Breast Feeding?!

MrsJP20082015 · July 2015

Where do i even start to look for research? i feel like there's soooo many different options & opinons as with everything else but I'm so overwhelmed. I know i have some time to read up on all of this but ugh its so confusing. Any one else?

Can you breast feed & bottle feed?

freezing breast milk?

best pump?

what bottles?

parenthood4 · July 2015

Kelly mom is a very useful site. Alpha parent time line of a breastfed baby also has some good info. The womanly art of breastfeeding, the nursing mothers companion, and so that's what they're for are all pretty good books.

You can breastfeed and bottle feed. Most sources recommend introducing a bottle for a few weeks so baby can learn to latch well and to avoid nipple confusion. Bottle is easier for them then breast so they might start preferring a bottle if it's introduced too early.

You can freeze breastmilk for 3-6 months I believe.

I have a medela one I like a lot. You may be able to get one from your health insurance.

There are so many bottles, it's really a personal preference for you and baby. My first liked Avent and my second wouldn't really take a bottle, but occasionally would accept Tommee Tippee.

It's an amazing thing! The first month or two can be so hard, but it's worth it!

cupcakeclare · July 2015

Kellymom.com is a great online resource that has answered a lot of my questions in the past.

ETA- it can definitely be overwhelming at first but it's great that you are doing your research. The answers to all your questions are out there and some of them will just have to be answered when your LO gets here. It will be something you learn together. The breastfeeding board on here has been helpful as well! Best of luck. ☺️

BCH818 · July 2015

Kelly Mom is great! I also blog at Confessions of a Northern Belle and have posted a lot about BF. I'm still BF my 19 month old and currently 8 weeks pregnant, waiting to find out when I have to stop from my dr.

llybeck · July 2015

You're going to get a lot of differing opinions on this because they really are just that, opinions. There is no perfect right for everyone and you'll end up figuring out what works best for you and your baby.

For me, BFing didn't work. DD had lip and tongue tie and I didn't produce enough milk. So I pumped (with the Medela pump my insurance paid for) and mostly bottle fed. We supplemented with formula right away and by about 3 weeks she was totally in formula. It took a lot of trial and error to get the right formula and the right bottles that worked for DD (she was an incredibly spitty baby).

Try not to stress about it. The main thing is that you're feeding your baby, how that happens is something you'll work out at the time. Research and ask questions and know that it will be okay.

MrsJP20082015 · July 2015

Thank you so much! currently reading Kellymom.com ! it didn't pop up on google but for sure very useful

yodapup · July 2015

Also see if your hospital has breastfeeding classes. Mine did and I leaned so much in a 3 hour class!

Sarisb · July 2015

All I need to say is "lactation consultant". I read and took classes and was still clueless once I had my baby with me. She did not want to latch and no one made her. I exclusively pumped for 4 months and stopped once I went back to work. Sadly, I enlisted the help of a consultant a bit too late. This time around I will have her on speed dial and try 1000 times harder. I am determined!!

KMKaiser07 · July 2015

You can also look up and see if you have a local la leche chapter in your area. They welcome mamas even before baby is born to help educate. They were so helpful in helping me establish a pain free latch before we knew DS has an upper lip and slight posterior tongue tie.

KMKaiser07 · July 2015

BCH818 said:
Kelly Mom is great! I also blog at Confessions of a Northern Belle and have posted a lot about BF. I'm still BF my 19 month old and currently 8 weeks pregnant, waiting to find out when I have to stop from my dr.

I don't know your medical history but you shouldn't have to wean just because you are pregnant. Many women go on to successfully tandem nurse.

audriannfrey · July 2015

I joined my local le leche league on Facebook, they offer a lot of great advice! It's a hard journey, but worth it!

skruhmin · July 2015

MrsJP20082015 said:

Where do i even start to look for research? i feel like there's soooo many different options & opinons as with everything else but I'm so overwhelmed. I know i have some time to read up on all of this but ugh its so confusing. Any one else?

Can you breast feed & bottle feed?
freezing breast milk?
best pump?
what bottles?

Woah woah woah, easy there killer

you've got lots of time

So Kelly Mom is definitely a great resource.

1. Can you breast feed and bottle feed? Yes - I'm a working mom so I pumped and my boys each got breast milk 24/7 (bottle and breast) and eventually I stopped pumping for both of them and they had formula during the day and I nursed at night - and I was able to nurse through a year for both. No shame in 100% breast milk, some breast milk/some formula, 100% formula. The important thing is that your baby is eating!
2. If you are pumping and you have an oversupply, you will need to freeze the milk. They make milk storage bags that are made to freeze milk in - you freeze 1-5oz portions, and you do it based on what your baby needs (I would often make one bag one bottle's worth - starting out in 2oz then working up to 5oz several months down the road).
3. Best pump? If you're in the US, your insurance covers one pump per year (different insurances cover different pumps, some hand pumps, some awesome hospital grade pumps). I've used both Medela Pump In Style and Hygeia Q and I prefered the Hygeia - it is hospital grade and way more efficient to emptying the breast FOR ME - all women are different. I think the Hygeia was the reason I was able to provide 100% breast milk for my second for 9 months (when I could only do 100% breast milk for 4 months for my first)

4. What bottles? In the beginning I liked the Medela ones. But then my second had awful spit up issues (not reflux) and we switched to the Dr Browns bottle system, which is a HUGE pain since there are so many parts, but it stopped the spitting up. We love the Playtex Drop Ins when our babies are older (plus you can actually drop in a milk storage bag into those bottles rather than using the inserts. Honestly, as far as bottles go, it's not a one size fits all - there will be a lot of trial and error and you just need to learn your baby's preferences.

oceanchild · July 2015

Also love KellyMom!
An awesome book that I recommend to everyone in the world is "Making More Milk" (it's only 12 bucks on Amazon). I volunteer at 3 different BF'ing support groups in our town, and I have bought 5 copies of the book - one I own, and one for the hospital support group, babycafe, an evening support group, and la Leche league.
Definitely see if there is a BF'ing class you can attend. And if there is a LLL or other support group, go! We always have pregnant mamas come and listen and watch and absorb info. It's great to see BF'ing in real life.

oceanchild · July 2015

BCH818 said:
Kelly Mom is great! I also blog at Confessions of a Northern Belle and have posted a lot about BF. I'm still BF my 19 month old and currently 8 weeks pregnant, waiting to find out when I have to stop from my dr.

@BCH818, I'm still tandem nursing my 4yo and my 16mo and don't plan on weaning them unless they want to - I nursed baby #2 all thru #3's pregnancy even though my milk dried up, and never had a problem - in fact it helped my nipples not be sore when the newbaby came. If your doctor says you have to wean bc of pregnancy, that is wrong. If you want to wean bc it's not working for you, I'm totally supportive!

CassidyACD · July 2015

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed you need to step back a bit, maybe start researching something else so later you can go back with a fresh perspective. You can easily get sucked into a very judgmental rabbit hole and build up an unrealistic expectation for yourself--be careful. As others have said, there are lots on opinions out there (that lots of people pass off as fact).

I generally prefer actual people for this kind of thing than internet sites. I'd try to find a chill lactation consultant, or a group of moms. For me having a friend that was going though everything at the same time was better than any internet site.

Just from my experience:

Can you breast feed & bottle feed? - Yes, but try to stay away form the bottle a bit, but if that doesn't work and you need to give a newborn a bottle -- your not doomed to bottle feed forever.

freezing breast milk? - I used drop ins and was able to pump into the liners, freeze - thaw in the fridge and put it right onto the bottle.

best pump? - for some reason the only one I could get to work for me was a hand pump? it was weird, but I didn't mind it.

what bottles? - I used the drop-ins but I don't like how wasteful they were. (and one middle of the night run to the 24 hour drugstore because we were out was no fun) I'm going to by singles of a few different kinds this time around then buy more of what baby likes later.

skruhmin · July 2015

Ooh I second holding off for a few weeks before introducing bottles. Get your supply established and nursing relationship going strong before you work on pumping (a lot of moms pump from the get go but then they have a major over supply because of starting so early). With both of my boys that was around 4-5 weeks. Lactation cookies are your friends. So is a gallon of water a day (no joke, you have not known thirst until you've breast fed a baby). Calories are your friend. Good fats are your friend.

oceanchild · July 2015

Agree agree agree! @skruhmin

KJKNAJ · July 2015

I just wanted to commend you for wanting to research this already. When I was pg with my first, I wasted so much time reading about labour and delivery, which is just a few shodr hours. I researched nothing on breastfeeding, apart from one hospital class, and quickly realised this was so much more complicated than I expected. So I encourage you to do all the research you can!
Having said that, the pp is correct that you can overwhelm yourself and set up crazy expectations if you get too far into it. Educate yourself but don't pressure yourself!

oceanchild · July 2015

I did the same, @KJKNAJ! I thought the BF'ing part would just come naturally, and didn't know it could be hard. I spent more time the second go-round sitting in support groups and researching BF'ing and things went better than the first time.

skruhmin · July 2015

I think that aside from both of my labor days, breast feeding is the hardest thing I have ever done. But most rewarding. I think the best advice I can give is to not pressure yourself. The pressure causes you to stress which will drop your supply. Believe in the power of your body but if for any reason it gets way too stressful and you have to stop, be proud that you gave it a go and don't dwell in mom guilt. And I'm sorry but mom guilt just comes naturally as soon as you conceive that baby.

amaniupendo · July 2015

Kellymom is a great resource.

It's hard to prepare in advance for it though. I went to a class and read a book so I thought I was ready. In theory I knew what to do, but the first couple days were really tough. Then it clicked. Trusting my body was the best thing I learned early on.

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