Questions

DAStaton

With my first baby i tried to breastfeed, but he was jaundice and they told me they needed to give him a bottle to hydrate him so after 2 day of breastfeeding i had to stop.

With my second baby i breastfeed for 2 weeks, he wanted to eat every hour and a half to two hours. I had a c-section with him as well as my first. My back was hurting and my stomach was hurting every time i tried to feed him, I could never get comfortable to feed him and hated feeding him so i stopped after two weeks.

Now with baby #3 i am going to breastfeed. Im going to get a breast pump and a more comfortable feeding pillow.

I tend to have large babies my first was 8lb 4oz and my second was 9lb 9oz so im expecting this baby to be about 10lb or bigger, I have been told that larger babies tend to eat more often and more during each feeding.

So some of my questions are.

How often should a baby about 10lb be eating?

How long should i feed the baby on each breast?

When should i start pumping?

When should i start giving the baby a bottle with breast milk in it?

How do you store breast milk and for how long?

daisygirl2010

OK - I'm not an expert - but here's what I've read/heard and what my experiences have been.

 

How often should a baby about 10lb be eating?  In the beginning they seem to eat at least every 2-3 hours (sometimes more often).  Most babies clusterfeed (so they'll eat a bunch of times close together, then go for a longer stretch without).  I was told feeding on demand is the way to go - so you'll just watch for signs that your baby is ready to eat ~ and feed him/her then.

How long should i feed the baby on each breast?  In the beginning I was told to let her eat on one breast until she was finished (unlatched) and then offer the other breast.  As a newborn, she would take as much as an hour to feed. As time went on, we had to just do one breast at a time due to an oversupply issue...but that will all depend on your specific situation.

When should i start pumping?  not too early or too late.  I think most people say not before 4 weeks, but usually no later than 6 weeks.  But this depends on your supply, any issues you might be having and when/if you are going back to work.

When should i start giving the baby a bottle with breast milk in it?  Depends on your needs.  If you are going back to work, you'll want to make sure your LO is used to the bottle for a couple weeks.  Again, I think you don't want to start too soon (not before 4 weeks) if possible.

How do you store breast milk and for how long?  In the fridge or in the freezer.  I've seen different "rules" for how long.  At least 3 days in fridge & 3 months in freezer although some places say quite a bit longer.

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