Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I have been going back and forth between bottle feeding and breast. I want to give my baby the best nutrients I can. I am leaning towards breast milk, but I just can't grab onto the idea of the baby latching on to my breasts. I am soo sorry,

My questions if you can help me

Can you pump right away after the baby is born?

And can you just solely pump to get the milk going?

Did you rent a pump or purchase one?

Do you still get nipple irritation and chafing from pumping?


I really appreciate your responses, they will def help me so very much

Message edited 12/21/2005 1:34:38 PM.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

Michele31 could probably give you tons of info...but in my case...

yes, you can pump immediately

yes, you can solwly pump...I've been BF'ing since he's born but I'm probably going to start pumping and bottle feeding after the holidays...

I bought a manual pump and that was STUPID for me...so I rented one and love it

Never ever once had any irritation

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

1. I started 48hours after my son was born.

2. Yes, I believe so. I know plenty of momma's with little ones in NICU who have and I did it from 48 hours till 8 weeks exclusively.

3. I purchased mine but you can do either. I figured I would also use it for my next baby. and honestly I did better with my ISIS then my Pump in style for some reason (I think the sound of the eletric bothered me)

4. I did from using my pump incorrectly one time but it healed up quickly and using lanolin each time I pumped help immensly but nothing as bad as what my son would do to my nipple with his latching issues and strong but lazy ****.

Michelle31 did it for a very long time and their are many boards on Babycenter that are awesome as well.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

The answer is this

It is best for you and the baby if you can try to nurse for a short time to build your milk supply. I have known many women who felt it would too "weird" to actually have a baby **** on her breasts...but once you do it, very often it isn't weird anymore. Hard to explain, but there is something so maybe comforting is the right word. I am not sure.

But the answer is the you CAN provide your baby bm from the beginning. You will need a hospital grade pump for 12 weeks- which can be easily rented. You want to rent one from a Lacation Consultant over a pharmacy IMO because the LC will give you instructions and real advice over just a pharmacy worker who may or may not know what they are talking about.
You will want to get Gerber bm bags...the best one are with the ziplock type closure. The medela ones **** IMO.

In the beginning..the first few days you will feel like you are not giving your baby enough or pumping enough to feed a baby. You will need to trust your body. You will only be feeding the baby a small amount of colstum (sp?). Your mom or others may tell you that you NEED formula but you don't in most cases. Your body is producing what your baby needs.

A dap of olive oil on your nipples will solve any chaffing issues. It helped me A TON.

You also need to pump 20 minutes 8-10x per day for the first few months while still feeding the baby out of a bottle. That is why I say just try the nursing, depsite not being sure about it. If you really don't like it after 2-3 days then go to pumping. You can call me anytime and I will help you thru it. It is easier to nurse, then to pump full-time. But if you are dedicated to it you can do it. I did it for a year, but had a lot of nay-sayers along the way. Don't let anyone discourage you. When people told me to stop and just use formula I told them the facts about BM and that it was important to me. If they were not supportive I didn't pick up the phone when they called.
I am here if you need anything.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

Just wanted to say that before I gave birth I felt the same exact way... I wavered back and forth because the idea of breastfeeding REALLY creeped me out. THe only reason why I made an attempt is because DH really wanted me to give it a try. I have to say, that as much as it really creeped me out, the minute I fed Alex for the first time, all of that went right out of the window... there was nothing creepy or weird about it at all... it really felt like the most natural thing in the world. I would say, give it a try... even if for a day or two... if you absolutely hate it, then switch to the pumping!

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I agree with Beth! Not pnly do I recommend trying it - but I have to say for a while it was (and sometimes still is) more conveinent, less painful, and less work than pumping...oh and less time consuming. (and this is coming from someone who hated it tons in the beggining - but I got used to it, and it got a lot less painful after 2-3 weeks...and even though I said I was going to stop at 3 months--I'm still going!)

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

Thank you so very much for your insight. I know I can be willing to just try the breast and see how it goes before I make a decision to solely pump. I don't know if I would be able to not try it, I guess I am more shy about it within myself, and I hope once that baby comes my shyness will go out the window because I know breastmilk is the best for my baby for so many reasons.

I will def need you guys in a couple months!

How long does it take for a good milk supply to come in?

Thank you!

Message edited 12/21/2005 9:46:50 PM.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I know what you mean about the shyness thing. For me it didn't come naturally with Joseph since he was a preemie. I pumped the day after giving birth. The neonatalogist said that for preemies nursing is even more important because your body is making the exact nutrition that he would have gotten in utereo. Pumping was awkward, I had a MIL that was complaining about not being able to feed the baby, and a baby with no sucking reflex. Luckily I had a sister who had been to an LC who was able to help me out. That and it was the best way to lose weight post partum.: It wasn't all for him. blush:

You will get engorged the first few days as your body tries to figure out how much milk it needs to produce. The way I increased my milk supply is I would nurse Joseph (once he got the hang of it) and then pump out the rest.

To answer your questions:
I used my sister's pump after I sterilized it. I bought a pump once I was sure I was going to continue it at work. It wasn't hospital grade - it was Medela Pump IN Style.

My nipples were hurting with Joseph - cracked & bleeding. I nursed anyway - and used olive oil which helped a lot. With Madeline, it was pure pain (nursing your second child is a bit more painful since it helps shrinks the uterus back).

Message edited 12/21/2005 10:48:51 PM.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I can't recommend enough at least trying to nurse. I never doubted that I wanted to nurse but I never felt comfortable mostly because I am not comfortable with my body but I wanted to do what was best for my daughter. I was also worried if it would feel wierd to me or even be wierd to my husband even though we both wanted our daughter to have breastmilk.

Well the moment you hold you child I can almost guarantee you any wierdness will totally fly out the window. You will look at this innocentl life that is totally dependent on you and want to give it anything you possibly can. I have gone to lengths for my daughter that I never imagined I could.

I have been nursing and pumping for 3 months now and unfortunately because I have such a low milk supply I cannot give up pumping. I will tell you this if you can adapt to nursing you will have a much easier time. Being tied to the pump solely is a real PITA but for me it is something I am willing to do to ensure that my daughter continues to get breastmilk.

If you decide to just pump that is totally your perogative too. I definitley recommend renting a hospital grade pump though if you are going to pump exclusively. The pump in style is really not meant for exclusively pumping moms. It has a max of pumping sessions that its supposedly good for. I can't remember what that number is but its less than an exlusively pumping mom will do.

Good Luck whatever you decide. FM me if you have any questions about nursing or pumping or formula for that matter because I supplement with formula also. My daughter has taken very well to both bottle and breast.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

About shyness...I never thought I would be able to nurse or pump in front of ANYONE. But I soon started pumping with friends in the house, even in the backseat of my parents car on a long ride. I pumped with my MIL in the car too. And at work, I closed the door, of course, but I had no issues with telling people that I needed to go pump for my baby. It actually felt good to know that I had to do something for her during the work day.

It is weird how doing something for your baby takes a lot of the shyness away.

And again, it is so unfair to have someone complain that they can't feed the baby. They can change a diaper, hold/cuddle, give a bath. There is soooo many things to do. It is your right as a mother to feed your baby.

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I nurse and pump at work 2 times a day. I swear the shyness goes out the window. I had my breastmilk with me when we went to a holiday party for work and I had to ask the hostess if she could put the cooler of milk in the refrigerator. My male co-workers know I pump and I almost died when someone asked what was in the little cooler and he exclaimed "her breastmilk!"

I don't make as much milk as some people and I have to pump at night before I go to sleep and when I wake up to make enough for the day for my son. It is a pain in the butt and I wouldn' t have it any other way.

The love I have for my son makes breastfeeding and pumping while I am work makes me feel wonderful as a mother!

Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

Re: Breast Feeding Moms-Can I ask some questions?

I highly rec'd you and your DH take the breastfeeding class given at your hospital. Stonybrook has one for free, whether or not you use the hospital.

Scott never once felt that he was not apart of Molly's life because of my pumping and trying to nurse. He did soooo much. And grandparents are also suppose to help YOU, not just the baby. Honestly my stepmother coming over to do laundry helped me more than anyone offering to hold and feed my baby. I could do that. I couldn't do 3 loads of laundry so I needed that help more.

And something the LC said to me as always stuck with me...this is for a very short time in your child's life. A year will fly by and when she is 18 or 30 you will not remember how hard pumping/nursing was...you will remember how much you miss doing it for your little baby.