breast pump?

Question

if i want to use the breast pump and feed baby from bottle. can i do that for a while the switch to like similac or something? or would that be a bad idea....new mom....only 15 weeks pregnant

Answer 1

You can do whatever works for you and your baby.

My first baby didn't breastfeed right away so I pumped and I also fed her formula from a bottle. My second baby never had formula, but I pumped and gave her breast milk in a bottle on occasion. My third baby doesn't really like a bottle and refused formula. So, it's going to depend on your baby.

It's not a bad idea depsite what some people will tell you. The only serious recommendation is that you be careful with possible nipple confusion in the early weeks. For example, if you are trying to nurse him/her and get him/her used to breast feeding, you may not want to introduce a bottle nipple for about 3-4 weeks. Of course, that being said, you may find yourself in a situation where you have no other choice.

You could be sick, hospitalized or otherwise unable to nurse or pump.

Don't worry. It may seem overwhelming now, but, it will all come to you in time and you will find what works for you.

I wish you a healthy pregnancy and wonderful labor and delivery!

Answer 2

I have two daughters. My first was bottled fed because she was ill and couldn't breast feed. My second was breast feed from day 1 till she 14 months old. They are both normal healthy teenagers now.
The best advice i can give you is to do what works 4 you. Obviously breast is best and its free, weather its via a breast pump or naturally.
Big advantage on using a pump and or formula is other people can feed baby and give you a much needed break. BUT...it is very important that your baby gets the first milk called Colostrum, it has high concentrations of nutrients and antibodies.
From my experience breast feeding is a beautiful bonding experience and worth a go..(it does take a little while to get the hang of it) you could breast feed and use the pump 4 when dad wants a go or when you need a break or want to go out and leave baby with family.
But to answer your question there is nothing wrong with switching to formula, the formula's you can get today have everything baby needs. Only bad thing about bottle feeding is the cost , washing and sterilising all the bottles and heating the milk at all hours of the morning.

You will know when the time comes as to what is going to work best for you and baby. good luck and congrats :)

Answer 3

You can, but don't do it in the first 6 weeks which ironically- is the toughest time for a nursing mom because baby nurses so frequently.

What should you do?
Wait and introduce a bottle at 5-6 weeks so that your baby will not reject the breast. The breast is more work for baby and many will reject after a bottle has been offered. Likewise, offer the first bottle with breastmilk. Thereafter, formula.

As well, if you introduce too early, your milk supply will be hampered- it takes a month to build up your milk supply which is one reason baby's nursing so frequently is a GOOD thing.

I don't like formula so I personally have only done this with our son who is 11. My issue with formula was that it gave him a terrible tummy ache. So, I opted not to give it anymore after several attempts. With our daughter- I work full-time and she thankfully never needed formula. She is 14 months and still nursing.

Nursing can be flexible as long as you do the foundation work properly.

Good luck and congrats on your little one!

Answer 4

Nothing wrong with pumping. Get a GOOD pump that fits your needs (portable if you'll need that). Plenty of research and reviews available on the Web, so search away....

Feed your little one your own milk as long as you can; best stuff for her. Find out if there is a local milk bank -- emergency backup if you need it (formula is good stuff but not as good as mommy milk), or if your cups runneth over, you maybe can sell to the bank, and believe me that stuff is liquid gold.

Your OB's or pediatrician's* staff should be your best sources of advice on breastfeeding and other new-mommy questions, as they'll know your health history best.

* It's never too early to line up a pediatrician.

Answer 5

I started out breast feeding but did not produce enough milk so had to end up giving baby formula.......If you have a good enough supply then use the pump and feed from the bottle. That is fine but you really wouldn't need to use formula too. You can supplement with formula when you first start but if you have a good milk supply there would be no need to use formula

Answer 6

You can absolutely pump and feed from a bottle! You may not even want to spend all that money on formula once you invest in a good pump.

Answer 7

Me and my wife just had a lil girl and thats ok to do because after a while, u wont produce as much milk as the baby wants so you might even have to. But i suggest that u switch over kinda slowly. Its gonna take time for the baby to get used to the formula.