields might stop it hurting for a while but unless you keep using them forever then it would probably just delay the pain untill you fed without the nipple shields.

5.If lo is happy,sleeps some of the time between feeds,has wet and dirty nappies and gains weight then you are doing fine.A lot of people worry about this but in actual fact if you bf from day 1 whenever baby is hungry,its very unlikely not to have enough milk for babys needs.

6.ANY amount of bm is so precious to your baby,6 months if brilliant,a years worth is bloody fantastic and who knows you might even enjoy it so much that you dont feel like stopping after that!

8.The majority of women I know dont use a cover,its quite possible to be discreet without one and in my opinion you should just feed baby wherever you are when they get hungry.Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby and you should be proud to be seen in public,more people seeing babies being bf means more people come to accept it as the norm,rather than something hidden from the public eye.
Babies usually get sick of those cover and pull them off as they get older anyways

Anyways im in a rush as its a school morning hope ive helped a bit,good luck x

 

[cutie4evr01]

1. I have an Ameda Purely Yours I've been very pleased with. I used it to pump at work from the time my daughter was 10 weeks until she was a year old and now am using it for my second baby. The other good one here in the states is the Medela Pump in Style.

2.My personal opinion is to offer the bottle between 3-4 weeks. Earlier and you risk nipple confusion (although that's uncommon), and later they might refuse. It's probably best to use breastflow bottles, but we use Dr. Brown's and haven't had any problems.

3. This varies widely. My first daughter wasn't sleeping 5 hours until she was 4 months old or so, and still woke twice at night for feeds at 6 months and once at night for a feed at 10 months. My younger daughter has been sleeping one 6-hour stretch at night since she was 2 weeks old, and now at 5 weeks sometimes sleeps 7 or 8. Keep your fingers crossed you'll have a good sleeper!

4. It is quite painful in the beginning, but work hard to get a good latch and coat your nipples in lanolin cream after every feed and it should pass quickly. I would not recommend using a nipple shield as it might reduce supply (it did for me when I used one with my first daughter), and sometimes can be hard to wean baby off of them and directly on to the nipple.

5. wet and dirty diapers are the main indication your baby is getting enough, and weight gain.

6. I stopped nursing my daughter after she was 1 and she is very healthy. I think 6 months or 1 year (or longer, whatever you can manage) is fantastic and will be terrific for their immune system.

7. I've never used an ergo but some of my friends love it. I love my Moby wrap and have fed in it, but it's tricky.

8. I use the apron when I nurse in public because here where I live (in GA), a lot of people are uncomfortable with BF. It's a big pain the rear and even at 5 weeks old my daughter tries to pull it off her head, but I'm trying to respect other people's wishes. In my own home or with family, I don't cover up, and when it gets cooler, I'll nurse in my car more often.

Good luck and congratulations! Feel free to stop in here anytime for support - these ladies are the only reason I made it so long with my first daughter!

 

[5ara]

1) I have a manual single-pump for home, and rented a hospital-grade pump for when I went back to work.

2). I recommend waiting at least 4-6 weeks before trying a bottle so you don't make a problem with BF'ing.

3) Every baby is different as far as when they start sleeping several hours straight. Mine slept 5-6 hours by about 2 months, but then started waking every 2 hours after 3 months and still does.

4). BF'ing does hurt pretty bad the first week or so, but I would just buy Lansinoh cream. I never used nipple shields - I think they can cause problems.

5). Yes, you can tell if they are getting enough milk by their weight gain and how many wet diapers they have each day.

6). One year is wonderful! You might find that you change your mind when you get to 12 month, but if not, then you've given him a great start.

7). I've heard great things about the ergo, but I've not heard that BF'ing is easy in one. The easiest one to BF in is probably a sling or the Moby. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my moby, especially when baby is little.

8). I used to use a BF cover, but I don't bother anymore. My LO hates it, and I'm not really fond of it either. I usually try to find a private place, or just turn my body away from people.

Good luck!