Is there any reason why you can't give a non BF child BM? And other BF/EMB questions?

[chloejessmeg]

DD was BF for 8 months, had planned to go for a year but I became pregnant when she was 6 months and I was so ill and feeling so rubbish I ended up stopping at 8 months. She now has cows milk and still drinks quite a bit.

I am plannig to BF this baby and I was hoping to start expressing very early on and keep it up as I had awful problems with DD not taking a bottle (even EBM) and I couldn't leave her at all. This time, I want to be able to have a couple of hours sleep when DH is around as he works much less hours this time. And I am hoping to go to college part time as soon as baby will be left ok.

Anyway, I know it is not recomended to give a bottle for the first month or so of BF to avoid nipple confusion. I also remember how much BM I ended up throwing away where I had heated it up and DD didn't want it etc.

Just wondering, this time round, if I have milk that would otherwise be thrown, can I give it to my DD? She will be about 16 months old? Not talking about BF her, just giving it to her in her beaker?

Also, is there any reason I can't express from day 1? I found expressing really easy to start with, but as soon as I didn't do it for a while, and then tried to go back to it, it was a nightmare and took forever to get a half decent amount? Was hoping that this time, if I did it everyday from the start then it would be a lot easier?

Any advice would be great

You probably won't have enough milk in you to express from day one (your body isn't ready to do more than drip feed a bit of colostrum). About 3 days post-partum expressing will be much easier ime.

Your 16m old is fine to have the baby's unused milk, it may even be good for her (antibodies, etc). I have some rapidly aging frozen EBM I am considering putting in the much older DC's hot chocolate some night.

Sorry I can't help with your other Qs.

Thank you. Yes it would probably be a few days into it before I started anyway as I would wait till we were home from the birthing centre etc.

I give dd 2.8yrs any leftover ebm (she usually waits for ds to finish playing around with the bottle and polishes it off). Very exciting for her to have Mummy's milk

And much better than throwing it away, considered expressing for her bedtime milk actually (but couldn't be arsed)

Thats good to know. I don't think I would bother expressing specially for her but if I had leftovers then I will give it to her.

at lljkk's secret super hot choc

lol lljkk