Breastfeeding questions???

Knottie42067768 · February 2017

I am currently 19 weeks along with baby #2. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed the first time but I struggled early on with some latching issues and inverted nipples, and I switched to formula. I'm very dedicated to trying to make it work this time around, as I have already decided I won't be going back to work, and I firmly believe breastfeeding is best for baby.
But, since I didn't have much success or experience the first time around, I just have SO many questions to prepare for this time.
I would really like input from moms who exclusively breastfeed their babies. I have LOTS of questions, and they are as follows:

What do you do when you go out for a date night or girls night and someone watches your baby?? I mean I'm sure you pump and then leave bottles, but what kind of bottles? And does that ever cause nipple confusion for your child when you come home and nurse? Does it affect your milk supply if you miss a couple feedings? Do you take a pump with you and express while you are out? If so, do you save it and bring it home, or do you dump it? What type of bottles/nipples do you recommend for the occasional feeding from someone else? How long did you wait before the first time you left someone else with your baby for a feeding? Did you ever have someone practice with your baby and a bottle before you actually left, to make sure it went smoothly? Did you ever encounter a problem with your baby refusing to take a bottle? What is the most recommended way to store milk, bottles or bags?
I know those are a LOT of questions, and that is just the beginning of all I have to ask lol. But I will leave it here for now. I appreciate any input than any of you moms would like to give.

meggyme · March 2017

Knottie42067768 said:

I am currently 19 weeks along with baby #2. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed the first time but I struggled early on with some latching issues and inverted nipples, and I switched to formula. I'm very dedicated to trying to make it work this time around, as I have already decided I won't be going back to work, and I firmly believe breastfeeding is best for baby.
But, since I didn't have much success or experience the first time around, I just have SO many questions to prepare for this time.
I would really like input from moms who exclusively breastfeed their babies. I have LOTS of questions, and they are as follows:

What do you do when you go out for a date night or girls night and someone watches your baby?? I mean I'm sure you pump and then leave bottles, but what kind of bottles? And does that ever cause nipple confusion for your child when you come home and nurse? Does it affect your milk supply if you miss a couple feedings? Do you take a pump with you and express while you are out? If so, do you save it and bring it home, or do you dump it? What type of bottles/nipples do you recommend for the occasional feeding from someone else? How long did you wait before the first time you left someone else with your baby for a feeding? Did you ever have someone practice with your baby and a bottle before you actually left, to make sure it went smoothly? Did you ever encounter a problem with your baby refusing to take a bottle? What is the most recommended way to store milk, bottles or bags?
I know those are a LOT of questions, and that is just the beginning of all I have to ask lol. But I will leave it here for now. I appreciate any input than any of you moms would like to give.

I would really recommend that you attend a La Leche League meeting or talk to a lactation consultant. It might help put your mind at ease and give you a support system for when your baby arrives. Many hospitals will also offer a breastfeeding class.

As for your questions, unfortunately a lot of that is preference and trial and error with your particular baby. I introduced the bottle after breastfeeding was well established. I pump occasionally and store in bags to freeze. I use all medela stuff. My mom babysat her when she was a few weeks old and she stayed with a babysitter at around 5 months old.

SnarkasaurusRex · March 2017

Ditto to PP. Find a LLL meeting or research local lactation consultants to see who offers breastfeeding classes. My hospital does one, but one of my good friends is an IBCLC so I did mine through her. The other bonus to meeting with a lactation consultant before birth is that you've already established that relationship, so if you start to have issues you can usually get in for a consult faster.

So much of breast feeding is trial and error. Most IBCLCs will recommend that you wait until breastfeeding is established to introduce bottles, but my son had a weight gain issue that forced us to supplement with formula at 6 days old (failure to thrive and had lost 22% of his birth weight). He did not have any nipple confusion, thankfully, and we were able to BF and supplement for a while. It may have been helpful that, for the first few weeks, it was only DH who gave him a bottle.

Whether or not you'll need to pump while you're out depends on how much you're pumping/feeding at home. Friends of mine have taken a hand pump with them to express milk while they're out if they need to and bring it home later. If you are drinking, as long as you are still safe to drive, the milk is safe for LO to drink (per my IBCLC).

The rest of your questions will honestly depend on your baby and/or your personal preferences.

livingthedream-3 · March 2017

By the time you are out on date nights I would suspect your supply would be regulated by that point and wouldn't worry about missing a feeding. BF babies are picky about bottles, so you'll just have to try a couple and see how it goes. I wouldn't pump when I was away for a few hours and missing one session never effected my supply but I always carried a hand pump in my purse in case I was in need of it....2 babies 2 full years of EBF and I never did. Both min both breast and drank bottles of pumped milk regularly and never had nipple confusion.

Breastfeeding questions???

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