Changing mind on breastfeeding

[Ashchall95]

Hi everyone, FTM here.

Gave birth last week to our baby girl she came 4 weeks early.

I had planned all along pregnancy to formula feed and with a complicated birth we went straight to premade formula bottles (Kendamil) and have been feeding her formula now for a week, today my milk has really started to come in and leak a lot and it's making my question maybe I should try expressing and then feeding her the breast milk from a bottle aswell as formula? Has anyone got any tips or experience with this? Will there be a huge benefit to baby to also have breast milk along side or will it not make much difference now she has already been on formula for her first 6 days.

Any advice welcome, please be kind 💗

It depends. Is there a reason you chose to FF in your pregnancy?

Not sure why it posted! I’m still writing!
Anyway. The benefits of breastfeeding are well known; if you’re inclined to try it I would give it a go. You may find it easier or more convenient than formula feeding. Lots of babies are combination fed too.

Congratulations on your baby girl!

Expressing is quite a faff - could you pop her on your boob and see how she gets on or do you not want to breastfeed directly? A friend of mine formula fed for a few days, one day she was cuddling her baby DS doing skin to skin and he latched on himself she mixed fed in the end

Congrats on your baby! Definitely BF too if you can! Even a few weeks will give her better immunity and all the benefits etc. Up to you but direct bf ing so much easier than expressing!! Good luck!!

Could you consider feeding straight from the breast? That’s the easiest way to get it into a baby. You could get a hakaa pump, it’s like a silicon cup thing you put on the breast and it makes a vacuum and your milk comes straight out. They’re really cheap and the easiest thing to use if you want to give it a try.

Expressing is THE hardest way to feed a baby. You get none of the rest that good breastfeeding or formula feeding gives you because even as the baby gets older and sleeps longer, you still have to express to newborn levels to get a good enough supply of milk. In my opinion breastfeeding is only harder in the first 12 weeks - after which is becomes the easiest way to feed. No need to worry about sterilising bottles or carrying boiled water around with you or having to pay for different teats. You just pop out your boob and job done baby is fed. It was a lifesaver for my MH as I had pna and my anxiety was massively trigged when DS cried for any reason.

Expressing is is much, much harder than breastfeeding.

You simply can't produce the same quantity of milk by expressing than you can by breastfeeding. You may have to express 3 or 4 times to get enough for one bottle. Then you still have to give the bottle.

Most of those who express without breastfeeding do so for medical reasons. I had to express for my second child child for 2 weeks due to complications after a section and her being prem. It was very hard and very time consuming. As soon as she was able to breastfeed we ditched the expressing and switched to breast.

You can express and give her breastmilk alongside formula and yes it will be good for her - antibodies, reduced likelihood of allergies, eczema etc.

You can also introduce breastfeeding alongside formula, or replace the formula with breastfeeding. That way baby will get the antibodies etc benefits alongside the other health benefits from sucking like reduced likelihood of asthma and you will also get the health benefits like reduced likelihood of breast cancer.

If I were you I would go with either mix of breast and formula or breastfeeding.

Someone in my antenatal did this she was so anti breast feeding then at 5 days was driven to try it shoved baby on boob and never looked back.

Your baby will definitely benefit from breast milk and there are plenty of people who choose to express rather than directly nurse (you’ll find several Facebook groups which are quite helpful).

But I had to express for my baby who was tube fed - it is hard work though and quite hard to keep the supply up (at least it was for me!).

I found expressing really hard so rarely bothered, straight from the breast or formula, but a friend from antenatal class exclusively fed her baby breast milk via expressing and bottle. She said it was a million times easier for her. Whatever's best for you. Benefits of breast feeding are well known - if you can find a way to get some in there for the first few weeks it will be great for your baby ❤️

It sounds like an ideal position to be in. You know your baby is well fed so you are free to try without pressure. You are still in time to build your supply and baby doesn’t have any unchangable habits or preferences.
She will benefit from any milk you can give her, and of course breastfeeding lowers your breast cancer risk too.