Question for those not breast feeding

tiffhiam · June 2012

I am a FTM and not planning on breast feeding. But I was wondering for those of you who are not breast feeding do you take formula to the hospital/midwife with you when your LO is born, are you breast feeding for a week or so?

I'm not completely against breast feeding for the first week or so but dont want to do it much longer than that.

TIA

sschwege · June 2012

They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.

Jenelle101 · June 2012

sschwege:
They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.

This exactly. It might take a few days for your milk to come in anyway, so what would be the point? Unless you think you'll change your mind. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, though.

juliane2004 · June 2012

Jenelle101:
sschwege:
They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.
This exactly. It might take a few days for your milk to come in anyway, so what would be the point? Unless you think you'll change your mind. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, though.

This. Don't start if you aren't going to continue. It'll make your milk come in more and be harder to get it to dry up.

I'm FFing as well. The hospital provided us formula for the first two, so I assume they'll do the same with this one.

Nericole · June 2012

I am not going to breastfeed at all. I want my milk to dry up as fast as possible, so I'm not even going to do it a little bit. At the hospital, they will have formula for you. Like another poster stated, they will send you home with some as well.

We are having a home birth, so the formula will already be there and ready for the baby.

briannaj731 · June 2012

I recently read something on babycenter.com:

"If you and your baby are both healthy and able, you may want to give nursing a try, at least for the first few weeks, so your natural immunities can be passed to your child"

https://www.babycenter.com/0_choosing-to-formula-feed_471.bc

So I don't think just doing it for a few weeks is an awful idea sure it will take longer for your milk to dry if you start but so what? I could only BF my son for a couple of weeks and yeah it sucked to let everything dry up but it's not the end of the world.

With that said they will provide the formula in the hospital and give you samples to bring home.

Nericole · June 2012

briannaj731:
I recently read something on babycenter.com:
"If you and your baby are both healthy and able, you may want to give nursing a try, at least for the first few weeks, so your natural immunities can be passed to your child"
https://www.babycenter.com/0_choosing-to-formula-feed_471.bc
So I don't think just doing it for a few weeks is an awful idea sure it will take longer for your milk to dry if you start but so what? I could only BF my son for a couple of weeks and yeah it sucked to let everything dry up but it's not the end of the world.
With that said they will provide the formula in the hospital and give you samples to bring home.

I agree with this. If it's something you're open to at least trying it may be worth it. The colostrum is a really great substance for baby and if you can at least manage that then great! I'm not doing it at all because of personal reasons, but I still support and urge other women to try and continue. The worst part of choosing to bottle feed is all the judgement and pressure to breastfeed. So no judgement here! :P

tiffhiam · June 2012

juliane2004:
Jenelle101:

sschwege:
They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.

This exactly. It might take a few days for your milk to come in anyway, so what would be the point? Unless you think you'll change your mind. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, though.

This. Don't start if you aren't going to continue. It'll make your milk come in more and be harder to get it to dry up.

I'm FFing as well. The hospital provided us formula for the first two, so I assume they'll do the same with this one.

I should have mentioned I am not giving birth in a hospital. I am using a midwife and giving birth at her birthing center. So I dont think she would provide formula.

Amaryllis619 · June 2012

Nericole:
briannaj731:

I recently read something on babycenter.com:

"If you and your baby are both healthy and able, you may want to give nursing a try, at least for the first few weeks, so your natural immunities can be passed to your child"

https://www.babycenter.com/0_choosing-to-formula-feed_471.bc

So I don't think just doing it for a few weeks is an awful idea sure it will take longer for your milk to dry if you start but so what? I could only BF my son for a couple of weeks and yeah it sucked to let everything dry up but it's not the end of the world.

With that said they will provide the formula in the hospital and give you samples to bring home.

The colostrum is a really great substance for baby and if you can at least manage that then great!

Yes

znianiswan · June 2012

They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well.

Good Luck

kelbel527 · June 2012

I'm definitely in the minority here, but the hospital I delivered at is very pro-BFing. They don't send you home with formula samples, and while yes, I think they have to have formula somewhere, it's not something readily provided.

I would just double check to make sure. Everyone here is correct, majority of hospitals will provide formula and send you home with samples. But it's always worth doing the research just in case.

byrne15 · June 2012

They gave me all the formula I needed in the hospital (along with bottles and nipples). They even gave me about a weeks worth to bring home as well.

itsmevkb · June 2012

kelbel527:

I'm definitely in the minority here, but the hospital I delivered at is very pro-BFing. They don't send you home with formula samples, and while yes, I think they have to have formula somewhere, it's not something readily provided.

I would just double check to make sure. Everyone here is correct, majority of hospitals will provide formula and send you home with samples. But it's always worth doing the research just in case.

Where did you deliver? I hadn't heard of any hospitals here in Milwaukee not providing formula. I've delivered at St. Joe's and West Allis and both did. Maybe St. Mary's?

MichelleL1118 · June 2012

If you have a formula preference, ask at your hospital tour what they have in the nursery. My hospital has both Enfamil & Similac, but many hospitals only carry one or the other. I would take a couple of the bottles you plan on using (or a couple of different bottles) so your LO doesn't have to transition from hospital bottle to whatever you're going to use at home.

Before DS was born, I had no intentions of breastfeeding. My OB office & the hospital are both very pro-BFing, though, so DH & I decided that I would BF in the hospital (to avoid the lectures, etc) and then we'd switch to formula when we were discharged. I had to supplement with formula in the hospital, and broke down in tears I was so upset about it, and ended up pretty much exclusively BFing for 8+ months.

cindiesheart · June 2012

The hospital will provide formula, diapers, wipes, change of clothes for the baby, everything you need for a nice stay..... be sure to ask for any formula they can give you to take home and also those amazing pads they provide for post pardum bleeding..... ask for as much as they'll give you and sock your bag with them to take home....... with my first child there was a drawer stocked full of everything i'd need...... dumb me,, I didnt know I could take them home with me, then with my second I was at a different hospital and they didnt have that... it was a bummer, but take as much home wiht you that they will provide.

kelbel527 · June 2012

itsmevkb:
kelbel527:

I'm definitely in the minority here, but the hospital I delivered at is very pro-BFing. They don't send you home with formula samples, and while yes, I think they have to have formula somewhere, it's not something readily provided.

I would just double check to make sure. Everyone here is correct, majority of hospitals will provide formula and send you home with samples. But it's always worth doing the research just in case.

Where did you deliver? I hadn't heard of any hospitals here in Milwaukee not providing formula. I've delivered at St. Joe's and West Allis and both did. Maybe St. Mary's?

I sent you a PM.

Sharon&Paul · June 2012

There are hospitals that are now pushing breastfeeding and anti-formula. However, EVERY hospital has formula to provide if requested by the mother.

There are some situations were the mother becomes too ill or worse case even dies in childbirth. The hospital is prepared for all these situation. Formula is always available even if it is not outrightly offered.

HappyMama30 · June 2012

sschwege:
They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.

I always encourage people to breastfeed, but from my past experience nursing both of my children it takes a week for your milk to come in fully anyway. So, if you don't plan to BF then why try to nurse for a week and then stop? Those first two weeks are the hardest, and then things smooth out once you and your babe figure it all out. If you try for a week and then stop your milk will be in and you will be in SUCH pain, if you are NOT breastfeeding. I suggest you give it a go for a month and then decide.

sschwege · June 2012

tiffhiam:
juliane2004:
Jenelle101:

sschwege:
They will have formula for you at the hospital and will almost certainly send you home with some as well. If you are really and truly not planning to BF then I wouldn't even start because it will be harder if your milk comes in to wean.

This exactly. It might take a few days for your milk to come in anyway, so what would be the point? Unless you think you'll change your mind. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, though.

This. Don't start if you aren't going to continue. It'll make your milk come in more and be harder to get it to dry up.

I'm FFing as well. The hospital provided us formula for the first two, so I assume they'll do the same with this one.

I should have mentioned I am not giving birth in a hospital. I am using a midwife and giving birth at her birthing center. So I dont think she would provide formula.

If you are giving birth at a birth center, then you go home a few hours after delivery anyway right? So maybe just take a bottle or two, just in case? If you end up needing a transfer to a hospital then obviously they will have everything you need there.

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