Breastfeeding Question

mab18 · November 2013

I'm planning on breastfeeding, but I am mentally preparing myself for the fact that breastfeeding is not easy and might not work. My question is this: should I buy formula in case breastfeeding doesn't work or should I plan on it working and go and buy formula if it doesn't work? I'm curious as to what you ladies are doing/have done.

HummingbirdMama · November 2013

I'm a FTM so no experience but for me at least, it seems better to hold off if you're really committed to BF - having formula on hand might make it easy to cave in the tough moments. I know my SIL felt really challenged in the first week but once they got it figured out, all was well and no formula was ever necessary. Good to have a lactation consultant too, to help coach us newbies - I know we have access to several so I bet it's worth checking out

Scottnsaranhenri · November 2013

I gave it my best shot, read Ina May Gaskin's Breastfeeding book & assumed everything would be fine. And it was. It was painful and exhausting and hard work, but completely worth it.

keags5496 · November 2013

I had a sample can of formula and a bottle with DS that turned out to be a god send. My milk was a day late coming in and that night before it came in was pure hell. I gave him a bottle of formula and we both finally got some sleep. I was back to nursing the next feeding but I was so happy I had the supplies on hand.

ziggy903 · November 2013

Don't buy formula- it'll be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Read books, see if your hospital has a class about breastfeeding, see if your insurance covers a few meetings with a lactation consultant, and find a LLL group near you. Anything will help! Good luck!

littlepig2 · November 2013

my sister told me to buy one 6 pack of the ready-to-serve bottles. she said it took a few days for her milk to come in and her baby almost had to go back to the hospital because she was losing too much weight. I plan on BF but will have those just in case my milk doesn't come in right away.

mlynn333 · November 2013

I'm keeping the samples from my OB, but not buying more. I know myself well enough to know that I'll take the easy road if it's too available.

sandraanddrew · November 2013

We had been given samples of formula with DS and I told my husband to hide them in the house somewhere. That way I wouldn't be tempted on a really bad day breastfeeding to use the formula and give up breastfeeding. Doing it that way worked for us, nursing worked out and he didn't need formula. but we would have had some on hand if there was a medical reason he needed it.

JordyInIndy · November 2013

Don't spend the money if you don't need it. I have a few cans already that were given to me by my OB's office when I first found out I was KU, so those will be my "just in case" stash. My milk didn't come in for 3 days with DD and the hospital gave me bottles of the premade stuff to hold us over until then. If you're that nervous and need something on stand by try and find a sample somewhere before spending the cash.

VAMomma31 · November 2013

STM here, EBF DD until she was 10 months before I introduced formula. I had some in the pantry that randomly came in the mail before she was born. My milk, like most people's milk, didn't come in until I was 5 days PP, but I still was able to feed her, and she gained weight and was fine. I could have given her formula if I wanted to, but I didn't because I was determined to figure out breastfeeding.

It helps to be super informed about how BF works and what is going on during LO's different stages of development as well as how your body works when you're nursing. I love the Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding book, and there are several others (and websites like kellymom.com) out there that BF veteran moms will recommend.

An easy way to start getting some ideas on how to prep yourself to BF is to look at other BMBs (e.g. Oct 2013) and look at the thread started by AmyG. She's TB's breastfeeding guru. Good luck!

queeniecrayon · November 2013

If it makes you feel better, hide some. I had some freebies that came in the mail. I hid it in a bin in DD's room where I couldn't reach it easily. She was BFed for 14 months and I never once touched that can of formula. Knowing it was there just incase was reassuring though, even though I swore I'd never use it unless absolutely necessary

I don't think having it on hand will single handedly destroy your will and ability to BF.

I personally recommend reading The Womanly Art of Breast Feeding. That book was a god send for me. It's a LLL book, so if you plan on returning to work ignore the subtle hints that pumping isn't as good (I'm not a huge fan of LLL). It has answers to every question you could imagine

Mendozamjw · November 2013

You'll get some in the hospital if needed... And your ob might give you some samples too! I'm sure you'll do great! Try not to worry about the what ifs until they happen!

inluv4life2 · November 2013

Don't buy it. If you need some you can always send SO to the store. You may also get samples Atthe hospital or from the ped when you go for the 2 day check up. One tip I'll share is to research lactation support before you deliver so you have a number to call or lactation group to see if you have trouble those first few days. You can do it!

slwprincess · November 2013

If you have to supplement in the hospital (I did with both b/c my milk doesn't come in for 5 days), they will give you some samples. If your Ob gives out samples, grab 1. But don't buy any. And remember this, supplementing is not the end of the world and does not mean the end of BF. Having a few ounces on hand can really help in certain situations.

RedSoxGirl10 · November 2013

Based on the previous responses, it seems like this really depends on the person

I think I probably will have a very small amount around just in case it's the middle of the night and I need it for some unknown reason!

Just a random thing- I got the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the library and I made it through 2 chapters before I wanted to throw it across the room. It is super judgmental about basically everything... taking an epidural, going back to work etc. I just couldn't look past all of that. I have been reading kellymom.com instead for some ideas and I'll look up more as I need it.

queeniecrayon · November 2013

RedSoxGirl10 said:
Based on the previous responses, it seems like this really depends on the person I think I probably will have a very small amount around just in case it's the middle of the night and I need it for some unknown reason!

Just a random thing- I got the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the library and I made it through 2 chapters before I wanted to throw it across the room. It is super judgmental about basically everything... taking an epidural, going back to work etc. I just couldn't look past all of that. I have been reading kellymom.com instead for some ideas and I'll look up more as I need it.

That's the biggest downfall of the book, but at the same time it was so helpful! When I recommend it to people I warn them that it's judgey, but has some of the best info. I find LLL to be a bit judgey too....

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sdlaura · November 2013

We didn't have any around the house. Assuming you don't live in the middle of nowhere, you will be able to get some if you decide you need it later on.

slwprincess · November 2013

sms_518 said:

RedSoxGirl10 said:
Based on the previous responses, it seems like this really depends on the person I think I probably will have a very small amount around just in case it's the middle of the night and I need it for some unknown reason!

Just a random thing- I got the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the library and I made it through 2 chapters before I wanted to throw it across the room. It is super judgmental about basically everything... taking an epidural, going back to work etc. I just couldn't look past all of that. I have been reading kellymom.com instead for some ideas and I'll look up more as I need it.
That's the biggest downfall of the book, but at the same time it was so helpful! When I recommend it to people I warn them that it's judgey, but has some of the best info. I find LLL to be a bit judgey too....

I couldn't stand this book either. I like So That's What They're For much better but it was a lil judgey at times as well. And I will say that one of my biggest gripes with LLL (at least in my area) is that they are super militant on the EXCLUSIVE part of BF and I think that's complete crap. They are discouraging thousands of women from BF by preaching this all or none approach.

Jecca07 · November 2013

I will keep a can of formula on hand. With DD I ended up giving her formula a few times in the first 2 weeks because I really really needed the sleep (started freaking out because I was so tired and she'd fall asleep after nursing a couple minutes and DH was getting way more sleep than me).
Also, my BFF just had her first baby by emergency c-section and had a few complications that required her to go back to the hospital over night, so her mom took care of the baby so BFF and her H could get some rest. It was nice for them to have some formula on hand for the situation.

micaelasmakeup · November 2013

I had some but had my DH put it in an unknown location.
Break glass in case of emergency kind of thing. But I didn't buy it, you just get so many samples!

dunvilles · November 2013

I BF'd DS for 1 year.

I would not buy formula in advance. It makes it too easy when you're sleep deprived to say "Oh just heat up a bottle...." and not really give BFing a chance. Especially at first, you won't want to supplement with formula (unless you NEED to nutrition wise) because it will mess up your milk supply and then you'll have to take some more measures to increase supply etc... lets just say, if you are going to BF, give it a good fair shot.

One thing that always stuck with me was "Never give up on a bad day." This is something I always stuck with when nursing DS. Oh, I loved it most of the time, but I had my days where I was crying to my mom on the phone saying "I can't do this anymore.... I feel like a human milk machine.... I need a break!!!" and each one of those times, I would remember "Don't give up on a bad day, if you want to quit, fine, but quit when you're having a good bfing day".

kathegreat · November 2013

Some of the really valuable things I have learned about breast feeding in the past couple of months are:

You start with Colostrum, which is a high powered food for baby, so you don't need a lot of volume.

After about 24 hours of baby's life teu wake up and have what they call a breast feeding storm, they want to eat and eat and eat an you feel like that all you do is breast feed, it doesn't last forever and it brings your milk in.

You NEED some sleep for your milk to come in so resting instead of visiting with people the first couple of days is crucial, as well as having a support system for when you get overwhelmed.

At around 3 days post baby's birth your hormones will crash and it will be you will be overwhelmed. Just remember you are a good mama and the hormones will regulate, take a nap and it will be better.

Most importantly: at Day 1 baby's stomach is the size of a marble, the small kind. At Day 3 it's the size of a shooter marble. Day 7 is when it hits ping pong ball size. That is tiny! It doesn't take much volume to fill baby up at that point and your body will produce enough milk when you are exclusively breast feeding.

The OB nurses I work with recommend holding off on formula until breast feeding is well established for at least 2-4 weeks. Of course you should do what is best for you and your baby.

Good luck everyone and at least we will still have each other to rant at and celebrate with through all of our adventures in breast feeding!

Mazingmommyof6 · November 2013

kathegreat said:
Some of the really valuable things I have learned about breast feeding in the past couple of months are:

You start with Colostrum, which is a high powered food for baby, so you don't need a lot of volume.

After about 24 hours of baby's life teu wake up and have what they call a breast feeding storm, they want to eat and eat and eat an you feel like that all you do is breast feed, it doesn't last forever and it brings your milk in.

You NEED some sleep for your milk to come in so resting instead of visiting with people the first couple of days is crucial, as well as having a support system for when you get overwhelmed.

At around 3 days post baby's birth your hormones will crash and it will be you will be overwhelmed. Just remember you are a good mama and the hormones will regulate, take a nap and it will be better.

Most importantly: at Day 1 baby's stomach is the size of a marble, the small kind. At Day 3 it's the size of a shooter marble. Day 7 is when it hits ping pong ball size. That is tiny! It doesn't take much volume to fill baby up at that point and your body will produce enough milk when you are exclusively breast feeding.

The OB nurses I work with recommend holding off on formula until breast feeding is well established for at least 2-4 weeks. Of course you should do what is best for you and your baby.

Good luck everyone and at least we will still have each other to rant at and celebrate with through all of our adventures in breast feeding!

All really great info/ advise!!! Thanks for sharing.

slwprincess · December 2013

DreamingBabies said:

slwprincess said:

sms_518 said:

RedSoxGirl10 said:
Based on the previous responses, it seems like this really depends on the person I think I probably will have a very small amount around just in case it's the middle of the night and I need it for some unknown reason!

Just a random thing- I got the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the library and I made it through 2 chapters before I wanted to throw it across the room. It is super judgmental about basically everything... taking an epidural, going back to work etc. I just couldn't look past all of that. I have been reading kellymom.com instead for some ideas and I'll look up more as I need it.
That's the biggest downfall of the book, but at the same time it was so helpful! When I recommend it to people I warn them that it's judgey, but has some of the best info. I find LLL to be a bit judgey too....

I couldn't stand this book either. I like So That's What They're For much better but it was a lil judgey at times as well. And I will say that one of my biggest gripes with LLL (at least in my area) is that they are super militant on the EXCLUSIVE part of BF and I think that's complete crap. They are discouraging thousands of women from BF by preaching this all or none approach.
I'm reading "That's what they're for" and having a lot of trouble ignoring the judgment in the book. I'm powering through, but I'm not sure I could recommend it to someone else.

She's definitely opinionated! I think I felt like at least she was honest to enough most of the time to admit when she was spewing her own judgements- ha. And compared to all the other books I read that were just so dry and boring... It was way better and stuck with me longer.

AngLK987 · December 2013

We had some samples on hand from the hospital and some we received in the mail with DD1, when she was about 9 months we'd gone through my entire freezer stash and I wasn't able to pump enough to feed her so we supplemented at that point starting with the brand we had on hand (Similac) and went from there. I didn't stock up on any of it, and was very fortunate that a bunch of my friends recently had children so they all had samples as well as the coupon checks for formula so we were able to get through the following 3 months not paying full price for any formula (That shit's expensive!!)

yhaener · December 2013

If you don't have samples on hand, I would recommend going out and buying a pack of formula just in case. My plan last pregnancy was to exclusively BF and I gave away all samples that arrived via mail before DS was born. My son was born on a Tuesday and by Saturday my milk still hadn't come in. Thursday night was our first night home and it was terrible...while being a great latcher in the hospital by Thursday evening he was so hungry he was getting very angry and wouldn't stop screaming at me. On Friday I went to BF class at the hospital because I was getting worried about him and the fact that my breasts didn't seem full. It turned out I hadn't started producing and the lactation consultants said he was hungry and I needed to feed him and told me to start pumping at home. I fed him formula which he gulped down and began pumping (all I got was colostrum...until Sunday morning). This time around I plan on BF, but will have back-up formula incase my milk doesn't come in as it is supposed. I think that if I had been able to feed DS formula on our first night home and just get him calmed down he would have began latching again and maybe my body would have been stimulated to start producing earlier. While I continued pumping for three months, my milk supply was never big enough to give him only breast milk. Fx that this time will be different, but one thing I promise myself this time is to just go with the flow and not beat myself up if it doesn't work out.

mab18 · December 2013

Thank you so much for all the feedback. I know this is a personal decision and it will vary by circumstance, but it helped reading your suggestions and experiences. I didn't know that I will be given samples at the hospital, either, so that was nice to know.

mab18 · December 2013

kathegreat said:

Some of the really valuable things I have learned about breast feeding in the past couple of months are: You start with Colostrum, which is a high powered food for baby, so you don't need a lot of volume. After about 24 hours of baby's life teu wake up and have what they call a breast feeding storm, they want to eat and eat and eat an you feel like that all you do is breast feed, it doesn't last forever and it brings your milk in. You NEED some sleep for your milk to come in so resting instead of visiting with people the first couple of days is crucial, as well as having a support system for when you get overwhelmed. At around 3 days post baby's birth your hormones will crash and it will be you will be overwhelmed. Just remember you are a good mama and the hormones will regulate, take a nap and it will be better. Most importantly: at Day 1 baby's stomach is the size of a marble, the small kind. At Day 3 it's the size of a shooter marble. Day 7 is when it hits ping pong ball size. That is tiny! It doesn't take much volume to fill baby up at that point and your body will produce enough milk when you are exclusively breast feeding. The OB nurses I work with recommend holding off on formula until breast feeding is well established for at least 2-4 weeks. Of course you should do what is best for you and your baby. Good luck everyone and at least we will still have each other to rant at and celebrate with through all of our adventures in breast feeding!

Thank you so much! This was so positive and informative.

slwprincess · December 2013

mab18 said:

kathegreat said:

Most importantly: at Day 1 baby's stomach is the size of a marble, the small kind. At Day 3 it's the size of a shooter marble. Day 7 is when it hits ping pong ball size. That is tiny! It doesn't take much volume to fill baby up at that point and your body will produce enough milk when you are exclusively breast feeding.

The OB nurses I work with recommend holding off on formula until breast feeding is well established for at least 2-4 weeks. Of course you should do what is best for you and your baby.

Thank you so much! This was so positive and informative.

While I agree with all of this, there was no way either of my kids could have waited 5 days for a full tummy. DS was in the NICU and needed calories to get better. By the end of the second day DD was wailing and the LC said to feed her ASAP. I used a tube syringe to feed her an ounce of formula while she was nursing- that way my body got the signal to make milk and she got colostrum and the reward of a full tummy :-). After my milk came in, I agree- no formula for that first month is crucial for establishing supply.

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