Breastfeeding Question

[mnnice]

I too have a long commute and the past two winters here have been hard. Good luck with your baby, breastfeeding, and being the partner to a SAHD

[kdehart]

I stayed home until he was 8 weeks old and then I had to go back to work. I breastfed only for the first month but after that I gave him a bottle every now and then so he was a little used to it when he started going to his caregiver's. Some babies have a hard time with the bottle, luckily my little guy has been a champ at both even though he does tend to prefer the breast.

My guy is 6.5 months and he's still never had formula. It can be a lot of work but it's worth it. My body doesn't respond great to the pump so I pump 4 times at work (every 2 hours) and then I pump once in the middle of the night after he wakes up to eat and then before work. Luckily bf babies don't drink as much bmilk as formula babies drink formula. He only takes 3 oz bottles at a time and in a 8.5 hour day away from me he only drinks 12 oz total!

[loladooder99]

Any advice or experiences would be really helpful. With my first child I had a horrible birth and lost alot of blood because I became anemic and had pallor. I had a emergency c-section after 16+ hours of labor. My son latched on and was a great eater and breastfeed atleast every hour. i was so sick when i got home that after 3 weeks I gave up it was taking so much out of me and I felt better right after i quit. But if i am pregnant or if later this year when we start to try agian for a second child i would perfer to breastfeed. I just hope that if i have another c-section it wont ruin it for me. What made it easier for you?

[mrsjschultz]

I'm not gonna lie. BFing was h-a-r-d for me. I too had a c/s after 24 hours of labor and pushing. They had to put me out for the c/s because I didn't respond to the spinal. Sooo....I was completely out of it yet again for another 5 hours and couldn't BF DS due to the drugs in my system.

We finally got started 6 hours after my c/s and I BF'd for about 2 months total.

I had to start supplementing with formula because I simply wasn't producing enough BF. I am really really hoping this time goes easier and that DD will be full enough with my BM. It killed me to stop...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. All you can do is try.

[mum2hba]

Have a good support network; friends, family, or lactation consultant for those times when you get discouraged. I didn't have any formula in the house so I wouldn't be tempted to give up when things got hard.

Remember to take care of yourself too. When it is time for baby to eat, sit down with a tall glass of water and some healthy snacks to nourish yourself while the baby is nursing.

Make small goals. Determine you will make it to 3 weeks, then give it another 3 weeks, then another, and before you know it a year will have flown by.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you or baby is having difficulty learning how to bf.

[greenrays]

^^ good advice about the small goals!! I did that too, I said 4 months, then 6 months, then went to 8 months and cut out all foods ds was allergic to b/c I wanted to keep going---ended up 13 months and finally stopping. Small goals are good!!

That being said, formula is NOT a monster. I am a huge breast feeding advocate but sometimes it doesn't work, mom has major problems, it's frustrating, it's hard(at first), it's constant....etc.


There is nothing wrong with feeding your baby formula or doing both.

[givprayz]

I am a retired Midwife and a huge advocate for breastfeeding. I am also realistic. Sometimes BF just doesn't work out :sad:, but being prepared and seeking help early are the best ways to make it work. It is very important to set your priorities. For the first 3 weeks after the birth your priorities should be: 1) get plenty of rest; 2) eat well and drink LOTS; 3) keep the baby close and BF on demand. The only way to do those things is to let go of just about everything else. Have someone else cook, clean, run the other kids around, or whatever. Americans are so independent-minded that we won't ask for help, even when it is offered. Everyone who comes to visit should bring a meal, and anyone who asks, "is there anything I can do for you?" should be given a grocery list, a load of laundry or a toilet bowl brush to get started with. Seriously, 3 weeks devoted to regaining your strength and building a good breastfeeding relationship will cure most problems. If you get out of your PJ's more than 6 times in those 3 weeks, you are doing too much. Almost every woman CAN successfully breastfeed, but you have to be well rested and nourished. Having nursed 3 children for approximately 21 months each, and having worked with hundreds of new mothers, I know the breastfeeding relationship can be the most wondrous thing you can imagine, it can save hundreds of dollars, and it can be very convenient (like when you want to see a movie and the baby needs to be quiet, or you decide to stay somewhere overnight on the spur of the moment). Best wishes for your success! :smile77:

[brooklyngirl]

loladooder99 I had a bad c-section experience with my first. Since then I've done a lot of research and really thought about how it made my start difficult. I think you really need to treat your C-section like a major abdominal surgery (which it is.) So you need support set up. You need to let people know you would appreciate help with meals/ cleaning/chores anything they are willing to do to help you for the first few weeks. Your only "job" should be resting, recuperating, nursing, eating, sleeping. I know it's easier said than done especially when you already have a child. I think back to my own experience and I traveled soon after the birth and I was so sore tired and achy. It really was a miracle that I was able to exclusively breastfeed (after a rocky start.)

[VivaciousJewelz]

I really, really, really, want to breastfeed. I've been reading about it and talking to some other moms who do it. I guess I'm just really worried that I won't be able to do it. My job isn't giving me a straight answer on whether or not I'm going to get maternity leave, so I'm saving up my sick and vacation time so I can take at least a month off, but most likely that will be all I am able to take. Will a month be enough time to build a good enough breastfeeding relationship with my daughter AND have her still accept the bottle from DH when he's home with her all day?

[anothershopper2]

Originally Posted by regbyandjulie I really, really, really, want to breastfeed. I've been reading about it and talking to some other moms who do it. I guess I'm just really worried that I won't be able to do it. My job isn't giving me a straight answer on whether or not I'm going to get maternity leave, so I'm saving up my sick and vacation time so I can take at least a month off, but most likely that will be all I am able to take. Will a month be enough time to build a good enough breastfeeding relationship with my daughter AND have her still accept the bottle from DH when he's home with her all day?

I personally think so and that you can do it. I can't say whether you will be able to or not but I was worried that I couldn't and I did have trouble the first 1.5 weeks of her life. But she was hospitalized a 2nd time at a children's hospital at 1 week old and I had 2 really great lactation consultants there and dang - it made a world of a difference and they called me at home a week after she was discharged to check on us. All mother's can do it... so I wouldn't worry to much right now as long as you have read about it and talked about it to others, then just go with the flow when your DD comes. Good lactation consultant is helpful especially if she has trouble latching on. Support is really good - some people have a really easy time and others, it can be hard. It was hard for me but we made it all the way to 4 months & then I had to start weaning her b/c work & pumping was getting to be too much. Also DD took the bottle from week 1 and then I didn't use the bottle after 2 months - and for awhile, she stopped taking the bottle but then I switched her to a bigger nipple and she took it just fine. So sometimes you might have to experiment, but the baby won't let herself go hungry so she will drink the bottle. My DD had to be supplemented with the bottle after nursing every time for 1 month. So I think you'll be fine. But try to get more time... do you work in a small office? is that why you can't get the FMLA of 12 weeks (or is the no-pay issue)?