To breastfeed or not to breastfeed, that is the question

[Miss]

I'm just coming up to the 3 month mark for breastfeeding and have been doing a blog for work if anyone is interested?

http://www.juicefm.com/content?id=456

An honest account of what it's really like to breastfeed! Oh and you can win a pram too so get entering.

Gem x

I love your blog Gem - you write really well! x

I will be breastfeeding this one - hopefuly for longer than I did with my DS! Reasons - it feels natural - it has everything baby needs, it's good for us, no warming of bottles while you have a screaming baby means a calmer baby! x

 

[Samsgirl]

i am hoping to be able to do it......def just breast for the first 2 weeks and then bring in a bit of formula too....then when im at home with baby, i will of course breastfeed. but then if the little one is used to and ok with forumla too, it means that my mum can feed him/her and OH can have a go too. my mum will be having little one when i go back to work so i want her to have plenty of time with it when it's little and bond with it so i feel extra confortable leaving the baby with her. im very lucky though, she is spot on and i want her toi be able to have baby, cos she is too excited. he he.....so forumla will make that easier too

xx

 

[Miss]

i am hoping to be able to do it......def just breast for the first 2 weeks and then bring in a bit of formula too....then when im at home with baby, i will of course breastfeed. but then if the little one is used to and ok with forumla too, it means that my mum can feed him/her and OH can have a go too. my mum will be having little one when i go back to work so i want her to have plenty of time with it when it's little and bond with it so i feel extra confortable leaving the baby with her. im very lucky though, she is spot on and i want her toi be able to have baby, cos she is too excited. he he.....so forumla will make that easier too

xx

Remember you could always express instead of formula hun - introducing formula so quickly means that you breast millk will not be established and could make it harder for you to breast feed than easier x

 

[Samsgirl]

ah okay....thanks for that....i dunno how i am going to do all this. i know nothing!!! lol.....im getting married just after baby born...so just hope i can express enough to make up a few bottles for that day too. im assuming you can freeze it?? xx

 

[Miss]

Rayoflight - will be able to tell you more about freezing the milk hun - I know you can do it and build quite a stock tho! My son is 11 - freezing the milk was not even thought of then lol

Hope you have a lovely wedding hun! Wow you have 2 bigs things to look forward too lol xx

 

[Samsgirl]

i do....talk about getting it all done in one year! he he....baby due 7th oct.....i think! and getting married on 25th november.....so baby will either be 6 weeks old or 4 weeks if i go over...we shall see eh?! ha ha...all very exciting though.

not gonna beat myself up if i cant do it....but will give it a go xx

 

[toni64539]

That DVD really is brilliant. It goes through everything from attatchment to any problems you have to expressing and storing and basically everything you could ever need to know. Everyone should watch it x x x

 

[Rayoflight]

I donate milk so I express every morning. It gets put straight in the freezer.

Midwives & health visitors will give you conflicting advice on storage times (some say you can store in fridge 3-5 days some say 24hours). Personally, I express and if there's not enough to fill a 5oz bottle/storage bag then I stick that right to the back of the fridge and express more later (within 24hrs) and add to it. Then once full I freeze straight away.

If I'm going out later that day/evening for example and i need milk for him I'll feed him off one boob first thing (anytime between 6-9am) then as soon as I've fed him I'll take him downstairs, stick him in his chair whilst I express off the other boob. Only takes about 10-15 mins including sterilising time. Then that 5oz gets put at the back of the fridge for later. I'll sterilise a bottle and put the bag of milk in a bottle cooler storage bag thingy and leave that with whoever is minding him. I make then put it in the fridge straight away. If he is hungry they stand it in warm water to heat and transfer to the clean bottle. That milk once heated must be used within an hour. If you heat it and he doesn't take it within the hour it must be thrown away. If he stays asleep and doesn't need the feed, as long as it's stayed in the fridge and not been warmed I take that back home and freeze straight away.

I made a bottle of formula up for my neice yesterday and I was such a spanner trying to work it all out. I SWEAR it's so much harder and takes longer than expressing. Leaving the kettle for 30 minutes after boiling whilst she screamed was really not fun at all and then it took about a further 10 mins to cool. She was a right state. Maybe I did something wrong?

For those of you saying you'll do both and when you leave them with others you'll formula feed you need to remember that your boobs will get really full and uncomfortable. So, you'll end up expressing anyway! If you're doing that, you naturally get a little system going and find you have enough milk. Your body will only make as much milk as required so I'd you're dropping a breast feed for a formula one and not expressing your milk supply will start to decrease as your body will think your baby doesn't need that much milk.

I am honestly the least organised person in the world and I manage it ok. Just requires a little planning the morning or evening before you're due to be away from your baby.

 

[Samsgirl]

what a star you are.....i may be asking for your advice when little one here....xxx

 

[Rayoflight]

No problem!!! I'm doing the La leche league course next month so I can properly volunteer to go help ladies in my areas with breastfeeding worries whilst I'm on maternity.

I'm also possibly going into local schools to do talks on it with the eldest girl classes later this year. Very excited about that!

I think i've just realised i've become a bit of a breastfeeding warrior. It's not east for everyone I know but I've really took to it so if I can help just one other person then it's worth it.

 

[Samsgirl]

that sounds fab...i just hope that i can do it....i have huge boobies and so there should be plenty in there...ha ha....or you'd think! xx

 

[toni64539]

Rayoflight why don't you live near me lol I need you! Haha

 

[AbbyJ]

Definitly breastfeed! Its' the best feeling, yes can be a bit sore to start with but then after that it's just you and your baby sharing the most amazing closeness, it's a great feeling, better than I can put into words really! Plus, you lose weight faster, your wombs contracts back to normal size quicker, your baby will be healthier and more contented, and less likely to suffer from colic. I'll have been carrying aand nurturing my baby for 9 mnths, I'm damn sure I'm going to carry onn and do my best for him/or her when they're born, and that means brestfeeding, in my book brestfeeding it isn't optional.

 

[Rayoflight]

that sounds fab...i just hope that i can do it....i have huge boobies and so there should be plenty in there...ha ha....or you'd think! xx

I have huge boobies too (32K!) although it doesn't matter what size they are, your body produces enough milk for the baby regardless.

 

[Rayoflight]

Rayoflight why don't you live near me lol I need you! Haha

I can always be on here for you hunny!

 

[AgentM]

I breastfed Oliver for 14 months and definitely plan on bfing this one. Once its established, its so easy. Just plug in and go! I lived that if I went our for an hour, I could easily stay for the day without thinking about it. I also used to freeze my milk, but didn't donate. Think I will this time as I ended up dumping gallons of it when we stopped!!

 

[nmf1987]

i am swaying. will probably give it a go but will be trying to breat feed and bottle feed. just for conveiniance.

also my sis in law breastfed and my brother didnt get a look in anything for ages so didnt seem to get a bond with their lo for a long time. xxx

 

[Samsgirl]

i'm getting myself really worried about this....i'm the type of person who likes to be organised and have everything clear in my head and am feeling a bit overwhelmed and out of my depth about the whole baby thing this weekend....

like how do you know how much they need, how often do they need fed..etc ...etc.....will i just know??? if i'm gonna go out, how much will i need to express to take with me or leave with my mum for baby......

i'm sure it will all click into place once it's here.....i hope

xxxx



since typing this...i have had some toast and a cuppa and taken a deep breath and i am fine again....lol..baby hormones are a killer!!

 

[Rayoflight]

Oh believe me you know when they need feeding! Breast or bottle fed they let you know!

It's funny but you get so tuned in to them so quickly. I can tell just from his cry whether it's food or sleep he needs. He does a bored cry too!

If I express and fully empty a boob at the moment I get anything between 5 - 8 ounces per boob. Blake will sometimes only take 3oz of it though. Sometimes he'll scoff the lot and want more (I give him more and he usually throws up though!). Your body knows exactly how much to make. When BFing the baby will naturally pull away when finished, fall asleep or suck really lightly and quickly - using you as a dummy. You never really know how much they get but as long as they're putting on weight - all is ok.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a brilliant book to read for all you mums to be (and new mums!).

 

[Cantstop]

What about if say my nana takes the baby for a walk in the pram - would it be necessary for her to take a bottle of expressed with her or would it be ok without?