about breastfeeding?

Question

I am having my second son in march and i am seriuosly debating wether i should breast feed. i have never wanted to before but i have been thinking about all of the benifits-not to mention the fact that you lose wieght faster...how do i decided? is it a good idea to pump your breast milk and bottle feed? i have a three year old and really dont think hed understand the breast feeding thing.

Answer 1

Unless necessary, pumping breast milk and bottle feeding isn't as efficient as breastfeeding. There is more bonding with mom and baby and your breast milk will come in better.

My oldest was 2 1/2 when his brother was born. He just asked what I was doing and I said "I am feeding your brother". He just said OK. He used to get his Shrek stuffed animal, sit on the couch with me, and try to nurse Shrek as well. It was the cutest thing. When I asked what he was doing he said "Shrek is hungry too." I took pictures of it so I could show him when he graduates from high school. =)

I lost all my baby weight plus 30 lbs more when my son was 6 weeks old.

Breast milk is free and formula is so costly. I nursed my kids until they were 8 1/2 months old and I hated buying formula. Plus when newborns start on formula, there is a lot of dancing around for the right formula.

Answer 2

Breast milk does provide all the nutrinds for a baby's growth as well as protection against illness and disease. It is easily digested and provides for optimal brain growth and overall good physical development.
Contact the hospitals in your area and ask them if they have certified lactation specialists. Ask them if you can meet with one of them, or if they have a breastfeeding class you can take before delivery.
As for pumping and feeding, it can be done. Keep in mind, though, that you need a good breast pump to use. Even with the best, it will take longer for you to establish a supply suffiecient for you baby, so you may very well need to supplement with formula.
The best line of pumps is Medella. The best of their line to pump from the start is their Symphony pump. It mimics the cycling of a baby's sucking most. A Medella "pump and style" or "pump and go" will work well after your supply is established.
Depending on how long you intend to provide breast milk for your baby - you can decide whether renting or buying a pump is best. I will tell you, buying a GOOD pump will run you around $300.
Also, pumping and feeding is a two part process and therefore will take longer than just putting the baby to breast.
As far as explaining it to your three year old - it's simple enough. Simply tell her that it's how mommies feed their new babies. She won't remember how she was fed. If she ask if you breast fed her - be honest. If she asks why not - tell you didn't know how good it was for babies when she was born. You don't have to go beyond that.
If none of your local hospitals have certified lactation specialists, look for the La Leche League. They may be a bit more "hard core" than the consultants - but they are a good source of information. (And, please no harsh words from La Leche people please.)
In the end - the thing to remember is - what you do is your decision. You have to do what is right for you and your baby, and no one can tell you what that is. I've been a mother baby nurse for over 25 years, and I've worked incredibly hard to help mothers establish breastfeeding with their newborns. I've also backed mothers who have decided, for whatever reason, to bottle feed theirs.
Sorry for the long reply - it could have been SO much longer, but I hate overly long replies. I just wanted to give you the basics.
I wish you the best with your expected little one and I know you'll give lots of hugs, kisses and encouragement to your little girl when he arrives as well.

Answer 3

Give it a try. Talk to the lactation councilor at the hospital or ask for a referral from your ob/gyn. There is also help and support available from LaLeche League As long as you think it's normal (which it is) your 3 year old will have no problems with it. It's much easier just to feed your baby at your breast rather than pumping and bottle feeding. While your baby will gain the nutritional benefits, there is the expense and nuisance of bottles and the danger of unsanitary conditions. The milk that comes from your breasts is always fresh, sterile, and the perfect temperature.

Answer 4

That is a very personal choice but since you asked here's what I found. My first child could not latch on and it was very frustrating. I tried pumping but it did not work. I felt awful and had a very slow recovery.
My second latched right on and yes I did loose weight faster, felt much better. You can acutally feel your uterus contracting when they first start breast feeding. My baby seemed more contented and when it was time to begin wheening her I just began feeding more formula.
As far as your three year old, there is nothing sexual about your breasts. You can either explain that you have milk for the baby or say you need to feed the baby in private.
I believe it's a personal choice but I also believe it's possible because nature is best. Healthy pregnancy!

Answer 5

I have 2 children, a 4 y.o. son and a 6 wk old daughter. I breastfed them both. While I am nursing my dughter my son asks what I am doing and I tell him that I am breastfeeding. He asks where it comes from and I tell him that whatever food mommy eats turns into breastmilk for his sister to drink. He is very satisied by those answers and for the most part pays no attention to my nursing. I pump my breastmilk as well, but have not really bottle fed her yet so I don't cause nipple confusion yet. I waited until my son was 3 months before giving him a bottle. As for the weight loss...Nursing burns about 500 cals a day so that is a definate plus!! One of the main things that influenced my decision to nurse my children was the fact that it is something that only I can do and it allows special bonding time with them.

Answer 6

I just had my 2nd son on Jan. 11th. I too have a 3 year old son. I find that just allowing my 2nd son to nurse is the best. I tried to pump and didn't like the feeling of it. So, what I do is when I am nursing I make sure that we have a basket of my 3 year old favorite books and we read together. I also tell my son that his brother needs to eat and this is how I fed him as a baby. Yes you do lose the weight faster. I have lost 35 pounds in 2 weeks!!!! Cool huh!!!!!!! Please just enjoy nursing. The breast is the best, I am sure they like the taste and feel of the breast better! And you can nurse any where any time!!! It is great! Don't need to clean anything.

Answer 7

i would reccomend that every mother breastfeed their child if possible. that's what our breasts were intended for. you wanting to breastfeed is your maternal instincts coming out. i am 21 and just had my first baby last year. before i even got pregnant i had decided that i was going to breastfeed my children. my son is now six months and he has never had a bottle. i absolutley have no regrets about my decision.

i won't lie, it can be difficult at first. especially if you have never seen anyone breastfeed. i don't know anyone who has breastfed so i didn't have much help. it hurt because my breasts were full and my baby couldn't latch on properly. but after about a month i learned how to get him to latch on properly and it didn't hurt anymore. plus it takes a few weeks for your nipples to get used to all that sucking.

just explain to your son that that is how the baby gets his food. tell him that you make the milk for him and that's how he drinks it.

if you want to breastfeed but you are a working mom or you leave your baby with a sitter then you should pump. but if you are a stay at home mom then i would recommend that you don't worry about pumping and using bottles. my baby will never have to use a bottle if i can help it.

i have looked into it and i am planning on becoming a lactation consultant when i finish up my bachelor's degree, so if you have any other questions feel free to email me. i would be glad to help.

try taking a breastfeeding class. they are lots of help. ask your ob or talk to someone in the hospital nursery about getting you in touch with a local lactation consultant.

hope this helps

Answer 8

I pumped my breast milk for our son because my nipple was too big for him to suck. Our son was 5lbs. 6oz. when he was born. I also didn't really have a lot of milk for him to drink, so I had to mix it with formula, and it's not a bad thing. Now our son is 15 months old and he weighs about 30 lbs. He's also 28 inches tall. Pumping may be a better thing for you since you don't think your son would understand breast feeding. you can pump in private, so he wouldn't see you do it. But it's really totally up to you. You could try explaining it to him to see if he'd understand, or you can keep it private. The weight lose thing is a myth because I still have most of the weight that I gained when I was pregnant. I weighed 150 when I got pregnant, and I gained up to 170. I've only lost down to 163, but my weight also fluctuates. As long as I'm healthy it really doesn't matter to me.

Answer 9

My 3 year old son used to call it "baby booby juice".
I nursed both my children for 10 months and it is a very rewarding experience. It was a little hard on my hsband cause i coulnd' t pump so I could never leave with out the baby. But it was only 10 months out of my life and I was willing to sacrife the little things in my life for them.
it's didn't so much help me loose weight but maybe it helped me from gaining it!
It's not a good idea to pump right away you should wait until your milk come in cause at first it's just collostrum. My milk came in around the 4th and 6ths days postpardum.
I truly enjoyed nursing, it gave me a clear consious knowing that my kids were healthier cause of it.
Congradulation and I'm sure you'll make the right choice.
Try it for a while and if it's just not for you then switch to formula or try pumping.
good luck!

Answer 10

I tryed breastfeeding, we had way too many problems and I was sick for the first 8 weeks PP and on medcines that ended up messing my sons belly up. I tryed pumping to keep my milk coming so I could BF after I was off all the meds and after about a week it got to be too much of a problem to pump and take care of a newborn, household, and myself. I never really like the baby to breast thing. BUt thats just me. I would say try it and see how you like.