Breast Feeding Question - Neptune,NJ

I was only able to breastfeed a little and I was told that even the little bit I was giving was making a big difference - especially in the early weeks. You can also just breastfeed a little and give formula the rest of the time.

I breastfed both my sons. The first, for 3 weeks the second for 2 months. Everything was fine. Its worth rying to see how it goes.

Breast is best as they say. I have 2 children the 1st i didn't BF b/c i was young and dumb.I placed him for adoption and didn't know that i could pump and feed him that way. I remember getting very engorged and had tons of leaking that lasted about 2-3 weeks. I had my 2nd 20 months ago and I was engourged and (still leak a little) but the engourgment only lasted a few days. But every body is different this is just my experience. I'm with Mary (below) don't set up a time line just BF until it isn't what you BOTH want. AAP says you should exclusivly BF until the Baby is 6 months old and continue to BF til they are a year and beyond if it is what you both want. I encourage you to BF as long as possible as it is best for your baby.

Good luck and Congrats!

oh, definitely go for it! you are giving your baby a once in a lifetime gift, one that will last a lifetime for the both of you. nothing can replace those antibodies in the colostrum, and it also offers some protection for you against certain cancers. plus, talk to anyone who has a baby that is having a miserable time with formula, i know so many moms that really regret not at least trying, especially in the beginnning when babys tummy is so sensitive. ... a million other benefits that im sure you know about, so i wont repeat them. the engorgement isnt bad if you wean slowly, the more naturally you do things, the less engorgement you will have overall. nurse on demand, try not to pump much for the first month or so. and dont make a decision to wean for the first month or so, it can take about that long to kind of settle in, sometimes not as long. what i did want to mention, since you are worried about circumstances in your life.... i dont know what your circumstances are, but when i was going through some difficult times, i often felt like when i was nursing was the only time that i really had peace. it was very soothing and grounding and made me feel good and proud and connected. plus i got to sit down! yay! really though, i had some tough times nursing over the years, but it doesnt even make the smallest impression on one of the most special and wonderful experiences of my life, never to be had again. i miss it horribly, i think im going to cry now.... :) all the best to you....

I breastfed both of my boys and I'm currently 35 weeks preg. and planning on doing it again. But I did want to say that my very good friend who didn't breastfeed was SO engorged...it was crazy. One thing that helped her that I read online was buying a head of cabbage and putting it in the refrigerator and then peeling off a leaf at a time and putting it on the breast to ease discomfort and engorgement. It helped her a lot.
Hopefully you will be able to do it tho! God bless! Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well!!

J.,

I would encourage you to breastfeed as long as you can. There are so many benefits for both you and your baby. It is definitely a commitment, but it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Take it a day at a time and see how it goes. You can breastfeed a few times a day, or even once a day and use formula for the other feedings. Your body will adjust and produce the amount of milk you use. There is always some engorgement, even when you exclusively breastfeed, so expect that, but it wont be so bad if you slowly wean as opposed to stopping immediately.

Good luck in whatever you decide,
R.

Hello,
i have 3 boys ages 3,11,12. And i breasfead all 3 for only 2 weeks each..i would give them formula and breastmilk.. I wanted to only breastfeed then cause is suppose to be healthier for them and especially since my kids were premature..but the were healthy...so yes i breastfead for two weeks, and they were healthy babies..

Definitely breastfeed!!!! I wouldn't even question it.....especially because you had the success of doing it the first time!!! And, like another mama said, don't give yourself a timeline....you may just get hooked and want to do it longer!!! My daughter is almost 8 months and is exclusively breastfed....and I LOVE it!!!!! So much joy and bonding!! I wouldn't have it any othe way!! Your body will adjust to when you want to wean him......

Hi J.,
Congratualtions! I am in the same boat as you. I am expecting my second child in May and had a HORRIBLE time breastfeeding my son. I was only able to breastfeed him for 11 days.
I am going to try again with my daughter. It can't hurt. The worst thing that happen is you give it a try and it doesn't work out. At least you try. The colostrum is really good for them. Even if it's just for a few days or a few weeks.
I believe if you don't nurse at all, you will still get engourged and leak, but I'm not sure.
Apparently, if you nurse and slowly wean the baby off of the breastmilk, it doesn't hurt as much becuase your body just starts producing less and less. When I stopped, it was suddenly, so I was in a lot of pain for a few days.
GOOD LUCK!

Hi J.,
I am a lactation consultant and in my mind any amount of breastfeeding you're able to offer your baby is beneficial. I deal with moms who have many different situations surrounding breastfeeding and with a littly guidance you can make it work. If you want to give me a call, I can talk you through how to deal with a "short stay" breastfeeding and engorgement. www.tummy2tummy.com

You should buy a pump. You can go eletric or manual, depending on how much you want to spend. That way, your baby will get all the benifits, and you can go back to work (assuming that is what will be taking up your time) Pump n freeze :O)

Hello J.,
It's a personal decision and ultimately you have to do what is best for you. I had problems and did not produce enough milk to breastfeed beyond 3 weeks. My daughter was born last April and I tried in the hospital and gave her the colostrum. Yes, colostrum is very important for a newborn so whatever you are able to do for your second child is fine. Give it a try and see how things go. If you can just do the colostrum for the first week that is better than nothing at all. It's really a personal decision and go with what is best for you and your child. Good luck and hang in there! Either way your child will be fine knowing that you gave it your best shot.

Although I would encourage you to nurse as long as possible, as you have probably heard, any amount is better than none and will give you both some other benefits. Whatever your circumstances are (returning to work, etc.) you can probably get some support to continue nursing anyway. However, I would encourage you to try. On a more "selfish" note, it really helps with mom's recovery by helping the uterus contract more rapidly and bleeding to lighten up more quickly. I understand that, whether or not you nurse, your body will probably go through some engorgement before it stops lactating. If your circumstances are medical (you need to take something for yourself), then you need to make the best decision for you and your family. Good luck! I hope you give it a try if you are able to!

Hi J.,
Any breastmilk is better than none at all. You may even find that breastfeeding is more convenient than sterilizing, fixing and lugging all those bottles. Start off breastfeeding, don't give yourself a deadline, and take it day by day or week by week from there! Moms who don't breastfeed have the same engorgement, sometimes worse because they arent relieving it at all by emptying the breast. All mothers get milk, whether they plan to breastfeed or not.
Good luck!

Any nursing is good for your baby and you. Mothers that nurse actually heal quicker from the delivery then moms who don't. I have 4 kids and attempted to nurse each... my first only lasted a few weeks, each time I lasted longer with my youngest nursing almost 10 months. Even with my first, I was told when she was 5 by the doc that he could tell she was a nursed baby. He asked me how long I nursed her - it was only about 2-3 weeks. His responce was - well it was long enough to give her the good stuff. Good for you!

I can't answer the question about engourgment if you don't nurse - because I did try with all of them. I do know that if you choose to nurse, you will have to wean your body off nursing, but removing only one nurse time at a time. That will halp with the engourgment, but you should be home with the baby for about 6 weeks - so if you nurse strong for 3 weeks and then give yourself 3 weeks of weaning you should be ok by the time you return to work... that is if that is the circumstance you are talking about.

I'm due with #5 in July & have decided to try with this one also... atm I'm unemployed due to my employer of 12 yrs closing their doors. But I'm looking for work... and I know being due in 5 months - I won't have leave pay or benifits if I do find a job. So, I will only be able to stay off for the min 6 weeks (since it will be without pay), but I will nurse it for at least the 6 weeks.

Good luck - but most of all congratz on the baby!!!

J.,
I say nurse and wait and see how long you want to do it. Don't decide now...let things happen. I nursed both my boys for 14 months. They were very healthy babies. They have never had an ear infection to this day, and were never sick while I nursed. It is soooo good for them. They receive all of your antibodies and it is just a wonderful bonding experience for them. Plus, it is free!!! No bottles to wash...Good Luck

Everything I hear is whatever breastfeeding you can give the precious little one is wonderful. Thankfully you've figured out the initial breastfeeding. Yes, each baby is different, but in my experience with three, nothing huge. Enjoy that sweet time together.

I bf'd my son for the first 6 weeks. He was SOOOO colicky and uncomfortable that I got crazy and thought it was an allergy or intolerance. 3 years later, I have NO IDEA what was going then but at the time after numerous pediatrician trips and him witness the PURPLE screaming that occurred every 2 hours round the clock, I quit cold turkey and switched to soy formula which helped him. I am thinking about having a second child and am wondering if I will even try to bf now b/c it was such a HORRIBLE 6 weeks in that regard,but looking back, I have no idea if I did the right thing - being a 1st time mom, I wonder if I just had NO CLUE what I was doing and I wonder if I will have anymore of a clue the second time around. I am leaning toward trying to bf if we have a second and I will just take it as it comes. The boobs hurt no matter what, so I can deal with that! LOL!