Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

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

Flip

Original poster

breastfeeding?

19 replies

daisy26 · 13/04/2008 20:38

just wonderin do I try it first and see how it goes. this will be my first but i would like my dc to help feed baby to but obviously don't wanna express it all the time. There are lots of pos and negs for breastfeedin and not breastfeeding. Im not dure till august but thought i'd get some advcie now

OP posts:

pinkspottywellies · 13/04/2008 20:44

If you don't even try you'll never know if it could've worked out. Decide that you'll do it once, the first feed and take it from there.

There will be so much time for other people to help out with the feeds and they can do other things like winding, changing, entertaining, taking it for a walk while you sleep etc etc

I was really squeamish about breastfeeding before I had dd but I knew I had to try - best for her and all that! - and I exclusively fed her for 6 months.

Good luck and I hope you're enjoying your pregnancy.

StealthPolarBear · 13/04/2008 20:57

Apart frmo it being better for the baby if you figure out co sleeping it makes night feeds really easy and you barely wake up. I wish I'd tried harder to learn how to do it before DS was 6mo.
Read lots on MN - it's almost all you need to know!

lackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2008 21:02

You and your DC have got nothing to lose, and everything to gain healthwise by giving it a go. It can be hard to get going, but once successful BFing is established it's one of the easiest bits of being a parent IMO. You can just grab a few nappies and go, not worry about all the bottles and powders and flasks etc that come with bottle feeding.

Agree with Stealth on the lying down to feed; I never mastered it but I will make sure I do the next time.

Stais86 · 13/04/2008 21:07

Hey don' mean to be awkward or anything but have just read this out of sheer noseyness LOL. But I just want to say that although it is better for LO it isn't for everyone I was mad to feel useless by a few very unprofessional MW when I couln't do it after 5 attempts I gave up. DS is now 23 months old and he is fine so don't feel bad if you decide not to or have problems they do live on!!! LOL. Also I know co sleeping is the easiest option it is also dangerous as my older cousin had a 3 month old doing this and the baby was suffocated in the night as she didn't fully wake up and i is important for a baby not to overheat. Sorry for the downer just think a ew sleepless nights are worth it over the unthinkable option.

VictorianSqualor · 13/04/2008 21:08

I think that if you're not totally aganst trying it you should, just because if you hate it you can stop, if you love it you've gained something.

Most people that don't try, don't try because they really don't want to, but you don't have that stepping stone to get over, which is good.

this is probably the best thing to read to see what you gain even from just a days feeding.

VictorianSqualor · 13/04/2008 21:11

Stais86, if co-sleeping is done properly and within followed guidelines it is actually safe for mother and baby, I'm really sorry your cousin lost their child but there are ways to co-sleep safely.

Also, I'm sorry you didn't get the right help or support from the HCP's, it's not right that they made you feel useless. Hopefully if daisy decides to breastfeed and needs help she can come here and get it.

princessmama · 13/04/2008 21:13

co sleeping is a safe option if done properly - no duvets, pillows and no smokers in the bed. SIDs is virtually unknown in some countries where co sleeping is the norm.

VictorianSqualor · 13/04/2008 21:15

btw daisy, if you do decide to look into co-sleeping I have plenty of links about research and guidelines, so just give me a yell.

lackaDAISYcal · 13/04/2008 21:16

stais, it's terrible that you didn't get the support you needed to get BFing established

I know that babies survive just fine on for mula, but BM is what nature intends for them, and it is really in both baby and mum's interests to at least give it a go.

Some people don't manage for whatever reason, and they shouldn't be made to feel abd about it, but I think that if the proper support mechanisms were in place, the level of success would be much much higher.

Stais86 · 13/04/2008 21:29

Sorry didn't mean to raise a big debate about co sleeping just thought I'd tell you though it was almost 16 years ago that LO went away so probably wasn't so what's the word? Regulated? Hmm... dunnoe anyway I'm only 21 so don't know much about it back then. Was also le you know that I was just telling about the Formula because I didn't want you to feel the way I did when I couldn't as DS wouldn't latch on properly.

lackaDAISYcal · 14/04/2008 14:23

no worries stais; there are such a lot of myths about co-sleeping and it is often a hotly debated topic on here (as is the whole BF vs FF debate).

I hope we haven't scared you away daisy26 away, and that we have given you some food for thought on at least trying. There is great support on here; I doubt I'd still be feeding my 10mo old DD if it wasn't for the help, support and encouragement from all the lovely ladies on here. hunkermunker, one of the regular MN BFing ladies has her own blog which is very good: www.howbreastfeedingworks.com and kellymom has lots of helpful information and resources. And of course, just ask on here if you need to know anything

Stais, I hope that if you have another baby you will get better support and will give it another go. I was surprised that by reading lots on here before the birth, I was able to figure out exactly what went wrong with my attempt at feeding my DS six years ago. I'm now doing peer supporter training as well, so I can hopefully help other women who are in that position.

Stais86 · 14/04/2008 14:29

Thanks lackaDAISYcal! I didn't know about this site when I was pregnant only found it a few days ago looking for a pushchair review! Wish I had known though! If I do have another(doubtful ) I will defo look on here for advice on BF and will try again!

lackaDAISYcal · 14/04/2008 14:31

never say never, eh? I'm having my third in November after saying two was enough

and welcome to MN!...you do realise that you are sucked in forever and can't ever leave

CantSleepWontSleep · 14/04/2008 14:35

Daisy - I'm a little confused by your post. You say that you want your children to help feed the baby, but also that this is your first baby, so which is it?!

You also say that there are lots of negs of breastfeeding. I think you'll find that that isn't actually correct. There are almost no negatives of breastfeeding.

I would suggest giving it a try for the first few weeks and then decide whether you want to carry on or not. The first 6 weeks or so tend to be the hardest, but it gets much easier after that.

Stais86 · 14/04/2008 14:38

Don't think I want to leave! . DS is having a nap at the moment so am taking the oppertunity to research pushchair I'm after and so far have found a few things on here so... as it's 3rd pushchair and don't want to waste money on another if isn't worth it! Thank you or welcoming me BTW first to do it I just keep butting in on threads LOL.

VictorianSqualor · 14/04/2008 15:27

CSWS, I took DC as an error and thought she meant DH.

StealthPolarBear · 14/04/2008 18:56

Yes, she must have meant DP or DH

honey2theb · 14/04/2008 22:44

I think you should try it!!

My thinking was that i would try to bf for the first week or so, and see how it went beacuse it was the 'best/right' thing to do, even though i didnt like the idea at all! I had no problems and i'm still loving bf at 7 months.
I'm sure that bf helped my bond with dd. I have always co slept, and its so much easier than getting up in the night. I have NEVER had a sleepless night or had to get up to make a bottle!!

So, i would say give it a go!!
good luck xxx

Original poster

daisy26 · 15/04/2008 19:33

Thankyou for all your advice and opinions-Obv you need to try things out first before you can say wether you want to do it or not, and I will do it and give it ago [wink- just see how it goes really

OP posts:

Flip