Reasons you SHOULD breastfeed

[aliss]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

 

[Dragonfly]

most woman dont get a period for months after, I didnt have one with william for 8 months after and this time i havnt got one back. everyone is different though. Does not mean you cant get pregnant though I got pregnant while breastfeeding though I had periods bk by then.

ps does iron tabs go through your milk as william had black pooh today and i started them a few days ago and mines black tmi sorry. Alex is fine though but was told iron dosnt get through. what makes bf babies very windy to?

 

[aob1013]

Blutea, fantastic thread - thank you!

The breastfeeding rates in the UK are appauling, let's help to get more mothers and babies experiencing this wonderful gift!

 

[Wiggler]

This thread is really great! It's really giving me the confidence to know I can do it this time, and as I know a lot more this time I won't feel as if I'm failing when baby has a growth spurt or cluster feeds. x x x

 

[Dragonfly]

and why are there vacuous veins on my boobs, tiny red ones which i only see now.

 

[aliss]

For some reason I have 2 little 'tiger stripes' on my boobs (1 on each) that started after pumping? lol. Everytime I see them, it reminds me of the early days of pumping (uuuuuuughhhhhhh). Forget stretch marks, now THOSE are my battle scars

 

[Dragonfly]

oh got the big vains i got them to these are tiny red things. do them big vains ever go away? low cut tops are defo out.

 

[Neateye]

Ladies

I was wondering if you'r could guide me in the right direction please
I read a birthing story last night, and the new mum said that she had every intention of breastfeeding but when she tried, no milk came out, and her wee girl was left screaming and crying bcos she was hungry...
*Is a situation like this preventable...or curable?
*If at first no milk is produced and formular has to then given, can baby still breasfeed again (say if your milk finalllly starts to come)?

 

[aliss]

^^ Milk takes a few days to come in, it's probably the most common misconception that people have when they think they have "no milk". Unless she is the 1-2% of women, she has milk. Newborn (ie 1 day old) only take a few mL of colostrum/milk.

 

[rasberry]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

Thanks for all the detailed information Aliss - it is all great to hear your invaluable 1st hand experience.
Combined with various reason, it is because of this hectic schedule and fear of sleep deprivation I would like to BOTH breast feed (via expressing to overcome the problem of possible nipple confusion) AND formula feed from the beginning, so my question of if this is possible remains un-answered?
If anyone has done this, can they advise how often they expressed and when?
ie. My question really is can your body adjust to producing enough milk for only 4 feeds from the beginning without incurring clogged ducts & mastitis problems?

Thanks

 

[aliss]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

Thanks for all the detailed information Aliss - it is all great to hear your invaluable 1st hand experience.
Combined with various reason, it is because of this hectic schedule and fear of sleep deprivation I would like to BOTH breast feed (via expressing to overcome the problem of possible nipple confusion) AND formula feed from the beginning, so my question of if this is possible remains un-answered?
If anyone has done this, can they advise how often they expressed and when?
ie. My question really is can your body adjust to producing enough milk for only 4 feeds from the beginning without incurring clogged ducts & mastitis problems?

Thanks

You will still need to do the same express schedule. You can give formula to the baby instead of the milk you express, but you still need to pump. It is not done differently for the first 6-12 weeks (I think 12, but not sure). You cannot 'train' your breasts to produce milk in that manner when you are establishing your supply.

If you do not use it - you lose it. And your supply will dwindle down badly. When women are exhausted with exclusive pumping, they often use formula and say "Oh, I'll just skip this one pumping", but that makes a domino effect and often leads to exclusive formula feeding as the milk supply runs low/out.

Yes, you CAN combo feed with both breast, bottle (breast milk), and bottle (formula), and eventually go down to 4 breastfeeds a day - but that will not happen for many months. So to answer your final question: no. You will become engorged, you will be in a lot of pain, you may get mastitis/clogged ducts, and you will lose your supply - if you try to do that with your newborn.

 

[blutea]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

Thank you for telling us about your personal experience. It definetly shows the reality of the situation.

 

[aliss]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

Thank you for telling us about your personal experience. It definetly shows the reality of the situation.

You're welcome! The reality is very hard which is why I've never heard of anyone choosing exclusive expressing for non-medical reasons. It's also a mental hurdle as sometimes it's unexpected (like many preemies or like my son's birth injury) so you are dealing with that in addition to learning Pumping 101 on the fly!

 

[blutea]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.
But having read loads of informative articles on how beneficial breast milk is, I think i will try it for a little while. However, my question is, is it possible just to breast feed for a few feeds & supplement the rest with formula? As my understanding is (not sure if correct) is that on day 3-5 when 'your milk comes in' this is when your body adjusts the milk supply based on demand, therefore if I was only breastfeeding/expressing for 3 feeds, would my body get use to only producing enough milk for this amount? Or would there be other issues?
Well done to you all, breastfeeders & non-breastfeeders! I think as long as you do what you feel comfortable with & are happy that is the best for the baby!

Good for you for being open minded about breastfeeding and for having a willingness to offer your baby the best nutrition possible!

My suggestion is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six weeks to avoid nipple confusion and to establish your milk supply. After six weeks you could beginning slowly weaning one feed per day for a week and replace it with a bottle feed. Be sure to express just enough from that nursing session to be comfortable and to prevent blocked ducts. The next week you could switch out a second feed and so on and so forth. Slowly weaning will help your milk supply adjust so you are less likely to encounter clogged ducts and mastitis.

But, just so you know, there are other ways your husband can be involved. For example he can be the one to bring the baby to you to breastfeed then he could change the diaper and but the baby back to bed.

Thanks Bluetea!
If I was to exclusively express to overcome the nipple confusion and only express from the very beginning enough for 3/4 feeds a day at set times eg. 9am, 1pm, 5pm & 9am, would my body adjust to only producing milk during the day or does that create clogged ducts & mastitis problems you mention? If so would it make a difference changing the expressing times to say 9am, 3pm, 9pm & 3am?
Also are you able to express easily the initial Colostrum?

Usually, a newborn baby will need about 12 feeds in a 24 hours period because their stomachs are incredibly tiny and breast milk digests quickly. (You would need to offer formula often, as well) Ideally, you would want to express every two hours, around the clock to accommodate this need. Expressing is hard work and takes longer than breastfeeding because breast pumps are not as efficient as a baby nursing. Put this on top of the demands of a newborn baby and I fear you would become overwhelmed. Most mothers will give up quickly on exclusive pumping because it is so time consuming. It is possible to express colostrum but it's consistency is sticky and thick and may be difficult to pump.

I strongly encourage you to try exclusively breastfeeding, at least for 6 weeks. Just remember if you change your mind later you can always bottle feed but it is challenging and nearly impossible to try to reestablish a milk supply later. Breastfeeding does offer other benefits besides nutrition- comfort, security, warmth, emotional balance, hormonal regulation...

I would also recommend exclusive breast if possible - believe me, exclusive expressing and juggling a newborn is insanely difficult, those of us who did it, generally did it because we had no choice (medical reasons).

If that's not possible then yes, every 2-3 hours (2 for newborn, for sure) for a good 15-20 min each boob (that's why double electric pump is essential), plus 5 minutes after, 24 hours a day. You will do NOTHING but feeding the first 6 weeks, and I think this takes all first-timers by surprise and shock.

To give you an idea, I pumped for my son who had a fractured collarbone which was aggravated by being put to the breast. Every 2 hours, I had to pump a minimum of 20 minutes+ 5 minutes, then gather the feeding (another 10 minutes), then feed him (20 minutes at least), now we're at almost 1 hour. Then I had to burp him. Then I got 20 minutes to do whatever, and then gather everything again and start the process over.

So that was 20 minutes to spare every 2 hours. And that's including overnight. There's no time allocated for sleep. Do you see how having a baby to your breast while cosleeping makes life a million times easier?

My son is 7 1/2 months and still takes more than 3-4 feedings a day! This whole "every 4 hour schedule" is touted by many 'sleep experts' but few babies adhere to this expectation. It is not biologically correct or beneficial to any newborn (whether it be human or other animal) to take such large spaced-out feedings at that age.

Thanks for all the detailed information Aliss - it is all great to hear your invaluable 1st hand experience.
Combined with various reason, it is because of this hectic schedule and fear of sleep deprivation I would like to BOTH breast feed (via expressing to overcome the problem of possible nipple confusion) AND formula feed from the beginning, so my question of if this is possible remains un-answered?
If anyone has done this, can they advise how often they expressed and when?
ie. My question really is can your body adjust to producing enough milk for only 4 feeds from the beginning without incurring clogged ducts & mastitis problems?

Thanks

You will still need to do the same express schedule. You can give formula to the baby instead of the milk you express, but you still need to pump. It is not done differently for the first 6-12 weeks (I think 12, but not sure). You cannot 'train' your breasts to produce milk in that manner when you are establishing your supply.

If you do not use it - you lose it. And your supply will dwindle down badly. When women are exhausted with exclusive pumping, they often use formula and say "Oh, I'll just skip this one pumping", but that makes a domino effect and often leads to exclusive formula feeding as the milk supply runs low/out.

Yes, you CAN combo feed with both breast, bottle (breast milk), and bottle (formula), and eventually go down to 4 breastfeeds a day - but that will not happen for many months. So to answer your final question: no. You will become engorged, you will be in a lot of pain, you may get mastitis/clogged ducts, and you will lose your supply - if you try to do that with your newborn.

True, indeed.

Rasperry- Your fear of exhaustion is understandable but you will be more exhausted trying the schedule you have in mind. It's hard to understand this now but once your newborn is here you will appreciate having milk fresh from the tap (your breasts) with no need to mix formula, reheat milk, clean bottles, sanitize... It is so much easier and less stressful to breastfeed.

 

[blutea]

most woman dont get a period for months after, I didnt have one with william for 8 months after and this time i havnt got one back. everyone is different though. Does not mean you cant get pregnant though I got pregnant while breastfeeding though I had periods bk by then.

ps does iron tabs go through your milk as william had black pooh today and i started them a few days ago and mines black tmi sorry. Alex is fine though but was told iron dosnt get through. what makes bf babies very windy to?

My son was about 14 months old before I got my period back. It was so nice to be cycle free for a while. Yes, once your cycle returns it is possible to get pregnant, even while breastfeeding.

My understanding is that pretty much everything you consume, including iron supplements, does pass through your milk and you have the evidence to prove it (both of you have black poo) Many factors can make a bf baby windy- gulping air while breastfeeding, crying, and possibly the iron tabs. Baby sit ups can help pass the gass.

 

[Cattia]

I got pg this time round when I will still BF. My daughter was only 8 months old and I didn't have my periods back either. It was just a one off that we weren't careful, so I must have hit ovulation

Delighted about it now, but a bit of a shock at the time!!

 

[blutea]

and why are there vacuous veins on my boobs, tiny red ones which i only see now.

For some reason I have 2 little 'tiger stripes' on my boobs (1 on each) that started after pumping? lol. Everytime I see them, it reminds me of the early days of pumping (uuuuuuughhhhhhh). Forget stretch marks, now THOSE are my battle scars

oh got the big vains i got them to these are tiny red things. do them big vains ever go away? low cut tops are defo out.

I believe the purple and red veins happened due to breast glandular tissue development, engorgement and extra blood flow to the breasts during lactation. I have a few too. They aren't painful but they are embarrassing. I don't believe they go away but they can become less prominent once lactation ends. The veins are usually just a cosmetic problem but if they do become painful you should have them looked at.

 

[qpaulina42]

I was wondering if any of you could recommend some good books that explain all the possible problems with breastfeeding and how to solve them. I'm very keen to breastfeed and I didn't realize that it was so complex. Hoping to be prepared, or as prepared as possible, I guess

Possibly embarrassing question....:
DH was playing around with one of my boobs today and it leaked something clear in his mouth. I was super excited cause it seems to me that it's a good sign that things are going well in there. My question is - should I keep hubby away from boobs from now on to make sure whatever it is does not leak out before it's time? He likes to suck on them, as it were....

 

[blutea]

"The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is a fantastic breastfeeding book. It's the first place I look wheneven I have any issues. Breastfeeding is simple and natural but you can encounter issues. It's good to be prepared but stay postive and don't let it intimidate you. Let your baby lead the way. You can do it!

You were leaking colostrum and you will probably continue to leak from time to time until the baby arrives. No need to worry, what comes out will be replenished.

 

[buddabun]

Hi,
I never have had any desire to breastfeed, the whole idea of it does not appeal to me & I also like the idea that the baby's Dad, grandparents & others can help with feeds ect.

I wanted to second what BluTea said about your open-mindedness. It really is so commendable!

I had a c section with my first so found getting up and down quite difficult - as a result, Mr B had to do a lot of the childcare in the early weeks - nappies, baths, he would bring her to me in the night and burp her after her feeds (he was always much better at getting wind out of her than I was anyway). He was far more involved than I was actually in the first month! I know it seems like feeding is the 'main' way for a father to be involved with his baby but there are so many other ways to bond that I'm sure, if you choose to breastfeed, he won't feel he's missing out.


Blutea I have another rather random question ref: tandem nursing.

I got pregnant whilst breastfeeding but she weaned probably a month after my BFP... I know a lot of ladies continue to nurse throughout their pregnancies (tbh I was hoping to do that myself but it didn't work out that way) and then go on to tandem nurse their newborn and their toddler.

Now is there any way, obviously only if Claudia is willing, to reintroduce the breast to my older child when the baby arrives and I start lactating again? I'm not dead set on it or anything, more curious as to whether it can be done... She has shown no interest in BFing since she weaned but if she does when the new baby arrives what are your thoughts (everyone, not just BT) on offering her the boob?

Thanks