Preparing to breast feed

[kaetts]

I am 26 weeks and want to try to breast feed, I also worry about seeing the amount of milk the baby has so want to pump.

I would love something like the Elvie - but this is expensive and I don't know if breast feeding is for me.

So my question is did anyone take a hand pump to the hospital with them (incase I am there a few days and we aren't sure baby is eating etc)

Did anyone start on a simple hand pump and then upgrade to a portable pump to make life easier?

www.ardobreastpumps.co.uk/shop/products/rent-a-breastpump/

Pumping was brilliant and saved my breastfeeding journey. I cup fed and pumped using this hospital grade electric pump then at 8 weeks once baby's tongue tie was finally taken seriously and corrected was able to successfully breast feed. The hospital had one for me to use whilst on the postnatal ward and then I rented it from the same supplier at home. I basically couldn't really go far from it (and home) for the first 8 weeks as pumped 12x a day to build up my supply enough that I could then feed baby myself on the breast once tongue tie was done, but it was worth it!

Hopefully you won't need to exclusively pump but if you want to breastfeed and have trouble, pumping and cup feeding is more likely to lead to success than formula top ups and bottles. Kelly Mom and La Leche League have loads of good info on it.

Best of luck.

You don't need to pump. You can tell baby is getting enough by wet nappies and weight gain. I breastfed exclusively for three years, but could never get anything much with a pump. It's really hard!

If you are pumping and bottle feeding you never get a break. I would just try and go with it and trust your Jody to start with.

Absolutely do not start out with pumping. I was desperate to breastfeed. Read every book going and put so much pressure on myself (glad I did tbh) the baby was born and would not latch.. I had lactation specialists, midwives... you name it and she just wouldn't latch. I had to give the first formula bottles and was so upset but had given up more ales... No one mentioned nipple shields to me.. it was only my sister in law had bought them for me in case of sore nipples... I took to my midwife appointment 2 days after baby was born and I tried them there... she latched on immediately and I have breastfed exclusively ever since! 4 months in now!!! Her weight gain has been brilliant. She even maintained her birth weight. You will know the baby is getting enough bu wet nappies. I have the Elvie breast pump and hate it. It makes my nipples so sore and I'm sure that it doesn't express half as much as the baby would get by sucking herself. It's been a waste of money and I really do hate pumping - it's horrible!! Xxx

I think you'll probably give up breastfeeding if you're intent on pumping. It takes twice as long as you have to pump and then feed and then it's time to pump again. Not worth it.
My personal experience was that my milk went rancid within 20minutes of pumping. Even if immediately frozen. So I couldn't use any of it. Baby happily breastfed direct from breast for 16months.