can i breast feed by just expressing the milk an not actally latching the baby on to the breast?

Answer 1

Yes you can. I did this with my twin girls as they were premature and were to tiny to suckle properly. They had it through a feeding tube the first few weeks then they had breast milk in a bottle. The only draw back I found with expressing was after bottle feeding the twins I had to then spend another 45mins expressing more milk for the next feed. That meant after spending half an hour or so feeding them at 4am (with help from Daddy... which is one of the advantages of expressing) It was at least 5am before I got back to bed! I used and electric pump which is easier than a hand pump. I expressed for 12 weeks in all then put them on formula. They were having some formula anyway as I didn't always have enough milk for 2!

Answer 2

Yes. Although you are not physically putting the baby on your breast, it is still classed as breastfeeding as the food you are feeding your baby comes from the breast. If you find this easier, go for it. I physically breastfed my baby, but after a while (when I'd forgotten what sleeping was like altogether), I started expressing and feeding my boy in that manner. Also, daddy was able to help with the feeding then. I tried the pump, but I found it easier to hand express. It is quite an art, but once you get the hang of it - there's no going back. This helped also once I went back to work.

Answer 3

If a mother cannot or does not wish to breastfeed directly, exclusive pumping, begun soon after birth, can provide baby with breastmilk, which is highly superior to artificial baby formula. Use a hospital grade pump with a double kit, such as the Lactina® Select, or the Classic. Milk production depends on frequent and effective milk removal from the breasts. Pump at least 8 times in 24 hours, or a minimum of 100 minutes per day. Many exclusively pumping mothers find it helps their milk supply if their baby is allowed to spend time skin-to-skin at the breast, even if the baby only nuzzles the nipple.

Several short pumping sessions are preferable and more effective than longer less frequent sessions. Some herbs and medications can be used to improve supply in mothers who find supply to be an issue. Avoid medications that may cause a decrease in supply, such as birth control medications and over-the-counter oral cold medicines.

Make sure that the breastpump flange fits well, and that the nipple moves freely within the flange. If a larger breastshield flange is needed, Medela makes PersonalFit™ kits with wider flanges, large ( 27mm diameter) and extra large (30mm diameter). If a mother wishes to exclusively pump, the correct equipment, comfortably fitted and used properly and frequently will make her experience more successful.

Answer 4

I had to express as my baby was pre term and she was tube fed it.
You have to express every 3 to 4 hours including during the night (especially during the night as hormes levels are higher). You will need to get a double pump and steriliser and bottles.
Medication such as the oral contraceptive will reduce the ammout you get. A baby is more effective at getting milk out so it is important the you pump regularly to increase supply and skin to skin cuddles will help.
When my baby was discharged she still would not breast feed and was bottle fed my expressed milk and gradually my supply dried up as despite following the above you cannot reproduce the stimualtion of a baby at the breast, even tho I was taking meds to increase supply.
It is also very tiring, you have to change, feed and wind your baby and then express it almost felt like I had to start again as soon as I finished. Breast feeding is tiring anyway. I am glad I did it as it gave her the best start but given a choice I would have breast fed
the conventual way!!
good luck with whatever you decide

Answer 5

yes you can; I did this with my first as she sucked so hard she drew blood. I found breastfeeding very painful even with loads of advice on latching on.

I found using the pump (Avent one) a bit of a hassle at first (sterilizing etc) but once in a routine it was dead easy in several ways:

I could express a few times a day, more than enough for what my baby took

Dad could feed her expressed milk out of the fridge so I could go out ;)

I could monitor exactly how many fl oz she took in a day (which you cant when b/feeding)

Baby was so used to a bottle there were none of the problems you get when weaning them from breast to bottle (6-12 months?)

Answer 6

why though why not just breastfeed?

The first is that breast milk is made on a supply and demand basis. The more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes. Therefore, to get off to a good start, nurse your baby frequently (8-12 times a day) and give him or her nothing but breast milk for the first 3-4 weeks of life. If your baby is sucking from a bottle instead of your breast, your body is not getting the signal to make more milk, and you might not have enough for your baby. Later on, after breastfeeding is well established, it’s fine to give a relief bottle without compromising your milk supply. So remember, no bottles for the first 3-4 weeks and your milk will come in with plenty to satisfy your baby.

Answer 7

Yes. I did this w/ my first baby. I have flat/inverted nipples and found feeding from the breast very difficult. I used a breast pump (a double one actually) and froze the milk in little bags then heated it by running it under warm water and putting it in the bottle. This method does take time as you have to pump several times a day, and may not be convenient if you are planning to go back to work.

Answer 8

Breast feeding can be difficult. Often times I was ready to burst with milk and my son was asleep -or- I'd just pumped milk then he was awake and hungry. Using a breast pump was great for me. I had a Medela pump that was not very good, so we bought an Ameda breast pump from an online store. That Ameda was worth its weight in gold! I could pump my milk, store it in the special bags and freeze it for future use. It made things much easier on me, the tired mommy, too. You can actually have someone else give your child a bottle of your milk when you're not around. My husband could give our son a bottle of my milk while I took a nap or went out to run errands. It was nice to have that flexibility.

Best of luck to you, take care.

Answer 9

Yes, but you may have a problem with building a good milk supply. One of my favorite parts of nursing is that there is no mess of bottles all the time & I can lay in bed at night & feed my baby. Bottles are too much of a hassle for me!
If you choose to pump... then bottle feed(then have to wash EVERYTHING)...... Be sure to buy a REALLY good pump. Medela ia a good one & that will run you about $300. The pumps you can get for $40 are just not strong enough to get the milk you need & it takes forever.

Answer 10

Don't know if your body would keep on producing milk if not simulated by the suckling of an infant. Are there medical/physical reasons why you can't do this as this would b a very time consuming process. You would have the expressing to do as well as the feeding of he baby and the sterilising of bottles as well.

Its not something I would recommend. Pre Term babies need to have this done as they are too wee to suckle and the breast milk is so good for them but the hospital provides the machine and then they are tube fed.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.