Can I do 1 formula feed a day?

[feebs123]

Can I just say before I start, What a fab site, wish I had known about it when I had ds 2 years ago.

My next baby is due on Christmas Eve, (yes, I know, bad planning!) Last time I managed to feed ds for 10 days and then gave up due to sore, cracked, bleeding nipples and being in agony every time he fed. This time I would love to greastfeed for longer, and hope that by planning in advance it might help me get through those difficult times.

I have read in a book that it is possible to do the late feed (10pm) as a formula feed whilst I express. I was wondering what you all thought of this. I am intending to buy an electric breast pump, so that if I do get the sore nipples and very full breast pain that I did last time I will be able to get at least a little relief.

And also do you have tips to relieve sore nipples, ( I was told by midwives last time that the latch was fine and ds was putting on plenty of weight) Oh and one last question, how long does the boobs feeling hard as a rugby ball and being the size of the millenium dome last??

Thanks in advance

[Egypt]

hi feebs.

i had cracked, sore, bleeding nipples for 2-3 weeks after dd was born, but honestly, if you tell yourself to stick with it next time, it does get better until you fell no pain at all. is the pain in the first 10-20 seconds? if so, and throughout the whole feed you will be fine.

meanwhile i smeared by nipples in kamillosan, from the chemists. it has camomile in and wont hurt baby. it didnt take the pain away but was soothing.

yes, you can give a bottle feed of formula, or better still expressed milk. i would try and go for as long as you can without giving the bottle, but we did, at 1 week old just because i wanted a break for just 1 feed. dd took it fine. a few wks later i gave her a bottle of formula at bedtime, to try and make her sleep longer, but i find that ebm works best.

your breasts will only be engorged for a few days. you could express a little from them, just to ease it, and freeze the milk. it also helps the little one latch on easier when they're not rock hard. this is what i ended up doing.

would recommend expressing in the morning, at the same time as baby feeds if you can! milk flows much easier. i had a medela elec pump at first, which worked fine but for some reason doesn't now! it makes me q red and bleeding. avent isis hand pump is ace. gentle and easy once you get the hang of it, and you can do it one handed if you have baby on other side.

hth

[Egypt]

i mean if so and NOT thruout whole feed, you'll be fine!

[acnebride]

Did you do cabbage leaves? I'm absolutely no expert on bf and only managed to limp to 21 weeks so won't give loads of useless advice but lovely cabbage leaves straight from the fridge really give a Schweppes moment for swollen breasts. Maybe get one of those minifridges for the room you feed in!

Also give you interesting patterns on your breasts.

[kbaby]

hi my dd is 12 weeks old.
I found it painful at first but only for a few days. To help with cracked nipples I second what Egypt has said. That camomile cream did wonders for me. After a few days the nipples heal and it no longer hurts. The rock hard boobs probably lasted about 4 days, I remember them getting hard on day 2 and found that massaging them in a warm bath helped,my friend swears by cabbage leaves.

We started doing a late ebm feed but to be honest found it more hassle having to express and sterise each day.

hth

[Tommy]

Hi - I was the same as you with my first but...I am still feeding DS2 and his first birthday is on Friday! It did hurt at the beginning and I used Lansinoh (got a free sample in hospital) but apart from that it has been a really good experience. I also donated milk to the local maternity hospital. I garee with the others that expressing is better in the morning but also suggest that you shouldn't try expressing until baby is 2-3 weeks old so you can get established witht he feeding. Good luck - I really hope it all works out for you this time like it did for me

[edam]

Savoy cabbage leaves (apparently has to be Savoy), Camillosan, Lansinoh or even better a few drops of breastmilk are good. If it hurts throughout the feed the latch is wrong however many midwives tell you different ? do take baby off and try again, I got into real trouble through gritting my teeth and getting on with it instead of re-latching. Breastfeeding counsellors are much better than midwives, and your surgery or HV should have info.
HTH

[feebs123]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice - Hopefully I will be able to grin and bear the first couple of weeks.

Thanks again

[hercules]

IIWY I wouldnt bother with the formula at least for the first few weeks. Your baby is far more effecient than a breast pumup at getting the milk out and it is really important to have the baby feeding especially at this time in order to establish your supply.

The best thing is to try exclusive feeding until you are established and if you want a break give expressed bm. Personally i think it's more hassles to sterilise, express etc than simply sticking baby on boob.

With my first I was in a agony for two weeks but with my second I had no pain or soreness at all so you never know.

GOod luck.

Mvs arent always experts on positioning and
it may be worth seeing a proper bf counsellor if you have concerns at the time or even before the birth.
Try ringing the nct breastfeeding line beforehand.