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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Ok I've decided not to b/f

100 replies

bobbyswish · 04/04/2009 20:18

What happens to your milk/boobs in the aftermath of childbirth if you go straight to bottles? And do you give a bottle feed straight away the same as you would with b/f?

OP posts:

hotcrosspurepurple · 04/04/2009 20:21

they are uncomfortable for a couple of days then the milk dries up
if it doesn't happen they can give you some tablets

when my babies were born they didn't get feed straight away

i had a bath and got settled first

SomeMightSay · 04/04/2009 20:22

Hi. I'm not bfing ds2 (attempted to with ds1 but quit after 3 days). Ds2 is 8 weeks. All was normal after delivery, I woke up on day 3 post birth and my boobs were HUGE!! They leaked a bit and were massive for about 2 weeks. They tell you to wear a good supportive bra 24 hours a day, to compress breasts to stop flow, all settles down pretty quick and I'm back to normal now.
The staff at the hospital will give you formula milk to feed the baby pretty much straight away.

CarGirl · 04/04/2009 20:23

I bottlefed my first, I had to sleep sitting up for a week because I was in AGONY, couldn't even lie on my back and they wouldn't give me any tablets because apparantly they are cancergenic (sp?) - but this was 12 years ago.

Disenchantegg3 · 04/04/2009 20:23

You don't do anything. Don't massage them or express, this will produce more milk. Change breast pads regularly. They will go huge, hard and sore on day3/4, after about 3/4 dayss they go down but may still leak for a while.

Just feed baby when you are settled and ready. Breast feeders tend to latch immediatly to help dispel the placenta (aswell as bond and feed baby) just do it when you and baby seem ready.

Just as a small note, i formula fed, but gave my DD a feed from each breast at first for good luck to help with the placenta and the first colustrum gives a really good start

MrsTittleMouse · 04/04/2009 20:24

Obviously it's your decision, but even if you don't want to breastfeed, there are still benefits in giving the baby the colostrum right at the beginning. It's worth a thought. It would also let you know something about how BFing would work with that baby. I don't know your reasons for FF, but I found BFing DD2 incredibly easy, it was literally just latch and go. You might have problems and decide to FF after all, but in my opinion it's worth a try, in case you find it easy too.

Ceebee74 · 04/04/2009 20:32

I ff fed both my DS's (although I did try and bf DS1 for 2 days).

With DS1 my milk didn't come in - absolutely nothing. I assumed the same thing would happen with DS2 but, boy was I wrong!!

I woke up 2 days after DS2 was born and my boobs were absolutely massive (literally under my chin!) and very tender. I just wore a very tight bra for a couple of days, put cotton wool pads in my bra to soak up any leakage (although there wasn't much tbh) and they returned to normal - I was just very uncomfortable until they did!!

As for ff in the hospital, I had a c-section and they gave me a bottle to give DS2 whilst in the recovery room (about 30 minutes after he was born - i had been stitched up etc before this). Most hospitals provide small bottles of formula and sterile teats so you don't need to take anything with you (some don't though so it may be worth checking)

They should still give you some skin-to-skin contact straight after the birth regardless of feeding method.

Original poster

bobbyswish · 04/04/2009 22:16

I intend to give the baby a bottle from the word go. I successfully bf both my other two but it was at the expense of my own mental health unfortunately. Despite the fact that it was relatively 'easy'.

It's important to me that the milk and any engorgement is kept to a minimum because I know that i will have issues with it when the time comes and I want the boobs out of the equation asap, if you get what i mean. My mum says they used to just give you a pill which would prevent the milk even kicking in. Does anyone know if this is still commonplace?

Thanks for reading/replying

OP posts:

CarGirl · 04/04/2009 22:27

I asked about the tablets 12 years ago when my eldest was born and they don't give it anymore due to the health risks - it can cause cancer. I think they may offer it if you've had a stillbirth but they don't like anyone taking it.

Did you engorge when you bf? If you didn't you may find it's all with very quickly IYSIM. I always engorged hideously which is why I probably suffered so much when I had my eldest.

indiehendrix · 04/04/2009 23:27

Bobbyswish i dont know what your circumstances are but research shows that breastfeeding is associated with increased well-being and is amazing for your baby is there anymore support you could gain to assist you?

LeonieSoSleepy · 05/04/2009 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

hercules1 · 05/04/2009 09:33

I would make sure you speak to your midwife well in advance for advice and it you dont get much luck speak to another. Make sure it's in your notes as well.

sweetkitty · 05/04/2009 09:40

I always feel so sorry for women who have that engorgement and aren't BFing.

This is not a why aren't you BFing at all BTW.

I have had it horrendous with all babies but at least I could pump it off or let the baby suck to relieve a bit of it, not all though, had to pump as well to get rid of the pain.

I have always though how bad it must be having to just endure it and having a new baby as well and to go through days of it too.

MarlaSinger · 05/04/2009 09:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tortington · 05/04/2009 09:54

my health visitor told me to put cabbage leave down my bra - i did. its probably old wives tale bollocks but whether mind over matter - it seemed to help!!

anyway, just to let you know that i know where you are coming from and that i don't think that Breast feeding is the be all and end all. i wish you happiness and enjoyment.

Original poster

bobbyswish · 05/04/2009 11:57

Thank you for all your posts, i did indeed expect to be 'persuaded' a little to reconsider my choice but I'm only interested in the facts of bottle feeding from the start so thanks for those who are providing experiences and advice.

For those that didn't, can I make a point?

The health of a mother is paramount to the welfare of the baby. If the mother is suffering due to mental anguish exacerbated by obsession with milk intake etc, then the absolute last thing the combination of mother and child needs is persuasion to reconsider her choice to bottle feed. Empowerment is the key to good mental health, and whilst I cannot provide any statistics, I'm fairly sure that the consequences to a CHILDS future mental health of having a depressed mother are far more detrimental than the consequences of that mother choosing her own sanity over the current breast is best thinking.

Let the mother make the choice, free of judgment. There will then be more happy mothers, and therefore happy babies.

OP posts:

hercules1 · 05/04/2009 11:58

Best of luck, Bobbyswish!

heronsfly · 05/04/2009 12:03

Well said,bobbywish, good luck.

Original poster

bobbyswish · 05/04/2009 12:05

''Bobbyswish, that sounds so very sad. I am sorry you feel breastfeeding was a detriment to your mental health... why is that?

Not to sound presumptive here, but wouldn't it be better, for baby's health's sake, to breastfeed anyway, and then work on the mental issues?

I had mild PND after the first, and am having a rougher go round with it this time as well. I know that the sleep deprivation and the solitude are the prices i pay for feeding her by myself, but i know that the end justifies the means, even if it sucks arse and I have spent 6 months crying from exhaustion, anxious, flipping out worrying, etc... ''

Leonie, you make my point perfectly.

OP posts:

belgo · 05/04/2009 12:09

It sounds like you've made up your mind, good for you.

I agree with the cabbage leaves, apparently they do help. Also warm flannels and warm showers to help with any engorgement.

There are health risks related to the pill that stops milk coming in.

Original poster

bobbyswish · 05/04/2009 12:14

Do you know what the health risks are?

OP posts:

belgo · 05/04/2009 12:19

I wish Tik Tok would come along, I think she knows more about the health risks. I can't remember.

expatinscotland · 05/04/2009 12:23

I only BF'd DS for like 3 days and I'm still lactating 5 months on.

So definitely make sure that milk dries up straightaway and if it doesn't get on top of stopping it right away.

tiktok · 05/04/2009 12:24

The health risks of 'popping a pill' to get rid of milk are not common but they are documented with some of the pills - you can check them out by putting lactatiuon suppression into the search box here:

toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search

At worst women have had seizures after these meds and I can't recall them ever being used in the UK except in dire circumstances, say when a baby has died. Nature does the job of stopping production efficiently enough, though simply comfort measures are useful to make it feel a bit easier.

belgo · 05/04/2009 12:27

I feel like I waved a magic wand and you appeared Tik Tok

TheButterflyEffect · 05/04/2009 12:28

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