Breastfeeding

meganraet · June 2015

I am a first time mom and plan on trying to breastfeed. I have the backpack Medela breast pump. My baby is due next Saturday July 4th. I would rather pump and bottle feed that way my fiancé can help with feedings at night. But my question is when the baby is born do I get him to latch on right away or do I jump to pumping and bottles?

Thank You

kamio92 · June 2015

Heya!

The advice I got from my hospitals lactation services was to establish breastfeeding first/as exclusively as possible during the first 6 weeks and introducing bottles after that. Bottles can make babies lazy when it comes to sucking strong enough while breastfeeding.

I've got a cousin with a 4 week old who is having trouble establishing breastfeeding because both her and bub were in intensive care after the birth. My cousin didn't see her daughter for 4 days post birth.

desquinones · June 2015

I do not know the "right" answer but I would try and breastfeed right away. It is good to bond with your baby and get your milk supply going. You can always pump after if you want

deliladejesus · June 2015

Hi FTM! I took a breastfeeding class because I'm a FTM too, and like Knottie mentioned, it's best to get the baby accustomed to breastfeeding first for the first few weeks. The instructor/nurse even recommended to not use any pacifiers during that time because it'll interfere with the learning process of latching on to your breasts. I plan on breastfeeding as well, and until the baby is eating well from my breasts, she won't be having any bottles or pacifiers. It'll be very tough, but if that's what works best, then so be it!

jtenkorang · June 2015

Try to breastfeed first. A pump will extract some breast milk but there really isn't any substitution for a baby breastfeeding directly from the breast. Babies will be able to pull more milk then any breast pump can. Plus is creates a strong bond between mom and baby. Good luck!

stormyyautumn · June 2015

I took a breastfeeding class a few weeks ago and she said that for the first 2 weeks the baby should only be drinking from your nipple to avoid having latching issues and to also get your nipples used to nursing. She advised to ONLY pump if you're having issues with your milk coming in within those first two weeks. I plan on pumping shortly after the first 2 weeks so that my DH can spend some quality feeding time with her.

bfstacy · June 2015

Planning to give baby breast milk is awesome! There is truth to the nipple confusion and importance to establishing a latch first.

However, with that being said I also want to say don't be discouraged if it doesn't work! I felt like a failure bc I couldn't get a good latch with my first despite trying everything. I literally was in tears bc I wanted to breastfeed. Hubby went out and bought a breast pump and I became a milking machine lol. It's all supply and demand. You do what you have to for your little one

hay1122 · June 2015

Best to get your baby to latch directly to your breasts first. Babies provide much better stimulation to your breasts to extract milk and make more milk than a pump.

Also, keep in mind, that you may think that pumping so your partner can give a bottle will not actually save you any time or work with breastfeeding. To keep up your milk supply, you need to pump every time your baby eats. So in the middle of the night, you will be pumping, then cleaning equipment just to give a bottle of expressed breast milk. It's so much easier to feed a baby "right from the tap."

jesicabrennan · June 2015

Breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed. It's important to understand how the relationship works. Your body and the baby have to get in tune with each other so your body knows how much to make for your specific baby. Start pumping and introducing bottles around 3 weeks, not before.

mnj05 · June 2015

Agreed, baby to breast first. The only hesitation I would have about waiting 6+ weeks to pump/bottle feed, is the going back to work issue. For me, I will be going back right around 6-8 weeks so it's imperative my son can take a bottle.

I also echo the don't put a lot of pressure on yourself sentiment. DS1 had a bad latch from day one and couldn't get what he needed, plus I didn't produce hardly anything so there wasn't much to get. After nearly a month of tears and stress, I let it go and everyone's life got so much easier.

sschwege · June 2015

I EBF my first two and trust me when I say, most women do not exclusively pump by choice. BFing is so much easier than pumping. Put them to your breast and you are done. With pumping you have to get your parts together, be confined to where ever you are plugged in, pump, store BM, then clean the parts and bottles. As pp said if baby is eating you need to be pumping and let me tell you, that snugly baby is far more pleasant than a pump at 2 in the morning. Plus if you sleep with baby in your room, you may not even have to really get up. DH used to get up, change baby's diaper and swaddle back up, bring baby back lay him/her next to me, baby would nurse, I would burp the baby while sitting at the edge of the bed and put baby back in the bassinette. You really can't make night time BFing easier than that. Also keep in mind that the pump is not as effective as baby, so there is a chance that you will never have the supply you could have had, if you put baby to the breast most of the time.

shay092185 · June 2015

STM here and i also had the bright idea that i would feed and pump so my husband could help during the night feedings....well i woke up in a pool of milk and VERY sore breast. When u breastfeed u have to do it every 2hours regardless of the time or ur DH feeding with a bottle...i finally said there was no reason for both of us to b up all night and relieved my hubby. Every baby is different so do what is best for ur baby...from the beginning i used a pacifier and switched from breast to bottle and my lil one never had an issues..i was advised against it but do what u think is best for ur lifestyle.

shay092185 · June 2015

And to me pumping is uncomfortable...it doesn't hurt its just annoying...breastfeeding is just sooooo much easier...once u and the baby get the hang of it, its amazing...n the beginning make sure u have a heating pad cuz the milk comes n like a flood and breastfeeding contracts ur uterus back to size sooo it can be painful at first...be prepared!

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