Rookie question: how to breastfeed for the first few months

[toomuchribbon]

Hello all, wonder if anyone can help.

I'm currently 32 weeks' pg with first DC and have a query about breastfeeding, the naivety of which I really do apologise in advance for.

I am planning (hoping) to BF our son for at least 3 months, possibly 4-5 but not more as I am then starting med school (slightly madly leaving current job and retraining as a doctor) so although I could express for my DH to give to him I can't exclusively BF from that point onwards.

My DH is also very keen to be involved in feeding from early on so I would also like to express from early on anyway to give him that opportunity.

Could anyone kindly explain:

• How soon is it ok to introduce expressed milk for a newborn (i.e. for DH to give him)?

• Given the vague timeframe above, when would it be best to drop nightfeeds?

• Towards the end of the 3 months, would it be best to introduce formula of any kind so that over the 4-5 months where he will be weaned away from me and mostly fed expressed milk, or just stick to the expressed?

I realise this is a bit of a mad how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, quite possibly more than a little naive and of course requires the cooperation of our son - but if anyone could advise I'd be immensely grateful

I never got on with expressing, so this answer may not help much, but

• I think they suggest no expressing / bottles for 6 weeks to get supply established.

• babies often accept a bottle early on, and then reject if it isn't offered regularly, so I'd make one feed a day a bottle.

• at med school, are you going to be able to express regurarly? If not, I'd think about moving to a mixture of bm and formula by the time you start studdying.

• drop night feeds??? When baby is ready. Both mine stopped feeding at night around 9 months.

*I'd be tempted to ebm / formula during the day, but feed from source first thing, evenings and nights. Then if your supply will cope with it, weekends and days off from source also.

HTH, and good luck with your baby and studies.

There's no hard evidence, as far as I'm aware, of when is 'best' to introduce a bottle, but anedotally what worked for us was introducing a bottle at three weeks for one of the evening feeds. Stick to it and give a bottle of ebm every day.

Nightfeeds get dropped when baby decides - and you can expect to be giving either bottles or breast at 8-10 months at night. I would recommend breast overnight - much easier and more sleep for you.

I agree with next - work on the assumption that you'll breastfeed whenever you're with your baby and give ebm or formula when you're not. So yes, it would make sense to introduce some formula from earlyish.

Ah next and Zuleika, thank you so much both of you. That's a huge help.

I should have clarified with regard to night feeds: I meant when to stop breast night feeds, not night feeds altogether, so presumably I could stop breast night feeds somewhere between 6 weeks and 4 months-ish (I'd prefer as late as possible within that) and then do bottle night feeds?

next, no I won't be able to express regularly once at med school unfortunately - it's an accelerated course for grads (=oldies) so it might be easier than I've heard but until there can't rely on it: the pg timing is not the best but then when it is ever, and just feel very happy to be able to have both.

Thanks so much again

Normally I'd say don't introduce a bottle before six week because it could cause nipple confusion or supply problems...

But, it sounds like in your situation and given what you want, that the risk of your baby not taking a bottle is a bigger deal for you. So I'd start one a day of expressed milk after a few weeks. In my limited experience the risk of bottle refusal is greater the later you introduce it.

I think, given the fact that your not going to be able to express at Uni, I'd go for formula in the bottle when you start to introduce it.
Why do you feel it necessary to drop all breast night feeds before Uni? I think its quicker just to stick baby on boob than phaf about boiling and cooling kettles (disclaimer: I've never fed a baby a bottle). I'd work towards bottles during the day, when someone else is going to be feeding baby, and breastfeed when your liekly to be arround. Who will be looking after baby while your in class?

PS I know several people who did medcine as a second degree, and loved it, and the jobs they ended up in afterwards.

Hello. I'm back at Uni already and DD is 9 weeks old. The Uni have been great at supporting BF. I express on my morning break and afternoon break, just 10 mins so that I'm comfortable.

Definately BF at night, it will maintain your supply (early hours of the morning are important for supply), you will get much more sleep and your baby will benefit too. I cant see any benefits to FF at night when you can BF.

One issue we are having is that DD is refusing the bottle. It didnt occur to me that she might have other ideas so do a bit of research on getting a BF baby to accept a bottle before you try. Also look up "reverse cycling", it's basically when babies go longer through the day and feed more at night (the opposite of what most parents are doing).

Second what orange says about night feeding, it's really important for your supply in the early months to feed between 1-3am

Another reason to breastfeed is that pretty soon, breastfeeding mothers are actually getting more sleep at night than their formula feeding counterparts. Research is on kellymom

Agree with ZuleikaD. DD needs a little help to latch on then I dose for most of her feed anyway, often we fall alseep together (we follow safe co-sleeping guidelines and I BF lyinng down).