Undecided on breast feeding!

[BabyDinoMummy]

Hi I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my son and I'm unsure whether I should breast feed or not... I was wondering if people could offer some advice or tips on breast feeding? Pros and cons etc?

 

[AnneD]

Hi I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my son and I'm unsure whether I should breast feed or not... I was wondering if people could offer some advice or tips on breast feeding? Pros and cons etc?

Hi, congratulations on your pregnancy! Have you spoken to your midwife about breastfeeding at all? If you've been to parenting classes, was breastfeeding discussed?

It has many many benefits for the baby as well as for the mother. There are your antibodies in it so baby is protected from what you are immune to, breast milk is designed to suit your baby's needs, it's right there and always the right temp so you don't need to faff with bottles and powder and heating up and sterilizing (and that is a lot of work, especially for night feeds), you don't have to shell out for formula or worry that you'll run out on a Sunday before a bank holiday, it's great for bonding with the baby, it protects you from some cancers, it helps your uterus shrink, it helps you lose weight... And so much more.

I'm a huge advocate of breastfeeding. Yes, it can be difficult, yes, it can be painful for a while at the beginning. Yes, you are the one who does all the feeds, every single one. But it's worth it.

My tips, hmmm. Read up on it - educate yourself on the physiology of breastfeeding, on what to expect, what your options are, what possible problems there are and how they can be solved. Talk to your midwife, they are a mine of information. Don't set yourself goals like "I will breastfeed for a year", take it one feed at a time and suddenly it becomes easy. Buy a tube of Lansinoh and use it after each feed at the beginning. Wear a good, supportive nursing bra. Breastpads. Always have a drink within reach while feeding, and drink lots throughout the day. Eat well - have snacks ready that you can have while baby is nursing. Have a book or something for when you want to do something other than admiring your baby while nursing. (Movies, the internet, whatever you enjoy.) Make sure you're sitting or lying comfortably while nursing. Some people find a breastfeeding pillow helpful. Try different nursing positions several times before saying something doesn't work for you.

Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it or if you feel uncertain. Breastfeeding can take some effort at the beginning.

Most of all, enjoy it. It's a special time for you and your baby.

ETA Have a look at this: https://breastfeeding.about.com/od/breastfeedingbasics/a/proscons.htm

 

[rose.]

I think AnneD has covered most things but the things I would say about breastfeeding are:

- we had a really tough time at the beginning. Breastfeeding is hard at first but soo much easier in the long run. I don't have to worry about preparing feeds, sterilising, taking formula/clean water supply when we go on holiday. I never run out of milk unexpectedly and no matter where we are Alfie can feed if he needs to
- most places have a breastfeeding room so feeding in public is a whole lot easier than you expect, I have only had to feed truly in public several times
- it is amazing when you look at your baby and think that they are thriving because of the milk you are making for them
- weaning is so much easier as if you need to mix milk in to food you can just add what you need without having to make up a tiny amount of formula
- my son is sensitive to cows milk. He seems to be growing out of it now but when he was 4/5 months old he had a few reactions to baby porridges containing formula. He also had a bad reaction to formula when he was 4 weeks old and was hospitalised. He never reacted to my breastmilk - had he not been breastfed we would have had a really tough time when he was newborn!!
- I haven't done any dieting etc since I had Alfie but I lost all my baby weight and probably a bit more within a few months. After about 2-3 months I was back in my old clothes. This is completely down to breastfeeding! Obviously this isn't the same for everyone but it did work for me

I would say definitely give it a go. Stick at it for at least 8 weeks and see how you feel. There were times during the first couple of months that I nearly gave up, but I am so glad I didn't. The health benefits for both baby and you are huge, so if you don't have a specific reason not to I think you should definitely do it!

 

[BabyDinoMummy]

Thanks girls. I've never really considered it before, was just sort of taking pregnancy in my stride, but noes the time I need to make decisions for my son, and from what you have both said it sounds like breast feeding could be one of the best decisions I could make for my son and I. The only thing is I know my partner would like to feed baby as well, how easy is it to get baby to drink from a bottle when they're used to breast?

 

[Biotechick829]

Once your baby is 4-6 weeks old you can introduce a bottle or pacifier. Before that age they can have nipple confusion and after that age they may reject a bottle (it's a very fine line so I've been told lol). DH occasionally feeds our LO with a bottle so that he can enjoy feeding her. It's usually over the weekend. I'll either thaw frozen breastmilk or get some I have already expressed in the refrigerator and have him feed her while I pump.

Check out this website for interesting info on BF at various stages (I LOVE this blog!): https://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html

Pros:
- BEST possible nutrition for your baby (helps reduce risk of many diseases and is more easily digested than formula)
- Mother typically loses weight
- Never have to worry about "making" a bottle
- Have few to zero bottles to wash
- VERY inexpensive compared to formula
- Awesome bonding experience with your baby

Cons:
- The first few weeks is the hardest (baby is always nursing)
- Nursing through growth spurts
- Stressing out about your milk supply (I've had many ups and downs producing)
- Baby digests it quickly so they'll need feeds more frequently than formula fed
- You may need to buy a pump
- Mother has to make sure she's well nourished, hydrated, and has to watch when and what alcoholic drinks she consumes (no getting tipsy!)

 

[Yipee]

The other ladies pretty much covered everything I would say, but here are just a few more things to consider:

-you can always switch from breastfeeding to formula if you start out breastfeeding and don't like it, but if you don't breastfeed and let your milk dry up, switching from formula to breastfeeding is not really an option if you change your mind
-read the ingredients on the formula cans before you make your decision. my baby had feeding difficulties for the first week or so, probably do to a somewhat traumatic birth. i considered supplementing with formula just to make sure she was getting enough, but after reading the ingredients, decided against it, and expressed breastmilk and spoon-fed her that instead, until she got better at nursing.
- also check out the prices on formula and how much you can expect to spend per week on it, compared to (free) breastmilk
-breastfeeding helps your uterus shrink back to normal size quickly after birth, so you don't have to go around looking slightly pregnant forever
-it can be hard at first, and you will feel some days that all you did was breastfeed your baby (some days that will be pretty much all you did) but that part doesn't last forever, and the rewards are definitely worth it to me
-oh, and there are lots of ways for dad to bond with baby besides feeding (bathing, changing, walking with, playing later, etc). at first all baby wants to do is eat and sleep, but again, this doesn't last forever

 

[CupcakeBaby]

Please do. Or at least give it your best shot.

Formula can't come close to the nutrition available in breast milk.

Also babies need that kind of closeness. It's an amazing bond. Xx

 

[makemeamammy]

I wish someone had warned me just how hard it can be at the beginning! Not so that I would be put off but so that I would know that what I was going through was normal and it does get easier very quickly but the first week, for me anyway, was horrendous! Baby fed constantly (that's not an exaggeration-baby was attached to my breast or fussing at all times which is hard when you're exhausted from birth) and both my nipples cracked and bled. I will never judge anyone for giving up on that first week after what I went through and because nobody had explained exactly how hard it could get I thought maybe it was just me and breastfeeding wasn't going to be for me as all I'd ever heard was women saying how fab it was!

HOWEVER - one week later and it was SOOOOOO much easier! Then you see the benefits of no bottles, sterilising etc. when baby cries it takes literally 2 seconds to pacify them with a boob. I'm not that confident about feeding in public but I use a feeding apron and feel great and I can still see her at all times through the feed.

I have a very sucky baby and introduced the dummy after about 2 weeks and a bottle of expressed milk shortly afterwards (medela calma bottle is very similar to breast as they have to latch on to get milk out). I definitely haven't had any nipple confusion issues and of everyone I've ever known to feed and use dummy/bottle I've never actually heard of a baby who then doesn't go back to boob easily!

It can come with a lot of worrying - is baby getting enough, are her poos the right colour, is she getting too much foremilk etc but then I think I'd be worried about colic etc if she was on formula.

Like previous poster said, use lansinoh RELIGIOUSLY for the first week and also rub colostrum on your nipples and let them air dry after every feed - it really helps cracked nipples quickly! But if I could only give one piece of advice it would be this -

Trust your instincts! That is what will ultimately tell you what is right for you and your baby! No book or advisor knows you and your child like YOU do! Books and advisors do have their place but I think women have been given this strict set of rules at the moment and aren't being given credit to just trust their own maternal instincts!

Good luck xx

 

[BabyDinoMummy]

Thank you so much girls, I think I'm really up for trying to breast feed now looks like I need to go shopping for a pump and a feeding... Sling? Cover?

 

[luna_19]

So glad you're going to give it a go. As others have said be prepared for it to be really tough at first but stick with it and it will get much easier make sure to get help right away with getting baby to latch properly. personally i don't think you need to buy a pump right away. I rented one for about two weeks in the beginning and i do plan to get a manual one later on but have no need for one right now. A cover is good to have for when you're ready to head out. I love my nursing pillow!

 

[makemeamammy]

I think mine was called a breastfeeding apron and I got it off amazon. It has a plastic ring at the top so that it holds the material away from baby's face and they can see you and you them. I need to look when I'm latching her on so a shawl was no use as I couldn't see her face.

Also, get a feeding pillow for in the house as it means you have your hands free to hold the remote and a biscuit (VITALLY important when feeding!)! xxx

 

[BabyDinoMummy]

Haha ok I will be searching the internet today then

 

[Pielette]

Yes be prepared for it to be a tough slog in the beginning! I think we turned a corner around 2 weeks but it did hurt to start with.

As for a cover you may not need one, it's personal choice but some babies dislike being covered up. I wear a vest top under every top so that I can pull one down and one up, that way you can't see a thing.

I bought a medela swing pump about 4 weeks in - I'd recommend waiting to see how you get on first before buying one. Plus you're not advised to pump until your supply has regulated at around 4-6 weeks, unless there's a medical issue, low supply or latching problems. It might be worth investing in a little manual one though.

Oh and if you plan on expressing and giving a bottle every now and then, I'd recommend the medela calma ones as they mimic the breast and it's virtually the same action.

 

[BabyDinoMummy]

Thank you, I was only ever going to get a manual one i heard tommee tippee close to nature were good as well?

 

[Calibeachbum]

The first 2 weeks were very hard. Baby was always attached to the breast. My nipples cracked and LO had a great latch. I highly recommend the medela tender care covers, It's a cover you put on your nipples like a band aid. Cracks heal better in a moist environment. Put breastmilk and lanolin also in the first 2weeks.

It did not get easier for me until the past few weeks. I remember thinking my supply was low because LO would feed for 1.5 hrs. Turns out he was a lazy feeder, which he is finally over. The bond whilst breastfeeding is amazing!

 

[AnneD]

Please do. Or at least give it your best shot.

Formula can't come close to the nutrition available in breast milk.

Also babies need that kind of closeness. It's an amazing bond. Xx

I agree. Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your baby. You may want to have a look at this chart referenced on another thread - https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/breastfeeding/772702-nct-benefits-breastfeeding-chart.html

And it's so nice to have a baby cuddled up and feeding from you. Your partner will have plenty of opportunity to bond in other ways. And once you start weaning, he can give baby solids, so food will be coming from him, too.

 

[Kellen]

If you can, let your midwife or lactation consultant take a look at your nipples. Odd, I know, but it can be helpful. I ended up needing to use a shield on my right side due to an inverted nipple. My LO was unable to latch and pull the nipple out which led to some major frustration for her and me. Once we introduced the shield she was able to easily nurse from both sides. She weaned herself off from the shield at 3 weeks after a lovely case of jaundice and brief stay in the NICU.

As the other posters have said. BF can be tremendously difficult, but it is totally worth it in the end. Now at 9 months my LO enjoys engaging in "nurse-arobics." So although it maybe tough at first it gets better and more rewarding the further along you go.

 

[Calif]

It's been said already, but you can always switch to formula if breastfeeding isn't working for you, but if you can't switch to breastfeeding. If you don't breastfeed and start with formula, your milk will dry up and you can't change your mind.

 

[Mrs Bee]

Everyone has given you such wonderful advice... All I have is to emphasise....breast feeding never starts out easy, it's hard work at the start....I read up all I could while I was pregnant so knew it would be painful etc... The first 6 weeks were the hardest for me, but having a lactation consultant helped... She helped my daughter latch so my nipples wouldn't get cracked... lasinoh is a godsend! Now my daughter is almost 8 months and still breast feeding, it's something I'm so proud of... That I provide something so amazing for her, even now I feel like we have an amazing bond because of it.

All the best with your breast feeding journey.... It's usually a bumpy one but well worth the rewards xxx

 

[bumpbear]

I had no intention whatsoever of breast feeding when I was pregnant, because, well, I was silly and the thought of it grossed me out.

But my baby had other ideas - very shortly after she was born, she latched on of her own accord, was a pro at feeding and I realised it was was simply the most beautiful thing ever. The bond is just out of this world - every nursing session was just an opportunity for us to shut the rest of the world out and have down time together. Yes, at the very beginning, she did have days where it seemed that all she wanted to do was nurse, but if you give in to it and realise that today, you are going to do nothing but feed this child that you gave life to, it's actually quite a lovely (but exhausting) way to spend the day! Get a boppy pillow, put your feet up and spend time online whilst she feeds (thats what I did - it probably explains my post count on bnb!)

I did introduce a formula bottle once a day for her from the very beginning too, which she drank happily from for the first 8 or so weeks of her life. Then one day, she decided she wasnt having it anymore and that was that. The only option was to EBF because I did not respond to pumps.

We had a lovely nursing relationship. At a year old, I started thinking about weaning her, mainly because everyone else (but my husband) was hounding me to do so, but she was having none of it. It did get quite tiring at around 16 months and I felt a lot of peer pressure to wean, so I decided to go with dont offer, dont refuse. She carried on nursing as usual (twice a day) and I went along with her needs as I didnt want to make weaning traumatic for her. In my head, I was sure that eventually I would have to tell her no, but very recently, at 19 months, just as abruptly as she had decided she didnt want formula anymore, she decided she'd had enough of nursing and that was that.

Now I miss her. Those times a day where we just used to sit down, her and I together are gone and the times when she is willing to snuggle up with me for more than a few seconds at a time are few and far between as she is a boisterous little toddler who just wants to explore. I knew we'd have to stop nursing eventually, but the sadness I felt at weaning took me quite by surprise.

Honestly, as someone who was sceptical about breastfeeding right up until the moment I gave birth, I will say its the best choice she ever could have made for us as that bonding time is priceless.