Breast feeding - advice needed please!

[onlyme26]

Hello, im 31 weeks pregnant, i already have a daughter who is 7 i didnt breast feed her, i was going to give it a try but after a very long labour and slight complications after i wimped out, anyway ive been reading up and looking at sites and this time im defo going to give it a try, seems so good for the baby which is great few things im worried about tho....

now i know everyone is different but just wanted peoples opinions on.....

How long between feeds??? i read that if your feeding on demand it can be anything up to a hour for a feed every 2-3 hours? if this is the case when do you sleep? tidy up? wash lol????

is it really that painful?

how long before you can use a breast pump? as i think id be a bit shy to breast feed infront of certain people, obviously my partner and daughter are fine and dont get me wrong i think breastfeeding is the most natural and amazing thing a woman could ever do, but there are certain members of mine and my partners family that i dont think id feel comfortable doing it infront of, so using a breast pump and a bottle for those occasions would be great plus give my partner a go at feeding!


the main thing i worry about is the amount of feeding, i have to take and pick up my other daughter from school and i dont want her to feel too left out with no time with mummy?

thanks guys x

[k8bailey]

I cant really answer most of your Qs but it doesn't hurt when you're doing it right! (inmy limited experience anyway!)

My little one wanted to feed for an hour every 3-4 hours but you could always try mixed feeding, we did it with my daughter I breast fed in the day and gave her a bottle at night as she slept better, but it does mean you don't produce as much milk because its supply and demand!

Lots of people will tell you that babies will get confused if you introduce a bottle before breast feeding is established, but every baby is different, my LO wasnt confused at all.

Good luck with whatever you decide and the rest of your pregnancy.x

[numnum]

I breastfed for a week, I too was like you. I had a bad labour and long recovery.

I was doing everything right in feeding and it was agony. I had craked/broken nipples after 3 days. It was toe curling soreness. I was using cream on my nipples and patches you left on for 24 hours and nothing worked.

What did work for me when i was feeding was whilst she was on one breast , i leaked that much id just sit with my top off. i caught the leakage from the other in a small cup (roughly shot glass size) when it came to change over time i would feed what was in the cup, it gave me a short break

My littleones first feed at the hospital was 4 hours. 2 hours each breast and after a 30 h labour i just wanted to go to sleep and i was still left in the bed covered in blood all that time as they couldn't move me till the epidural and drugs had worn off. once we got home she would feed for and hour then have a 20 minute break then an hour again. i was just knackered

If it worksthen good for you but i wouldn't worry yourself if it doesn't work.

My partners 2 sisters have both had babies this year. They are both breastfed and have both been ill since they were born. Don't sleep through the night etc etc. My little one has never had any problems. I couldn't complain. and going to bottle has given me the time to recover

Both his sisters now do breast and bottle. the younger baby gets breast all day and bottle before bed and she now sleeps through the night. the other sister gives her daughter three 7oz bottles a day and 2 breast feeds

[PringlesQueen]

As I am sure you will appreciate every baby is different, so I can only answer based on my own experiences.
I never allowed longer than three hours between feeds when my baby was first born (that is from the beginning of a feeding cycle). She was a typical baby and cluster fed in the evening. At times it seemed like I was almost feeding her continually from 6pm onwards. To give me a break in the evenings I topped her up with a bottle of formula. As far as the night time went, we chose to have her in bed with us so that I could feed her with me lying in bed.

Breastfeeding should not hurt - it it does it is because the baby is latched on incorrectly. There is plenty of support out there and I frequented my local breast feeding group regularly.

You can use your breast pump as soon as you feel comfortable to do so.

As far as feeling shy feeding in front of others, I had similar feelings. The thought of feeding my baby infront of the father in law made me shudder, but, I still did it! I asked if me minded, he said no, so I fed her, albeit covering my modesty with a muslin cloth. I was very nervous the first few times I went to the shops incase babe needed feeding. I need not have worried. Not once have I recieved a comment or dirty look - and I am still feeding her out and about at eleven months old.

I understand your concerns about the amount of feeding. All I suggest is if it gets too much you could always top up with a bottle of formula here and there. Perhaps you could include your daughter by getting her to feed babe with a bottle?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do xx

[numnum]

i should actually correct myself. the feeding doesn't actually hurt it was just the cracked nipples that hurt.

a friend got mastytis. if you get yourself clued up on all the things that can be sore and know what to look out for so if it does happen you can catch it early and get treated, do you have any friends who have breastfed that you could speak to?

if i had maybe got creams etc before the baby was born it might have been less painful and might have even got to use the breast pump thats still in the box.

i think you can use a pump straight away. my friend had to leave her baby in hospital for 2 weeks after the birth and she had to go in everyday with the milk she expressed.

i used to sit on the phone to her and all you would hear was the pump going!!!

[annie0000]

I had problems when feeding my first, I had mastitis twice, had cracked bleeding nipples and thrush inside my boobs - most painful thing I have ever experienced. However, all the problems stemmed from me allowing the baby to feed when he wasn't latched on correctly - he was a poor feeder, I was a nervous first time mum, nobody in my family had breastfed and the hospital were no support at all. I had also had a 36 hour labour and a c-section and almost needed a transfusion, so all in all it was not a great experience - I still fed him for 6 weeks until it all became too much and I felt that the bonding was suffering because of the pain.

With my second - I fed him a few minutes after he was born and had no problems whatsoever - he latched on properly straight away and it was a dream. I never had sore nipples at all, no bottles to sterilise or make up, no having to get out of bed to feed - bliss. He had his moments when he was having a growth spurt and would feed all the time for a day or so, but other than that, i don't remember it being too bad. He wouldn't take a bottle at all though until he was 6 months old so he was a bit tying!

I was very shy about feeding in public, but to be honest it never really arose that much, and I got quite used to turning to the side, latching him on and turning back if I rested him on my knee but crossed my legs so that his head was on the higher knee on top of one of those triangle shaped cushions if I had it available, and my top was down to his face, you really couldn't see anything at all and it was easy to keep private.
I would definitely give it a go, it would be a shame to not try it.
In terms of the health benefits, strangely,although they are both strapping healthy boys, my elder son is the more robust and rarely gets anything at all and my younger seems to pick up more bugs, but i put that down to them only being 13 months apart, maybe he didn't get as much goodness in the

[onlyme26]

Thanks guys, your answers are great, i guess im in for a bit of a rough beginning, tho i am expecting it to be tough so be no great shocks, its just my first was just soooo easy!

i was 19 i brought her home, she never cried, i always woke up before her as i could here her starting to stir, id make a bottle up and give her a feed, seemed so easy compared to what i had been told.

i guess breast feeding isnt going to be at all as relaxed, but im willing to give it my best shot, thanks guys! gonna go buy myself a breast pump tho!! lol