Although I didn't breastfeed my other children, simply because the whole idea didn't appeal to me, I am considering breastfeeding my baby. I was watching a show about it this morning and it seems to make more sense than bottle feeding, and seems to be better for the baby. My other 3 did just fine with formula, so I know that's an ok choice, but would like to try breastfeeding, at least try. I would like to know if it's possible to use a pump and go between breast and bottle? I read to wait til the baby is around 4 weeks to try an occasional bottle, but with as much driving as I do with the other kids and running around, I'm worried I won't be able to keep up with just using the breast. If that's possible to go between the two then I am for sure going to give it a try!

Well, with my first I didn't try a bottle right away and she wouldn't take one until after she was 8 weeks old, it was awful.

With the twins I MADE the nurses give a bottle of formula at the midnight feeding. They never had any issues switching back and forth. I did a lot of pumping just for time's sake with my older daughter, she was 1 and needed mommy to be hands-free for a little bit of the day.

I know they say they get "nipple confusion" but the nurses told me if you do it from the start they are usually fine with it. I would suggest if you want to use a bottle to try it asap so that they don't get stuck on one way.

Pumping is great because even if you are sick or at a family members house, you can involve and allow somebody else in feeding.

Do you think there will be any problems since I didn't breastfeed my other 3? Is there anything really important I should know?! I'm sure they will give me some direction at the hospital, right? I've been reading all morning about it, as if this is my first baby!

No it doesn't matter what you did/didn't do in the past. LOL at the reading, heck gives you something new to do during this pregnancy!

The hardest part is the first week or two, you can get dry and cracked and sore. I suggest Lansinoh, you can buy it at the local drugstore. Just put it on religiously, it is safe for the baby too. also, the more you feed/pump the more milk you make. So if you substitute formula but only plan to do it for that day or two be sure to pump so that your body will keep producing the same amount.

My son is 6 months old and I am still breastfeeding him at night. I think breastfeeding is a wonder thing. It is you and your baby's bonding time that just you two will have. As for going between nipple and bottle my son didnt' have a problem with it. Your baby might have a problem at first with the bottle until you find the nipple that is right for him. My son uses playtex nipples only and will not touch anything else.

I have heard that the more you pump the more you produce. But with me it was not the right thing. The more I pumped the more I dryed out. You could do it this way. It is the way that I had to. You can subsitute a bottle of formula sometimes that way you will have the milk to pump and his normal feeding time. You could stock up on that just make sure the milk that you pump you put in the freezer. If you put breast milk in the refer. I think it only last a day or two. That way if you go on road trips you will have the breatmilk for you beautiful baby.
I hope this helps.

Both my kids had no trouble either nursing or being bottle fed. They also would only use a playtex nipple.

I think the ealier you introduce a bottle the easier it is.

I never managed to give him a a bottle, and in the end that was really the best. It was easier to go on holiday or just move around with baby because we were able to just get up and go..no bottles or anything to carry around, no worrying about anything being unhygienic...of course I always had to be present but I always was anyways.
So, I can't say anything about the swapping back and forth thing.
So, today, after breastfeeding my son for 13 months (we went straight from breastfeeding to drinking from a normal cup), I am a true defender of breastfeeding. Nothing against formula/bottle feeding, but it's just so much easier and more normal to breastfeed, is mho. And it's so much more than just about the milk itself, and the bonding. People tend to forget that.

If you pump to boost milk supply you don't need to pump dry... just pump a little bit between feedings, that is what gets it going. If you pump dry you wont' always have enough for the next feeding since they tend to feed so often.

I am a lot less worried about trying breastfeeding now, I'm actually looking forward to it! What surprised me is the negativity I got from family when I said I wanted to try it!! I thought with breastfeeding being so good for the baby at least my mother would encourage or support it...her exact words were "It's so gross to wip a boob out in public"! She has made it a point to tell the rest of my family about it and how disgusting it is! It's attitudes like that that I think makes women not want to do it. Although I'm not too comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding in public, there seems to be plenty of ways to be discreet about it, and for those that don't like it, that's their problem! I was worried about my mom coming around and driving me nuts after the baby( she's not helpful in any way)...I guess that is one way to keep her away!

Hey if she's bugging you just whip it out!LOL I think most people are open to it and don't think it is gross.... We were made to feed our children or we woudln't produce milk. Anybody who see's it as gross has issues of their own.

I agree. Honestly I used to think it was gross until I had my son. Now I think it is a beautiful thing. I also agree on just whipping it out and put in front of you mom. My dad used to walk in on me and that made him turn red not me. I look at it this way, after you have your baby, you have had so many people looking everywhere on your body and pocking and proding every where that you just don't care anymore. Sorry about the spelling.
Enjoy your bonding time with you baby and congatulations.

I am really sorry for people who say this kind off thing (example: breasfeeding is gross).
Really and honestly sorry.
Yes, there are many ways to be very discreet, and usually, when you have the right clothes (and you usually get organised after a very short while), people would actually have to stare, to really STARE, to SEE anything more than women usually show, and I am not even implying women today would show 'too much' at all.
I find it strange women from a certain generation are against it. I suppose that is because about 30 or 40 years ago formula became a complete replacement for natural milk, and it was of course a whole new freedom for the women not HAVING TO breastfeed. Different today, we have ALL THE CHOICES.
Then, I am lucky to live in Europe, where the whole thing is even much less an issue.
I am telling you, I breastfed my baby virtually everywhere (at the office, in the subway, on parc benches, in the car of course...), and never has it been embarrassing.
One time I couldn't find a bench or so, and I went into a small shop and explained my problem. The lady was just friendly and matter of fact and showed me to the kitchen behind the shop where I was alone and in peace for a half hour to feed my baby.

quote:

Originally posted by Dew:
[qb] Then, I am lucky to live in Europe, where the whole thing is even much less an issue.
I am telling you, I breastfed my baby virtually everywhere (at the office, in the subway, on parc benches, in the car of course...), and never has it been embarrassing.
[/qb]

I was going to reply and say this exact thing. In this country, people are way to hung up on ***, or the human body.
I was born in Norway, and it isnt a question there. You just breast feed, and no one is grossed out by it, it is just common place.
I am strongly pro breast feeding. I did it for a year with my daughter, and plan to do it again for my next daughter.

Hi all,

I breast feed my oldest until he was three!! Yes, alot of people grimace when I say. His pediatrician told me the longer I did it the healthier he would be and he just rejected the breast on his own. He never took a bottle, went directly to the zippy cup and a straw - and no he NEVER bit me.

My little one who is six months old takes both bottle and breast. He started on the bottle very early on too and I only gave him breast milk until he was 4ms ( I pumped). Then we introduced formula because with returning to work it was becoming harder for me to pump, store, freeze, take it home, etc.

I also noticed that when I stopped pumping so frequently my milk supply decreased. However, he now has his two bottom teeth and has bitten me a few times......

Good luck!

I am still bf'ing my daughter and she turned 3 in april. Although I never planned to bf'ed this long, I would bf'ed again if I had another baby.
And trust me...I am wanting to stop so badly. It's just that her last one is in the morning and I am just too lazy to get up at 5 am and fight it. But I definatly want to put a stop to it!