I know the pros to breastfeeding and all
that, so I don't need anyone to list them.
I know that it's better than formula, so
I don't need that either.
I am about to have my baby and I still
haven't made up my mind about it. It
wouldn't be practical to pump at work, so
I would just do it for 6 weeks. My
concerns about that are:
will she not want a bottle after having
the breast for 6 weeks?
I'm not sure how to transition from breast
to bottle.
I've never taken any classes on it, so I
wouldn't know what to do. I'm sure
they'll show me at the hospital.
Also, I don't eat healthy enough. I know
you have to eat healthy when you
breastfeed.
I don't know what to do.
Reasons I don't want to:
i'd like to eat and drink what I want
without pumping and throwing.
I'd like my husband to share in the late
night feedings.
I don't know how.
If she doesn't latch on properly, it'll be
painful.
It'll be painful at first no matter what
from what I hear.
I'll have to plan my days around feeding
or pumping.
Reasons I would want to:
it's healthier.
It's cheaper.
It's easier when the baby latches on
properly.
I'm scared about transitioning also.
I go back and forth.
I don't know what to do. Help!
I want advice, not judgement on how I
feel.
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Sunflower_pie81
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 5041 Location: to hell with this crap
There isn't any reason why you shouldn't
breast feed your baby. I was scared at
first about it but once we got the hang of
it we were fine. We had a hard time the
first couple of days but we are doing
great now.
What you eat isn't much of a factor. I
have seen any difference weather or not I
eat spicy foods or foods that would make
her gassy. I haven't changed what I eat
at all. As far as drinking, unless you
are planning on getting trashed
everynight then you will be ok. I'll
have a glass to two of wine or a beer or
too and still breast feed her.
I can't help you with the late night
feedings. I am a single mother so I have
to get up anyway. I dont' mind, its
wonderful.
While you are in the hospital the nurses
will help you learn how to breast feed.
Your baby will know what to do and your
baby will probibly do better with you.
It may or may not be painful, my cousin
and her new baby are doing just fine and
it's not painful to her. It was a little
painful to me but after a few weeks we
were doing great. If you can get past
the pain you'll be fine. Trust me the
pain will go away.
You are going to have to plan your days
around your baby for the rest of your life
in order to do what is best for your baby.
I think that you should at least try to
breast feed and if you can't then you
can't.
As far as the transition .Melia has had no
problem going back and forth. Melia has
only had a bottle 4-5 times and it was
breast milk. I want what's best for my
baby and breast feeding is what is best.
If your baby is hungry she/he will eat.
Don't worry about that. Melia will not
take a bottle from me, but she will take
it from my mom, dad, anyone else but me.
On me she can smell the milk and won't
take the bottle at all.
It's your choice. But assuming that my
baby would use like 2 of those cans of
formula a week I have saved like $330.00
in the last 12 weeks. So it's been
wonderful...As well as the bonding between
my baby and i.
So please consider trying. It's a
wonderful experience.
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AyaMiyaki
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8246 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
Thanks: 168
Thanked:14
Posted: 10-11-06 10:03am
Even if you only nurse her for 6 weeks,
she will get so much benefit from your
milk. Those first six weeks are
important!
A lactation consultant should visit you at
the hospital before you leave. If one
doesn't, ask to see one. They will teach
you how to get your baby to latch on
correctly. It will take a few days at
home to teach the little one (they're so
desperate to suck that they'll grab onto
anything) and your nipples will be
sensitive, but that fades so quickly. The
key is to not give up. I wanted to give
up so badly when .Alyvia was nursing, but
I kept at it, and we've been doing it
successfully and exclusively for almost 9
weeks now.
As long as you try to drink milk and eat
protein (meat), you should be okay. But
continue taking prenatal vitamins, and try
to limit or cut out alcohol for those
first six weeks. Another thing that'll
probably help you eat a little more
healthy will be your post-pregnancy body.
At least, it helped *me*!
The beautiful thing about late-night
feedings when you're breastfeeding is that
you don't have to fool around with making
a bottle. You just get the baby and pop
your boob out. I've had my husband get
out of bed and bring her to me, and .I've
nursed her in bed using the side-lying
position and taken a mini-nap while she
eats.
If you decide not to, you're not a bad
mother. And it's okay if you and your
little one can't get breastfeeding down.
A lot of mothers can't. But if you can do
it, please do, at least until you return
to work. Every little bit counts!
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Jules
Supporter
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3757 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
Thanks: 78
Thanked:66
Posted: 10-11-06 10:38am
Even if you do decide to bottle feed I
would strongly recommend you at
least ensure your baby gets your
colostrum, which is the milk you produce
for the first few days after giving birth.
It is packed full of goodies that will
really really benefit your little one.
I breastfed for 10 weeks and then switched
to bottle feeding and my son took to a
bottle straight away with no hassle. It
was probably because he was so hungry
though as the reason I gave up was because
I was no longer producing enough milk.
Breastfeeding did not hurt me at all by
the way and I was absolutely gutted to
give it up so early.
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jessesgirl
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 2877
Thanks: 16
Thanked:3
Posted: 10-11-06 11:10am
Thanks so much for all the replies.
I am seriously considering it now.
My friend bought a 250 dollar pump and
couldn't breastfeed. She's giving it to
me to use, so I don't have to worry about
that.
Thanks again.
I'll let ya'll know what happens.
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Ingi
Supporter
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8783 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 161
Thanked:194
Posted: 10-11-06 19:20pm
That's the thing about first babies. None
of use knows anything! Those little
babies are teaching us how to be
parents.
No one knows how to breast feed at first -
not even the baby! Few people take
classes - if you can find them, that is.
It is the same with discipline and various
other life experiences - you just have to
live them to learn them.
If you feel strongly either way, then go
with your feelings.
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El
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 Mar 2005 Posts: 476 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Decisions Decisions! Posted: 10-12-06 01:00am
It's not much easier 2nd time 'round
either!!
Breastfeed for as long as you and the baby
are enjoying it, or for as long as it's
working for you.
From experience- breastfeeding is easier
in terms of getting things ready, carrying
stuff around when you are out, keeping
stuff sterile etc etc- bottle feeding has
lots of accompanying "jobs"
it is nice to have a little sleep in bed
or on the couch next to your baby while
he/she feeds. Both you and baby will
learn how to do it in most cases, within a
few days.
Your partner can take the odd night feed,
either using your expressed milk, or a
formula feed- whatever's easy.
Either way, introduce a bottle sometime
between 3-6 weeks- too much earlier, and
you risk nipple confusion, too much later,
and the baby might be "addicted" to you,
and will refuse a bottle.
I introduced a bottle too early with my
second- I decided i'd do a night bottle
and get a sporting chance of 6 hours
unbroken sleep a night.
I started giving the night bottle from
about day 3, it worked like a charm, but
my baby preferred the ease of the free
flowing milk from the bottle to working
away at my breast.
I finally gave in and swapped to bottle
after 3 months of trying to sneak a
breastfeed into her while she was asleep,
while I was walking around, using nipple
guards so she would'nt feel the difference
between teat and nipple, but she was never
fooled!!!
Expressing and giving breastmilk in a
bottle is really hard to maintain in the
long term.
It has all of the disadvantages of both,
with none of the advantages of either,
except, your baby is getting breast
milk.
That's what I found anyway.
Baby is happy if mummy is happy. No good
giving breastmilk if it's making you
miserable.
