Thought I would start this thread early to get the convo going about feeding your baby for the first 6 months of life prior to solids!
What do you think you want to do in terms of feeding your baby?
How are you going to prepare yourself to feed your baby?
What’s one piece of advice you would give a new mom when it comes to feeding a newborn that you wish you had known with your first (if you’re a second time mama)
Any questions?
Re: All about MILK thread
As someone who has fed two babies by breastfeeding, pumping, and formula feeding, and also as someone who works in L&D, I have lots!
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, you can use both breast milk and formula.
Babies are more effective at drawing out milk than pumps. Whatever you pump out, your baby is getting more if they are at the breast.
Your body makes milk specifically for what your baby needs, especially if they are at breast (vs pumping).
Don’t give up in the first month and don’t stress yourself too much. Get support from a lactation consultant or experienced friend. It’s the tough, but gets sooooo much easier. I was able to BF for 19 months before my son self-weaned. Hoping to do the same this time, and rely less on formula supplementation (which def reduced my supply). And if that doesn’t work, thank God we live in a time of formulas! Best of luck, ladies!
I'm planning on prepping bottles, and hopefully start pumping a little before my induction date to grow a tiny stash before Bean gets here. But I'm also going to acquire several nipple shields before hand, and pack them in my hospital bag to try them out immediately.
My one piece of advice: breastfeeding is a partnership. It takes your biology to work correctly for your baby, and for your baby to not be a lazy nurser. At the end of the day, as long as the baby is fed and growing, it really doesn't matter how that milk and/or formula got to them.