Part 10: Due December 2017, Jan Feb and March 2018

[momoffourboyz]

I breastfed all of my four boys but with my daughter, my 5th child, I had to pump and give her bottles because she wouldn't latch on right and would get mad so she wasnt getting the milk and she was kind of stubborn about it. With my boys they didn't care how many times I had to put them back on to latch properly they were content. So I pumped for 8 months and gave it to her in a bottle but I did not get to enjoy much at all in that time and then got sick and was forced to stop, my doctor told me it wasn't good for me or her at that point. So she ended up on formula at 8 and 1/2 months. I feel like whatever works to give you the best possible bonding experience is the best. I really wish I had just bottle fed my daughter right away because I think I could have spent more time with her and my other kids but I really wanted to give her the best possible start in life. I plan to try to breast feed this time to with my 6th child and 5th son but this time if it doesn't work out that way then I will bottle feed because i want to enjoy every moment with this little guy and my other kids to. ☺

[AshFind]

Ladies I think the time crunch is finally starting to sink in to dh! Ds1 asked how many fridays until Christmas and I said 10 dh responds I know your doing a good job saving your money for beds but maybe we should just pull it out of the savings and buy them [emoji23]. FINALLY he is realizing how close this is getting. I only have 9 more shots to go but I honestly just feel like I'll have this baby January 1


[emoji170](07) [emoji170](09) [emoji170](14)[emoji170](15)[emoji166] EDD 1-15-18[emoji166]

[LMSM]

Fed is best, no point breastfeeding if it involves stress..Bub needs a relaxed Mumma, whether that means breast or bottle, honestly, it doesn't matter
I did breastfeed DD1 until 12 months, when she self weaned shortly after my miscarriage...it did take 10 days of top ups (so expressing too) of breastmilk and formula as she was so tired, she kept falling asleep so milk took a while to come in enough. After, easy as.
DD2 nursed like a champ from her first minute (too much, milk came in fast and man she sucked like a vacuum my nipples were in excruciating pain for the first week or so) and I had to wean her at 17 months because I just couldn't anymore, almost resenting night feeds, otherwise I think she'd still be nursing lol
This Bub, would like to get to 12 months, but will likely pump once lactation is established so hubs and the girls can give bottles here and there, both to relieve me a bit but also because they need to bond. Hubby said he struggled bonding with DD2 because she was so fusional with me and he missed having the opportunity to feed her like he did with dd1

[4blue2pink]

Thankyou for all the replies i agree that fed is best, all our babies except our first have had posterior tongue ties (no surgery required) but they do so much damage to me and the pain is unbearable!! even the very first feed ends in me bleeding and in alot of pain i breastfed my first for 6 weeks pain-free but im terrified of feeding anywhere other than in the house so i ended up housebound which isnt an option now with older kids.
here in the UK some really awful things happen sometimes to breastfeeding mothers in public, verbal abuse, being thrown out of shops/cafe's and off buses and one woman had a bin emptied over her head while she was feeding it honestly makes me fear having to feed out and about even with a cover on, you just never know how people will react.

LMSM your so right, when i think back to my last baby i remember feeding her just after she was born and being in so much pain from it for hours afterwards, i was split open and bleeding just off that first feed and it hurt to hold her because the whole area was so sore, its just not worth it when thats the result i dont think!!

momof4boyz im the same in that i think i will be so much happier if i just bottle feed, i love bottle feeding and breastfeeding makes me miserable so it should be an easy choice but i still find myself struggling with what to do!! i hope you get to have a good feeding experience with your little boy

ash you make a good point about the cost of bottle feeding, formula isnt cheap!! but we get vouchers which we can use for formula so it ends up being free, just have to pay for the bottles themselves and a sterilizer, i do love that my older ones can give bottles too

another thing i find is my babies sleep SO much better as soon as they get on bottles, my first spent the first 6 weeks feeding every hour day and night, i was beyond exhausted by the time i switched him, im always in awe of anyone who can feed for 6-9-12+ months you are all amazing

and thankyou to all the bottle feeding mama's who have said its what they did or will be doing this time its nice to know im not the only one is there anyone else who is struggling to come to a decision on what to do this time? as i said above this should be an easy choice for me but im torn on what to do about that first feed..

[Pbn3]

4blue2pink I struggled with breast feeding and not being able to exclusively. I felt like an utter failure and couldn't understand how something so natural and apparently easy to do was so darn difficult for me. Both my boys were formula fed from week 2ish onwards. Both times I seen a lactation consultant. With ds2 I even attempted relactation when he was approx 9 weeks to no avail. I feel so determined this time to achieve success with breastfeeding as I haven't been able to previously and for me its become an obsessive goal. My husband is very supportive of bottle/formula feeding as he seen the guilt and self doubt I went through first hand when I couldn't and here in Australia breastfeeding is really pushed. If you don't breastfeed your made to feel like sh*t and you didn't try hard enough, that's been my experience anyway [emoji853]

I am also a believer in fed is best though and while I will struggle again if I fail again I will always do what's best for bub [emoji4] and if that means formula fed then so be it.

In regards to the first feed, I would try and get a couple feeds done before bottle feeding so bub can get as much colostrum as possible.

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[4blue2pink]

Pbn im sorry you had such a hard time i switched most of mine around day 10, but my youngest switched the day she was born

ive been told its the posterior tongue ties that cause all the pain and damage to me and that they only options are switch to bottles or feed with nipple shields, so i have an answer for why its such an awful experience, and apparently posterior tongue ties run in families meaning if you have 1 baby with it your other babies will be very likely to also have it so im assuming that this baby will too, thankfully it causes no eating or speech difficulties so no need to cut it, im not sure i could cope with seeing that procedure!!

yes thats why im finding the decision hard.. i want baby to get the first milk but i know that in all likelihood that first feed or two will result in me being ripped to bits and in toe-curling agony but then i can switch to bottles guilt free *if* they get that from me, ive never bottle fed right from the off and im worried i'll end up guilting myself if i do, so stupid as i dont feel guilty giving bottles, i love bottle feeding! but i think ive tied it up in my head as "bottles are fine as long as baby gets the first feed (or two) from me"

i honestly think its better to be happy and enjoy your baby, they arent babies for long and you dont want to spend that time miserable or upset over feeding, having said that i understand the wanting to succeed at breastfeeding, i truly hope its a good experience for you this time but if your not happy then make the switch and stuff anyone who tries to make you feel bad!!

[Pbn3]

Have you thought of hand expressing what colostrum you can into a sterile container and then feeding to bub via syringe for the first few feeds (needleless one I mean like the ones you use with kids panadol) That's what we ended up doing with ds1 between trying to sort out latching issues [emoji53] may be an idea to consider?

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[Mommy2apples]

I believe fed is best! Formula fed my first two, breast fed my third for 15 months, tried breastfeeding my fourth, worked for 7 weeks, I was just too depressed to make it work for him.


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[Mommy2apples]

Pbn!! That's awful you were made to feel like that! You are great and all that matters is your babies were fed!


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[dancingdiva88]

I breastfed my DD until I weaned her fully at 8 and a half months. By around 3 months she was having a mixture of both bottle and boob throughout the day though. I absolutely loved breastfeeding and will do so again with this one. I'll do the same thing too and around 3 months introduce bottle to make it easier when I go out. I'll introduce formula around 5 months like I did with DD but Still breastfeed too.
I was bottle fed with formula from day 1 because my mum has PCOS And her milk never came in (which I have too but luckily I never had a problem with my milk). Don't be guilted by ignorant people - others don't know you're struggle, feelings or medical issues.