- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Success after IF
deciding to breastfeed
Hi girls!
I have no idea if I want to breastfeed or not. I always just assumed I'd try breastfeeding for a short time but then bottle feed. Taking our childbirth class this weekend is making me think a bit more seriously about breastfeeding. I just can't decide! How did you make the decision about breast or bottle? Should I take a breastfeeding class so that if I do decide to do it I'll have a clue about what to do? And do I need to add breastfeeding things to my registry? Thanks for helping!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: deciding to breastfeed
I made the decision with DD#1 that I wanted to give it an honest try. I didn't take a breastfeeding class, but think that it would have been super helpful. I would recommend taking one if there is one available for you.
As far as the registry, in the beginning I just used nursing pads (everyone has their preference but I like Johnson and Johnson and Lansinoh) and Lanolin for my nipples.
I will tell you that the first few weeks are rough. I don't sugar coat that for anyone. If you can just make it through the first few weeks before making a definite decision on continuing to breastfeed it is a great idea. I nursed DD#1 for 3 months and am still nursing DD#2.
Good luck!!!
I would def. take a class! I took one and it was SO helpful. Now that I'm bf'ing #2 I dug out all my old papers and started re-reading. It was really a great class.
My major deciding factors in bf'ing or not was #1 health benefits to baby, #2 COST! I'm too cheap to feed formula. #3 ease - not that breastfeeding is easy, it's REALLY hard work in the beginning but I don't have a dishwasher and the thought of bottles and mixing formula in the middle of the night is really unappealing to me.
Things to add to registry: bottles, boppy or breast friend. You could put a pump and pump accessories on your registry but I chose not too. I felt weird about friends and family buying stuff for my boobs.
GL! Take the class!
E
I knew I wanted to try bfing but I didn't put a ton of pressure on myself. I figured if it worked that would be great and if not I'd bottle feed. I didn't take a class but I bought a few books.
I was very lucky that my milk came in right away. Dd latched on like a pro and so we were off and running. I'm a VERY stubborn person so once I started I wasn't giving up. The first 3 -4 months were hard. It's demanding physically and mentally but once again I was so stubborn about it I wouldn't give up. I also had a great support system with my mom and DH (I only have one friend that bf for more than a few weeks). My mom bottle fed me and DH so she had to learn a lot in order to support me. Once we got past the 4 month mark it was a breeze and I bf dd for a year. She actually refused the bottle all together (she wouldn't even drink pumped milk from a bottle). So if she was with a sitter (my parents or ILs) she'd either get so desperate she'd take just enough from a bottle to hold her over or my mom or MIL would have to spoon feed her breast milk...craziness. She learned how to drink from a straw at 10 months and was using a sippy cup at 11 months (she would take pumped milk that way).
I didn't have anything bfing related on my registry but a lot of people register for a pump (we just bought it ourselves once I knew it was working for us).
Clomid M/C 8 weeks 2/08 *IVF #1-DD born 3/09
*Surprise BFP-T18 baby lost at 13w 1/10 *FET #1-DS born 2/11
I was breastfed and so just assumed I would breastfeed when I had babies. I wanted to do it because it is cheap and readily available. But, the part where it doesn't cost anything was a big deal. I also wanted that special time with my baby. Having twins didn't change my mind, we are breastfeeding and my babies have been getting breastmilk exclusively for 2 months now.
Yes, the beginning is SO hard, you have to commit to it, or you will give up. But once you get past the hard part, it is a breeze and totally worth it.
I also pump, so I needed pump accessories from the start, but if you will be home full-time, you can wait on that stuff. Good luck.
I would take a class. I went in not knowing some basic and all the nurses at the hopsital told me differing things on how to hold the baby. it was so overwhelming...
good luck! as pp...i was stubborn so I did it for 11.5m alhtough the first 3m are hell - first 6wks are the worst until baby and mommy finally get it. it isn't as natural as you think and it is a learning process for both. I was stubborn since I spent so much on a pump, etc.
I knew I wanted to try breastfeeding, and I planned on sticking it out unless I had major problems like some women do. My reasons for deciding to try were based on the health benefits to both me and baby, and the cost benefit. I also wanted the bonding experience. Luckily it worked out, and we are still BF. Like pp said it was difficult those first few weeks (the 1st week or so was very painful), but once we figured it out it got a lot easier. Some people never had the pain I did in the beginning either, so don't let my experience scare you. It is definitely a major commitment (not to give it a try but to stick to it), but I am also stubborn and wouldn't give up. Now I'm so glad I didn't quit!
I didn't take a class because I waited to long to sign up, and the class was full. I had a lot of help from my mom and friends, but I wish I would have taken the class. I did add a few things to my registry, but I think I ended up buying most of it myself. It was nice to keep track of everything I needed by adding it though. HTH! Since you're not opposed to trying, I think you should definitely attempt BF. You could love it, and it definitely can't hurt to try. Good luck!
My take is there are too many benefits to breastfeeding not to give it my best try.
I'm setting mini goals, 6 weeks, then 3 months, 6 months, and hopefully I'll make it to a year.
I don't think there is anything wrong w/ formula feeding if that is what works best for you AFTER you've researched and discussed breastfeeding.
IMO, if you decide to do it, set yourself up for success. Schedule an appt with the LC at the hospital; make sure your birth plan states that you plan to BF; get some BFing gear (nursing pillow, nursing book, lanolin cream, silicone gel pads for your nipples, etc). The first 6-8 weeks CAN be very, very challenging. It takes time for the baby to learn to nurse and for you to get the hang of it too. It takes a lot of trust in your baby and body, so it also takes the support of family and friends. I found the class to be incredibly useful - lots of stuff I didn't know - but even if it is a "review" you can meet other STB moms who you can keep in touch with for support.
If you decide to BF, don't keep formula in the house (too easy to give into the ease!), and surround yourself with BF positive people (on the board, in a support group, etc).
If I am making it sound complicated - it's not. But it is a committment that you have to make because of the way that BFing works (supply and demand).
All that said.... if you do it (and I am huge advocate for BFing), the rewards are huge. It's a wonderful bonding experience, it is convenient, and it is great for baby AND for you. Not only do most women experience rapid weight loss, study after study shows that BFing lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
It was hard for me to begin with. Sam was jaundiced and my milk didn't come in right away. He had formula for about 2 days in the hospital, on top of nursing. But my pedi and my husband were super supportive and helped me to understand that MY body and MY baby would eventually get the hang of things. And we did. And even after mastitis and plugged ducts - at the 8 week mark things were just great. And the continue to be!! I am SO SO glad I stuck with it.
I am a runner, knitter, scientist, DE-IVF veteran, and stage III colon cancer survivor.
I want/wanted to BF without giving myself to much pressure. LO is now 5 weeks old (born 4 weeks early) and had/has a bad latch. I've been working with an LC since LO was a week old and that has helped.
I still need to use a nipple shield and he gets between 3-4 (out of 8 or so feedings via BF). I use Playtex drop-in bottles for the other feedings. I am still very sore etc. from BF but LO is not as gassy etc. so I'm going to try my best. I do not think he will end up exclusively BF but pumping and BF half and half is working for us now.
I found this article to be very helpful in my first month of breastfeeding:
https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2000/oct/17/healthandwellbeing.health4
The gist of it is that while it's important to support mothers to breastfeed as it breast milk has multiple benefits for both mother and baby, it's also important to paint a realistic picture for new mothers. Problems are commonplace--- whether it's a baby that wont latch, a baby that wont gain weight, the 2-hour cluster nursing frenzies that leave you sleepless, thrush, engorgement (or worse, mastitis...)-- and to commonly, LCs and well-meaning friends forget how painful and difficult it was in the first month.
A good friend told me, "success with breastfeeding is 95% determination" and that is so true for me. As epphd said, set yourself up for success. Read up about it ahead of time, get in touch with your LC, insist on frequent appointments with your LC while in the hospital, start attending LLL meetings, and donate all those free cans of formula to someone who needs it. Tell your close family/relatives/SO that they should never say "do you want to try formula?" when you break down and cry, but should rather give you supportive feedback and say "do you want me to call the LC?"
For breastfeeding, some things you'll need are nursing bras and tanks (dont buy too many pre-baby, as your size will fluctuate in the early months), nursing pads (disposable are easiest for the 1st month as you soak through them with every feeding, and sometimes between feedings; and then I switched to reusable at 10 weeks), breast pump, some bottles (I just got one 4-oz and two 8-oz bottles), and wash cloths (I had a forceful letdown and it helped to catch the milk instead of spraying LO in the face).
Good luck!
TTC #1 since 2007. Dx: Unexplained infertility. 4 IUIs in 2008 = BFN. IVF #1 07/09. DD #1 born April 2010 (40w5d).
TTC #2 since 2011. Dx: Endometriosis and hypothyroidism. 2 FETs in 2012, BFP 6/12 but m/c @ 7 weeks. IVF #2 06/13. DD #2 born March 2014 (40w1d).
I had no clue what I wanted to do - I always wanted to at least try to pump.
My girls arrived early after a long hospital stay, and I don't know if that increased my comfort level with trying things out with the nurses I knew so well.
But the first night with my DD who wasn't away for observation in the NICU.. Nurse said, "She looks hungry. Wanna try?" I did and I knew it was right.
Obviously, especially with preemies, it wasn't perfect right away and we had to supplement for a little while in the beginning, but like laura&dan, I'm stubborn and made sure it worked.
pretty much ditto this. It was really important to me to give my babies breastmilk, both for health reasons and to avoid the cost of formula for 3. I do a mix of giving pumped milk in a bottle (prob 70% of time, esp. in the beginning when their latch wasn't very good) and breastfeeding. I rented a hospital grade pump since I have to produce so much milk. So far I've only had to supplement with a little formula here and there.
I like that my boobs are always available - no need to panic about not having formula with me if I'm out with the babies - their food is always ready and waiting.
Ditto this exactly!