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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Wanting to try breastfeeding

4 replies

Kat123h · 19/09/2022 07:59

Hi 👋
Im pregnant with my 3rd and first two babies were bottle fed. No particular reason it was just worked for me as I was worried about BF so bottles seemed better choice and worked out great , my main worries were like around my own body issues and stuff holding me back.
I did try a colostrum feed with my first and just hated the feeling it was like over stimulating for me and I just ended up on bottles. Now this is probably my last child I do want to give it a go for the first 6 months but I don’t know if my ‘ideal situation’ is even possible as I know nothing about breastfeeding 😂 so please just tell me if this is never going to work haha
ideally I’d breastfeed during the night feeds/ time at home and bottle feed with pumped breastmilk whilst out and so family can feed my baby too. Is this possible?
if it is.. then I have a million more questions about pumping and storage

I don’t bat an eyelid if I see anyone breastfeeding but I just would not feel comfortable due to my own body issues breastfeeding like at my in laws and stuff , I know that’s a me problem there’s nothing shameful about breastfeeding I’m just a very awkward person!
thank you in advance x

OP posts:
Mumsneat · 19/09/2022 20:06

Hi @Kat123h congratulations on your pregnancy! What you're suggesting is certainly possible although there's lots to think about when considering expressing routinely in the day for baby.

Firstly, I totally understand you not wanting to breastfeed in front of people. Lots of women feel this way, especially early on. There really are ways of feeding where noone can tell (the one top up one top down method) but if you weren't happy feeding in front of people you could always step out of the room perhaps?

It's worth looking into breastfeeding and how it works. Websites like NHS, Kelly mom, La Leche League and Association of Breastfeeding Mothers have lots of information. The main thing to understand is that it works on supply and demand. So your body will make enough milk for baby as long as baby (or a pump) is removing the milk from your breast.

If you're planning to bottle feed expressed milk when out, you would also need to be expressing around the same time to make up for that missed feed and maintain your supply. And honestly it is very hard to pump discretely (the pumps show your nipple being pulled into the flange although you can try a cover) and so at your in laws/ out and about you'd need to be doing that somewhere. So almost it would be easier to breastfeed in another room than pump. I always found pumping while out and about possible but can be a real faff and spilling milk and dealing with pump parts at other people's houses can be a bit awkward.

Ideally you could maybe start out breastfeeding so that you and baby get the hang of it then start pumping around 6 weeks. Also if you're going to combi feed you need to pace feed the bottle as this avoids bottle preference and feed responsively, not on a schedule. You also need to make sure everyone feeding baby will do the same.

I know you mentioned other people feeding baby. Often everyone wants to bond with baby and wants to do this by feeding. Feeding is not the only way for them to bond - skin to skin, baby wearing in a sling, changing nappies, bathing baby etc are all great and useful ways family and friends can bond. It's really important you have support and that people support you with breastfeeding and don't compete with it. It can be really hard sitting pumping milk (which lots of people don't enjoy) while someone else gets the enjoyment of feeding baby. But obviously if that's what you wanted then it's absolutely possible.

It may be worth giving the National Breastfeeding Helpline a call. They have volunteers who can answer lots of questions. Also, you'll probably have a local breastfeeding support group who can also help give information and support about all of this. They talk all things baby feeding not just direct breastfeeding.

Happy to answer any questions about pumping and storing milk too.

Kat123h · 20/09/2022 07:42

Wow thank you I hadn’t even thought about having to pump while out, in my head I just thought I’d pump at home and take the bottles out with me but now I can see that wouldn’t work as I’d still need to pump whilst out 😂
I will definitely look into the websites thank you

I’m going to try and express colostrum from 37 weeks, but again didn’t do this with my previous babies, so I’ve read I can fill a syringe over 24 hours if I keep it in the fridge and then freeze once full. But when going to hospital would I put it in a cool bag/fridge then warm when needed? And would that be in between breastfeeding or do they only have the colostrum?

OP posts:
Mumsneat · 25/11/2022 21:13

Hi @Kat123h I'm so sorry I've just realised I never replied to you! I appreciate you may have the answers now but I wanted to come back to you just in case.

If you do collect colostrum whilst pregnant you can take it to the hospital with you. They'll put it in the freezer and will give you bowls of warm water that you can defrost the syringes in if/when you need it. You won't necessarily need the expressed colostrum. Lots of babies latch on easily and feed well from the start. But it's also very normal to have some challenges especially after labour with baby being tired. Having the colostrum already expressed will allow you to feed baby if you're unable to directly latch initially or if baby's blood sugar means they need a little more in those first few hours.

It may be worth not taking it all to the hospital as it can be great to have on hand at home as well.

Some useful info is here:
www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/UHS-website-2019/Patientinformation/Pregnancyandbirth/Collecting-your-colostrum-while-you-are-pregnant.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjtqLKYnsr7AhWhnVwKHVY8DWwQFnoECBQQBg&usg=AOvVaw2e48GwYS7yByhj4pmdvOVF

Amammai · 25/11/2022 21:27

The above advice all looks excellent! I would definitely recommend La Leche League - I did a free online breastfeeding course with them which was SO useful and they then created a WhatsApp support group which was very useful when baby arrived.

Also, follow Kathryn Stagg Or Lucy Ruddle on Facebook/Insta for excellent up-to-date BF advice. (Both are qualified IBCLC) Lots of people of their groups combi-feed or express and there is no judgment at all.

Read-up about normal baby feeding/sleep patterns. Modern media has us believing babies will sleep through 12hrs from a few weeks old and only need to feed every 4hrs in the day and if they don’t, something must be wrong with your BF journey. This is of course bollocks! Cluster feeding is very normal, as is frequently feeding day/night until well over a year (not easy at all, but biologically normal!)

My main tip with breastfeeding is to set small goals. For me, it was to get to 6weeks combi feeding. Then 12 weeks. Then at 12 weeks my DS wouldn’t take a bottle, despite being combi fed from birth (something to be aware of- baby might decide to do their own thing!!) and was then EBF. He’s now nearly 18months and still BFing!

good luck! It’s a tough journey but so so amazing!

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