Expressed Milk Feeds - Advice Welcome Please!

[Lizzzombie]

Hi, I have just discovered the joys of expressing and feeding my LO from the bottle. Its so much easier. I have HUGE boobs and rather than guess when he has had enough or not, I can now see exactly how much he has had. Plus I can sit more comfortably when feeding him with a bottle, as the problem I have found with feeding with massive boobs is that you have one hand supporting LO and the other making sure your boob isnt suffocating him.
Has anyone heard of people expressing milk and giving all feeds via a bottle?
(my LO is quite happy to take from boob or bottle and doesnt seem to be confused at all so this isnt an issue)
All advice welcome! Thanks.

Lizzzombie - I have a friend who did not enjoy breastfeeding at all. If you search for Jasper in the breastfeeding threads you will see her struggle with it. As her DS got older and more interactive she found it to be lovely - I think maybe arouing 4 month mark. I can't honestly remember now. She went on to feed him till he was 2

It feedls lovely when they get to the stage of looking into your eyes and smiling at you when they feed. As they get bigger the stroker you face or top of your chest. Young babies only eat, sleep, cry and fill nappies really. You will see a change over the nest few weeks. You'll soon be coming up for that first smile

My son is 13 weeks old and I'd say the pleasure of breastfeeding kicked in about 3-4 weeks ago. Exactly as mears said - lots of smiles, strokes and loving looks up at you. He now tries to take control of his feeds by pulling my breast into his mouth with his fists. He looks so sweet when he does that! Also the endorphins which are released through the milk into your baby's body also benefit you through the process of breastfeeding, so you feel more chilled out and happy. Bear in mind that some mothers find they cannot express for as long as they breastfeed, but then I think you said you managed fine with your first baby?

The most important thing about BFing (absolutely vital!) is getting the right latch, then it's a just matter of practice - clearly there's lots of opportunity for that on a daily basis! If you can't get hold of a counsellor let me know and I'll see whether my brilliant counsellor friend might be able to speak to you on the phone. I'm not overselling her skills when I say she's amazing. I'm not sure what the policy is here on giving out contact details but I'm sure we can work something out, maybe using a mumsnet contact as a messenger. I'll check this thread in a few days for your response.

Did you know that the endorphins in breast milk act as a mild painkiller, so that if you feed your baby not long before their jabs they generally cope better? Seemed to work for my son this week.

Good luck! xx

Oh - and the fact that your baby takes the bottle at an early age? I envy you. We're struggling to get our son to take EBM from the bottle, which means my husband can't feed him.

How are things today Lizzzombie? Think the first 6 weeks are definitely the hardest, taking one day at a time as you are doing is absolutely right. I had a huge and expensive box of chocolates when DS was born and used to 'reward' myself with one for each feed.

Sounds like you're doing a great job

Ooh, MaeWest - I like your thinking. It's been too long since I last had some expensive choccies...

I've had mastitis again for the last few days. This is so pants!

Mastitis is the absolute pits . I have so much sympathy for you. I was doing a lot of expressing in the first couple of months because of latch/sore nip problems and I think that overstimulated my supply leaving the very sore side prone to blockages for a short while.

I got very good at identifying potential problems quickly though and stopping it becoming full-blown mastitis - e.g. hand expressing the sore side in a hot bath/shower or making combing movements towards the nipple again in a hot bath/shower and feeding more from the blocked side.

It does get better if you stick at it - honest... We are now 16 weeks in and the last 2 or 3 have been a little bit of a revelation. I know that might sound horrendous that it's taken that long (ups and downs though) but at many points along the way I thought I'd never enjoy it and was just trying to endure it until 12 weeks (random goal that I'd set myself).

Now, 6 months is really feeling achievable and after that who knows! And what's more it's now way easier/more convenient for us than bottles and genuinely an enjoyable experience .

Lizzombie - bless you. My heart goes out to you, love. x