Breastfeeding questions?

Casey - posted on 11/19/2010

I introduced the pacifier about 2 hours after my son was born! He came out sucking on his fist so I didn't really have a choice...I couldn't put him to breast the whole time and he just wanted to suck so pacifier it was. It did not hurt his latching (he had an issue latching anyways...he would have to cry four 15 minutes before he would latch on for the first few weeks until he got a hang of it). We introduced a bottle a little before 9 weeks but definitely by 9 weeks. We didn't have a choice...he went to daycare so I would pump and he'd get my pumped milk at daycare. He never had an issue going from breast to bottle UNLESS it was me trying to give him the bottle (ie at a restaurant) because it confused him...
If you are breast feeding you offer the breast every 3 hours and switch breasts after 20ish minutes until they fall asleep or unlatch. Breast feeding is easy in that sense...no having to measure!
I never used a sling to cover up I just would put a jacket over myself or a blanket. I would usually feed in the car on the way to where we were going or I would go to the car to feed because covering up just annoyed me and got in the way.
Breast feeding is easy...and hard! Tell the nurse you want to breast feed after you deliver and they help you latch the baby and such. Most hospitals also have lactation consultants that will come to your room and give you a lesson too so make sure to ask.
I loved breast feeding but it can be hard work. I did it until my son was 13 months old (and still do a little bit just for bonding!). It's a great way to lose weight too :).

Lindsey - posted on 11/16/2010

I gave my kids a binky right away and a bottle after about a month (because I wanted bottle feeding to be an option for date night and what not and with breastfed babies I think the longer you wait the harder it is.) You're baby will only eat for as long as they're hungry, but I was told not to do more that 10 minutes each side (because after that long you're probably empty) every 2-3 hrs. And as far as breastfeeding in public they make covers for it or I just used a receiving blanket and draped it.

Everything is harder the first month after giving birth because of pain, hormones, getting used to new baby, and still finding time for other children. Here's another thing to keep in mind. The #1 reason women quit breastfeeding right away is because "it hurts". And it does for the first couple weeks or so. Your nipples are being stretched and may crack, but it does get better. I would suggest getting some lanolin cream. And for the first couple weeks (give or take) your uterus will contract for the first few minutes each feeding; which essentially is good. That's one reason they say breastfeeding moms lose the weight faster.

I hope you have a good experience with breastfeeding.

Beau Shonelle - posted on 11/16/2010

Hi, I have three kids and the forth on the way. I have breastfed all three of my children. You can give the baby a bottle right from the start (that is up to you when do go start giving the bottle).
With the expressing, I have heard that if you express you won't get as much milk in the bottle and it reduces the amount of milk that you get (really sorry but not sure if it is true but).
They say a new born should feed every 3hours but my second child feed every 2hours. I have always demand fed my children (was just easier for me).
The only other thing I would suggest taking with you when feeding is a rag to put over your shoulder in case of vomiting, but other than that I would say you are ready.
With regards to the whole not knowing how to breastfeed they should show you how to do that while your in hospital anyway.

Good luck with it all.

Olivia - posted on 11/15/2010

You have gotten a lot of great advice. I just want to add some pointers. I am still Nursing on Demand my 16 month old, and he has never taken a pacifier. I did not want to have to wean him from it and I couldn't stand seeing a child walking around with one in their mouth, it just looks funny to me and to me some parents use it just so they can get the child to be quiet. He has also never really had a bottle. My mom would have one on hand when I went to my night classes for 2 hours a week but he would just play with the nipple. I would definitely look in your area for a La Leche League group. They can be a huge help. You can probably get with one through the hospital you are delivering at. Make sure the sling you bought is a safe one, because some can cause suffocation. I used a Moby Wrap. I also nursed in public, and did not really care what anyone had to say. I didn't flop my boob out but if my child wanted to eat, i fed him and still do, where ever we are. It's not different then a baby having a bottle, or anyone else sitting there eating their lunch. I hope breastfeeding goes great for you & that you find all the help you need. Put a post on here and see if you can find any moms on here from your area and yall could meet up. You can always get on here and ask for anymore advice that you need help on!

Whitney - posted on 11/14/2010

Any how this is why I was wondering about nipple confusion as I will need to at some point leave the baby with my mother while I take my daughter in for treatment. And I do not want to mess up my milk supply but it is best if I can introduce the bottle within a time frame of 3-4 weeks if possible. I will have to talk to the lactation consultants at the hospital when I deliver. I want to do whats best for my baby but it is not good for me to bring a newborn into a cancer ward for very long. The kids there are often very restricted in who they have contact with because they are all immune compromised so it is not good to have them exposed to a young baby who could get them sick. Or get the baby sick from being around so many people so early in life during flu season.

Whitney - posted on 11/14/2010

I will join the breastfeeding group after the baby is born if I can't figure out what I am doing. My oldest daughter who is 2 and a half, has Leukemia and goes in for treatment every ten days. She gets chemo then and we are at the hospital anywhere from 3 hours to 9 or more hours depending on what she is getting that day. She gets spinal taps once a month and on those days she is there much longer. Sometimes for 12 hours. There are going to be many times that I will have to bring the baby with me to the hospital for my daughters treatment in the begging until I can introduce the bottle so my mom can babysit her while I take my oldest in for treatment. My mom has been taking my daughter in for treatment now because I am high risk and can no longer walk very well or far because of some pregnancy complications. I feel it would be to much to ask her to take my daughter to her appointments even after the baby is born. My mom doesn't get all that breast feeding entails because she has no experience with it. And pretty much wants me to use whatever is easiest. She is not against breast feeding and is not un supportive. She is just exhausted and does not want to be bothered with having to adapt to my breast feeding the baby. If this makes sense. I do not mean for this to sound bad. But we have all been through a tough time in the last year and my mom wants a little bit of her own life back and that means, having time to herself. So the thought of her having to help with my older daughter for a few weeks after birth, until I get used to breast feeding is daunting to her.

Ashley - posted on 11/13/2010

i didn't breast feed but my sister is currently with her twin girls (along with supplementing formula bc it is almost impossible to make enough for 2)...i don't know about introducing bottles bc they did it right away bc she supplements as well, but they gave them binkys in the NICU right away. they say the soothie binkys r best for breastfed babies bc they r more like the real nipple. she didn't take any classes & had no experience but there should b a lactate nurse when u go to give birth at the hospital that u can get help/advice from. At first she had to pump like every 2 or 3 hours & she said it was frustrating bc it took the milk like 3 or 4 days to come in enough that anything of a substantial amount came out, but after that she said it wasn't bad--i think she pumps every 4-5 hours now & they r 6 weeks old. Everyone says to feed a breastfed baby whenever they want it...the twins do every 4 hours & i think they r doing 2 oz...which is the same as my daughter did @ that age on formula. Hope this is helpful:)

Jessie - posted on 11/12/2010

join the breastfeeding circle of moms forum. I waited until 3.5 weeks to introduce binky, it can cause nipple confusion, my son ate sometimes several times and hour (for real) or sometimes for an hour at a time. there IS NO FEEDING SCHEDULE FOR A BREASTFED BABY. no matter what ANYONE tells you. Nurse on demand even if it is 20 times a day (for real, no exaggeration) for at least the first 3 months to build your supply and get all those awesome nutrients into your baby. He had his first bottle at one week old, he got jaundice and I started pumping breast milk and gave him a few ounces in a bottle to make sure he was actually getting milk into him to help get rid of the jaundice (it worked by the way, no awful gross formula necessary) Do not supplement with formula under anything other than life or death circumstances, especially in the begining, it will affect your milk supply, Anything your baby isn't taking from the breast, is milk you aren't telling your body to make... see if you can find a lactation consultant in your area. I know I needed mine the first month or so. almost no one I knew breastfed and everyone else gave me horrible 'formula fed' baby advice. it is NOT the same thing

Whitney - posted on 11/12/2010

Thought I should mention that the bottles I have are special bottles for breast feeding and work similar to the breast. The baby has to work to get the milk out as opposed to a typical baby bottle. They are called The first years breast flow bottles. I was thinking that there will be less nipple confusion with these types of bottles as they are different then just the basic bottle. I don't actually need to use a bottle for awhile anyhow as I am taking time off from collage so I will be home for awhile.

Laura - posted on 11/11/2010

When you have your little one ask the nurses for help. Most hospitals have people there to just to help with nursing. They know good latch techniques and can help you hands on. Every child is different, I had no problems with my boys they took to it right away but I have heard some horror stories. I breast fed exclusively for the first month and then started pumping and introducing bottles once in a while after that. Good Luck it is a great experience and I'm looking forward to doing it with my third. And I agree with joining the group here. It's a great bunch of girls.

Sarah - posted on 11/11/2010

When you are in the hospital have the nurses help you with breastfeeding. There are going to be so many questions you have once you start that it is really nice to have that help and guidence. Also many hospitals have a lactation consultant that you can call and ask ?'s to and some even make house calls (this is really nice if you are having a hard time at first). Each baby is going to be different....some latch on and breastfeed really easily and others it is a work in progress and you just have to work at it. For the bottle/binky thing you will hear different advise. Some will say not to introduce them until they are doing well with breastfeeding and others will say it did not matter. I say do what works. Some babies will have a harder time getting the breastfeeding if they are changing between bottle and breast at first...others want to suck all day long and that binky helps with that reflex without having to have a baby connected to you 24/7 (even though you will feed quite often). How often to feed will also depend on your baby. Some feed every 2-3 hours others every 1-2 hours. At first it is a learning process of trying to figure out your baby and what she needs. It is a lot of trial and error. Breastfed babies tend to eat more often then formula fed babies because breastmilk is digested easier/faster. How much is hard to tell when breastfeeding since you can't measure it out. At first you usually nurse about 20 mins. on each side (if I remember correctly). Practice nursing with the sling and cover at home so that way when you want to use them in public you feel comfortable.

Breastfeeding is hard work. I think sometimes that since breastfeeding is the "natural" way people assume that it will just come naturally. Sometimes that is true, but often times both you and the baby have to figure it out and it is a learning process. Be patient, ask for help, talk to other nursing moms for support. My daughter ate every hour around the clock until she was 2-3 months old. This was the biggest change and shocker from my son who was formula fed and ate every 3 hours.

Jennifer - posted on 11/11/2010

another thing:

your milk probably will take 3-5 days to come in. until your milk comes in, your body is making colostrum which is a super concentrated kind of milk. in the first few days, their stomach are very very small so not much is needed to keep them satisfied until your milk comes in. just relax, and be confident. we are mammals. this is the way human babies have been fed since the beginning of humans so trust that your body knows what it is doing.

Jennifer - posted on 11/11/2010

the others have posted good acvice, and i second the suggestion to join the breastfeeding moms community...
http://www.circleofmoms.com/breastfeedin...
many of the ladies there have tons of advice, so if you run into a problem you have a place to go!

in addition to what the others said...
nursing on demand is very very important in the first 6 weeks especially. the hospital will likely tell you to feed baby every 3 hours but this is not completely accurate. in the beginning, it is important that baby eats AT LEAST every 3 hours but if baby is hungry every 45 minutes, let him/her nurse. breastfeeding is a supply/demand relationship and the first 6 weeks kind of set the stage for the rest of your breastfeeding relationship, as far as milk supply goes. your breasts will only produce what your baby is signaling them to make and if you don't establish a good supply in the beginning, you may have more issues with supply down the line. pacifiers don't really cause nipple confusion, but it is still important to avoid them in the beginning and let baby "comfort nurse" (nursing even when not hungry) during the first 6 weeks. again, this is to establish a good milk supply.

another thing to keep in mind is that babies, as i'm sure you remember, go through many growth spurts in the early months of life. during these growth spurts, it is going to seem like baby is constantly attatched to you, and it may seem like they are not satisfied. it is important during this time to not offer a bottle. let baby nurse as often as he/she wants. when you offer the bottle, even just to "top off" this means that your breasts are not being signaled to make as much milk as your baby will need when the growth spurt is over. typically, it will take 2 days until your body is able to catch up.

i also agree with the others that suggested watching videos on proper latch. get yourself aquainted with these videos before baby is born so that you know what a good latch looks like from the start. this link has really great videos...
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_...

my best advice is to BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR BODY. 97-99% of women are physically able to breastfeed their children for the recommended minimum length of time (6 months of nothing other than breastmilk), and continued breastfeeding until 2 years of age (world health organization). most of the porblems women encounter where they feel they cannot make enough milk are psychological, and can be overcome with proper support, and education on the subject. get in contact with your la leche league...the leaders are all willing to talk to you over the phone between meetings to help you with any problem you may encounter...
http://www.llli.org/

the first 6 weeks will be the hardest, but once you get through it, it is smooth sailing! breastfeeding moms get more sleep than bottle feeding moms, it just the first few weeks that can be hard. good luck!

Sarh - posted on 11/11/2010

I breastfed my daughter who will be 5yo and currently breastfeeding my son who is 5 months. My mom gently asked me if it was ok to give my daughter a binky when she was in the car seat leaving the hospital, because my daughter was so upset. I said yes and crossed my fingers she would not be a binky baby. She refused the binky and soothed herself to sleep once on the road. She didn't take a binky at all. W/her I started her on the bottle at 3 months old because I was having medical issues and had to have tests done etc. She took to it fine, but she has always done wonderfully w/change and was always the best baby ever and the most simply baby.

W/my bubby my mom again gentle asked if it was ok to try the binky when we put him in the car seat to take him home from the hospital (my fiancee and I didn't have a car at the time) he took it and did so for about 2 months when he was hungry and we were unable to feed due to being in the car or having to get to a private area, also sometimes to fall asleep. At about 2 months old he started to suck his thumb and will not take a binky at all anymore. Which I am very pleased about, but every has their own views on binkies. I introduced him to the bottle at about 4-6wks old, my fiancee took me out on a "date" to give me a break from our children and to get me out of the house. I have also read that if you plan to use a bottle (wether formula or breast milk) the best time to introduce it is about 3-6wks of age and this is said to reduce the risk of nipple confusion.

The hospital in which I delivered both of my children at was very helpful in breastfeeding. Neither of my baby wanted to nurse or drink from a bottle while we were in the hospital. My daughter only one or two times in the 3 days we were in the hospital (I had to have 64 stitches so they kept us a bit longer to monitor me). My bubby only nursed maybe 3-4 times in the 48hrs we stayed. I had one nurse who was soo helpful, she was about 7/8m pregnant and was so dedicated to helping me try to get him to feed, but he still was not having it.

Do some research on the hospital you are delivering at. And if you have a birth plan (I did not both w/one for either of my 2 children) make sure to put that in there. Don't be embarrassed or anything like that to ask any/all of your nurses for help w/breastfeeding.

Not sure if this will help you any, but it seems to be pretty helpful to me. there are 7 pictures and below each picture is information.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/feedingyou...

Brittany - posted on 11/10/2010

The only time you will really need bottles is if you are working or planning on going out for more than 3-4 hours depending on how often your baby eats. You can also pump to help increase your milk supply.
If you do pump, a bottle steamer is a great investment to warm up frozen or refrigerated breastmilk but don't shake the milk to blend the fats in! Instead, use a gentle swirling motion.
http://www.bflrc.com/ljs/breastfeeding/s...

This is a great bottle to try-
http://www.breastflow.co.uk/products.htm

It's wonderful that you are planning on breastfeeding! There's lots of great information on the web.
Here are two of my favorites:
http://www.vaccineriskawareness.com/Dise...

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html

When you first begin breastfeeding, the most important thing is having a correct latch. This video should help:


Babies that breastfeed will eat LESS milk MORE often than formula-fed babies because breast milk is much easier to digest so for the first month or two, you will be breastfeeding almost constantly! This is to establish your milk supply and give you and baby lots of practice to become fast experts! Some babies eat every 3 hours and some eat every half an hour but your body will make the right amount if you feed your baby every time she's hungry.

Be very careful of breastfeeding myths like your baby wont sleep through the night if they are breastfed. Mine was sleeping at least 8-9 hours before she was a month old!

There's lots of support on the breastfeeding group, also!
http://www.circleofmoms.com/breastfeedin...

Feel free to message me with any questions =)

Shana - posted on 11/10/2010

I breastfeed my daughter.
Atia is lucky because her children didn't suffer nipple confusion. Most babies will be nipple confused if you go from breast to bottle to breast to bottle. It's easier to eat out of a bottle, so if they get used to a bottle, then it's only going to make it that much more difficult to breastfeed. My daughter was nipple confused for a while, and it made things difficult and uncomfortable (because they suck different from a bottle than they do a breast.) I think it's 6 or 8 weeks they recommend you try not to use a bottle/pacifier.
The hospital should have a lactation consultant you can talk to about breastfeeding, and should be there after you've given birth to help you feed your child. If you aren't sure if there is one or not you can always call and ask about it.
Doctors will tell you to just let the baby feed as long as it wants on one breast and then when they de latch themselves to switch over to the second breast, this is because you have two types of milk. Foremilk which is very watery and is where the baby gets it's water from. and Hindmilk- which is fatty nutritious milk, and if you don't let baby eat long enough to get to the hindmilk they will be hungry and fussy all the time. I never did a feeding schedule with my daughter, I just fed her when she was hungry, it's what worked for us, but if you don't want to feed on demand then between every two and four hours they should be feeding.
I'm proud of you for wanting to breastfeed your new baby, it seems like a lot of work at first, but really if you think about it, once you learn how to get a good latch, it's so easy, just take out a boob! no bottles, no brushes, no sanitizing no formula no trudging to the kitchen at night to make a bottle. :D

There's a group on here called "Breastfeeding Moms" and they have TONS AND TONS of advice/tips, and breastfeeding moms love to help and encourage other breastfeeding moms!

Carolyn - posted on 11/10/2010

if you want your child to use bottles and a pacifier you should introduce it around 4- 6 weeks.

you feed a newborn on demand to help establish you milk supply. if a baby wants to nurse for 45 every 2 hours, you let that baby nurse !

ideal way is to let the baby nurse as long as it wants on the first breast, burp then offer the second breast. next feed you start with the breast you left off on. i dont recommend pulling your baby off to switch. by letting it nurse as long as possible on the first breast, you can be confident the baby is getting the fatty rich hindemilk that comes later in the feed. thats the stuff that builds happy healthy growing babies !

i suggest googling breast feeding videos on how to latch and nursing positions. also when you have your baby ask if their is a lactation consultant available to meet with you before you leave to make sure you have a good latch and offer additional information and support. Some nurses will also help. i know my labour and delivery nurse jumped right in and showed us exactly what to do. she even latched him on the first time as i was clueless ! hopped right in and grabbed to boob !

with breast feeding there is no magic number of how long and how much, as you cant be 100 % sure how much your baby is drinking unless you are weighing before and after :) you basically have to follow your babies cues to know when they have had enough.

most good breast feeding videos will cover all the basics from hunger cues, latching, positions, and cues on when your baby has had enough.

google was my best friend for all things pregnancy and nursing related :)

Atia - posted on 11/10/2010

Hello, my name is Atia and I breastfed all of my children. I actually breastfed my first child for a month without introducing the bottle. It is good to introduce to both early. When i tried to introduce the bottle he hated it and would not latch on but when I put his cheeks near my breast he quickly latched on. With my second child i introduced both early and the results were much better. The hospital actually had disposable bottles and I was able to pump and still feed the baby breastmilk even though it was out out a bottle. Not introducing my first child to the bottle early only had negative results. When I returned to work, the sitter said he would not eat. He only wanted to latch on. That was the last time I did that. I am now up to child number 5 and would not change a thing. Introduce the baby to both early on. A baby should eat for 15 min on each breast for about 30 min. It takes a lot of patience to breastfeed. Some babies latch right on, other you have to work with them. If I ever felt like the child was not getting enough to eat, I had a bottle of breastmilk as well. Just to be sure. Hope this info helps.