I'm planning on breastfeeding, but...?

Question

I've decided to pump and feed her from a bottle so that there is no nipple confusion and my husband can feed her also. I will not be working, but I think this is what I want to do... My question is... How long after labor can I start pumping. Will I be able to pump the colostrum or will it be too thick and not enough of it?

Answer 1

If all you do is pump, your milk will eventually go away. Your body needs the actual stimulation from your baby. I would suggest you try nursing first and pump when you are engorged or after your baby eats. Try to have your husband give your baby the bottle and just see how it works. When he gives the baby the bottle you can pump then too. Hope that helps.

Answer 2

You can and should start pumping asap. You probably won't get much at first which is normal. Colostrum is just as pumpable as regular breast milk. I WOULD strongly suggest putting the baby to breast at least at first to help bring in your milk and establish your supply as the baby is far more effective then even the best pump.
That being said if you are going to be able to stay home it would be SO much easier to actually nurse the baby. Pumping exclusively takes a lot of time and hard work. You might be better off pumping one or two bottles a day for your husband to feed. Babies are really adaptable little creatures and with a little trial and error and patience I'm sure nipple confusion won't be an issue. With my first baby it took a while to find a bottle that she would take, my second would take pretty much anything you put in her mouth and I haven't even tried yet with my third. Whatever your decision I commend you for giving your little one such a good start and wish you luck!

Answer 3

You need to nurse. It will be so much easier to just nurse her and not give her a bottle. If your husband wants to feed her then express some for him to have that experience. Trust me he won't really care. It's not that great. When you do give her a bottle (make sure it's rare) then just use the slowest flow you can find. That way she'll get better flow from you and not the bottle that's the "confusion" It has nothing to do with the nipple. If they can get it faster from a bottle why would they nurse?
I would really recommend nursing. You will have much better supply and your baby will take as much as she needs. You won't be able to foresee a growth spurt and you will need to feed your baby extra during those times. A pump is not as good as your baby to get milk out. A pump might not even be able to get out the colostrum. A baby just does such a better job. Also you don't have to sit there and pump then feed. You can just feed. If you have to take 15 minutes to pump and then feed your baby that's going to take up a lot of time. Please consider just nursing from your breast. Your husband isn't going to be home all day so please make it easier for you and nurse from the breast. I promise you it will be easier. If you want to pump once a day and your hubby can give a bottle in the evening or a middle of the night feeding then that would be nice. But for the 8 - 12 times your going to need to feed your newborn you are not going to want to pump that much. Please nurse from the breast.

Answer 4

There isn't a lot of colostrum and pumps aren't as efficient as your baby's suck. I wouldn't refridgerate colostrum either. So in that case, I would allow her to nurse until your milk comes in. Bear in mind however, that you may not be able to get as much milk out by pumping as your daughter would be able to do by nursing. You don't want to risk your supply decreasing.

You will need to buy or rent a hospital grade pump if you plan to do this- it's double the work. Plan on pumping every hour for at least 15 minutes a side to begin with.

Why can't you just pump one or two feedings a day after six weeks for your husband to feed her? THat way she will have perfected her latch and will be able to nurse effectively. THere won't be any nipple confusion after that time.

Answer 5

Some women can sucessfully pump enough colostrum, some can not. However if you do not nurse directly until at least 6 weeks there it can effect your ability to make milk.

Also pumping exclusively is extremely difficult and time consuming. Pumping takes time (10-20min), feeding the bottle takes time(5-60min), sterilizing and cleaning bottles, etc. Also if you happen to have a baby who sleeps through the night -you won't be you will be up pumping (in most cases women must pump during the night or loose their supply). Pumping is far less forgiving than a baby. Babies are far better at making sure you have enough milk.

Bottle-feeding regardless of what is in it also increases the risks of ear infections. Breastfeeding directly aids in proper tooth and jaw development which can prevent speech problems and the need for orthodontics. Breastfeeding directly allows your body to make immunities for anything you baby catches immediately -rather than if and when you are exposed.

If you need to be away from your baby there are other ways of feeding aside from the bottle. And frankly there are a million other ways for daddy to bond. Also if you think he will take the night-feedings trust me while the baby is crying because he is heating a bottle you will be awake. Mothers do not sleep through their baby crying.

I think you need to check out some more information, and specifically talk to other women who exclusively pump and see what you are really committing to:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-excpumping.html

Answer 6

I personally think you should nurse most of the time, at least for the first several weeks to get going on it. It can be really tough to get started and once you turn over to pumping and bottle feeding, you might decide not to even try nursing because it can be tough to establish. Hold out on it for at least a month and after that, pump after a couple feedings and perhaps have your husband give the baby a night feeding to help you out. I would not start out pumping though, I would really focus on perfecting the latch and getting nursing established first. And don't give up, it does take time! See a lactation consultant if one is available at the hospital or through your pediatrics office! Good luck!

Answer 7

mystic said it.....unless you are EXTREMELY dedicated to pumping around the clock(during the night too) for over a year then then you are setting yourself up for failure

and why would you think that pumping, feeding, washing bottles and all that would be easier??....that is soooooo much more time consuming than just breastfeeding

put baby to breast.....simple

also yes there are other ways to feed a breast baby besides a bottle.....my breast baby drinks from a cup

spend a few minutes going thru questions on here on yahoo answers to see how many woman tried exclusively pumping and at around 3-6 months ceased to produce milk.....this wouldn't happen to a breastfeeding mother

please do some more research on this so afterwards you can never say you weren't informed that this would happen to you

good luck honey

and daddy can bond other ways....stroking baby as you breastfeed, taking naps with baby, bathin baby, changing baby, talking to baby during quiet alert

Answer 8

You won't have much colostrum to pump out as it isn't as watery as milk. It is best to breast feed naturally for the first 2 days and maybe after that you can start pumping out the milk as it will also prevent any engorgement of the breast. Don't worry your child won't be confused at this early stage.
Should you feel certain parts of your breast engorged, then massage that area with your 2 fingers (pointer and middle) in circular movements and you will soon feel the swelling gone and milk will flow better.
Believe me....I breastfed all of my 6 children!

Answer 9

you should be able to start pumping almost immediately after delivery. colostrum is the first thing you will express, it is not thick and it is very important for the baby to get it. you do not have to solely bottle feed to avoid nipple confusion. after breastfeeding is well established you can introduce a bottle, such as a nuk that is designed for breastfed babies. good luck!

Answer 10

It's easier and more productive to do manual expression to get the colostrum. My lactation consultant told me to think of it like I was milking a cow, which was fine because I felt like cow, but whatever.

I wouldn't give up nursing for fear of nipple confusion, but that's your call. It takes a lot less time to sit down and unhook your bra than it does to make a bottle, though. Plus you'll have to worry about pumping, making sure you have enough ready when you need it... it just seems like too much of a hassle.