Breastfeeding
shaysmom05
member
Basic BF questions
shaysmom05
member
Hi there! I have a bunch of questions. I wasn't able to BF DD due to no supply and other issues. I really want to with this baby. We've started looking into pumps and bottles for future use when the time comes. So here are my questions:
Which pump would you recommend? (I see so many different ones, and I can't tell if electric or manual would be better.)
If you use bottles at all, which kinds do you prefer? (I've heard some don't confuse the baby as much as others.)
How long should I wait for my supply to come in before trying to switch to a bottle?
Is it a No No to use a binkie when BFing? (Get mixed stories on this one)
I appreciate any advice I can get from you all. TIA!
"Momma! She's doing it again!!"
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Re: Basic BF questions
I have the medela freestyle - and I haven't used it yet. I'll probably start later this week.
We gave DD her first bottle 2 days ago. We used Playtex Drop-Ins. She seemed to take it fine - once she realized there was delicious milk in there!
Most literature recommend waiting 3-4 weeks. This helps you & baby learn to BF and have a good BFing relationship. However, if you are having issues 3-4 weeks into it, I'd wait until everything is going well to introduce a bottle.
The advice is similar for pacifiers - wait til 3-4 weeks. DD LOVES to comfort nurse, so sometimes if she's cranky soon after eating, we'll give her one to suck (or our pinky finger). But we introduced it at 2 weeks and haven't had any issues.
1) Pump recommendation = Avent Isis IQ Duo, I had the PISA and absolutely hated it, it always left me sore and it was so clunky to carry around. The IQ Duo has everything I need plus I love all the perks that come along with it.
2) We use the EvenFlo bottles with the Gerber nipples. I'm a budgeteer at heart and I figure if she'll take the cheap ones, why bother buying the expensive ones? So, I tried her on the evenflos first and that's what she liked.
3) We started introducing bottles at three weeks, but it really matters on you and the baby. When you feel that you have a strong nursing bond, then go for it, and do it slow. I also give my DD her bottles cold, which really helped her learn in the beginning. If it was warm she had to suck one way and if it was cold she had to suck another.
4) Another, when you're ready. For four weeks I sat on the couch for five hours straight each night allowing my dd to comfort suck before finally giving in and offering the binky. Best thing for my sanity I ever did. Some babies just like to suck, but it's all about waiting until you have a strong nursing connection.
Good luck! And remember this boards a fountain of help sometimes!!!
Make sure you see a Lactation Consultant while in the hospital. Also see if your hospital offers a breastfeeding class. The LC's in the hospital were awesome, I saw one all three days. Also the first few days your LO is here do skin to skin with baby and you. It helps with milk production.
I use the PISA pump to create my freezer stash and have had no problems so far. We use the playtex drop ins for bottles. I introduced a bottle a little before 2 months old because we were going out of town without baby. She did fine. She also got a pacifer the night she was born because she was in NICU for a few hours. I did not want one until she was a month old. However she latched fine and the pacifer was a life saver. She was into grazing at night to satisfy her sucking instinct.
Good luck! I know I had a lot of the same questions and am still figuring it all out myself.
Which pump would you recommend? (I see so many different ones, and I can't tell if electric or manual would be better.) I borrowed my sisters Medela PIS. It works good for me. I'd definitely get an electric pump whatever you get.
If you use bottles at all, which kinds do you prefer? (I've heard some don't confuse the baby as much as others.) We use Dr. Browns and love them.
How long should I wait for my supply to come in before trying to switch to a bottle? We gave DD her first bottle at 2 weeks I think because I was so sore from her having a bad latch that the LC recommended giving her expressed breast milk in the bottle. She took to it great.
Is it a No No to use a binkie when BFing? (Get mixed stories on this one) I asked the nurses this in the hospital and they said we could do what we wanted (I didn't want them to give me the side-eye for givcing her a pacifier like the first night). So we decided to try to hold out on giving her one for as long as we could. Well we ended up busting it out the first night home when she cried for 2 hours in the middle of the night. She takes her pacifier when she wants it and if she doesn't she will spit it out.