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Breast or Bottle Feeding
Just curious who is Breast or Bottle Feeding? Through my entire Pregnancy I said I was going to bottle feed and than my husband really wanted me to breastfeed and at the last minute I changed my mind. So I breast fed for the first four days and than my nipples were so sore that I had to take a couple days off. So I've been supplementing bottles here and there. But when I breastfeed, I don't think he's getting enough milk. He will eat for 5 minutes, doze off, than wake up 10 minutes later and feed again. Yesterday he did this for almost 2 hours straight. Than I went to pump later that night and I had nothing. Is it possible that I'm not producing enough milk? Because whenever I give him a bottle, he sleeps for 3 hours. Also when I do pump, it takes me about 2 hours to get 3 ounces. That can't be normal! How would anyone ever keep up with their babys feedings?
Just curious what you ladies were doing and if you had any tips! I don't mind giving him bottles here and there but I really wanted most of his feedings to be breast milk.
Just curious what you ladies were doing and if you had any tips! I don't mind giving him bottles here and there but I really wanted most of his feedings to be breast milk.
They get frustrated becuase it is much quicker for them to bottlefeed than to breastfeed.
You may also find that you can express milk manually more quickly and effectively than with a pump (I pump till I can pump nothing else), then if I try manually there is still milk.
I make my baby drink breast directly at night. Yes she sukcs more, but I do it on my side and I drift off to sleep quickly.
I am now breast feeding and pumping and manually expressing. I do the manual expressing everytime I go to the toilet. Is getting easier and I can get 1 -2 oz this way.
Have refused to give my baby formula becuase it willd ecrease milk supply. My girl now wants 4 - 5 oz per feed and I have to top her up with expressed milk after all the day time breast feeds.
My schedule is get up in the morning and breast feed her one side and pump the other. Then finish pumping the side she sucked. Then I go to work. At work I manually express as often as I can. Takese practice, but I'm improving and find it easier in some ways than the pump.
Then I go home at lunch time and breast feed her and then pump as much as I can as well.
Back to work. (baby get's express milk while I'm at work). Back to manual expressing.... even a little is better than none. Home in the evening, breast feedign and manual epxressing.
Evening I make her suck only, even if she gets grumpy...... not quick enough! Just have to persist.....
Hope this helps. Really is a lot of work.
Do try manual expressing (you can find instructions on line)....
S
You may also find that you can express milk manually more quickly and effectively than with a pump (I pump till I can pump nothing else), then if I try manually there is still milk.
I make my baby drink breast directly at night. Yes she sukcs more, but I do it on my side and I drift off to sleep quickly.
I am now breast feeding and pumping and manually expressing. I do the manual expressing everytime I go to the toilet. Is getting easier and I can get 1 -2 oz this way.
Have refused to give my baby formula becuase it willd ecrease milk supply. My girl now wants 4 - 5 oz per feed and I have to top her up with expressed milk after all the day time breast feeds.
My schedule is get up in the morning and breast feed her one side and pump the other. Then finish pumping the side she sucked. Then I go to work. At work I manually express as often as I can. Takese practice, but I'm improving and find it easier in some ways than the pump.
Then I go home at lunch time and breast feed her and then pump as much as I can as well.
Back to work. (baby get's express milk while I'm at work). Back to manual expressing.... even a little is better than none. Home in the evening, breast feedign and manual epxressing.
Evening I make her suck only, even if she gets grumpy...... not quick enough! Just have to persist.....
Hope this helps. Really is a lot of work.
Do try manual expressing (you can find instructions on line)....
S
The only problem is, I can't breastfeed anymore. We figured all along that he wasn't getting enough when breastfeeding and now I know for sure he's not. Tonight I pumped about 2 ounces and it took me over an hour. I knew he was going to want more but my breasts wouldn't pump anymore! But than I would squeeze my nipples and it would come out. So instead of giving him formula I decided to breastfeed him until he was full which I figured wouldn't take long cuz usually he takes between 2-3 ounces each feeding. So I put him on my breast and he sucked for about 2 minutes and immediately got frustrated and started crying. But he kept looking for the nipple like he was still hungry but every time I would put him on my breast he wouldn't take it or he would suck for a minute and than scream. So I think he knows he's not getting enough milk and that frustrates him. And that must be it because I hardly get anything when I do pump. It upsets me and him so I've decided not to put him on my breast anymore but I still will pump.
I definitely understand what you're saying about the more I breastfeed and pump the more milk thats produced. My lactation specialist said the same thing...so I am trying to pump whenever I can but its tough and frustrating when I don't get anything. And to pump in the middle of the night would be insane because he wakes up every 2 hours as it is and it takes me over an hour to get 3 ounces usually. So I would literally be getting no sleep so I know I can't do that. But I do try and pump as much as I can throughout the day...so I'm just hoping I can keep up with it for a while because I know how beneficial it is!
I definitely understand what you're saying about the more I breastfeed and pump the more milk thats produced. My lactation specialist said the same thing...so I am trying to pump whenever I can but its tough and frustrating when I don't get anything. And to pump in the middle of the night would be insane because he wakes up every 2 hours as it is and it takes me over an hour to get 3 ounces usually. So I would literally be getting no sleep so I know I can't do that. But I do try and pump as much as I can throughout the day...so I'm just hoping I can keep up with it for a while because I know how beneficial it is!
The only thing about NOT pumping consistently (such as during the night) is that this will make your milk supply dwindle. Especially if you aren't bf'ing during the night either.
When I give bottles during the night, I still try to pump at least once (even just 3 minutes on each boob makes a difference). Or I bf at least once or twice and use only one bottle. It kinda bites, but I know it will keep my supply up b/c our bodies are only going to produce the amount of milk that our babies are regularly drinking...which should gradually increase. Not pumping or bf'ing consistently will only let us produce what our babies are eating right now, instead of letting our bodies send signals to increase the amount as they grow and start consuming MORE. Does that make sense?
I'm trying to hang in there for at least another month, but honestly, bf'ing is REALLY hard to do while taking care of a toddler, too. It's hard to find the time...especially to pump.
Oh well, good luck to us all! Goodness knows we need it... :-)
When I give bottles during the night, I still try to pump at least once (even just 3 minutes on each boob makes a difference). Or I bf at least once or twice and use only one bottle. It kinda bites, but I know it will keep my supply up b/c our bodies are only going to produce the amount of milk that our babies are regularly drinking...which should gradually increase. Not pumping or bf'ing consistently will only let us produce what our babies are eating right now, instead of letting our bodies send signals to increase the amount as they grow and start consuming MORE. Does that make sense?
I'm trying to hang in there for at least another month, but honestly, bf'ing is REALLY hard to do while taking care of a toddler, too. It's hard to find the time...especially to pump.
Oh well, good luck to us all! Goodness knows we need it... :-)
I also do not pump at night......I find it hard enough to stay awake to feed her let alone pump.....lol....I sometimes find myself fighting to stay awake...and if I was going to pump...I think it would be even harder! Sarah gets formula all through the night and then I pump when I am up for the day....I only pump 3 times a day I think.....in the am...afternoon and before bed..Atleast its something that she is getting from me and that makes me feel a little better than her not getting it at all! I wish that she didnt lose the concept of breast feeding all together, because I really wanted to do that for her....but she gets so mad that she cant get it and screams bloody murder as if I was hruting her while she tries...poor thing!
Ahh you can say that again! Frustrating!!
Caiden gets more formula too...because we discovered for sure that when I breastfeed he is NOT getting enough. I breastfed him for almost an hour using both breasts and he was starving afterwards! It was late in the afternoon and I just think I don't have enough milk. So I'm just pumping first thing in the morning...I get about a bottle in a half and than basically swap every other feeding. So I'll pump for one bottle, than the next he'll get formula, than the next pump...so this way he's getting both. It's been working out so far...but at night he gets all formula, I don't have the energy to pump at 3 am in the morning and I don't produce enough milk to pump and store it. But its been working out good like this for the last 2 days so I'm going to try and keep up with this, even though it feels like I'm pumping ALL the time! Hopefully more milk will come in and it will get easier. At least he's getting some breast milk!
Caiden gets more formula too...because we discovered for sure that when I breastfeed he is NOT getting enough. I breastfed him for almost an hour using both breasts and he was starving afterwards! It was late in the afternoon and I just think I don't have enough milk. So I'm just pumping first thing in the morning...I get about a bottle in a half and than basically swap every other feeding. So I'll pump for one bottle, than the next he'll get formula, than the next pump...so this way he's getting both. It's been working out so far...but at night he gets all formula, I don't have the energy to pump at 3 am in the morning and I don't produce enough milk to pump and store it. But its been working out good like this for the last 2 days so I'm going to try and keep up with this, even though it feels like I'm pumping ALL the time! Hopefully more milk will come in and it will get easier. At least he's getting some breast milk!
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