I couldn't breastfeed and I would never in a million years say all of that to anyone...and my formula fed infant still ate every two hours...cause she's still a baby and that's what babies do.
I don't regret buying any supplies because it was so nice to have everything I needed on hand no matter how short lived my breastfeeding was. I have a medical condition and would give anything to 'inconvenience' myself with less sleep. Except she still wakes up in the night...cause she's a baby....
Shes almost 2 months old and still swimming in her newborn clothes. And no one gave me newborn clothes....I actually went out at 4 days old to buy some because someone gave me the brilliant advice to not stock up on newborn stuff.
Unsolicited advice doesn't go over well in any circumstance. I'm sure you had good intentions, and I'm sorry your experience was rough, but none of that was helpful in the least.
Oh, and expect the homeless woman in the park to single you out and chastise you for bottle feeding because..... That's why she's homeless. You know, if we were men, this post wouldve gone so much different (and better).
I couldn't breastfeed and I would never in a million years say all of that to anyone...and my formula fed infant still ate every two hours...cause she's still a baby and that's what babies do.
I don't regret buying any supplies because it was so nice to have everything I needed on hand no matter how short lived my breastfeeding was. I have a medical condition and would give anything to 'inconvenience' myself with less sleep. Except she still wakes up in the night...cause she's a baby....
Shes almost 2 months old and still swimming in her newborn clothes. And no one gave me newborn clothes....I actually went out at 4 days old to buy some because someone gave me the brilliant advice to not stock up on newborn stuff.
Unsolicited advice doesn't go over well in any circumstance. I'm sure you had good intentions, and I'm sorry your experience was rough, but none of that was helpful in the least.
I had to do the same thing with my daughter, and she was 8 lb 12 oz. We hardly had any newborn clothes because of the advice of people saying to not buy newborn clothes, and I had to go out and buy more. She wore newborn clothes for at least a couple of months.
DS came out at 9 lb 12 oz and he still wore newborn clothes for about 2-3 weeks. 3 month clothes were too big for him.
Seems very wise for someone with just a 10 week old. Hasn't even gone through teething, the terrible two's, the horrific three's, potty training, etc.
Man.....I wish that I could be a "real mom" like her. I only have a 4.5 year old, work 10 hour days, have lots of extracurriculars on the side for husband/DD/I, manage to somehow juggle it all.....but apparently I am not considered a "real mom". Frick.....what do I have to do to prove my "real mom" worth?!
@suchaglencoco I'm really peeved about the random attack on a homeless woman too. I'm a researcher with a major university hospital, currently working on a study that focuses on the aging homeless population in my area. I can tell you that the kind of derogatory speech the o.p. is using is well documented in linguistic and social anthropology as creating exclusive 'otherness' for disadvantaged populations as a way to justify the ongoing mistreatment by local and state legislature, housing authorities, law enforcement, and health care providers. I'm supposed to care about the opinions of a bunch of internet randos, but we can disregard the input of a homeless woman 'because she's homeless'?!
edit: clarification. I get blind-rage-typing when some speaks negatively about disadvantaged populations.
Keep it up ladies, it only shows how horrible this board really is in terms of advice and that you should carefully choose your pediatrician carefully and reach out to an in-person mom group. Since doing this, I've gotten so much better information, including a very common theme of, "I never made it past xx (6 weeks to 3 month ranges) breastfeeding and no one tells you how much it hurts or when to give up when you just don't get/have way too much milk." I feel very sorry for other moms who fall victim to these posters who don't represent most moms/the real world. Take advice with a grain of salt and always do what's best for you.
I literally read how hard breastfeeding can be in every "what you don't know about labor/delivery/post partum" article. I'm sorry that you weren't prepared to handle the "chore" of feeding a child multiple times through the night. You know what? Men wouldn't be handling it better. You know how many feedings of DD my husband has done? 0. Zero night feedings. Zero night changes. As for the six months and most moms quit - maternity leave ends and they go back to work.
As for you "sharing" because you "care". Caring is offering support, not telling new and expectant moms that they're doomed to fail.
As for all your DMs. Have fun and make those your mom friend group. Private group them all together. We don't care.
seriously though, you thought this would go well here? Really?
I'm a clueless FTM taking care of a 10 week old son. Here's some (unsolicited) advice that I know I'd really like to have had before hand....
Breastfeeding is really really really hard and keeping up feeding a newborn every 2 hours, 24 hrs a day is next to impossible if you require more sleep than 30 min cat naps several times per day. Just something to take into consideration (and no, you're not a failure if you can't keep up).
Don't purchase newborn clothes. People will buy them for you anyway. Start with 3 month old and avoid garments that go over their head. At 3 am that cute onesie isn't when your baby screams as somethings going over their head. And they wiggle, a lot. Garments that wrap are awesome - and sleepers that zip.
Also, don't stock up on breastfeeding or bottles/formula supplies. The hospital pushes breastfeeding, but the fact is most moms end up switching to formula by 6 months - and likely you'll go through several kinds of formula if you choose to switch before you find one that your baby likes.
sign up for as many samples as you can get. The formula companies were great and sent me more samples when I needed the hypoallergenic formula. Same with breast pads, newborn diapers, wipes. The trial sizes are perfect for when you start venturing out with baby.
Get the minimum you think you'll need and have gift cards ready for when you get home and realize that you need something very different than what everyone told you. You'll want to get out of the house anyway.
The ge milk tea tastes nasty and if you find yourself consuming all kinds of weird food trying to increase your milk supply, it probably isn't going to happen. Prepare yourself for that outcome- it's rough if you have your heart set on EBF and for whatever reason that just doesn't happen. It's ok and formula fed babies sleep through the night better (one huge benefit about formula they don't tell you). In the end, be happy and buy products that make your life easier. Newborns are rough.
So, on some of your points you aren't wrong exactly, but some of your points are totally incorrect to the best of my knowledge. Everyone's experience is different and moms of more than one kiddo will tell you that each baby is different too, so sweeping generalizations aren't super helpful.
Here are my personal experiences and opinions about the things you brought up and some suggestions that you or others may find helpful
Breastfeeding wasn't hard for me at all. My baby latched great, I didn't have any real pain to speak of, I truly found it to be easy and natural. I had/have a low supply though so I supplement with formula but I never struggled with breastfeeding in any other regards.
No one bought me any newborn clothing. None. Zero. Zip. I had a few hand me downs and then my husband and I went to town on a sale day at a thrift shop picking up a ton of stuff in newborn and 3 month sizes cause we didn't know what we'd need. Spent all of $15 and had a ton of fun. After the baby was born we slowly bought more of what we needed on Amazon as we figured out what we liked best.
To some extent it is true that some babies don't like stuff going over their head. I can do it and it's fine but my husband had a hard time with it. I bought a few kimono side snap onsies for when he was dressing the baby and hubby loved them. I found there are pros and cons to zip vs snap sleepers. Snap sleepers are easier to change diapers without exposing as much baby to cold air. Obviously in the summer it's not a problem though. Zipper sleepers are easier to zip back up, cause those snaps can be a bit of a challenge when you are tired and baby is wiggly. They cost a million dollars but the Zippeyz sleepers are the best of both worlds with snaps on top and zipper on the bottom and they have the built-in mitts so baby doesn't scratch their face and they are super soft nice cotton.
I have supplemented with formula from the get go but at 6.5 months am still also breastfeeding with no intention of stopping. We've been using the same formula the whole time with no problems. Samples are a great idea if you aren't sure what you'll use though. Having some formula supplies on hand saved our butts. Our baby came early and my milk didn't come in for several days after we got home. We had cans of formula but also a pack of ready to drink bottles of formula and individual disposable pre sterilized nipples that were great for when we were too tired to wash and prepare bottles. They also are great for on the go.
I'm honestly not sure what you meant by " minimum of what you need " or where these gift cards are coming from, but I did not want to leave my house for anything, and Amazon Prime and Amazon Now are my BFF's. If I wasn't already married, I'd marry Amazon Prime and have it's babies cause they'd be delivered guaranteed the next day and I'd never even have to get out of my pajamas.
I have heard that the mother's milk tea does indeed taste nasty. But many women have great success with the tea, brewers yeast, oatmeal, flax seed, Gatorade or simply increasing caloric intake and water consumption in regards to boosting breastmilk supply. The brewer's yeast has some serious funk flavor but the flax doesn't. You can add both of those things to your morning oatmeal easy peasy. Lactation cookies are also great. You can order them from, you guessed it, Amazon I like the Milk Makers brand. A little dry and a little pricey but worth it to me overall. Or you can make your own cookies or brownies by adding the brewer's yeast, flax, and/or oatmeal. There are a million recipes on the interwebs. I also got a smoothie mix M.o.m.m.a. Mom's Original Milk Making Aids in the cinnamon vanilla flavor and it's delicious! A little grainy in texture but yummy and filling I make one for hubby too and then we are both fed.(Also available on Amazon )
And no, formula fed babies don't magically sleep better. It really just depends on the baby. The biggest advantage that both breast and formula feeding has had for us, is my husband is able to take a feeding wherever needed. Sometimes it works out well but sometimes it put me out of sync with the baby and I had to pump, which honestly for me wasn't a big deal. We are very fortunate to have a kiddo that is happy to go back and forth from breast to bottle with no confusion.
My one piece of unsolicited advice that I've found to be true amongst me and my friends is to not buy too many of the same bottle right away. We had better luck buying one or 2 of several different brands and then stock up once you decide what you and baby like best. Same with diapers too actually. I love Pampers and hate Huggies. My best friend wants to see all Pampers die on fire and would marry Huggies tomorrow. Diapers are all a little different and babies are all a little different so it takes some trial and error to find a good match sometimes.
So, there you go. That's my take on the subject. Do with it what you will.
I think the only thing the OP said that was decent information was that she was clueless. She gets tons of PMs? Why continue to stir the pot on these boards if you clearly don't like them. Screen name choice says to me troll. When a man can push a baby out of one of his holes or take over breastfeeding I'll take his opinion on babies with out a phd more seriously. Woman have been breastfeeding for thousands of years, there were even wet nurses. Painting such a negative picture on what it's like to be a new mom because it's been "hard for you"? Seriously, what did you think this was going to be like? The baby was going to magically come out and let you know that he/she is done breastfeeding or prefers formula? *eyeroll*.
Me 28 DH 30 Married May 16th, 2015 EDD July 1st July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"
Keep it up ladies, it only shows how horrible this board really is in terms of advice and that you should carefully choose your pediatrician carefully and reach out to an in-person mom group. Since doing this, I've gotten so much better information, including a very common theme of, "I never made it past xx (6 weeks to 3 month ranges) breastfeeding and no one tells you how much it hurts or when to give up when you just don't get/have way too much milk." I feel very sorry for other moms who fall victim to these posters who don't represent most moms/the real world. Take advice with a grain of salt and always do what's best for you.
Just like anyone with any sense will be taking your "advice" with a grain of salt. One thing about TB is that no one sugar costs anything. Not once have I read a post on here and thought having a baby would be like owning a unicorn. I've learned more from these ladies in the last 9 months, and it's all been honest truths. I'm sorry you are having a hard time, but to say that this forum is the reason for your problems... That's ridiculous.
Just no. Hell no. No one is going to throw around negative statistics that don't apply to me about breastfeeding to tell me that I can't do it just to make themselves feel better about not being able to. Then slap me in the face with "men could do it better". Then cry and play victim and call us all bullies. Lady you're sleep deprived, obviously guilt ridden, and looking for validation. You've come to the wrong place. The statistics from the birth center I'm using suggest the extreme vast majority of women are/ were totally capable of breast feeding and that I probably will be too. I love onesies and will be using them and find your "advice" completely silly and overly dramatic. You can only speak for yourself. I'll not be taking your "advice" with a grain of sand or any other way. You should go find some PP help and stop seeking justification, validation, and support from women in THIRD TRI who could use support instead of horror stories from a struggling mom who wants to whine about how it's too hard and therefor will probably be that hard for the rest of us. I'll be back when I'm 10weeks PP to check in- you can count on it!
I'm a little late to the game, but this post pissed me off enough that i have to respond. OP, I'm a FTM with a 6 week old son, & literally none of your "advice" would work with him.. just because something works for you & your LO doesn't mean it will for everyone else.
i wish i had bought more newborn stuff. my son was in newborn clothes for longer than i expected & i was constatly doing laundry trying to keep up with how often he would burn through the small amount of stuff i had. i actually revieved very little newborn clothes.
i switched from BF to FF because my milk dried up &, honestly, it was making me depressed. however, i still wake up with him every 3hrs (not 2hrs) to feed, & it actually is more of a hassle because i have to keep him calm while trying to heat up a bottle as fast as i can. also, i wish i had stocked up on bottles because right now i have all of 3 bottles that work for him.
I'm sorry you feel bullied, but maybe next time avoid giving out advice that wasn't asked for. that never goes over well on TB, & babies aren't "one size fits all".
Just so you all know, I took a BuzzFeed quiz about being a good parent and passed with NEARLY 100%. So if anyone still needs advice, I too am highly qualified.
Just so you all know, I took a BuzzFeed quiz about being a good parent and passed with NEARLY 100%. So if anyone still needs advice, I too am highly qualified.
Alright, that gave me the giggle-snorts. High-five.
OP, so what you are saying is that breastfeeding is challenging and rather than offering support or positive encouragement which is likely to be more helpful and definitely better received by a bunch of women about to embark on said difficult task, you think you should just tell us all that we will inevitably fail?
Good thing I don't base my parenting decisions on the rantings of angry trolls. WHEW.
Literally everyone I've talked to IRL and on TB has told me that bfing is hard and that newborns do it constantly. That's the most common piece of "insider information" I've gotten.
Also, amen and preach to everything that everyone has said because y'all killed it.
Keep it up ladies, it only shows how horrible this board really is in terms of advice and that you should carefully choose your pediatrician carefully and reach out to an in-person mom group. Since doing this, I've gotten so much better information, including a very common theme of, "I never made it past xx (6 weeks to 3 month ranges) breastfeeding and no one tells you how much it hurts or when to give up when you just don't get/have way too much milk." I feel very sorry for other moms who fall victim to these posters who don't represent most moms/the real world. Take advice with a grain of salt and always do what's best for you.
I BF until 20 months (obviously after like 6-8 he wasn't EBF). He never had formula (or a bottle of BM). It never once hurt (only engorgement). He ate every two hours until 14 months. Nothing made him STTN until he was ready. But my experience with DS had no bearing on anyone else's. Just like how you only heard that people gave up by 6 months had no bearing on mine.
ETA I did have a hard time getting DS to latch in the hospital. The dr came in and I was bawling because "he's going to starve to death." My doctor's answer was, "well, there's that." And he sent the LC (who was also a retired nurse and working casual call-in as the ward clerk that night/day). She made a world of difference and helped us so much. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
...also, it was way easier to side-lie nurse and put baby back to sleep than to need to be awake enough to make a bottle.
I just found out about this nursing position recently and am really intrigued! Now I know which brain to come pick when I need tips later!
Side nursing was my savior when DS1 was a baby! It was the only way we survived those first few months! DS2 wouldn't do it though, but he was a better sleeper so it wasn't a big deal.
I had a hard time breastfeeding with my daughter due to PPD and she had to be switched to formula. But I would NEVER tell someone to not to breastfeed. Maybe you didn't say it like that but it felt like it.
Every woman's experience is different. You learn as you go. At 10 weeks I would have never started dishing out advice to anyone.
see, this is why I was mislead. Partly it's this board. I'm not at all negative against breastfeeding, quite the opposite actually. But the reality is that you WILL have to feed every 2 hrs around the clock and that really isn't doable for quite a lot of people. You just don't find them posting the reality of the situation on these boards. Yes, everyone's experience is different, but saying that most women don't breastfeed past 6 months is actually a fact, not something I made up. Are there breastfeeding superstars? Yes, I know some. As for the onesies, yes, I know they go down over their shoulders, but they don't go on that way. And at 3 am struggling with a sleeping infant, it's just easier to avoid the head thing and get onesies that wrap. im posting just in case there are other moms out there who are all alone taking care of an infant by themselves may need some products that make life easier for them.
You don't HAVE to feed the baby every two hours. My doctor has instructed to feed WHEN THE BABY IS HUNGRY. Why wake up a sleeping baby? I am sorry, but I won't be feeding every two hours unless that is what baby wants. Not every child is the same and not every experience is the same. Also, I know many people who have BF past 6 months. I'll be going back to work full time after 3 months and I plan to BF when with baby and pumping when I'm not. I am determined to make this work. If it doesn't and I have to supplement or use strictly formula, well then that's what I have to do. I have no delusions in my head that being a parent, especially a FTM of an infant, is going to be easy.
@delujm0 I plan to start reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding this weekend!
@oneliloaktree13 You mean you weren't up every three hours with your puppy?! What was I doing wrong???
Me: 31
DH: 29, SA - Great
Married: June 12,2011
TTC #1: 1/2014
Diagnosis: Hypothalamic Amenorrhea
Treatment: Clomid: 50mg, 100mg, 150mg - not successful and not monitored
@AdorkablePixie I think he just had a huge bladder, we also adopted so he was a little over 6 months when we got him. 2 years later, we're still crate training though...because he's a crazy.
Me 28 DH 30 Married May 16th, 2015 EDD July 1st July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"
Seriously though, when my daughter was 10 weeks old, the only advice I felt qualified to give was "do your best to keep the baby alive."
Exactly this! At that point I was impressed my two fur babies, the baby, and myself were alive. Heck, if I actually got into something other than yoga pants and nursing tanks, and did any sort of housework I was proud of myself!!
@AdorkablePixie I think he just had a huge bladder, we also adopted so he was a little over 6 months when we got him. 2 years later, we're still crate training though...because he's a crazy.
For a second, I thought you were talking about a kid because I didn't see the previous post.
Sure, BFing doesn't work for lots of mamas but I don't think they'll regret purchasing a bunch of nursing supplies, like... Um.... Oh! A nursing bra, or... Um... Nursing pads. (Even if you don't nurse those suckers are gonna leak!) What else? What else? Um.... Yeah. That's all the nursing supplies I can think of, unless you include a pump, and maybe some lanolin. But even then....
DD is 3 weeks old. She usually eats every three hours and occasionally up to 4 during the day. She usually gives us a stretch of 5 hours at least once per night. *Sometimes* she eats every 2 hours.
see, this is why I was mislead. Partly it's this board. I'm not at all negative against breastfeeding, quite the opposite actually. But the reality is that you WILL have to feed every 2 hrs around the clock and that really isn't doable for quite a lot of people. You just don't find them posting the reality of the situation on these boards. Yes, everyone's experience is different, but saying that most women don't breastfeed past 6 months is actually a fact, not something I made up. Are there breastfeeding superstars? Yes, I know some. As for the onesies, yes, I know they go down over their shoulders, but they don't go on that way. And at 3 am struggling with a sleeping infant, it's just easier to avoid the head thing and get onesies that wrap. im posting just in case there are other moms out there who are all alone taking care of an infant by themselves may need some products that make life easier for them.
but isn't this (sort of) true whether you BF or FF? I mean, babies need to eat every 2-3 hours the first few weeks. It's a biological safety mechanism and their stomachs are like the size of a peach pit or something. Something that small is going to need to be filled often whether it's formula or breast milk. Also saying it's not doable, what's the alternative? I get the breast feeding is hard and before getting pregnant I admit I didn't realize that. But I always knew newborns eat frequently and you don't sleep, that never seemed like a big secret...
Sure, BFing doesn't work for lots of mamas but I don't think they'll regret purchasing a bunch of nursing supplies, like... Um.... Oh! A nursing bra, or... Um... Nursing pads. (Even if you don't nurse those suckers are gonna leak!) What else? What else? Um.... Yeah. That's all the nursing supplies I can think of, unless you include a pump, and maybe some lanolin. But even then....
Mine never leaked once. I guess boobs, like babies, are all different aswell.
@AdorkablePixie I think he just had a huge bladder, we also adopted so he was a little over 6 months when we got him. 2 years later, we're still crate training though...because he's a crazy.
For a second, I thought you were talking about a kid because I didn't see the previous post.
I mean if this works, I'm not opposed to trying it out.
Me 28 DH 30 Married May 16th, 2015 EDD July 1st July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"
I know I'm late to this convo, but this post is so problematic because if someone else does encounter difficulties it is almost an encouragement for them to stop breastfeeding. I definitely had difficulties, supplementing with formula early. DH just wanted everyone comfortable. A week later my parents came to help and my mom was having none of it. She literally said "no grandchild of mine will be formula fed." It made me feel terrible but we went to a (free through doc) lactation consultant who gave me tips, left me alone to nurse and try for a couple hours with her coming by to help as needed. We used a nipple shield for a little bit then weaned him off. It was HARD WORK. Giving up was not an option and I am grateful for the tough love. DS nursed until he was 2 years old. I wouldn't even keep th formula in the house as an option unless there is a medical need, which is rare.
Why is it any of your mom's business how you feed your child? If my mother had come into my house after my first was born and started making pronouncements about what my baby would be eating, she'd have found herself tossed out posthaste.
Re: Some baby item advice from FTM with 10 week old
I don't regret buying any supplies because it was so nice to have everything I needed on hand no matter how short lived my breastfeeding was. I have a medical condition and would give anything to 'inconvenience' myself with less sleep. Except she still wakes up in the night...cause she's a baby....
Shes almost 2 months old and still swimming in her newborn clothes. And no one gave me newborn clothes....I actually went out at 4 days old to buy some because someone gave me the brilliant advice to not stock up on newborn stuff.
Unsolicited advice doesn't go over well in any circumstance. I'm sure you had good intentions, and I'm sorry your experience was rough, but none of that was helpful in the least.
DS came out at 9 lb 12 oz and he still wore newborn clothes for about 2-3 weeks. 3 month clothes were too big for him.
Jamie
Man.....I wish that I could be a "real mom" like her. I only have a 4.5 year old, work 10 hour days, have lots of extracurriculars on the side for husband/DD/I, manage to somehow juggle it all.....but apparently I am not considered a "real mom". Frick.....what do I have to do to prove my "real mom" worth?!
@Nerdchild
You know what? Men wouldn't be handling it better. You know how many feedings of DD my husband has done? 0. Zero night feedings. Zero night changes.
As for the six months and most moms quit - maternity leave ends and they go back to work.
As for you "sharing" because you "care". Caring is offering support, not telling new and expectant moms that they're doomed to fail.
As for all your DMs. Have fun and make those your mom friend group. Private group them all together. We don't care.
seriously though, you thought this would go well here? Really?
Here are my personal experiences and opinions about the things you brought up and some suggestions that you or others may find helpful
Breastfeeding wasn't hard for me at all. My baby latched great, I didn't have any real pain to speak of, I truly found it to be easy and natural. I had/have a low supply though so I supplement with formula but I never struggled with breastfeeding in any other regards.
No one bought me any newborn clothing. None. Zero. Zip. I had a few hand me downs and then my husband and I went to town on a sale day at a thrift shop picking up a ton of stuff in newborn and 3 month sizes cause we didn't know what we'd need. Spent all of $15
To some extent it is true that some babies don't like stuff going over their head. I can do it and it's fine but my husband had a hard time with it. I bought a few kimono side snap onsies for when he was dressing the baby and hubby loved them. I found there are pros and cons to zip vs snap sleepers.
Snap sleepers are easier to change diapers without exposing as much baby to cold air. Obviously in the summer it's not a problem though. Zipper sleepers are easier to zip back up, cause those snaps can be a bit of a challenge when you are tired and baby is wiggly. They cost a million dollars but the Zippeyz sleepers are the best of both worlds with snaps on top and zipper on the bottom and they have the built-in mitts so baby doesn't scratch their face and they are super soft nice cotton.
I have supplemented with formula from the get go but at 6.5 months am still also breastfeeding with no intention of stopping. We've been using the same formula the whole time with no problems. Samples are a great idea if you aren't sure what you'll use though. Having some formula supplies on hand saved our butts. Our baby came early and my milk didn't come in for several days after we got home. We had cans of formula but also a pack of ready to drink bottles of formula and individual disposable pre sterilized nipples that were great for when we were too tired to wash and prepare bottles. They also are great for on the go.
I'm honestly not sure what you meant by " minimum of what you need " or where these gift cards are coming from, but I did not want to leave my house for anything, and Amazon Prime and Amazon Now are my BFF's. If I wasn't already married, I'd marry Amazon Prime and have it's babies cause they'd be delivered guaranteed the next day and I'd never even have to get out of my pajamas.
I have heard that the mother's milk tea does indeed taste nasty. But many women have great success with the tea, brewers yeast, oatmeal, flax seed, Gatorade or simply increasing caloric intake and water consumption in regards to boosting breastmilk supply. The brewer's yeast has some serious funk flavor but the flax doesn't. You can add both of those things to your morning oatmeal easy peasy. Lactation cookies are also great. You can order them from, you guessed it, Amazon
And no, formula fed babies don't magically sleep better. It really just depends on the baby. The biggest advantage that both breast and formula feeding has had for us, is my husband is able to take a feeding wherever needed. Sometimes it works out well but sometimes it put me out of sync with the baby and I had to pump, which honestly for me wasn't a big deal. We are very fortunate to have a kiddo that is happy to go back and forth from breast to bottle with no confusion.
My one piece of unsolicited advice that I've found to be true amongst me and my friends is to not buy too many of the same bottle right away. We had better luck buying one or 2 of several different brands and then stock up once you decide what you and baby like best. Same with diapers too actually. I love Pampers and hate Huggies. My best friend wants to see all Pampers die on fire and would marry Huggies tomorrow. Diapers are all a little different and babies are all a little different so it takes some trial and error to find a good match sometimes.
So, there you go. That's my take on the subject. Do with it what you will.
Married May 16th, 2015
EDD July 1st
July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"
ladies in the last 9 months, and it's all been honest truths. I'm sorry you are having a hard time, but to say that this forum is the reason for your problems... That's ridiculous.
July BMB May Signature Challenge
Sit down, knottienumbers
TTC #2: Oct 2017, BFP 12/19/17, CP 12/22/17
BFP 2/20/18 - EDD 10/31/2018
Meh. Try a new excuse.
July BMB May Signature Challenge
i wish i had bought more newborn stuff. my son was in newborn clothes for longer than i expected & i was constatly doing laundry trying to keep up with how often he would burn through the small amount of stuff i had. i actually revieved very little newborn clothes.
i switched from BF to FF because my milk dried up &, honestly, it was making me depressed. however, i still wake up with him every 3hrs (not 2hrs) to feed, & it actually is more of a hassle because i have to keep him calm while trying to heat up a bottle as fast as i can. also, i wish i had stocked up on bottles because right now i have all of 3 bottles that work for him.
I'm sorry you feel bullied, but maybe next time avoid giving out advice that wasn't asked for. that never goes over well on TB, & babies aren't "one size fits all".
Good thing I don't base my parenting decisions on the rantings of angry trolls. WHEW.
Also, amen and preach to everything that everyone has said because y'all killed it.
ETA I did have a hard time getting DS to latch in the hospital. The dr came in and I was bawling because "he's going to starve to death." My doctor's answer was, "well, there's that." And he sent the LC (who was also a retired nurse and working casual call-in as the ward clerk that night/day). She made a world of difference and helped us so much. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
Every woman's experience is different. You learn as you go. At 10 weeks I would have never started dishing out advice to anyone.
TTC #2: Oct 2017, BFP 12/19/17, CP 12/22/17
BFP 2/20/18 - EDD 10/31/2018
You don't HAVE to feed the baby every two hours. My doctor has instructed to feed WHEN THE BABY IS HUNGRY. Why wake up a sleeping baby? I am sorry, but I won't be feeding every two hours unless that is what baby wants. Not every child is the same and not every experience is the same. Also, I know many people who have BF past 6 months. I'll be going back to work full time after 3 months and I plan to BF when with baby and pumping when I'm not. I am determined to make this work. If it doesn't and I have to supplement or use strictly formula, well then that's what I have to do. I have no delusions in my head that being a parent, especially a FTM of an infant, is going to be easy.
@delujm0 I plan to start reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding this weekend!
@oneliloaktree13 You mean you weren't up every three hours with your puppy?! What was I doing wrong???
Me: 31
DH: 29, SA - Great
Married: June 12,2011
TTC #1: 1/2014
Diagnosis: Hypothalamic Amenorrhea
Treatment: Clomid: 50mg, 100mg, 150mg - not successful and not monitored
Menopur 75ml (upped to 112.5ml), Ovidrel, & IUI IUI #1 8/31/2015
9/15/2015: BFP HCG - 400, 9/17/2015: HCG - 827, 9/21/2015 - HCG 3,327!Married May 16th, 2015
EDD July 1st
July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"
Your advice sucks.
Married: October 2014
TTC #1 since September 2015
Married May 16th, 2015
EDD July 1st
July16 May siggy challenge "May the Force be with you"