Breast feeding?

Question

I want to try breastfeeding, but I'm scared to, noone in my family that I'm close to has breastfed and my mum thinks I should bottle feed as my brothers and I were bottle fed and turned out fine. If anyone could give me advice and answer my few questions I'd be greatfull. 1. If the baby has trouble latching could I pump and feed the baby that way.
2. Are manual pumps any good? 
3. If the baby does latch on can I use breast and bottle as I wouldn't feel comfortable feeding in public

Answer

No one in my family breastfed either and still think I'm crazy since I'm 4 months into breastfeeding my son. Once you make that decision to breastfeed don't let anyone discourage you . It is the best food for your baby and creates a magical bond (: if your baby is having trouble latching go to a lactation consultant there are ones at the wic program and you can also just look ones up in your town. It could be a simple tongue tie or upper lip tie issue that could prevent baby from latching , also nipple shields are great in the beginning to help the baby latch . The lactation consultant worked with fitting me for one and it helped my son latch and pull out my one inverted nipple . U can use a bottle too but you shouldn't introduce bottle or paci until 4-6 weeks old cuz of nipple confusion . Make sure once you have the baby they don't take the baby from you the first 30 mins after birth is when the baby's sucking reflex is best . My son latched 10 mins after he was born and he's my first born. Don't worry about breastfeeding in public I felt weird at first too but remember it's a natural thing and when it comes to feedin your child you won't care . I walk through the mall with my son latch n could care less lol Manual pumps aren't as good as electric pumps, most insurance covers pumps . Get the Madella and make sure you always put coconut oil on your nipples to avoid them getting sore n cracked while you nurse or pump . It will also prevent thrush . Make sure to clean n dry breasts between feedings to prevent thrush as well. No tight bras and nurse a lot to avoid clogged ducts or Mastisis, take a breast feeding class ! There is so much that goes into breast feeding and it's smart to be educated to your best ability going into breastfeeding. Sorry for the king post but those are all the things I learned during the process of breastfeeding that I wish someone would have told me while I was  pregnant . Good luck mama I hope it all works out for you😘

Answer

Thank you to everyone for responding I haven't replied to everyone but I'm so thankful for all your advice and have noted things I need to buy and look into, Definitely going to stick by my decision and try to breast feed my son or daughter thanks again x

Answer

I suggest a Breastfeeding class. It really helped me feel better about my choice to breastfeed as a new mom. Everyone has the right to make a choice how to feed baby but in our state 98% of SIDS deaths were formula fed babies...between that and the fact formula is not sterile and often has high fructose corn syrup in it, learning these facts helped me make my choice. My local hospital does free Breastfeeding classes and also have twice weekly support meetings. Maybe look into your local hospital as a lacation consultant can help answer your questions/concerns and get you started out on right track with how to latch, hold, etc.

Answer

My baby didn't latch for almost 24hrs but by day 3 she was a pro. Breastfeeding is a learning experience for both. I pumped on day 6 and got like 5 drops and cried and cried. Pumping is also a learning curve. I love my manual pump. I have a very expensive mendela double electric that is very good but I prefer pumping with my $30 Avent manual pump. I get more and its quicker for me.

Answer

My baby didn't have the best latch and I ended up with very sore nipples after about 4 days. Nipple shields were the best thing ever, I was able to heal and still nurse. I found that the manual pumps aren't very good, you can only do one breast at a time and it takes much longer than an electric. My baby stopped wanting to nurse at 4 months, after I had been back to work for a month and she got more used to bottles so I would pump and put in in bottles for her. I did that for the next year. The double electric pump was great, and I usually pumped while she played or slept (20 min 3-4 times per day).

Answer

I had an unbelievably hard time breastfeeding with my first... She was never able to latch. We tried everything... So after about a week, I switched to pumping and feeding her breastmilk in a bottle! She did great, and it allowed dad to feed her too!!!! My sister does both, breast and bottle (with breastmilk) and she's on her second baby doing great! Breast milk is wonderful for them.. If you can handle (it can be difficult) 6 months + its a definite boost for your baby!!! :) good luck!

Answer

With my first son I exclusively pumped and bottle fed. He was a preemie so we started that way - and just kept it up. So yes, you can pump and bottle feed only.

Answer

The best advice I can give you, as a mom who didn't nurse one and nursed one for 19 months, is get educated! (: I was soooooo uneducated with my first because I thought everyone I talked to (WIC, lactation consultant, other moms, etc..) told me everything I needed to know. The best thing I can tell you is read everything you can, Pinterest nursing and complications so you know what to overcome, Google anything and everything you can think of. Some pointers could be milk storage, pumping effectively, different positions, things that nobody tells you about nursing, baby's cues, etc.. I studied everything I could during my second pregnancy and I felt so accomplished (: I went 19 months and only quit because I was pregnant and it was taking a toll on my body. Good luck momma!

Answer

I had a lot trouble with getting my daughter to take a bottle. She just hated it.

At first I felt uncomfortable with bf in public, but after a while of frustrating attempts of getting her to take a bottle, or trying to use the damn cover, I just did it. It's not so bad.

If I knew I was going to need to bf while we were out I would wear a nursing tank under my shirt- that way there was very minimal skin showing.

Usually we were able to find a nice quiet place to go nurse where there weren't a lot of people milling around.

I understand if you never get comfortable with it- just sharing my experience.

Answer

Breast feeding is best if you want to do it you can don't let anyone talk you out of it. There is no shame in bottle/formula feeding if you choose but it should be your decision. I exclusively pump because my little one couldn't latch even with nipple shields. Nipple shields kind of remind me of a very thin bottle nipple that goes over your own nipple to help baby latch. If you are going to pump so you can bottle feed get a double electric. The medela is amazing and super easy. If you go to edgepark.com put in all your info and it will tell you which pump you qualify for from your insurance I filled the firm out on a Thursday and it was delivered to my house Tuesday with no hassle so easy.  Feel free to ask anymore questions hope this helps.

Breast feeding?

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