Breastfeeding? expressing?

Question

I am going to try and breastfeed my baby due on 08/08/08 as i didn't my first 2 for reasons i'll not go into but i felt so guilty and so this one i am definitely but i'm a tad bit embarassed to breastfeed infront of the in laws and when they want to have the baby sleep over i want to be able to have expressed milk for them so my question is. Can babies adjust to breast and bottle feeding and whats the best type of breast pump to use, an electric one or manual? also does the pump hurt and how long does it take to express a bottle of milk? i know it will vary on every woman but just a rough estaimate will do.

Answer 1

They advise that you get your baby setteled with b'feeding first for about 4 weeks before you introduce expressed bottle feeds otherwise the baby can have problems switching.

You may also find your baby refuses to take a bottle from you as he/she is smart and knows mummy has b*****s, my friends son does this and its hilarious, shee just hands him to one of us if she needs him to have a bottle and he scowls and takes it just fine!

I haven't started all this myself yet but I was recommended to buy a manual pump - I got the avent one, my sister said this was best for her so I thought I'd give it a go.

I will b'feed until baby is settled then express and share feeds with my partner so baby is used to both by the time I go back to work.

Good luck

ask your midwife also about b'feeding support in your area, I have a 4 hour workshop to go to next week and there are loads of support groups/ b'feeding cafes I can go to after with these kind of issues.

Answer 2

Alright...weither they can feed off a bottle and not get it confused with your breast is all on the child. A good way to help assure that it doesn't though, is to not give her a bottle for at least 6weeks.

I thought I'd be embarrassed to, but after I had my baby it didn't phase me to just pull up my shirt and put her on my boob. EVERY nurse at the hospital saw me breastfeed my baby, and some of the staff too (bringing food/cleaning). Sometimes they looked more embarrassed then me, for walking in without knowing it. Haha. If you'd feel uncomfortable feeding the baby in front of the inlaws, ask to be excused to a bedroom. This is what I do when my mom and I go to her best friends house for a night or two (she lives an hour and a half away). Or, you can throw a blanket over your shoulder/the baby to cover up...but my daughter HATES this, it makes breastfeeding her in public so hard.

It doesn't hurt me to pump my b*****s, but it also hasn't hurt me to breastfeed either. My b***s didn't crack, they didn't bleed, nothing. They'll get a little bruised at the tip of the nipple but thats it. I think part of the reason why is because my child has a tounge tie and can't latch properly, but that'll be fixed soon. If it does hurt, it gets easier, but it will take time, and you'll just have to be patient with yourself.

Manual pumps take MUCH longer, and are pretty hard. Electric ones, imo, are a life savor. :) I have one, it's called ...idk what it's called, it's by my feet and I have my daughter sleeping in my lap so I don't want to move, but it works well. I can get about 4-6 oz out of each breast in about 10minutes (if I do both at once), longer if I do one at a time.

I might also mention, that some women can breastfeed just fine, but when they try to pump they can't get anything out. Also, breastfeeding isn't easy. There's been times that I'd get so frustrated with how often my daughter unlatches herself and throws her head back or just squirms and stuff that about 2 times I'd have to stop, lay her in her crib while she's crying because she's still hungry, and walk away for a few minutes. Not because I'm a bad parent or because I'm inpatient (I spend 50mintues every 3 hours feeding her, I'm far from impatient) but because it CAN be frustrating. If you can hold on and just keep pushing yourself to do it, then you're doing the best for your child as well.

Also... Try to wait a little after she's born before you allow overnight stays... Of course, it's completely your choice... but a newborn is best near their parent/s. If something is wrong with her/him the mother will know before anyone else. They have a way of figureing out their childs feelings much easier than someone else...and the last thing you may want is her/him to be screaming their head off, and for someone to get frustrated because they can't figure out what is wrong with them. This happens often with Ahyla (my daughter). She'll start screaming, and even my mom -who is usually pretty good at calming her down- wont be able to. No matter how much she tries to give her her binky, or switches her position, or rocks her, or talks to her...nothing. As soon as she gets handed to me and I have her against my chest she'll quiet down, take her binky, and fall asleep. They need their moms, especially at such a young confusing time.

Once again, best of luck. :) Congrats, as well.

OH! &If you don't express milk/breastfeed regularly you'll eventually start losing your milk supply, so when you're away from your baby for any amount of time, keep the b*****s at least pumped to keep it regular. If there isn't any action, then you'll stops producing because your body will think it doesn't need to make it any more.

Answer 3

Yes, many moms will pump their milk to give to baby when they are not there to nurse, whether it's to go back to work or to just have some time out. It's important that you have a firm breastfeeding relationship established before introducing a bottle, so wait until at least 6 weeks to offer a bottle of expressed milk, and when it is offered, have someone other than you do it when you are not present (sometimes baby won't take a bottle if mom is around).

Keep in mind that pumping takes some time getting used to, so don't be discouraged if you don't get much milk at first. The more you pump, the more milk you make. However, baby is much more efficient at getting milk than a pump is, so how much you pump may not equal as much as baby is actually consuming.

Hospital grade pumps are the best, but if you're only pumping for the occasional bottle, a manual pump may be fine.

I'd recommend you try to get to a La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/) meeting prior to your baby's arrival, to make sure you get good information as well as set up a local support system. Also, the information found at http://www.kellymom.com/ is very helpful, very accurate, and research-based.

Remember, not all moms and babies get breastfeeding right off the bat, but with a little patience and practice, it can become very easy for both of you. The more you nurse, the more comfortable you get at it, even in pubic and around family. You can even buy clothing that is made expeically for nursing, so you don't have to lift your shirt and show the world what's happening. I really like http://www.motherwear.com, but Motherhood Maternity also has some good stuff.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I EXPRESSED FOR THE 1ST WEEK OF MY 3 BOYS LIFE (I DIDNT GET ON WITH ACTUAL BREASTFEEDING) i used a manul and for me it was very simple as i had ALOT  of milk!!! but i think most women find it simple enough ... and if you dont thats not ure fault. I wld say most babies can adapt to breast and bottle, but maybe stick with breast for a while 1st, spk to ure midwife she will have all these answers in a lot more depth x

Answer 5

electric pumps are best if you are doing bottle and breast. Start the bottle early(not too early at least a couple weeks)  but don't get discouraged breast feeding  my son gets both breast and bottle but usually wont take a bottle from me (he knows i got the real stuff and gets fussy until i breastfeed him)

pumping can take about 15 mins sometimes more sometimes less you eventually get used to the feeling

Answer 6

I had a manual pump for my first two babies and I couldn't do it..  I borrowed an expensive one for my third and it was wonderful... I had to pump one side for 8 weeks with her because she just wouldn't take that side, but I am very stubborn and eventually we got it.

The timing just depends.. I would say early on 10-20 minutes, once you've done it awhile (bigger baby, more milk, everything working) it will take a lot less time.

Also, don't be embarrassed breastfeeding your baby.. you are just feeding a hungry baby.  I just always had a light blanket handy for some privacy.

Answer 7

Expressing is just like breast feeding some people can and some people can't ask a midwife their advise on which is the best pump on the market at the minute as the all change I used the Avent Isis a manual one it should feel just like the baby is feeding and how long it takes depends on your own milk supply

It is recommended that you don't start to express until your milk supply is well established so about 3-4 weeks after the birth this is to avoid what is called nipple confusion but they do adjust and very well in most cases if you want more info on this just ask your midwife as she will have it all

Don't forget when breast feeding it rakes 500 calories a day to produce the milk for baby so eat a balanced diet and drink pleanty of fluids