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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How is everyone feeding baby?

84 replies

Hayleyandbaby · 07/10/2007 13:25

I know breast is best but I also know breast feeding is not for me. I'm going to bottle feed in the hospital and when I get out I'm going to express. Everytime I feed the baby I have to express rather than doing it just morning and night or else my milk will stop. I think it's going to be hard work but I really think it's the way forward.

Is anyone else doing this? Or how are you feeding yours? Does my way sound ok or silly?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Flamesparrow · 07/10/2007 13:27

If you're not feeding in hospital surely there will be a supply issue from the very beginning?

Can I be nosey and ask why breastfeeding isn't for you?

notnowbernard · 07/10/2007 13:27

I think you should research this a bit more.

Is it your 1st baby?

AitchyBabesHugz2AllUHunnis · 07/10/2007 13:30

do you mean bottle feed with expressed milk in hospital? i'm not sure you've thought this through, tbh, i expressed a lot and it is sheer drudgery, tbh. better to see if you can crack the bfing first if you can (and if you want to).

Tutter · 07/10/2007 13:34

i'm interested in why bfing not for you

expressing = grande faffage in comparison imho

Tutter · 07/10/2007 13:34

actually to be perfectly frank you can ignore my first point

the second stands though

Original poster

Hayleyandbaby · 07/10/2007 13:37

Yeah course ya can nosey, it's just because from the age of 11 I've always had ridiculously big boobs. I hate them. I'm incredibly self conscious of them and they're a FF. I like to keep them hidden away where no one can see and I'm also quite hung up about it, so I just can't bear the thought of breast feeding.

I asked my midwife if I would need to breastfeed at first to get my milk going and then express later, but she said I won't get my milk properly through until 3 or 4 days after the baby's born anyway, so she suggested I should bottle feed and then express at 3 days and from then on.

It is my first baby so I wasn't clued up at all, so I asked my midwife and she said that this is what she'd encouraged quite a lot of girls my age to do.

I do want my baby to get all the goodness of breat milk, and it lowers the risk of breast cancer but I'd just rather express it.

What d'ya think?

OP posts:

Tutter · 07/10/2007 13:39

can i ask how old you are hayley?

Original poster

Hayleyandbaby · 07/10/2007 13:39

So it's hard work expressing? That's what I was worried about. I was hoping it would be easy. I think I'll probably just bottle feed then.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

Original poster

Hayleyandbaby · 07/10/2007 13:39

I've just turned 22

OP posts:

JackieNo · 07/10/2007 13:40

I think it's perfectly possible, but everyone's right - it's a huge faff. Good for you for recognising the benefits of breast milk and being prepared to do all the expressing. Could you maybe not rule out bfing until you've had the baby - you might change your mind?

notnowbernard · 07/10/2007 13:40

That your midwife doesn't sound like the most supportive healthcare professional in the world

Tutter · 07/10/2007 13:40

try not to make decisions quite so quickly

JackieNo · 07/10/2007 13:41

It's not that it's hard work, necessarily - just more time-consuming, what with the sterilising and everything. But then you'd have to do all that if you're doing bottle feeds anyway, so maybe not so much extra.

Tutter · 07/10/2007 13:42

notnowbernard · 07/10/2007 13:43

Try and keep an open mind.

Maybe try and give a 1st breast feed, with the support of a midwife, and see how you get on. The baby will also get the benefit of the colostrum, which is present for the 1st few days.

chipmonkey · 07/10/2007 13:43

Hayley, you don't have to expose your whole breast to feed, mostly if you look at someone bfing you can't see anything at all. Baby's head covers any "exposed" bits.

belgo · 07/10/2007 13:44

if you really don't want to bf, but still would like your baby to have the benefit of breastmilk, then that's fine, totally your decision.

Ask your midwife if there is an electronic breastpump you can hire from somewhere, that may make expressing easier.

belgo · 07/10/2007 13:45

I agree - the colostrum in the first few days is very important, and if you can get that into your baby, either by expressing or bfing, then that's great.

JackieNo · 07/10/2007 13:45

Yes - the electric ones are definitely easier than the hand ones. Also if you can double pump (ie, both breasts at once) that tends to speed things up.

kiskidee · 07/10/2007 13:45

i suggest you speak to a bfc from one of the breastfeeding charities now about your body conciousness and breastfeeding. they can help you normalise how you feel about your image.

there are women who are up to bra size K and have to have nursing bras made for them.

expressing is a lot of work on top of caring for a newborn.

goingfor3 · 07/10/2007 13:46

If you express all of your feeds and then give baby a bottle then it's going to take at least twice as long. I don't see why your midwife would encourage girls your age to do this, I was 23 when I had dd1 and it didn't even occur to me I just breast fed.

AitchyBabesHugz2AllUHunnis · 07/10/2007 13:46

oh dear, that is complicated. i think your midwife is talking shitey-shitola about feeding the baby formula before the milk comes in, i've got to say... they're kinda supposed to wait for it to come in, that's the point. (why, i don't know, perhaps someone scientific will explain it).

i can understand that if you have a difficult relationship with your breasts that you might feel disinclined to bf, but you could at least do it in the hospital where the staff will just all have seen your fanjo so you won't be so bothered perhaps? maybe?

there is also the perspective that those annoying breasts that you've never liked and have always made you feel self-conscious are about to come into their own in the most magnificent way, so you could try to keep an open mind and you might find you feel differently about them when the baby is born?

if not, then yes, of course you can express. you won't need the formula if you express your colostrum, the midwives can show you how to do this. it's wonderful that you see that bm is the way to go, but (belieeeeeve me) if you can manage to see those breasts of yours as what they are, the single best way to feed your baby, then who knows maybe your perspective might change and you'd be on your way to seeing them as glorious things?

Flamesparrow · 07/10/2007 13:47

Fastasleep exclusively express fed hers until at least 6 months, probably longer.

It can be done, you just need the right support

I agree about not needing to show your breasts to feed - with the right top and positioning no-one needs to see anything (I'm an F and I remember an old lady coming over to coo at DS, she'd been talking for a couple of minutes before she twigged he was latched on and got all flustered )

pistachio · 07/10/2007 13:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

calebsmum · 07/10/2007 13:50

Hi Hayley,

It depends on your milk production, I produced alot of milk and found expressing very easy, could easily express 6oz in 5-10mins. However, you will need to start expressing pretty soon after the baby is born and then possibly feed the colostrum with a syringe into babies mouth (did this with ds as he problems with attachment to begin with). Your milk will then come through and i'm afraid you could quite possibly go up 1-2 sizes in bra size!

There's a knack to expressing as well as breastfeeding, would you be willing to give breastfeeding a go?? You could get lots of support through La Leche, breastfeeding counsellors ect??

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