@kap1988 For the first month or so you pretty much will be nursing and sleeping exclusively. Seriously it was a struggle for me to shower. Especially there is a growth spurt at around 3 weeks that is a total mindf**k because your kid wants to nurse CONSTANTLY and you become convinced you don't have enough milk.
As a general rule you want to leave about 1.5 ounces per hour for a breastfed baby. (I left 2 to be safe.) really if they are going through more than 2 ounces an hour your daycare might be overfeeding as a way of keeping your lo from fussing. Kellymom is a blog with AMAZING educational resources for breastfeeding moms.
I know this is going to vary a lot, but I'm wondering how often/when during the day/night your baby breastfed the first year. I'm trying to figure out how often I'm going to need to pump at work.
I know this is going to vary a lot, but I'm wondering how often/when during the day/night your baby breastfed the first year. I'm trying to figure out how often I'm going to need to pump at work.
Any other STMs (especially prior c-section) having a lot more pain this time around? I'm having a hard time figuring out when pain is growing pain that feels crampy or if it's something more serious (even though I know it's not). Ended up at the doctor yesterday because Tylenol didn't help and basically told I'm dehydrated from my cold. Felt pretty dumb going in.
Alex married to M since 6.13.09 T - 3.3.14 A - 2.24.17
Along the lines of breastfeeding, I am super confused about, well, so many things- but mainly should I have a few bottles and formula on hand if it is not working out? I know there will be lactation consultants at the hospital and my hope and prayer is that it does work, but what should I have around and ready just in case? Is it advisable to have some formula in the house just in case for whatever reason your supply isn't coming on demand, and it's the middle of the night and he's hungry and crying? What should I be set up with ahead of time - assuming I will breastfeed, but also I am a worrier and I just want to have all bases covered. I know all babies take to different types of bottles but is there one kind that is sort of generic to start with? Or should you have several kinds on hand? How do you even go about figuring out what kinds to start with?
@jenny0228 i never had formula on hand. yes there will probably be time when your supply isn't what baby wants it to be, but continuing to nurse and stimulate will tell your body to produce more. Substituting with formula doesn't give baby the opportunity to demand more of your body and some people find that leads to supply issues.
As far as bottles, we started off with the free sample bottles to see what baby liked. We had a dr. browns, mam, and a few others. DS only liked mam. We were given a pack of tommee tippees that flowed way too fast for DS even though they were slow flow. Every baby's different so I would collect as many of those free ones as you can. You get them w/ registry bags and sometimes BRU has a coupon for a free holiday bottle. If you do decide to buy a few kinds, I'd suggest only buying one of any kind. Who knows maybe your baby won't be particular and then you won't have to buy any more lol
@sunshine507 you won't typically feed from the bottles you pump into. Or at least, I didn't. I pumped into the medela bottles that came with my medela pump then transferred into storage bags. When I needed milk, I pulled out a bag and poured it into a bottle. We use Avent Naturals, but Tommee Tippee has a new one called Ultra Nipple that looks even better. I just tried to find bottles with nipples that looked similar to my own (TMI? Sorry).
A tip for breastmilk storage... lay the bags flat. I tried the medela storage bags, medela pump and save bags, and the Gerber Seal N Go bags. The Gerber were my favorite because they lay flat better. Laying them flat helps the milk freeze and thaw faster and saves space in the freezer.
Also, only freeze in amounts you know you'll use because you can't refreeze thawed breastmilk. So if LO drinks 3oz at a time, but you'll need 2 bottles for the day go ahead and freeze in 6 oz increments. Otherwise, freeze 3 oz, 4 oz, 5 oz, or whatever baby needs. You'll want to get a sharpie and leave it handy in the kitchen so you can mark your bags with the date and amount of milk, also. I've seen people use coke boxes with the top cut off to store milk and also just gallon freezer bags that you can then mark the dates on. Also, never store breastmilk in the door of the freezer as there are too many temperature changes. If you have a deep freeze, that's the best place to store.
@sunshine507 you can buy a small adaptor to use the bottle you choose with your pump. They are fairly inexpensive and found at big box retailers, unless you're going with a non main stream bottle.
Supplementing with formula is a slippery slope and I wouldn't recommend it if you want to successfully breastfeed. If you are really nervous and want to have a bottle on hand for an emergency, try pumping a few extra ounces to keep in the fridge. My advice would be to throw away (or donate) any formula samples you get in the mail or from a doctor's office. There's a reason those samples are free - it's a way to hook new customers. You can do this - women's bodies are incredible!
**This advice is for moms who want to successfully BF. No judgment to moms who decide to formula feed.
Also - La Leche League website and local meeting was HUGE for me in terms of education and support.
@jenny0228A bit opposite from the above post, but I was going to recommend that you keep the formula samples on hand. We were advised by the pediatrician to give a few ounces of formula after breastfeeding when my DD was just a week or two old because of jaundice (she needed more fluid to clear it up). So for me it doesn't hurt to just keep the samples.
So I guess my experience is a bit different from others, my nipples aren't the greatest for breastfeeding and we really had to work together to make it work, so it was helpful to have bottles and the pump ready. Right when I took my DD home from the hospital she refused to latch. I had to pump and give her a bottle to stop her from screaming because she was so hungry. Once she had some milk in her, we calmly and successfully tried latching again, but I still had to pump right away. So long story short, I would definitely have a couple of bottles, my DD never had an issue with different types of bottles so that will be totally infant dependent.
Along the lines of breastfeeding, I am super confused about, well, so many things- but mainly should I have a few bottles and formula on hand if it is not working out? I know there will be lactation consultants at the hospital and my hope and prayer is that it does work, but what should I have around and ready just in case? Is it advisable to have some formula in the house just in case for whatever reason your supply isn't coming on demand, and it's the middle of the night and he's hungry and crying? What should I be set up with ahead of time - assuming I will breastfeed, but also I am a worrier and I just want to have all bases covered. I know all babies take to different types of bottles but is there one kind that is sort of generic to start with? Or should you have several kinds on hand? How do you even go about figuring out what kinds to start with?
We never bothered with having formula on hand either. The only formula I had was a sample pack that I received from Motherhood Maternity in their little welcome bag. Other than that, if my son was losing weight and was making it clear that he was not getting any breast milk whatsoever, then we would've went the formula route after consulting with our ped. In the beginning, it's very daunting because you're always afraid that baby isn't getting enough milk since you don't know the exact amount that they're getting, but what helped me was knowing that as long as baby has plenty of pee diapers (I can't remember the number that they should have in a 24 hour period but a quick google search should tell you) and they're gaining weight, then they're getting enough milk. Also remember that in the early days, baby's tummy is tiny. I'm talking like the size of a marble to begin with and then it gets bigger from there. Like others mentioned, supplementing with formula can be tricky and can throw your supply off track. The same with your partner giving baby a bottle in the middle of the night. It's nice to have someone give you a break and let you sleep, but just wait until breastfeeding is established before having someone step in with the bottle. As for specific bottles, that's going to depend entirely on the baby and it's difficult to give advice to someone about what bottles will work. We were lucky that my son never had bottle preference and he immediately took to the Tommee Tippee brand. If you received samples of certain bottles, I would start with that and go from there. If you don't have samples, it's pretty much trial and error. Just a tip though, if you want to give a bottle instead of the boob, I would have someone else try first. There were days where I hadn't quite figured out baby's patterns and I would pump and then of course he'd want the boob. Since I just emptied myself out, I would have to give pumped milk. He DID NOT want a bottle from me in those early days. Would not work, no dice. When my husband gave a bottle, there were no problems whatsoever. I say that to say that if you're giving a bottle and baby doesn't seem to want it, it may not be because they don't want that specific brand, it may just be that you're the one giving it and they prefer the breast.
The first 3 weeks of breastfeeding was tough for me. I think everyone has a different time frame for when things finally clicked, but 3 weeks was the magic number for us. You'll hear it a hundred times, but hang in there in the beginning! It's very easy to get frustrated and give up. However, if a couple of months goes by and you're still struggling and your mental health is taking a toll, by all means give formula. There are so many cases where women feel guilty for not successfully breastfeeding and they practically kill themselves to make it happen. In the long run, it's not worth it. Yes, breast is best, we know this, but fed is even better and if your kid needs formula, do not beat yourself up about it. Formula fed kids turn out fine just like breastfed kids.
Any other STMs (especially prior c-section) having a lot more pain this time around? I'm having a hard time figuring out when pain is growing pain that feels crampy or if it's something more serious (even though I know it's not). Ended up at the doctor yesterday because Tylenol didn't help and basically told I'm dehydrated from my cold. Felt pretty dumb going in.
Never feel dumb for going in. Better safe than sorry!
Pic to show what baby's tummy is like in first days and weeks . it's okay if your milk doesn't come in really well at first IMO, you don't need formula on hand.
Edit to add--most lactation consultants reccomend waiting at least a month before introducing baby to bottle. So-that's obviously your call, but again not necessary to have bottles on hand to try different kinds out for the first few weeks.
Thanks so much for the advice on bottles and formula when breastfeeding- hearing your experience definitely makes me feel like I was probably overthinking the whole thing!! @gators&bosox @Cbeanz@kiyamurph@CanadianintheSouth@kjd291 super helpful info on how much infants actually need and opinions and advice on supplementing with formula. You ladies are the best!!!!!
Pic to show what baby's tummy is like in first days and weeks . it's okay if your milk doesn't come in really well at first IMO, you don't need formula on hand.
Edit to add--most lactation consultants reccomend waiting at least a month before introducing baby to bottle. So-that's obviously your call, but again not necessary to have bottles on hand to try different kinds out for the first few weeks.
@jenny0228A bit opposite from the above post, but I was going to recommend that you keep the formula samples on hand. We were advised by the pediatrician to give a few ounces of formula after breastfeeding when my DD was just a week or two old because of jaundice (she needed more fluid to clear it up). So for me it doesn't hurt to just keep the samples.
So I guess my experience is a bit different from others, my nipples aren't the greatest for breastfeeding and we really had to work together to make it work, so it was helpful to have bottles and the pump ready. Right when I took my DD home from the hospital she refused to latch. I had to pump and give her a bottle to stop her from screaming because she was so hungry. Once she had some milk in her, we calmly and successfully tried latching again, but I still had to pump right away. So long story short, I would definitely have a couple of bottles, my DD never had an issue with different types of bottles so that will be totally infant dependent.
My son was also jaundiced so I supplemented about 10oz after each feed for a couple if days. But the hospital gave me plenty of samples so I didnt really need any.
Also something I didn't now until after I had a baby: no ones milk comes in right away. It usually.as in about day 3, but can be later. This is normal, until then they nurse atom but only get drops of colostrum. Newborns generally lose weight after birth, especially if you get fluids intravenousltduring labor. This is onlyworrisone if the loss is over 10%. Babies should regain their birth weight within 2 weeks.
Adding to this, I do want to try to breastfeed, but I want DH to be able to participate in feedings as well. Any advice on that front?
You can pump and he can take over some feedings with that. But I dont recommebd doing that until at least 4 weeks or so. When my MIL said something similar, my husband said something kind of memorable. I forget the exact phrasing, but he said something like, "I can bond in other ways. Its not really about my feelings, but what we think is healthiest for C." Basically telling her not to guilt me into not nursing because it was unfair to him or something. Itsokay and natural for moms and dads to form different relationships with their kids. Its even normal for breastfed babies to strongly prefer mom for a long time. Its biology. Its important for parents to get over themselves sometimes, lol.
The best way my husband helped with feedings was honestly taking care of me. Pumping is harder and more time consuming that just pulling out a boob.
@datalover13 TTM here and the uncomfortable-ness has come earlier and with more force with each baby for me. I'm right there with you.. Weird pains and I came very close to going in because I'm not used to this much pain at 27 weeks!
@jenny0228 it is scary and hard to figure out if baby is eating enough and the right amount of time when breastfeeding at first. The hospital should give you samples of formula/pre made bottles to take home.. If they don't offer because they know you are breastfeeding, you can ask for them anyway and they should give them to you. I agree with the previous posts though, I wouldn't supplement if I were you. But it never hurts to have some in the house so you don't have to stress about providing food for baby!! A big key with knowing if baby is getting milk from the boob is watching for their swallow reflex and the colostrum/milk will leak out the side of their cute little lips too. the hospital will have a lactation consultants number and there's a website lactationlink.com (a certified consultant and nurse) that you can take online classes from and she will answer all your questions!
All brand name bottles were too fast of a nipple for newborns (we used a baba for pumped milk) and found that the 97cent bottles at Walmart were the favorite for both of my boys until they were big enough to swallow a little better. When that happened we started using Avent bottles. I would pump into the medela bottles, dump into bag and freeze, then thaw and dump into bottle of choice. This time I bought the Kiinde system which has a nipple you attach to the bag. I haven't used it yet but a lot of moms on here say it's great and I'm looking forward to trying it!
That's a great visual @kjd291. We supplemented with formula for the bedtime feeding only and we were fine. We did this to carry her longer through the night and I pumped off that last feeding to build up a storage for work. I can see the point of exclusive nursers though about the slippery slope. We also used playtex drop ins that connected with the Medela pump. When I had the bottles to spare I pumped right into them but mostly used the pump bottles and poured them into the storage bags. We have since given away the bottles (DD is 5) so this time we will try Tommy Tippee but I stand by the old generation of Playtex. The new bottles they have received terrible reviews and I can't seem to find the old ones on the market anymore.
My son would ONLY use the new playtex bottles. (went back to work at 6 months) So don't buy a bunch of anything! Buy one of a couple different types just in case your kiddo is as picky as mine!
Re: Ask a STM!
As a general rule you want to leave about 1.5 ounces per hour for a breastfed baby. (I left 2 to be safe.) really if they are going through more than 2 ounces an hour your daycare might be overfeeding as a way of keeping your lo from fussing. Kellymom is a blog with AMAZING educational resources for breastfeeding moms.
Me 28 DH 28 Married 2012
TTC #1 since March 2015
Metformin + Femara + Gonal F + Trigger = BFP 6/24/16
EDD 3/3/17
Found out it's a girl! 9/23/16
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
As far as bottles, we started off with the free sample bottles to see what baby liked. We had a dr. browns, mam, and a few others. DS only liked mam. We were given a pack of tommee tippees that flowed way too fast for DS even though they were slow flow. Every baby's different so I would collect as many of those free ones as you can. You get them w/ registry bags and sometimes BRU has a coupon for a free holiday bottle. If you do decide to buy a few kinds, I'd suggest only buying one of any kind. Who knows maybe your baby won't be particular and then you won't have to buy any more lol
A tip for breastmilk storage... lay the bags flat. I tried the medela storage bags, medela pump and save bags, and the Gerber Seal N Go bags. The Gerber were my favorite because they lay flat better. Laying them flat helps the milk freeze and thaw faster and saves space in the freezer.
Also, only freeze in amounts you know you'll use because you can't refreeze thawed breastmilk. So if LO drinks 3oz at a time, but you'll need 2 bottles for the day go ahead and freeze in 6 oz increments. Otherwise, freeze 3 oz, 4 oz, 5 oz, or whatever baby needs. You'll want to get a sharpie and leave it handy in the kitchen so you can mark your bags with the date and amount of milk, also. I've seen people use coke boxes with the top cut off to store milk and also just gallon freezer bags that you can then mark the dates on. Also, never store breastmilk in the door of the freezer as there are too many temperature changes. If you have a deep freeze, that's the best place to store.
Supplementing with formula is a slippery slope and I wouldn't recommend it if you want to successfully breastfeed. If you are really nervous and want to have a bottle on hand for an emergency, try pumping a few extra ounces to keep in the fridge. My advice would be to throw away (or donate) any formula samples you get in the mail or from a doctor's office. There's a reason those samples are free - it's a way to hook new customers. You can do this - women's bodies are incredible!
**This advice is for moms who want to successfully BF. No judgment to moms who decide to formula feed.
Also - La Leche League website and local meeting was HUGE for me in terms of education and support.
So I guess my experience is a bit different from others, my nipples aren't the greatest for breastfeeding and we really had to work together to make it work, so it was helpful to have bottles and the pump ready. Right when I took my DD home from the hospital she refused to latch. I had to pump and give her a bottle to stop her from screaming because she was so hungry. Once she had some milk in her, we calmly and successfully tried latching again, but I still had to pump right away. So long story short, I would definitely have a couple of bottles, my DD never had an issue with different types of bottles so that will be totally infant dependent.
The first 3 weeks of breastfeeding was tough for me. I think everyone has a different time frame for when things finally clicked, but 3 weeks was the magic number for us. You'll hear it a hundred times, but hang in there in the beginning! It's very easy to get frustrated and give up. However, if a couple of months goes by and you're still struggling and your mental health is taking a toll, by all means give formula. There are so many cases where women feel guilty for not successfully breastfeeding and they practically kill themselves to make it happen. In the long run, it's not worth it. Yes, breast is best, we know this, but fed is even better and if your kid needs formula, do not beat yourself up about it. Formula fed kids turn out fine just like breastfed kids.
Pic to show what baby's tummy is like in first days and weeks . it's okay if your milk doesn't come in really well at first
IMO, you don't need formula on hand.
Edit to add--most lactation consultants reccomend waiting at least a month before introducing baby to bottle. So-that's obviously your call, but again not necessary to have bottles on hand to try different kinds out for the first few weeks.
Also something I didn't now until after I had a baby: no ones milk comes in right away. It usually.as in about day 3, but can be later. This is normal, until then they nurse atom but only get drops of colostrum. Newborns generally lose weight after birth, especially if you get fluids intravenousltduring labor. This is onlyworrisone if the loss is over 10%. Babies should regain their birth weight within 2 weeks.
EDD: 3/13/17
The best way my husband helped with feedings was honestly taking care of me. Pumping is harder and more time consuming that just pulling out a boob.
@jenny0228 it is scary and hard to figure out if baby is eating enough and the right amount of time when breastfeeding at first. The hospital should give you samples of formula/pre made bottles to take home.. If they don't offer because they know you are breastfeeding, you can ask for them anyway and they should give them to you. I agree with the previous posts though, I wouldn't supplement if I were you. But it never hurts to have some in the house so you don't have to stress about providing food for baby!! A big key with knowing if baby is getting milk from the boob is watching for their swallow reflex and the colostrum/milk will leak out the side of their cute little lips too. the hospital will have a lactation consultants number and there's a website lactationlink.com (a certified consultant and nurse) that you can take online classes from and she will answer all your questions!
All brand name bottles were too fast of a nipple for newborns (we used a baba for pumped milk) and found that the 97cent bottles at Walmart were the favorite for both of my boys until they were big enough to swallow a little better. When that happened we started using Avent bottles. I would pump into the medela bottles, dump into bag and freeze, then thaw and dump into bottle of choice. This time I bought the Kiinde system which has a nipple you attach to the bag. I haven't used it yet but a lot of moms on here say it's great and I'm looking forward to trying it!
We also used playtex drop ins that connected with the Medela pump. When I had the bottles to spare I pumped right into them but mostly used the pump bottles and poured them into the storage bags. We have since given away the bottles (DD is 5) so this time we will try Tommy Tippee but I stand by the old generation of Playtex. The new bottles they have received terrible reviews and I can't seem to find the old ones on the market anymore.