Questions About Breastfeeding

I had my second baby last April, and I also bottle fed from the get go for the same reason you did. The lactation specialist that came by after I had him told me that even though I was bottle feeding I could still breast feed if I wanted, especially to ease engorgement. So...from that I would think you could give it a try now and just see how it goes. Also, my sister-in-law has twins and she always breast and bottle fed them because she didn't produce enough milk to feed them both. Hope this helps good luck!

I did both - bottle and nipple. I mostly did it to ease my engorgement, but I fed her so seldom that my milk dried up pretty quickly. It was the best of both worlds for me.

Good luck with nipple confusion. Sometimes she refused my breast and sometimes she didn't.

S.

Absolutely you should try it. I had such a wonderful breastfeeding experience and I wish that every mom was able to do it. Good Luck! Don't worry about the nipple confusion, it will work out.

You will only have enough milk if you offer her the breast whenever she wants to suckle. No one has milk at first--just colostrum, which is exactly what your newborn needs until your milk comes in (is high in calories and antibodies to protect their immune systems). It is truly amazing that your body knows exactly what to do! As your baby grows, your body will produce enough milk to accomodte that.

I recommend making an appointment to see a lactation consultant ASAP. Call Best Beginnings (http://www.best-begin.com/). Molly and Vicky are both great. They will help you get started and will be available if any issues (soreness, latching problems) arise. It is $50 for a consult, but it is well worth it. I had to see consultants with both of my kids, but they really helped and I was able to nurse my son for 13 mos., and I'm still going strong with my daughter (she's 6 mos. now). Good luck!

You can ABSOLUTELY start breastfeeding now...any breastmilk is good and you can help your baby to suckle - give her support because she has been using bottle and might need to "learn" how to suckle from breast. Remember her little stomach is like the size of a nut and she doesn't need a ton to start...your body will create the level she needs. Babies can be extremely adaptable. If you want to talk more about this please feel free to call me at ###-###-####. J.

Hello J., My name is Cindy and I have four daughters. I breastfed all of them. With the first one tho I did quit because I thought she was not getting enough to eat. I was wrong about that and never should have quit. In the first weeks they eat often and that made me think she was not getting enough to eat. I guess also I couldn't see what she was getting like you can with a bottle. I really feel that breastfeeding is better. With my second one I got very sore and almost quit again but found out that I had a yeast infection in my breast which was passed to me from the babies mouth. That almost made me quit again but once the yeast infection was treated everything was fine. I was very happy with breast feeding and realized that I could have made it the first time but was just inexperienced with it all. Also there was not as much support for moms who chose to breastfeed. I actually thought it was a lot easier to breastfeed. Especially
when baby wakes up in the middle of the night. Congratulations on your new baby. They are so beautiful aren't they!

I can only add that your local hospital may be a good resource for you. Mine has a lactation consultant and I went to a breastfeeding class and got a lot of really good advice. They or your pediatrician may be able to refer you somewhere also, but make sure it is a health care professional that leads the group. Good luck!

This won't answer all of your questions but may help. Every baby breastfeeds differently. Give it a try, it may work out for you this time.
K. D.

yes, you can start bf'ing. that is a great sign that your milk came in. good luck & let us know how it goes!!!
happy mother's day!!
H.

hi J.
yes!!!! try it and see if she will nurse....if not you could pump what you have on a reg. set time and put that in the bottle. anything she gets is wonderful for her little body at this piont. good luck and god bless...J. j

I am a strong supporter of breastfeeding and if I were you I would try. I have two girls, my first would never drink from a bottle so she was strictly breastfed. I waited like they said to so she wouldn't get nipple confusion, but it backfired to never taking the bottle. The second one I was determined to have her drink from a bottle and breastfeed so I (and I mean my hubby) tried bottle feeding her nearly from the beginning at times so she could learn. Now she happily drinks either way, but she will not take the bottle from me or strangers.....I think babies are smart enough to realize how to drink from either nipple. They also know mom's way, and don't want that hard bottle way from mom once they know the easier way. Also, I pump my breast milk so her bottles taste like mom's milk. If you issues nursing, you could feed her your pumped breastmilk so she still gets the INCREDIBLE benefits of babies perfect food. Even the formula companies agree breastmilk is best! So if you can't nurse her, you can still pump and feed her breastmilk.

I have a 5 month old son who is now strictly bottle fed but for the first 3 months of his life he went back and forth between the breast and bottle with absolutely no trouble. I know all babies are different, but with our son there was no nipple confusion, he took equally well to the bottle or breast. Good Luck!

It would definatley be ok for you to go ahead and breastfeed. If you feel as though you can do it then don't think twice on it, do it. You can do both bottle feed and breast feed. When I had my baby I breast fed him and bottle fed him. I would breast feed him every chance I got and if we were in public I gave him a bottle of formula or most of the time a pumped bottle of breast milk. You can always pump your milk too and give it to them when you are out in town instead of having to go feed them in privacy. Well good luck and let us know how it goes.

S. Mother of two

hey it is ok but to breastfeed & bottlefeed, it takes time and if you feel thats its not working get a breast pump.

Hello J.,
Happy mothers Day I just wanted to encourage you to breastfeed as often as possible the more you feed the more you will produce.I am sure your baby will ajust from formula and yes if you and or your provider does not feel as though your baby is gaining wieght or doing well then by all means do both.I am sure you will find what works for the both of you but offer the breast first and be presistant.Good luck and best wishes
J.
Mother 2 Abigail and full time doula
www.abetterbirthway.vpweb.com

You should be totally fine to breastfeed now. As long as your milk came in, your good to go. It's a supply and demand thing from here on out, so feed every two hours, if you can. Good luck.

First of all, congratulations on the new addition!

It is definitely okay to start breastfeeding and/or both breast- and bottle-feeding! You have to do what works for you. You may have a little trouble getting your daughter to latch on at this point, but the hospital should have provided you with a lactation consultant who can help you if that is the case. But I think Kaitlyn is probably still new enough that you'll be able to transition her to the breast. I'd try not to use bottles for a little while--say, a few weeks--if she does latch on well. This way you'll be well established with the breastfeeding and will be able to reintroduce bottles later. And it is helpful if someone else can give your daughter her bottle, like Dad or Grandma/Grandpa, etc., because you will smell like milk whereas they will not.

If you do decide not to breastfeed, you can use green cabbage leaves to help dry up your milk. You just need to buy a head of green cabbage at the store, wash the outer leaves well, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Then you wrap on leaf around each breast and change whenever the leaves start to wilt. Ice helps, too.

Good luck!

Best bet is to talk with a lactation specialist... they are more educated.

sure you can breastfeed. if the milk is there and you want to, by all means, do it. I had to give my son a bottle 3 days into breastfeeding, and I also used a "paci", and he didn't have nipple confusion. But me and other moms I know did the same with bottle feeding and breastfeeding and we all used the Playtex bottles with the drop in liners, and we all loved them.

Hey, J.~ My daughter is 5.5 months now and I breast fed her for 3 months, and started formula after 2 weeks. She never had a problem switching from breast to bottle nor from breast milk to formula. My thought is that if you don't make a big deal out of it, she shouldn't either. Breast feeding was probably one of the most rewarding experiences ever. I highly recommend it and encourage you to work through the 1st 2 weeks cause your nips are going to hurt!

Hi J.,

It is great that you want to start breastfeeding. And, yes, it's definitely okay to start now. If you want to do half and half, that's fine, but the only way breast milk will continue to come in is if you breastfeed. Also, if you want her to get used to the bottle, you could always pump breastmilk for night feeds.

My first babies were twins, and I wasn't entirely successful with breastfeeding them, but I breastfed my now 3 year old for almost three years, right up until her baby sister was born 4 months ago. You can be successful at breastfeeding.

Contact your local La Leche League for advice from breast feeding and lactation specialists.

xxoo
S.

YES! And you will be thankful you did. Not only will your breast feel better but your child will get the most important part of your breast milk which is the collostrum (comes in before the breast milk). See if you can find a breastfeeding group for support and advise - a group of moms that get together weekly to discuss the ups and downs they are having. To get your milk supply up make sure you pump after feeding your child so that your breast empty. They also have herbal supplements that will help increase your supply. Hang in there as long as you can - that's all one can ask. Enjoy these special moments - as you know - they go fast.

Hello J.
I breast fed all 4 of my children & I don't know if its too late to start now that you are engorged, but I say try, but I do know that you are supposed to exclusively breast feed until its well established say 6 weeks or so. I found it best to feed on demand, anytime the baby seems hungry. & always try to nurse on both breasts, alternating which one you start with. To help me remember this I wore a strechy bracelet on the arm of the side I started with. Your baby may fall asleep on the first breast but its best to try to wake him/ her up to nurse on the second - to make sure the baby gets enough to eat & to make you comfortable - so the milk isn't sitting in the breast. You are going to want some cream for your nipples, lanolin works well ( can get it at Target/ Walmart in baby section)& put it on after everytime you nurse after the niple is dry--- Even if you think you don't need it - it will keep your nipples from getting sore & cracked. Make sure you buy a good nursing bra & some pads to protect your clothes from leakage I liked Lanisnoh ( or something like that) they had a sticker to keep them in place & were waterproof & not visible. You need a soft nursing bra at night (no underwire!) to keep the pads in place. Nursing may also cause you to feel more cramping at first which is good for your body it helps the uterus get back into shape - make sure you take you advil or whatever your doctor gave you. Drink lots of water/ fluid & you have to eat to produce milk. I found if I didn't drink or eat enough one day the next day my milk supply seemed less. Nursing will help you slowly drop weight if you are still careful about what you eat. & Remember nursing is a beautiful natural thing it is what our bodies were designed for! You are giving the best stuff you can to your child in your breast milk all the immunity that you have. Don't give up, keep trying. Try La leche meetings if you can find them in your area. talk with other mother that breastfed. Good luck!

Congrats on the new baby! I was blessed with our first baby in December and I'm still breast feeding. I introduced a bottle of breast milk at 4 weeks so that he would take both bottle and breast. I also gave him a bottle of formula once a week so that he would be open to drinking that as well if the need came up. i found that the lactation consultants made everything such a big deal. From what my Ped says, nipple confusion seldom happens. Good luck with breast feeding. I've loved every minute of it and plan on breast feeding until my little guy turns one (if he'll let me). Enjoy the newest member to your family!

Sure. Do it. You will have to work at it, overtime, this time. Increasing milk supply is an aggressive action I always said. I nursed both of mine until 1 year. The more she "drink" the more milk you make. Put her to your breast at least every 2 hours and it will take about 2 weeks of getting back to it. After about 6-8 weeks you will be in a "honeymoon" period and feel like an old pro at it! Good luck. Get in touch with a La Leche League team near you and go to a meeting (your 2-year-old can play with the other children there)or just call someone on the officer list. www.lllflorida.com and follow the links to your area of town. Wow! What a great decision to make, breastfeeding is such a wonderful feeling thing to do for your newborn. J.

J.,
I know you have gotten a lot of advice. So here is mine. Please try to breastfeed. She may surprise you and latch on thre first time. I encourage you to contact your local La Leache group as soon as possible. They are a wealth of info. and i could not have gotten through the first few weeks with out them. I had more milk the second time around and it was much easier than with my first. Plaese try to bf. you will love that you did.
Uodated 05/16/2008- J., I am so glad you did it!. now it is just aboub supply and demand. BF babies can only go a few hours between feeding at this age so nurse frequently. Formula lasts longer in the stomach than breast milk. Breast milk is gentlier and digests quicker. So keep it up!

If you have milk, you can breastfeed at any time. The baby may be confused at first because the suck is different on a bottle than the breast, but if you get the baby naked down to the diaper and put her to breast as often as you can during the day, she will eventually latch and feed. You may need the help of a lactation consultant, so definitely make an appointment at the hospital or with the Central Florida Breastfeeding Center. You can also call the Central Florida Breastfeeding Center and get free advice over the phone.

Good Luck!

Hi J.! Congratulations! and Happy Mother's Day! Of course you can always try to breastfeed her! It's very possible she won't take it since she's been used to the bottle nipple, but it doesn't hurt to try and it will be much better for her, (and you) if you can get her to latch on to the breast. I exclusively breastfed all 4 of mine for a year or more (and am still breastfeeding #4 who just turned a year on Wednesday), so if you need any help, please feel free to e-mail me! Take care and good luck to you and your new baby!
V.

I don't think nipple confusion is an issue with every baby and I definitely don't think it should discourage you from attempting to breastfeed. If you do start breastfeeding and it is going well, it may be best to exclusively breastfeed for several weeks before reintroducing the bottle. Don't be surprised if your daughter will not take a bottle from you at first once you start breastfeeding. I got my husband to introduce the bottle to my son because I heard that often times the baby won't take the bottle when "the real thing" is right there! He took the bottle and now will allow me to feed him with the bottle, too. You may want to check out the La Leche League website to see if they have any suggestions. Also, if you're concerned with milk supply, I have had a lot of success with an herb called fenugreek. You can buy it in capsule form from just about any healthfood store. It helps to boost your milk supply. You can also try brewers yeast. If you take the brewers yeast I definitely recommend that you take it in capsule form and not just try sprinkling the stuff on your cereal or mixing it with water. The stuff truly tastes nasty! Good luck!

It definately won't hurt to try. My twins were preemies so they had both. I pumped and they got that "liquid gold" we called it...and the nurses also supplemented with formula. When I got home I nursed and pumped to ensure they got the right amount each feeding. I would contact the hospital you delivered at and ask for their Lactation Dept. They will be more than happy to instruct you...and may even come out to your home to show you how to properly use a pump, if that is something you want/need to do as well to get rid of the engorging. I know many women that would expell in the shower to avoid over engoring. Never an issue with me with twins LOL...but remember, the more you nurse, the more your body will produce. Nurse as long as you can...if thats only for weeks, months or a year...just be OK that you did the right thing and NEVER let anyone make you feel bad for breastfeeding or NOT. God Bless! HAPPY MOMMY'S DAY NEW MOMMY!

By all means, yes!!!!!

Breast feeding is always the best thing both for you and for your baby. Breast milk is specially designed food for your baby alone -- no other food can even come close to your breast milk when it comes to being the perfect food. For you, it will help your uterus to heal more rapidly and completely.

I would strongly urge you to contact the La Leche League for further assistance with breast feeding. They will be able to help you get over the "humps" (of which there are many!!) Breast feeding is the natural normal safe thing to do, but it is not always easy, as you discovered last time!!!

The La Leche League has support groups in several areas around Orlando. Call them as soon as possible, and they will help you with this!!!

This is where I say, Heck with the Books! My friend advised me to mix in bottle as soon as I could so I could share the duties.
I had to follow her advice cuz my little guy was so big, almost 11 pounds at birth. We HAD to supplement. He did and does both nipple and bottle just perfectly! No nipple confusion.

GOOD LUCK!!!

J.,

Can't hurt to try! It's so much better for her, so I would definately give it a shot. You could even just pump and give it to her in a bottle so there's no nipple confusion. You'll be glad you did either way-the health benefits are so worth it.

Take Care,
T.