Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Breastfeeding

83 replies

AHBM2020 · 13/02/2025 20:07

Hey guys, I'm having my first baby and I would really like to breastfeed, as well as pump into bottles for my partner to also do the feeding. I feel like feeding is a really good place for bonding, and I'd appreciate the extra feeding help 😂 is it naive of me to think I can do this as a first time mum? I worry that the baby may prefer either breast or bottle, and get attached on only one.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Happydays2025 · 15/02/2025 09:58

Halfemptyhalfling · 15/02/2025 09:52

I would plan to breastfeed and your partner can do everything else including distract the baby so it doesn't overfeed. It's only 6 months and then the baby starts solids.

You can't overfeed a breastfed baby.

QueSyrahSyrah · 15/02/2025 10:01

To add, in contrast to some other posters I haven't found pumping hard or a hassle at all.

After a while I started doing one side at a time instead of both together which takes a bit longer but means I have a hand free to read / snack / pick up my coffee cup. I find those 10 minutes when I physically can't do anything else quite relaxing! A hands free pump had I bothered to invest in one would have doubled the efficiency (but also halved my relaxation time!)

Vimaybe · 15/02/2025 10:03

Personally I just found it so much easier to just breastfeed. I wanted to do the same as you but mine refused a bottle. In the end I successfully breastfed for nearly 4 years solo and I wouldnt change a thing. You and baby really get into your own rhythm of easiest way to hold, comfiest sitting position, best clothes to wear etc to a point you just don't think about it. Best advice I can give are:
Get your partner on board with whatever it is you'd like to do.
Accept things can change.
Go to a breastfeeding specific pregnancy class (I believe nct do one.)
Visit the kellymom.com website for accurate advice.
Understand that even Dr's, midwives, dentists etc are given very limited breastfeeding training and are often not the most knowledgeable people (as surprising as that seems).
Join a local breastfeeding support group or online if you cant find one. (Libraries and coffee shops sometimes have them)
Don't stress too much about pumping on day 1.

LegoHouse274 · 15/02/2025 10:17

Fupoffyagrasshole · 15/02/2025 09:30

We just gave our baby a bottle of formula a day instead of bothering with punponh

having a newborn is hard enough without also having to pump
my husband did a midnight bottle of formula
and I breastfed rest of the time

his bonding was sitting up for hours in the night with both our babies watching films while they lay sleeping soundly on his chest - he cherishes those moments way more than ever bottle feeding them

Hah, this is exactly the same with my DH. He was up for a couple of hours last night with the 4mo watching a film.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 15/02/2025 12:14

LegoHouse274 · 15/02/2025 10:17

Hah, this is exactly the same with my DH. He was up for a couple of hours last night with the 4mo watching a film.

Show quote history

Haha same here! My 8month old isn’t well with a bad cold so he was up with husband watching some marvel film between 3&5 🤣🤣 he’d only sleep when held upright 🤪

sel2223 · 15/02/2025 18:49

Mamamiapia · 15/02/2025 06:08

OP it seems you overlook the baby's needs here - my view is that they should come first. That's where I would start. Your tiredness, stress, need for a break and dad's bonding are secondary to baby needs. Know what's best for the baby and then you figure out how you manage so that it works for you all. Breastfeeding is certainly the least stressful part of having a baby. That's actually when you charge yourself with the strength you need. I breastfed both mine until 12 months and loved ever second. I dreaded the pumping stage..... as it actually puts more pressure on you and gas no benefit for the baby.

Show quote history

Do you actually believe this tripe that you're spouting out here? What an awful, judgemental, unhelpful response to someone asking for advice.
The worst of mumsnet.

Original poster
AHBM2020 · 16/02/2025 21:25

Happydays2025 · 13/02/2025 22:06

I've breastfed both my two, second currently nearly 1 yr. If you want the flexibility of baby taking either, then I'm my experience you do need to start getting used to bottles fairly early on, from 8 weeks or so. Also to be honest I've ignored the no pumping advice and started with it almost straight away. Pumping is different somehow it takes time for your body to adjust to it. Just be aware that if you create the demand with pumping last thing at night (for example) you have to keep that going. Exclusively breast fed is amazing but I'd take the risk of baby preferring a bottle any day if it meant being able to leave milk with other caregivers for a day to work or just enjoy some time to myself. Since mine was 5 months old ish she's had a pumped bottle most evenings with dad, and now that I'm back at work, nursery or grandparents are able to give her Breastmilk during the day and it works well.
With a bottle refuser you are somewhat tethered and that gets real difficult once baby gets a bit older.

You started pumping straight away? When did you introduce the bottle?

OP posts:
Happydays2025 · 16/02/2025 22:43

AHBM2020 · 16/02/2025 21:25

You started pumping straight away? When did you introduce the bottle?

Show quote history

It was probably a couple of weeks before I started pumping regularly and I didn't get much at first to be honest. We started a bottle (very infrequently initially) at around 4 weeks. It wasn't every day, just whenever we had enough milk but it got her used to a bottle and gave me a longer stretch of sleep because dad could handle a bit longer 😴

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread