Worries about Breastfeeding!!!

[leedsforever]

All along I have said I want to breastfeed and I am still very keen to give it a try however.....
.... after being with my friend and her 3 week old baby (who was unsuccessful at breastfeeding) made me see the positives in bottle feeding!!!

One major concern I have is I KNOW I will never feel comfortable breast feeding infront of ANYONE but my OH!!! And the more I think about it.... I wonder whether I will feel comfortable with breast feeding full stop!!! I was so nice to see my friend feed her baby from a bottle and I started to have second thoughts!!

Now I know theres the option of expressing which Im all for BUT Ive read you cant do that before 6 weeks old!!

Has anyone expressed before that.... because otherwise Im going to be really limited to where I can go!!
Really not for the whole breastfeeding in public thing.... not against it but know I wont be able to do it!!

How have you breastfeeding mums dealth with this?!? xxx thanks

 

[AppleBlossom]

I'm worried about it because of the horror stories I've heard from some people. Also I have flat nipples (sorry lol) and so I'm worried it will be more difficult for me to do

 

[leedsforever]

yeah that worries me too...!!! If i cant do it then fair enough but in my friends case she tried it in the first week and baby wouldnt latch on but her baby was suffering from bad jaundice and didnt get out of hospital until a week later!!

She didnt try again after day 1 and I think now her baby is better then her baby will prob latch on but my friend gave up pretty easy in my eyes!!! She said her milk would have dried up!! But we all know thats not true!!

 

[Blah11]

I think it's important that every woman atleast tries. IMO there's no better bonding experience between mother and child. Obviously there's big health benefits in regards to breastfeeding for both you and the baby. If you give it a try and decide you hate it or baby doesn't latch on then fair enough, but I think every woman should atleast give it a go for the first few weeks so baby gets plenty of antibodies and what not.

 

[AppleBlossom]

I'm defo going to try. Even if it's just for the first 3 days which is when it isn't milk but nutrients that the baby gets. I would like to do it for as long as possible. Besides which it's cheaper and less hassle than formulas

 

[Blah11]

Only thing is daddy can't do a night time feeds at the weekend! Dang!

 

[AppleBlossom]

Yeah true. But I suppose that's what a breast pump is for

 

[Kooky]

Of course you can express before 6 weeks hunny, if you give breastfeeding a go and you cant get on with it then express and bottle feed

 

[Samantha675]

Since my son is only 2 weeks old, I have not had to do a public feed, but I don't feel I will have any problems with it. The first time may be ackward, but after that. Plus when I was in hospital, I think just about everyone saw my boobs, nurses, doctors, my parents, my friends, even my mother's friend who popped by for a visit. Since coming home, my neighbor, my girlfriend, and even my cleaning ladies have seen my boobs. Since I am feeding my child, I don't realy care, my boobs are not sexual right now, if that makes any sense. Plus, when I look down, at my tiny son going to town sucking, it is just such an amazing feeling. Especially when he is really hungry, and he makes the funniest little noise when latching on, he just chomps!

 

[WaitingForYou]

I want to breastfeed I believe the boob is best, Im really self conscious about my boobs, I also worry that I wont be able to breastfeed as I have flat nipples, unless they are wet or its cold

Maybe they will change throughout my pregnancy though hey, with any luck, still many, many, MANY weeks/months to go.

 

[AppleBlossom]

I want to breastfeed I believe the boob is best, Im really self conscious about my boobs, I also worry that I wont be able to breastfeed as I have flat nipples, unless they are wet or its cold

Maybe they will change throughout my pregnancy though hey, with any luck, still many, many, MANY weeks/months to go.

I'm the same and from what I've heard, anyone that would struggle with breastfeeding like those with flat/inverted nipples or whatever the midwife will talk you through it and the best ways to get bubs to latch

 

[WaitingForYou]

Ive got a long way to go, i'm just thinking about everything so much, every detail, im sure it will be okay. We will both try our hardest wont we? Hahaha.

 

[Holldoll]

I totally see your point in it being awkward. I thought it would be too, but like Sam said. After delivering the baby and everybody seeing EVERYTHING the last thing I was concerned about was people seeing me nurse. You might want to consider getting a Hooter Hider https://shop.bebeaulait.com/shop/simple_organic?gclid=CMma_Oj24JMCFSQdagodclJeWw
We went out for the first time yesterday to lunch and I was able to nurse her no problem. It was a little awkward as far as getting my boob out but I'm sure that will get easier with practice.

I also agree with Sam, my boobs are no longer sexual!

 

[leedsforever]

thanks guys!! Like you say I may just forget all about it when she is here and not think twice about breastfeeding when we have visitors etc etc!!! I do definetly want to express though as I feel its quite important that OH can feed her too!!! Bonding process etc!!

Gosh Im getting so excited now.... 12 weeks left !!! SOOOOOOOOOOO cant wait to meet her!!!

 

[marley2580]

I have lost all modesty since having Kaya and will get my boob out in front of almost anyone. lol. It really does stop being sexual, I don't even enjoy OH playing with them as much lol. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't BF with flat or inverted nipples, you can.

 

[ANGYPANGY]

if you have flat/inverted nipples you can use a breast shield to help with the latch, i did this with my first since he had problems latching on I use it for about a mth and then was able to get him to latch on. I pumped before the six week mark at first I would do it after my baby fed. I expressed so my DH would do the midnight feeding then I express in the mornig so he would have some for the following night. As far as the public thing I am sure you will get use to it. The more comfortable you are at breast feeding the easier it will be to do in public.

 

[nikky0907]

I'm in the same boat as you Kerry.

Breatfeeding just simply scares me and creeps me out.
I somtimes believe that I'm determined to bottle feed from the start,then I feel a bit guilty and I think ''I'll at least give it a try''...

I have no idea what to do.I'm hoping the right decision will arrive once the time comes.

 

[Angelmouse]

I hated the idea of breast feeding with both my boys but I know that it is the best, safest and cheapest option, so I persevered. The colostrum is the most important for our babies to have from us and I decided that I would at least BF until the real milk came. It was no where near as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, in fact when the first thing Charlie did when I held him in the recovery room was start to nuzzle I just did it without thinking, it seemed so natural, as indeed it is.

In terms of going out there are loads of places in most highstreets for nursing mothers,most of them are nothing more than a plastic chair behind a curtain but it gives you that sense of privacy and the ones in Mothercare stores are lush! Then when you have friends round you just go upstairs with the baby and no one has to see anything. Simple Pimple.

 

[pocahontas35]

You really do start to lose a bit of self consciousness when you start to bf. I was pretty shy about it with my first, and I nursed her for 11 months. It was very easy though, and I learned quickly how to be discreet and not worry about others. Now, I don't have any problems. I have been looked at by so many drs (had a tumor a few years ago and was touched by about 10 different drs.) that I just see my breasts as milk producers. You can do it if you have your mind wrapped around it. Make a plan and try to stick to it, but remember that everyone has to do what works for them.

 

[Emmea12uk]

as my baby is sick, i am going to do everything i can to help him and breastfeeding provides valuable antibodies to help fight virus and infections. it is even now suggested that breast fed babies suffer from cot death less as they have some kind of immunity to common bacteria.

I am not actually allowed to hold him straightaway so will have to express from day one. The midwives i have spoken to seem to think that there will be no problem expressing straightaway, but that i should do it by hand like a cow instead of use a pump! lol, but that is only their opinion, some mums can use a pump straightaway.