Breast Feeding

[Pix18]

Hi everyone, I’m a FTM due in July and planning on breast feeding my baby when he arrives. I’ve had lots of pressure from friends to buy a prep machine and even when I tell them I’m planning on exclusively breast feeding, they say I should get one just in case.
Is it quite common for mums to plan on breast feeding and end up unable to for whatever reason and should I just buy the prep machine ‘just in case’?
Thanks!

Hi op, I breastfed my first and second dds and I’m planning on feeding this baby on the way too. I didn’t buy anything to do with bottle feeding because (maybe stupidly?) I just thought it would work out and I wouldn’t need any of it! Well I successfully fed them both and won’t be buying anything for ‘just incase’ This time either. I think if it didn’t work for you then you’d have to buy something when you needed it. I don’t know if there’s any real point in rushing out to buy something that won’t be used. Maybe you could find a cheap one if you’re a worrier and want to have another option? Good luck anyway! Sorry if that’s not helpful!! X

I bf successfully and never considered getting bottles/ formula or anything like that. I was fortunate that it was fairly easy for me but I think as long as you know where to access support if you need it, it should be totally possible for you to avoid using formula at all/ for as long as you want to. It won’t take long to get hold of one should you decide that’s the route you want to go!

I’m a FTM too and a nanny to infants.
I plan on breast feeding, I will be buying a pump so I can express and give my husband opportunities to bond with baby while feeding. Also means if my mum mil is babysitting they can bottle feed with Brest milk. I don’t plan on buying a prep machine. If I do end up needing to give baby formula I will make up bottles the old fashion way. Haha. Stick to your guns x

Just echoing what the others have said. Hopefully you'll have a great straight forward breastfeeding experience. If not then you can easily just make formula the old fashioned way until you decide to buy a perfect prep machine! Best of luck!

I also plan on breastfeeding and expressing, but have back up emergency formula in case my planning goes to pot - I have a couple of friends who had to send their other halves out for formula and bottles in a hurry when they finally decided bf was not working out for them.

I certainly wouldn't rush out to spend £100 on something I don't intend to need though. If you really find you cannot live without one, you can always buy it post baby, it's not like they're going to suddenly go off the market between now and Xmas.

If you want to get back up formula then you can buy packs of 6 premade up bottles.

Get Amazon prime and then you can have anything delivered in 24 hours.

Thank you all so much for your replies. I’m thinking exactly the same! If I end up not being able to BF for whatever reason I’m sure I’ll survive making bottles up until I can get round to buying one! X

I had issues breast feeding. DD had tongue tie and undiagnosed lip tie and I had low supply due to illness and so moved to formula feeding.

I was planning on breastfeeding, bought a pack of 6 teady made bottles just in case. Threw them out 6 months later when they went out of date. Did have a pump and was given a few bottles (and bought a load more in the hope that he’d take just one of them...!).

Unless you live somewhere ridiculous, there is no need to buy anything ‘incase’- it’s a waste of money! I didn’t need any bottles/ prep machines, anything. When I wanted to bottle feed little monkey would have none of it!!
I find it easier not to get into a debate- a general ‘I’ve got what I want’, or I’ll look into it.
Then if you have problems (some people do, and that’s fine!)- next day delivery, amazon prime, supermarkets that open all hours... it won’t be a problem!
Good luck, practice standing your ground and letting it wash over you- you will get lots of unwanted advice!

I planned to breastfeed, but bought some ready made bottles and a box of the powder just in case. My ds is combo fed now and I haven't bothered with a prep machine. Tbh I've read some reviews that suggest they're not all that great anyway so I won't be buying one.

I think a prep machine is just one of the many, many things FTMs are told they must have, when you can get by just as well without. I don't think any of my bottle-feeding friends used one. I hope breastfeeding goes well for you

Agree that you shouldn't buy the prep machine just in case!

I think when I was pregnant for the first time I bought a pack of Tommee tippee bottles (just in case) but then I didn't buy formula because I knew you could get ready made very quickly in an emergency!

In the end I breast fed my first baby until he was 13 months. I'd highly recommend it! :)

You can always amazon order a prep machine if you decide you need one after the baby is here.

I wouldn't buy anything until after the baby arrives and you know how you feel/what issues you've had if any.

For example we looked at breast pumps when I was pregnant with ds but decided against buying one before he arrived. That turned out to be the right decision as he ended up in NICU, I got borrow the hospital's and discovered I hated the electric ones and much preferred manual which I'd never have expected and had already discounted when we were looking pre baby.

I'm 31 weeks pregnant with my second and for various reasons, have no intention of breastfeeding this time. Haven't bought a prep machine though or any formula or anything apart from nipple cream (now that's something I'd recommend regardless of how you plan on feeding, it kept me mostly sane last time).

You don't need a prep machine.

It's really important before you start breastfeeding to know where to go to for support/advice, this website is the bible:

Www.kellymom.com

You can also get in touch with La Leche League for help with breastfeeding and there should be groups local to you that you can go to for support.

Personally I feel like if I start buying things 'just in case' it won't work out then I am subconsciously telling myself I don't believe that I can do it and I might self fulfil my own prophecy, but that's probably just me being silly!

I do think that these days with 24hr supermarkets; amazon prime etc. You don't really need to buy that many things just in case as it's so easy to buy them quickly if you need them.

It’s not a terrible idea to get some of those ready to feed bottles of formula (the packs that have bottle teats included) just in case. If you did crack at 3am and drove to a 24 house supermarket you’d also have to get bottles and then sterilise them too (I know more than one person that’s done this!). But definitely do not get a perfect prep machine. I think they’re brilliant if you are formula feeding (I had one and loved it) but they’re not an essential and there’s no way you need one before baby arrives if you’re hoping to breastfeed. Just thank your friends for the tip, say you’ll look into it and then don’t.

I didn't buy anything for bottle feeding in advance because I planned on breastfeeding. A friend leant me her breast pump.

I just thought I'd send dh out to the 24hr Tesco if necessary but it never was!

Successfully exclusively breastfed both of mine, with my first I got a pump but realised I just didn’t need it... also introducing a bottle can hinder breastfeeding because they need to learn to latch properly to the boob and not a bottle

I didn't bother buying any formula / bottles with either of mine, if BF hadn't worked out then it's easily accessible enough unless you're really remote. And a prep machine seems like an expensive bit of kit to buy for 'just in-case'.

In my experience bf is really hard. If I'd had a prep machine then no way would I have stuck at it.

Definitely not the machine (which isn't recommended anyway) but I always say it is sensible and responsible to have some contingency and therefore a small supply of ready formula and bottles to hand. Anything could happen to stop you breastfeeding when the baby needs to be fed and the baby cannot wait. In my experience, both my babies suddenly refused to latch my first night home from hospital. On one, I was also readmitted urgently to an acute hospital ward (so baby could not accompany) with some complications at less than3 weeks post-partum. And a thousand other things could happen. So to have a small stock of formula and bottles in the cupboard is a prudent and sensible insurance policy. If a tiny baby needs to be fed, even the 30 minutes delay in getting someone to a 24-hour supermarket (assuming you have one nearby) and selecting formula when they've never bought formula before and selecting bottles and then sterilising the bottles, when you've already tried and tried and tried for a successful latch is cruel and dangerous for a tiny screaming baby. Nothing to do with "cracking" or "giving in" as previous posters have said. If required, Breastfeeding support can be sought in due course in the morning to help with BF issues but a baby cannot afford to wait. First and foremost the baby must be fed, non-negotiable and cannot be postponed.

Best wishes.

Definitely don't bother buying a Prep machine until you know whether you will actually need one. Supermarkets are open everyday, no need to panic-buy 'just in case'. If you really want a back-up you could buy a few bottles of ready-made formula, though personally I never bothered as I live near a 24 hour Tesco. You can also use a cup to feed the baby if you don't have bottles.

I have never had any issues with breastfeeding and really enjoy it, but the majority of my mum friends bottle feed. Some have babies with allergies but most just felt unable to continue after the difficult first weeks, so unfortunately it does seem common for new mums to have issues with it.

What's a prep machine?

Nope it’s definitely not normal to buy a prep machine ‘just in case’!

The most I would buy is a few ‘ready to feed’ bottles of formula, and a bottle or two (that you could use for expressed milk). If you decide you want to move to formula you can get a perfect prep same day or next day with amazon Prime! I bought one when DS was about 6 weeks old, and I started on the odd bottle of formula at 2 weeks, managed for 4 weeks perfectly fine without the prep machine!