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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

kiskidee · 07/10/2007 15:35

here is the link to the youtube video that Mossy wanted you to see. (just incase you couldn't find it)

kiskidee · 07/10/2007 15:35

oops, it was notnowbernard.

bobsmum · 07/10/2007 16:59

pistachio - yes I was able to feed ds lying down and have a doze myself. A lovely m/w in the hospital (who was also well endowed) showed me how to do it. Ds was and emergency section so I was desperate to find different positions that were comfy - lying down was lovely!

Prufrock - M - I fed like you at home with hands free! I used to spread out my catalogues and do my shopping while ds (and then dd) sprawled on one of those long bean baggy cushions. I felt like the queen of sheba - it was really relaxing!

I second the idea of wearing 2 tops or a top and a cardigan/shirt. I also used my change bag to lean on like an arm rest if I was sitting on a bench type cafe seat, but ideally I hunted high and low for a squashy sofa or a chair with arms.

In the early days I looke for a chair in th corner of a cafe or used the baby feeding rooms. After a few weeks I became way more confident with all things baby-ish and ventured out. And nobody looked - really!

A few people came up to speak to me occasionally but it wasn't until they were virtually standing on top of me that they realised I was breastfeeding. I even b/f in front of my dad and brother - I never ever thought I'd manage that!

And it's great that your partner will support your decision. Whatever you decide - make sure it's your decision and not based on what you think other people might be thinking. This is your baby and you get to choose - not other people's.

And expressing is great after about 6 weeks once your supply is established, because you can have a supply in the freezer for nights out or the occasional girly shopping trip without an enormous pram - v v v v v important

beforesunrise · 07/10/2007 17:17

Hi Hailey- i am very impressed by your determination to do what's best for baby, and as pp have said try if you can to keep an open mind. it sounds to me you actually kind of want to bf, but are just terrified of the whole psychological aspect of it. you only will know what it is like but remember that for the first few weeks you'll mostly be feeding your lo at home, possibly when you are on your own etc. bf can be so brilliantly close and cuddly, and as someone else has said, you may actually really gain a newfound respect for your boobies :-)

after a few weeks when your supply has established etc, it will also be easier to pump and then you can always feed expressed milk from a bottle when out and about.

agree with others- line up the right support and stick to your guns. it can be hard when you don't know anyone who bfs, but totally worth it.

good luck!!!

maxbear · 07/10/2007 21:02

I personally find pumping less comfortable than bf but then I have only tried one type of pump I also feel sure that I get less out with a pump than ds gets out when feeding. I would say as others have that it will be hard work and very frustrating that if you try to offer the baby a bottle of ebm and it is not interested for a few hours then you will have to waste all of that good milk. Also of course there will be lots of washing up and sterilising. Having said all of this though I am glad that you realise how important breastmilk is and good for you to give ebm instead of formula. I hope that it all works out for you. Also I have 36f boobs and have never had a problem feeding anywhere. I have quite a few bf tops because I hate being cold. I don't think that most people notice that I am bf, those who do are normally other mums with little ones who then ask you if they can do anything/ get a drink etc.

ClaphamLauren · 08/10/2007 12:45

I wasn't overly keen on the idea of breastfeeding, the fact it burns about 600 calories a day however has made me confident I'm going to do everything I can to make it work!

That's like two hours in the gym

PregnantGrrrl · 08/10/2007 13:04

i would definately try it first. i LOVED breastfeeding DS, and can't wait this time round either. It's is so much easier (IMO) than expressing and doing bottles. Just think, you'll have to sterilise pump / teats / bottles etc every day, store and warm milk etc.

At night, breastfeeding is a dream- just pick em up and chuck em on there. No going for bottles etc.

Of couse, if you decide it's not for you, that's fine, but expressing/storing/bottle feeding is making things more complicated for you i think.

bobsmum · 08/10/2007 13:06

ClaphamLauren - no no no - b/f allows you to eat an extra 600 calories a day - yum yum

RGPargy · 08/10/2007 13:09

I'm deffo going to try it. When i first got pg, i was a bit reluctant and scared of BF but now, the more i have looked into it and lurked on numerous BF threads, i have decided that to give a major go. I am hoping that it'll be ok for and i have to say that i am really looking forward to it now. I never BF with DS, but did express for 2 weeks while he was in SCBU so would love the opportunity to go the whole hog this time around!

spookykitty · 08/10/2007 13:19

hi hayley theres so much great info on here I would be repeating what a lot of people have said. My DD1 wouldn't latch on when she was born and was really poorly with jaundice so was too sleepy to feed, I was threatened with bottles and tube feeding if she didn't get any milk soon so I chose to express. The first few days and nights were hell TBH, I would feed her first then change etc settle her back down then express for the next feed every two hours so by the time I had finished the feeding/changing/expressing etc I was getting about an hour inbetween you can imagine how knackered I felt. Anyway I perservered and starting offering her a boob before the bottle of EBM and she started to take it and we both got the hang of it eventually which is so much easier than faffing about with the pump and bottles, I truly take my hat off to anyone who expresses more than a week.

I still expressed every few days and built up a stock of milk in the freezer at the start I used to give her this when out and about, then I got lazy and just fed her.

You can get great BFing tops which hide you and also these boob tube like things which don't actually go on you boob but when you pull your top up to feed they cover everything else. Also muslins are great if you want to hide everything.

As someone else said I found respect for my boobs, they have on their own fed two children for the first 6 months of their lives. It's lovely when they get weighed and are all lovely and chubby and you can say "I did that"

All the best whatever you decided I'm sure you will be a great mum.

Loopymumsy · 08/10/2007 13:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Hayleyandbaby · 12/10/2007 11:43

Thank you so much for everyone's kind words and advice. After reading everyone's opinions I have decided I am going to give breast feeding a good go. If I don't manage, expressing is my fall back.

I never in a million years thought I would have decided this so thanks everyone for helping me to get my head around it!!! I've checked out all the websites everyone has posted and they're fab, I'll definately be using them!!!

OP posts:

Habbibu · 12/10/2007 11:46

Wow, Hayley - well done you! I hope it all goes well. The first couple of weeks can be tough, but you'll get lots of support and advice on here. Good luck with everything!

AitchTwoOh · 12/10/2007 11:48

oh WELL DONE! it's not all plain sailing but you'll get LOADS of help here.

milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo · 12/10/2007 11:59

Awww this thread has made me all teary and broody! MN at its best

bobsmum · 12/10/2007 12:02

Hayley - you're a star!

hunkermunker · 12/10/2007 12:04

Oh, Hayley, that's fantastic! I meant to post on this thread sooner, but got sidetracked when I was looking for a link and my PC crashed (grr!), then I forgot

I'm really pleased you've reached a decision you're comfortable with!

(I have big boobs too (34G - bigger when bfing initially) and didn't find it a problem to feed discreetly. I second either getting stretchy vests to wear under things (M&S had good ones - v thin and stretchy) you can pull the neck down and your top up and you stay tucked in and warm round your middle, which really helps!)

charliegal · 12/10/2007 12:23

Hayley, that's brilliant. I hope you get good support, if not try a breastfeeding helpline. I have 32G boobs and have managed to feed ds everywhere without flashing anyone. You will have so many beautiful moments together, sigh...

moondog · 12/10/2007 12:25

you go hayley

chipmonkeyPumpkinNorks · 12/10/2007 12:35

Good decision, Hayley!

TigerFeetInLovelyNewShoes · 12/10/2007 12:49

That's great hayley

A couple of tips form a 36G bf'er - my nipples were pointing south (although you are younger than me so yours probably don't ) so I was advised by a lovely mw to support my breast with a rolled up flannel to make the nipple point out a bit. Worked a treat! I bf'ed for 7 months that way.

Also, I didn't do this myself as I didn't think of it at the time but a good way to hide post baby stomach while bfing is to wear a pregnancy belly belt or a boob tube over your stomach - that way you can lift your top up and not expose your flesh.

Good luck!

JacOLantanne · 12/10/2007 12:51

Hayleyandbaby - I have massive boobs (and am overweight) - I'm very self-conscious about my body. I was also worried about BF, especially in public but I'm fairly convinced that when BF out and about (which I've now been doing for 2.8 years this time around) no-one has seen anything of my breasts. At the beginning when you need to get latch right etc it's easier to do in private but once you get it sussed it's really not a problem.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to put any pressure on you - just wanted to let you know, as someone who has felt similarly, that it doesn't have to be a massive problem. I even quite like my breast now because they are so important to dd2

JacOLantanne · 12/10/2007 12:52

Sorry, just read that you're going to give it a go anyway - good for you!

Jekyllywoo · 12/10/2007 13:06

Hayley - I was unable to breastfeed my first baby and so I expressed full-time for her for 6 months - I did it and I'm proud but looking back I did very little other than express in those first few months and tbh my little girl watched a lot of baby einstein dvd's as it took so much time. I know she benefitted from breastmilk but looking back it was a pretty miserable 6 months.

Some things to think of:

you will need to express 6-8 times a day for months on end - including every couple of hours through the night - I had to set an alarm to express so that milk was ready for when baby woke up - the whole process was about an hour, every two hours. (don't forget after the expressing you have the washing up and steralising.

If you're worried about breastfeeding in public with big boobs, how about expressing in public? you need to do it every 2 hours so if you want to go out anywhere, even a friends house you will need to bring pump and stuff with you, (ice packs, containers, pump equipment), or never go out of course. you are worried about exposure I can guarantee you that people saw more of my boobs and my nipples when I was expressing than they If ever have when I breastfeed my other daughter.

Your baby will still feed like a breastfeeding baby - ie little and often, so whilst my formula feeding friends were giving their babies 6oz every 4 hours I was giving my little girl, an oz here, an oz there, sometimes an hour between feeds. She demand fed as if she was feeding directly from the breast.

I can see your reasons and I do understand the challenges of breastfeeding when you have large breasts (I am a 44G) but I think you that expressing is so so hard. Just be aware what you are letting yourself in for. If you do go ahead you need to buy yourself a hospital grade electric pump, I had an Ameda Lactaline which was really good.

Best wishes and I hope you are able to make an informed decision.

Jekyllywoo · 12/10/2007 13:23

Hayley - I'm sorry, I'm such a dimwit and should have read the whole thread . I'm really chuffed that you're going to give breastfeeding a go. Good luck with it all and sorry again.

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