To Boob, or not to Boob !

[MagicMarkers]

Ive always just assumed id breatfeed, but the more i read threads on here about it the more im put off, it sounds really bloody painful ladies !! I know the goodness to LO far outweighs any discomfort, but i got really worried id put myself off and wimp out so i bought a breastpump. . . . .

Had a good breast-pump shop around and some look like medievil torture devices, but found a nice small one, so i can take it out, or pop it away easily i figure, and it was only £5 reduced from £20 in TK MAXX, loveee tk max ! Anyways now i have this hopefully it'll stop me from wimping out and if i feel i cant breastfeed all the time, when im feeling brave i can express and express !!!

Has anyone else thought about this yet ?? Got a breast pump ?

 

[aramintalovegrove]

breast fed before and will do so again, however not for as long this time as I dont have a job I can really fit it in (if that makes sense)
I had a simple hand breast pumplast time but TBH I used it a coupleof times and started to hand express as it was so much easier. Those breast shells are a god send too and caught whole feeds worth of otherwise wasted boob milk, they were my essential buy this time round

 

[MagicMarkers]

wahhh breastshell ???

 

[Becky]

Breastfeeding can be painful and hard work to start with and you're right the benefits for baby are undeniable however the thing is there is nothing that compares to the closeness between you and your baby when you are feeding them.

I loved the night time feeds where we would just be cuddling/feeding just us all quiet and I could smell her beautiful baby smell.

I exclusively breast fed Lucy till she was 4 months and I would say 2 weeks of that were harder than I expected but the rest was an incredible feeling of bonding.

I don't care how hard it is, it was the best thing I have ever done. I will do it again without hesitation.

Think about it the same way as giving birth, it's bloody hard work but ultimately so worth it and you'd do it again a million times.

 

[dannii87]

I'm planning on trying it It's not for everyone but I think it's always worth a try!

I'm not buying a breast pump until I know if I can breastfeed or not. Mainly because A) I have nothing left to buy so I'm trying to drag it out lol, B) because it would be a waste of money for me (with what little I've got!) if I can't breastfeed for whatever reason. But bloody hell girl, £5.00 is excellent! What a bargain

I personally (and please don't shoot me down This is just for me, not even a general opinion lol) I couldn't have a baby and not even try it... It would feel so unnatural to me to shove a bottle straight in their mouth without trying.

But hey. My best friend didn't breastfeed and she's got a really healthy little girl! I don't judge her at all and it hasn't affected either of them in any shape or form by not breastfeeding They're best friends!

xxx

 

[Bagpuss17]

For most women there is some pain and discomfort involved. I think the stats are that most women give up b/feeding after 2 weeks.

Don't let that put you off trying though because many women overcome the pain and some are lucky enough to take to it easily. Be prepared that you might go through some discomfort to start with.

I expressed using an avent breast pump, it's a manual pump thingy. I also used to wear the breast shells as well to collect milk.

My plan was to breast feed and express so that I could introduce bottles after 2/3 weeks so that my DH could join in the feeding experience. But I was barely producing milk and my LO didn't have a sucking reflex to start with so he was tube and cup fed for a week. He just never gained any interest in breast feeding despite me trying repeatedly.

I expressed for a month but my milk never came in and I was barely producing anything.

Be prepared that circumstances might take the decision to b/feed away from you as it did for me. Very upsetting to start with as I was filled with guilt. But as a 2nd time Mum, I won't feel guilty with my decision to bottle feed from the off. I may express for the first few weeks again too.

 

[Ally1979]

I really wanted to breast feed with daughter but despite even the MW trying to latch her on it just wasnt happening. After 2 days they told me i would have to give her a bottle otherwise she would have to go to special care.
I expressed milk for a while but then went onto formula and never looked back.
I would like to try it again this time but in the short time i expressed/tried to feed i really didnt enjoy it.

 

[Riot_Grrrl]

well i have breastfed my 3 first one for 8mths.2nd for 6 mths and baba newydd for 2mth and i bloody loved it.i was a natural only had enough milk just to feed,,not excess and i couldn't express..but i didn't want to anyway. hmmm btw it have taken it's toll on my boobies i could NEVER go without a bra and i mean NEVER

 

[nickilubs]

I'm defiantly going to give it a try its the most natural thing and its healthy also the amount of money saved is a incentive I will have to get a pump because I will work quite soon after the birth (I want too and the lovely daddy will look after girly well! Also mat pay for me is roobish so any work is good) If it works then brilliant I will feed for around 6+ months hopefully if not then you cant always win.

 

[Lindsay]

Hi hun

I breastfed my son and will try again with this baby. It is difficult at first, I struggled to get DS latched on correctly but once the midwife spent some time showing me some hints and tips I really got to grips with it.

I used the same express pump as Bagpuss17 however I found that I didn't need to use it that much as I didn't like going out anywhere leaving him behind. I wasn't a confident breastfeeding mother and didn't once do it in public, I always made sure that the car was nearby or I was near to a mother and baby feeding area.

I can only suggest for you to give it a go hun, you will know if it's for you and if it doesn't work out you can at least say that you have tried.

Xxx

 

[mibiuk]

Hi Hun,

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question, I was unable to breastfeed for the first three days but hand expressed for my collustrum to be taken and fed to my son. When I finally was able to start it was extremely difficult its not that I never tried.

I blame the hospital for there lack of commitment in trying to show me how to latch on properly, i think this is down I never had skin to skin contact straight away and they thought it was going to be difficult but I kept at it and a wonderful HCA came on for her night duty and sat with me for over two hours explaining and showing me the best techniques for latching on and yes it can be painful.

I had plenty of milk to start with and able to manually express using the Avent one like a couple of other ladies on here have said used. I was only able to get to 4 weeks as my son was a greedy whelp (love him loads) but could then not give him what he wanted.

I am definately going to try again with this one even if I get the same amount of time, less or more its such a satisfying achievement IF you can and are able to do it.

I am again buying the Avent Manual Breast pump and would recommend if you are wanting a good brand.

Sorry for yet another epic!
Take care
Kathy x

 

[Laur_250]

wahhh breastshell ???

Im with scatterpatch on this, what are these things and do they really collect alot of milk?? Are they visible under clothes??!!xx

 

[aramintalovegrove]

wahhh breastshell ???

Im with scatterpatch on this, what are these things and do they really collect alot of milk?? Are they visible under clothes??!!xx

Ladies they are fab! they are dome shaped cups that go over your nipples and catch the leakage. you can sort of see that they are there as they are ridged but fit nice in your bra and are much better than the wet patches you will prob get if they were not there!!! They only cost a fiver and you sterilise them so you can use the milk to feed bubba.
If you plan to try breastfeeding they are an essential, I used tem and as I said they caught enought to do a feed and I attribute them to not getting sore nipples, if I got engorged wilst LO wasnt around I would put them on and they would relieve the over flow.

Just as another plus to BF I co-slept with DS and he latched on when he was hungry during the night and I honestly NEVER had a sleepless night with him EVER when breast feeding...That alone makes me want to BF again!!!!

 

[valentine]

Ive always just assumed id breatfeed, but the more i read threads on here about it the more im put off, it sounds really bloody painful ladies !!

Aw hun, please DON'T be put off by stories you read on here. Its great that this support network is here for everyone (and for you regardless of how you end up feeding your baby), but its not meant to scare you - not everyone struggles.

I was lucky enough not to have significant problems and have been fortunate enough to exclusively breastfeed (no formula) for 9 1/2 months and am planning to continue until she self weans at some point after 1 year old. Please remember that for some people, apart from the odd sore nipple, its fairly pain free and easy.

You don't have to breastfeed, but I would recommend that everyone give it a go - its bl**dy amazing (scuse my language, but it is). Its saved me about £300 in baby milk costs so far too!

My personal view though is that if you really want to breastfeed, you have to be determined. If you hit barriers then it is often easier to give up than to keep breast feeding especially when you are tired and sore after birth, and if you don't encounter pain, you may encounter other problems like feeling like you have no freedom/can't leave baby or struggling with doing every single night feed yourself - at some point over your time breastfeeding your LO. You need to have a strong willpower and motivation to keep going.

Well done on the £5 breast pump! Is it a Tommee Tippee Freedom? That's the one I've always used and its worked well for me. If you were planning to express daily or fairly frequently though, I'd probably recommend an electric pump as the manual ones are a lot of work and sore on your hands after a while - okay for occassional use though.

Good luck and remember we're here to help you!

Valentine Xxx

 

[Carebear2]

I'm definately going to try again,i gave up way to easy with my son and it wasnt even because of nipple pain(i had none) just engorgement pain and the fact that i leaked like a tap. I have bought a pump because i plan on introducing a breast milk bottle once a week after 5 wks,mine is a medela electric and i have the breastflow bottles mothercare sells

 

[MagicMarkers]

Thanks for everyones imput, its only once you getin talking about it you realise how MUCH there is to talk about regarding something like this, its my own fault for focusing on the pain bit of the threads, and id much rather be preapared, didnt ever even realise it could be painful, uncomfortable yeah, but still im going to get some of those shells, goodbye wetpatches !!! They sound great !!
And do my best to breastfeed LO, but try not too feel too guilty if it doesnt happen Best thing is after reading all this im really looking forward to the experience, not only the money savingness butbeing close to baby !!

Thanks for all your advice ladies
Ive popped it away in my, bought to early to play with box, but will dig it out to see which one it is later

 

[prickleyfairy]

I Breastfed my daughter for just over 5 months, and it is so rewarding watching their weight grow, its also a lovely time to bond. I also had a manual Avent breast pump that i used, could'nt express tons off-but it was enough so DH could take over so i could catch up on some sleep!

Again i really recommend the breast shells too, they are great for collecting leaky boob milk!

Amy xx

 

[Mildly]

I definitely want to give breastfeeding a go. I love that it keeps the costs down especially as we are a primarily organic household and LO would have organic formula if we don't take to the boobranching well - I assume that organic formula is even more expensive than normal formula. I am certainly not going to beat myself up if for whatever reason we go down the formula route though.

I would like to express so that OH gets a chance to feed and bond with him too. I'm sure I read somewhere that expressing is best left to after 3-6 weeks so as not to affect the baby's latching skills. Also I was wondering, I am quite taken by the thought of the Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles as they are apparently more booblike. Any 2nd time Mums have experience of these? Or is it down to the individual baby as to what bottle/teat he prefers?

Also just to hijack the thread further (sorry Scatter ), I was looking at sterilisation units the other day and my OH said that just filing a bottle with boiling water sterilizes it so there is no need for a sterilisation steam thingy. I know that used to be the practise before sterilisation units came on the market but is it still a recommended practise?

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks aramintalovegrove im definately gonna invest in some then!xx

 

[maybebaby]

I breastfed ds until just before his birthday and LOVED it! It was hard work but if you know that in advance you're already at an advantage because you can prepare for it. I'm definitely planning to breastfeed again this time round.

It was hard, and painful for the first few weeks, but it was 100% worth it! It's so intimate, you get such a sense of closeness - especially at 3 in the morning when they're feeding & just look up at you... I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

And if all else fails it's a fab way to lose weight