3rd Trimester
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Mainly Pump and bottle feed?
Can anyone offer thoughts on maily/only pumping and bottle feeding breast milk rather than breastfeeding? I'm now 35 weeks and still not liking the idea of breastfeeding- but I want to do what is best for baby.
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Re: Mainly Pump and bottle feed?
I made it about 3 months breast feeding and didn't want to give up but couldn't seem to get it right, without it being painful, so I thought I would pump instead. I only made it two weeks pumping. I couldn't be away from my house for more than 3 hours because I needed to go pump. (when you breastfeed, you can feed anywhere) Still had to get up in the middle of the night to feed baby and then go pump. It was really inconvenient.
There are plenty of working moms that do it though, and probably some stay at home moms too. Just be ready for the commitment.
It's the worst of both worlds, health reasons aside. The benefit of breastfeeding is that it's easy, always on tap, and doesn't require extra pieces/parts. If you choose to EP (exclusively pump), then you have to do all the work of pumping, because the pump is less effective than baby you have to be on a strict 2-3 hour schedule, and then put it in a bottle and feed, then clean the bottle and all it's assorted parts. I don't know anyone who has pumped regularly who would choose to EP.
That said, I applaud people who do it because it's hard as all get out, a huge time commitment, and less time holding LO (most moms get a hands free pumping bra and pump while bottle feeding). I would recommend trying BFing. Everything changes once your baby arrives and what seemed odd won't anymore.
i breastfed my ds for 13.5 months. i'm a normal girl just wanted to make it to 1 year. i also stay home with my son and grew to LOVE breastfeeding. it was something that only i could do, and every 2-3 hours was time for us only, no one could steal him from me
that being said, my friend had a premie and couldn't breastfeed till her son was discharged from the nicu after 28 days and they tried for weeks to nurse. he would never take her nipple even with a nipple shield, etc. she ended up giving up nursing and exclusively pumping. she said that she would do it again because she wanted her son to get breastmilk but that is was very challenging. one of her biggest complaints was that the frozen milk had to be dethawed and used immediatley or it would go bad.
going through what i did with my son and just being able to pull the boob out anywhere, anytime, no prep necessary was a huge plus to breast vs. bottle. when ds would cry because he was hungry he would get what he wanted in a matter of seconds and no clean up for mommy. who knows how much money it saved us and the health benefits we got from it.
i would just say don't rule it out until you try it. breastfeeding isn't for everyone but after a few weeks and especially after the baby is sleeping through the night it's just as easy or more so than the bottle. whatever decision you make will be the right one, you have to do what works best for you family
I would say make a couple of plans and then be open minded. Peronsally I went to the ends of the earth and back to nurse (even the LLL LC couldn't belive the lengths I went to and the specialists I saw) for me nursing was an amazing experince and I loved it. I hated pumping and only did it to support our BF relationship. I'm not sure I could have done it if I were exclusively pumping- but lots of ladies do. One of my girlfriends perferred pumping to BFing and she did it for 6 months. Kellymom.com has tons of info on both methods of getting BM to your little one. Can I ask what you specifically don't find attractive about BFing?
ONe thing to know is that it is really tough to go backwards- so if you bottlefeed it will be more difficult to later decide you want to BF and try to get baby back on the breast (not impossible- my son had to bottle feed bc of a physical issue with his mouth that went unresolved for months). Switching from breast to bottle (regardless of what is in the bottle) is typically way easier. Would you consider giving it a try for a week? Most importantly you need to be happy with your feeding choice so don't beat yourself up either way.
I'm way too lazy to EP voluntarily.
If you're weirded out by bf-ing, have you spent any time around it? The more I hang around moms breastfeeding, the more I feel like I can do it.
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It's a nightmare. EP-ing is very difficult and takes a lot of money, time and commitment. Women do it, I did it for a brief time, but it should be more of a last resort.
I'm over 10 weeks into exclusively pumping. I wanted to BF, but DD was born at 35 weeks with some medical issues that necessitated sending her to another hospital's NICU while I was recovering in the original hospital. When I got to her, she was having sucking issues even with a bottle, so when I tried BFing, she would.not.latch. My breast milk goal was through cold and flu season, but since it's imperative that DD's stool stay as loose as possible until she recovers from surgery in June to repair an imperforate anus, my new goal is getting through her recovery.
She does latch on now, but I only nurse her if she's fussy and needs a "snack". Since she was a preemie, the hospital insisted that we guarantee that she drank X amount every Y hours...obviously, you can't know the total amount with BFing.
I will admit that pumping is a PITA, but if you're committed to it, you just do it. Granted, I have a big incentive because if DD stops being able to pass stool as well as she is, her surgery gets moved up. (Doc wants to wait until she's bigger for a better outcome.) I started off pumping every three hours for a half hour each time, but have gotten down to every six hours without killing my supply (I have enough to cover all feedings plus store some in the freezer). I go out wherever I want (as long as DD cooperates or DH or my mom is watching her!) without worry of pumping. I bring my PISA with the battery pack if we start to push it time-wise, but have gone eight hours in a pinch.
It's possible to do without completely taking over your life, every six hours is not bad (if your supply allows). Maybe I've just been lucky, I don't know. I don't regret or resent primarily pumping, but I honestly don't know if I'd still be going at 10 weeks (and still for another 3-4 months) if it wasn't for DD's issue.
I EPed because I had no choice. My DD was very premature and just never would take to BFing by the time I could start trying with her. I was really fortunate to have a huge supply and a baby with a tiny appetite, so I only pumped 3.5 months and ended up with a 6 month supply, then switched to formula. However, the only reason I was able to EP successfully for so long was because DD was in the NICU 2.5 of the 3.5 months, and by the time she came home, I could pump just 4 times/day and have a full supply. Even that proved too much after a few weeks and I ended up stopping because I was too wiped out from all the double feeding work.
If you EP, you will have to pump 10 times/day at the start to get your supply up, then continue to pump as often as a baby would eat - so a good 8-10 times/day for weeks if not longer. That means at least a 15 minute pump session each time (it took me closer to 30 min every time), plus washing the pump parts, plus having to then feed your baby (so another 15-60 minutes depending on your LO's eating habits)... this can get really labor and time intensive - at one point I was spending easily 12 hours/day on pumping, storage and feeding. I strongly encourage you to try BFing if you want to supply BM - at least for the first few weeks of round the clock feedings, and then decide to continue with BFing or EPing or to stop.
If you do decide to EP, you will need a really good double electric pump (I used a hospital grade Medela that was rented; you will at least need a top of the line double electric if not a hospital grade, but for EPing from day 1, I wouldn't even try relying on less), you will need a car adapter for it so you can pump if you're out, and you should get yourself a hands-free pumping bra.
Good luck with your decision! BM is obviously excellent for your baby, but EPing is a HUGE time commitment, so really think through what will be best for you and your LO.
We had latching issues(DS was tongue tied...I had inverted nipples) so I turned to pumping. DS got mainly breast milk for almost 6 months with maybe 1 bottle of formula a week.
I went back to work when he was 5.5 months old and soon after that, my supply started to drop. I started supplementing with formula and finally gave up pumping when he was almost 8 months old.
I had no problem pumping. If I was going out and knew I wouldn't be home when it would be time for me to pump, I brought the pump with me. I pumped in my car many times. It was no big deal.
Speaking as someone whose breasts are my #1 turn-on zone... you get over it fast without even thinking about it. I have a hard time thinking sexually right now in regards to the b00bies! I enjoy the once or twice a day that put DD on the breast because it feels so nurturing, rather than anything remotely sexual.
I agree with the pp who says it's the worst of both worlds. DS and I could never get bfing going and so I exclusively pumped for four months before I finally threw in the towel. It's hard and it's double the work of either ffing or bfing.
I seriously hate my pump and dread having to hook it up again.
That being said, I would encourage you to just be open about bfing. I think for many women it seems somewhat uncomfortable because it's such a new thing and you are used to your breasts being sexual. But your feelings might change after baby is here.
I was always kind of thought "we'll give it a go and see if it works" but not feeling super committed before ds was born. After he was born and we weren't able to bf after many, many lactation consult visits, la leche league help and time, I was devastated. And I was kind of surprised to be so upset since I was never hardcore about it before he was born. But something changed.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
This was me exactly when I had DS. The thought of BFing weirded me out because it's not something I had ever been around and I always viewed breasts as being more sexual than functional, but I decided I was going to try and if I was uncomfortable then I would stop. Once DS was born it completely changed me. Breastfeeding immediatly felt very natural and functional and completely changed my views. I'm really glad I decided to try it. I BFed for 7.5 months and I will BF with this one too.
My advice is to keep an open mind and to try it. You may be surprised at how having a baby changes you. On the other hand, it still might make you uncomfortable and you may decide it's not right for you and that is OK too. You can try to exclusively pump instead but honestly pumping is such a PITA. I pumped sometimes and it sucked. I couldn't imagine having to pump around the clock but it's something you can definitely try. If neither of these work for you, it is OK to FF. Yes breast is best but formula will not hurt your baby.
Good luck with your decision and whatever you decided it will work out
DS #1 could not latch. I consulted with lactation consultants, tried nipple shields, the whole nine yards. So I accepted that he wouldn't be able to BF, so EP for 5 months. The only reason I stopped was b/c it turned out he was allergic to dairy, egg, and peanut. It was much more practical to just put him on special hypoallergenic formula at that point.
The pros for me of EP was being able to have others feed DS. My parents, husband, friends, etc had the joys of feeding him which was neat. I also could bring my pump with me if I wanted to go out for more than 3 hours at a time which was nice. So many of my BF friends had to bring their baby every where they went and couldn't go to dinner and a movie b/c they couldn't be away from baby that long. Also, another plus was that I had an insane supply- after it was established, I was able to pump more than a day's worth of milk in only 3 sessions. I even had leftovers for the freezer stash!
The negs were that it was a pain to sit for 10-20 mins at a time having to pump instead of being able to do other things. If this next baby doesn't latch, I don't know how I am going to manage pumping all the time with a toddler running around.
I would recommend getting two sets of breast shields for pumping with. That way, you aren't constantly cleaning them after every single pumping session.
Anyways, good luck with whatever works for you!
I know people who have done it for up to a year. I will say it's a lot more work and a huge commitment to exclusively pump.
I'm not sure your reasons for not wanting to nurse, but you may find that you really enjoy it. I'd suggest having an open mind and at least trying it after the baby is born and then figure out what will work best for you & the baby (be that nursing, pumping or formula).
Kate ~ Mommy to Matthew 3/29/07 & Kylie 12/30/08 & Chase 3/31/11
I encourage every woman who wants to nurse to do it. I've coached lots of friends through problems and rough spots (every growth spurt is difficult but especially the early ones). I pass along the excellent advice I was given: set small goals and expand them as they become easier. When you get up in the morning decide that you will breastfeed that day, all day. Then add that night to your commitment. Then make it two days, etc., etc. Everyone I've given that advice to has gone on to nurse longer than 12 months.
Nursing isn't easy. Neither is bottle feeding. What works for one mom, doesn't for another. Actually doing it really shows you how little you knew about it before. No matter how convinced you are about it now, you really just don't know until you try.
If you decide to EP, find a Lactation Consultant to support you. Her first priority is probably going to be to keep you nursing, but if you decide not to, she should assist you in successfully EPing as long as possible. Even though the pump is less efficient than your baby, there are ways of increasing and maintaining your supply with the pump.
Don't EP unless you have to! I EP'd for a year and it was very difficult. It *sounds* so easy but it isn't. I was constantly hooked up to the pump, I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to pump, I had to keep a very strict schedule, I was constantly washing pump parts (even though I had 3 full sets), etc....
Try BFing 1st... if it doesn't work then go to FFing.
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