Should I Pump Since I Cannot Nurse??

You can still try with one. Every baby is different. I have one nipple flater then the other and my second child doesn't really notice like my first did. Also, if you go to Target in the baby section they have nipple covers. They are shaped like a nipple to go over flat nipple. It gives the baby something to latch onto. Just an idea. I used them in the beginning to help them heal.

I would try the breastfeeding first because there is a lot of help out there for inverted/flat nipples (I know because I have the same issues). I pumped with each of my children (not just because of "nipple issues" but because I work too) and I successfully pumped for almost a year with each of them. The best thing to do is get a good electric pump though - must have!! Go through WIC if you can and you'll get it free - the help and/or the pump.

Good luck!!

Hi K.,
Breastfeeding is such a hard work itself (as you have seen with your daughter) that I wouldn't want to complicate it even more with pumping. The best advice I ever got is to look for help before baby is born--get in touch with your local La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/Webindex.html?m=0,0,2) and go to a meeting. Nursing with flat/inverted nipples is possible with the proper preparation of the nipple, using nipple shields, proper positioning, etc. A La Leche League Leader can come to your house free of charge and can help you with all those issues.
It took me 7 weeks with my son to really get the hang of breastfeeding, because it is not the most natural and easy thing that people believe it is. After all, labor and delivery is natural but is in no way an easy task, right?
Here are some other breastfeeding web sites that any lactation consultant will suggest you visit:
www.kellymom.com
www.drjacknewmann.com
www.mother-2-mother.com
Educate yourself on breast feeding, have a positive attitude and you will succeed. It is not going to be easy, but is well worth it.
As for the jaundice, the breast milk is the best way to get rid of it, contrary to what some doctor still think. I have found out that a lot of OB-GYNs and pediatricians are not prepared on the subject.
Good luck, if you need anything, just send me a message.

Jaundice has nothing to do with nursing. It can help them get through it faster. If your baby will have jaundice, he'll have it when he's born, before you nurse or anything. And it's typically gone in a week or so.
And the others are right, try nursing first. There are these little pump things you can pick up at Wal-mart in the nursing section that will help with that.
Good luck and try and not get stressed. :)

my advice would be to give nursing your son a try first before trying to pump. all babies are different, and just because you had latching problems with your daughter, that doesn't necessarily mean that your son will have the same problem. in fact, i know a woman who had a similar problem, her daughter couldn't latch well, but her son (now about 5 months old)is a great nurser. so i would say give it a try before going directly to the bottle.
also, my son had some jaundice when he was born, and the doctors said the more i nursed him (and i'm assuming this includes breastmilk from bottles as well), the better it would be for him. i guess jaundice is pretty common, so i wouldn't worry so much about it if i were you.

I agree with everyone else. Different babies are different eaters, so you may find his instincts are better than your daughter's were.

Jaundice has nothing to do with how the baby nurses and is completely dependent upon the liver's ability to process bilirubin.

If you purchase a pump, make sure you're going to use it, and it's one that you really like because once you use it, you can't take it back. Hospitals will rent pumps, so you can try different types (though most hospitals contract with Medela - which is what I used with both kids).

Good luck. I nursed my son for the first year and our daughter for her first three months before I started chemo. It's the best, most selfless thing you can do for them at this stage.

You can definitley pump but the only thing is only pumping that soon may make it hard to keep up your milk supply. My daughter is 8 months old and I nursed her up until she was 7 months when she got some teeth in. She bit me a couple times and that was it. Now I strictly pump and give it to her in a bottle. But I have noticed with not nursing her at all and only pumping my milk supply has gotten really low. What hospital are you going to have him at? Their should be a lactacian consultant there for you to talk to. I don't know what I would have done without my lactacian consultant. Is your husband concerned with jaundice and breastfeeding? If he is tell him not to worry most breastfed babies will have a little jaundice and it goes away on its own. That should be the least of his concerns breastfeeding is great and is the best thing you can do for your baby. You save so much money and their are so many benefits to it. Another thing to is if you pump make sure you get yourself a good pump. I recommend a Medela pump and style advanced. I tried a couple other pumps and this is the only one that is closest to a hospital grade pump. It was a little pricey but it is better than having to buy formula all the time. You will get your moneys worth. You should definitley talk to a lactacian consultant or see if you can go to a breastfeedig class. I'm pretty sure "Help Me Grow" might have some classes. Just google Help Me Grow and check out there website. They are a free program with great things to offer. Good luck with everything. Let me know if I can help you with any other questions. Hopefully I helped you out.

Hi K.,
I had inverted nipples and used the Medela Softshell for a couple months before my first was born and once my DD started breastfeading I never had to use the shields agian. You wear them in your bra and it puts enough pressure on your breast that it pops your nipples out. It's not painful. I'm due with my second in January and this time around I don't even have to consider using them...they are no longer inverted!! I know yours are not inverted, but you can use the shells for flat nipples as well. I'd give it a try!!! Also I believe those that are suggesting the "breast shields" really mean the "Contact Nipple Shield" also made by Medela. Just wanted to clarify since the breast shields are parts for the medela breast pump.
Good Luck!!

First of all CONGRATS on the soon to be new addition. My opinion is to try breastfeeding. Every child is different. I think the combination with your nipples and your daughter not latching was why you couldnt do it the first time. However, your son can probably figure out how to latch properly. Just DONT give up. Have you taken the breast feeding classes at the hospital? That helped me alot. However if you can not breastfeed, then by all means PUMP AWAY. It will be more difficult because you are basically doing double duty (pumping AND feeding. I did both. I breastfed for 5 months and then pumped for about 4 weeks. the pumping and feeding was just way too much for me. You are a busy girl but once you get in the rythm it will be just like a normal day. Dont feel bad about giving formula either in the beginning until you and your son get a feeding routine down.
All the best of luck to you and your family!!

You don't need to pump, you can breastfeed! You just need a better lactation consultant!! It's nothing to be embarrassed about, lots of women have flat nipples, some even have inverted nipples. The best thing you can do for your baby is get help now and prepare so that you don't have any trouble after you give birth :)

Here is a bunch of info:
http://www.llli.org/search?cx=012805113672795732671%3A72a...

http://www.breastfeeding.com/search_results.html?cx=partn...

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/

http://www.breastfeeding.org/articles/beforebaby.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=flat+nipples+and+breastfee...

Start going to a La Leche League meeting now instead of waiting until you have trouble. They can help you prepare for breastfeeding and tell you how to have the best start at breastfeeding starting with how and where you labor and give birth and what happens right after the baby comes out. Here's a list of your local chapters:
http://www.lllohio.org/groups/dayton.html

After you've tried everything else possible, if your baby isn't latching at all, then pump and give bottles. It's hard to pump long-term because the pump does a really poor job of stimulating the breast enough to keep supply up. So you want exclusive pumping to be a last resort, not something you start just because you didn't have enough help with your daughter.

As for the jaundice...the best way to get jaundice to go away is colostrum. Formula doesn't work nearly as well which is why so many more formula-fed babies get jaundice so badly. You can pump and feed colostrum as easily as milk.

Good Luck!! Feel free to PM me with any questions. If I don't have the answer, I can point you in the right direction.

absolutely, i pumped and bottle fed both of my kids, now 3/12 and 1 1/12 years old. it was a little extra work, but very pleased with my choice.

You never know........this time it might work. Ask for help in the hospital from a lactation consultant. There are breast shields that may help for the first few days........there are many options. Don't give up hope! It may be difficult, but being all in emotionally is half the battle.
If your past does repeat itself, YES you should pump! If you can do that and give it to your newborn in a bottle he is still getting all the good stuff!
Breast is best......even if it comes from a bottle! Good Luck.

There is a type of jaundice, physiologic jaundice, that is caused by breastfeeding. This might be what your husband is thinking of. It rarely requires treatment, and just keeps your baby looking golden longer. It is definitely NOT a reason to give formula. The benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the jaundice. Once your milk comes in, and it will faster with baby number 2, your baby will stool more often, which is the best way to get rid of the bilirubin that is causing the jaundice.
As for pumping, it can be done. I work with someone who fed both her children a year this way. IT's not easy, and a pump doesnt' do as good a job as the baby at emptying your breasts, the body's signal to make more milk. As you have been advised, contact LaLeche League, or a lactation consultant at the hospital where you will deliver. Theyshould be able to help you get that baby latched on!
Good luc with your growing family and congrats.
R.

Hi K.! I had trouble getting my first son to latch on and after 3 weeks of nursing, followed by pumping and feeding him breastmilk in a bottle so he would get enough nourishment (he had jaundice), I ended up dropping the nursing and pumping exclusively for a year. I'm not sure I would do it again, but it is do-able. It is especially time consuming in the beginning because they are eating every 2-3 hours, but as the feedings stretch out, it's not so bad. But, you do have to bring the pump with you everywhere you go - another pain. In hind sight, I probably should have just used formula - there are millions of formula fed babies who are brilliant, thriving individuals! That being said, you can also try using breast shells (Medela makes them and can be found at Babies R Us) at night, about a month before you are due, which will help your nipples "pop out". Another option is using the breast shield, which can help your newborn learn to latch on. Whatever you decide, good luck! And, you never know, your new baby may latch on and be a pro right from the get-go, like my 2nd son!

I had a flat nipple on one side with my oldest daughter, and so I nursed her from one side and pumped the other side. I only had to do this for about three weeks - the pumping helped to perk that nipple up eventually so she was able to latch eventually (I also wore the nipple shields during that initial period. I breastfed her to 10 months (and continued pumping, since I work full-time), and with my other two children, I had no problems. Both were able to latch. Also, every baby's different and your body may have changed some - work with the lactation consultant - you may be able to get this baby to latch. And if you start wearing those nipple shields before the baby's born, you may be able to breast feed right from the start.

Good luck.

If you have examined all your options and nothing works then you should pump. I personally would at least try will the second. I had problems with my first son not latching on correctly. Also while you are in the hospital request a lactation consultant. (There visits in the hospital did not cost me anything). But yes, breat milk is best and if you cannot nurse but can pump do so. Good Luck.

Pump, yes! Jaundice can be treated, don't worry, if that even happens.
Breastfeeding menas giving your baby lifelong immunity and a healthy start and lifespan (more so than not nursing, that is).

Hi- I am a mom who has breastfed all 5 of my kids, and currently nursing a 2 month old. (Congrats on the upcoming new baby!) As for jaundice- did you know you can let your baby be in the sun and it will help jaundice? :)

talk to a lactation consultant in the hospital and after your baby is born you can ALWAYS call them and they will help you. It sounds like you are dedicated to nursing if you are willing to pump! I would try the nursing first- maybe you just need a nipple shield to help the nursing. I would try calling a lactation consultant now and also you can contact La leche league. They used to have meetings in reynoldsburg, and I think also in clintonville. there may be other options as well. these resources will definitely help you if you want to breast feed, or if you want to pump. Nursing is much easier, but pumping is certainly not impossible. It is more difficult but kudos to you for willing to try it! Hopefully you can get help from the lactation consultants and be a successful breastfeeding momma who only occasionally has to pump!

if you have any other questions, send me a message! I nursed for a loooooong time. ;) My daughter nursed for 1 year- she is the least I nursed, because I was already pregnant with our 5th baby...not intentional yet certainly a great surprise! He is a great addition to the family. I nursed all the others for longer. I would have nursed her longer if I hadn't dried up or whatever because she was exclusively nursed when I got pregnant
when she was 7 months. i managed about 5 months somehow.

i always encourage breastfeeding (it is great and it is so much cheaper!) and there are so many, many other benefits too. My don't get very sick too often either. So I encourage people if it sounds like they really want to, and it sounds like you do. :) I hope that helps.

Francine

YES! YES! YES! I had a friend who couldn't nurse so she pumped and she had a ton of breastmilk storage. Its amazing how much more milk supply you will have with pumping. Go for it!

your son will not get jaundice from you not breast feeding. I breastfed both kids and my son got jaundice, my daughter didn't. Pumping is good. He'll get all the benefits of breastfeeding and will be able to bond just fine with you and your husband.

Hi Kim,

I'm with Kalina--contact La Leche League, they "wrote the book" on breastfeeding (seriously--it's called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"). You may be able to nurse this time around. If not, pumping is a great alternative--it is wonderful you want to try it! Go for it! and congrats on the pregnancy!

K. Z.

Healthwise, it is BEST for your baby to get breast milk, and yes you can pump and give it in a bottle if that works for you.
So, this is YOUR decision whether your husband likes it or not.
Jaundice is not uncommon in breastfed babies but will go away on its own.
Do whatever your doctor advises....but breast milk will be the best for the health of your baby in the long run.

You can still attempt to nurse your son - lots of women have flat or inverted nipples and are still able to breastfeed. After I had my son I could not get him to latch on without a nurse's help. So before we checked out of the hospital, one of the nurses gave me a "nipple shield" to use at home. It's a little rubber thing you put on your breast to give the baby something to get ahold of, and it helps pull your nipples out. Ask the hospital if they can provide you with these before they send you home! I used them with my son for about 3 months until we were able to go without - and I was able to nurse him until he was 17 months old! Best of luck!

Flat nipples is not a reason you can't breastfeed. A couple of people mentione contacting La Leache League. Some of the leaders have had flat nipples and breastfeed successfully! You can attend meetings while you are pregnant to help you feel more prepared. You can go to lll.org and find meetings in your area. There is an East Dayton/Kettering meeting tonight. The Breastfeeding Answer Book says, "If the baby is positioned and latched on well, most types of flat or inverted nipples will not cause breastfeeding problems." It will be very important for you to have knowledgeable support to help with breastfeeding.

My son was a very sleepy feeder at first - there were times when I actually preferred to pump and then feed him a bottle because he would take so long to nurse. I didn't, however, introduce the bottle right away - I tried finger feeding at first, so as not to discourage him from nursing. I have heard of mothers pumping as long as 6 months until their children get the hang of nursing. If you get yourself a good pump - and provided you are able to pump (so women have trouble), this really should be a viable option for you.

I am unaware of any connection between jaundice and breast milk. In fact, I had trouble nursing in the hospital and my child didn't develop any jaundice.

Go to Babies R Us and get the nipple shield. That is what my sister and I both used to nurse our babies. We had the same problem you have. It worked wonderful for me and was able to nurse my son for 3 months! If that doesnt work (I cant see how it wouldnt) then I would pump and bottle feed. Good luck!

Try talking with a lactation consultant before you have the baby or talk to your ob/gyn. I think they advise against pumping at first when you breastfeed so the baby develops a proper latch, but if you physically can't provide a "proper latch" I'd think pumping is a great alternative! Jaundice is a very common thing, and should never be a reason to not breast feed your baby. Formula fed babies develop this as well. An extra day in the hospital is not nearly enough a reason to not give your baby breast milk! Good luck, and congrats on your new bundle :)

I had milk-supply issues, my son had a bad latch, and nursing was painful, so in the end, I wound up pumping. I pumped successfully for 6 months, so it can be done if you're good about it.

Jaundice has nothing to do with breast-milk, and there isn't anything you can do to prevent it. If you son does have to stay in the hospital longer because of it (mine did), then pumping may be especially useful, since he may develop nipple confusion. Good luck.

You can really control if an infant gets Jaundice or not. It has to do with the development of the liver. Stooling helps lower the Total Bilirubin level, and feeding helps them stool. Sometimes breastfed babies are more prone to jaundice because they don't eat as much the first few days of life as bottle fed babies. I don't know how it works now, but when I had my son, he stayed an extra day at the hospital and I too was able to stay an extra day. They had a nurse come to the house between discharge and our first appointment to check his levels and then he was fine by the first apt. Didn't have to leave the house any extra because he was jaundice.

As for breastfeeding, did you try a nipple shield? If you want to breastfeed these sometimes help. My aunt has flat nipples, breastfed all 5 of them, but with a nipple shield. She even had to wear ones like a month before the kids were born to help the nipple come out. I'm not sure if they do that still or not.

If you want the baby to have breastmilk, and breastfeeding is not an option, pumping always is. It's an alternative. I would suggest a hospital rented/grade pump, not the pump-n-stlye or one like that. The pumps you can buy in the store are for pumping one/two times away while away from your baby, but count on your supply staying up because of breastfeeding. The hospital grade pumps are made to help keep your supply up even if you aren't breastfeeding at all; like if you had a preterm infant that was in the hospital for a long time and couldn't breastfeed. These pumps will help you pump more out and keep your supply longer.
If you aren't breastfeeding it is suggested you pump for 15-20 minutes to start. Then once your milk comes in, to pump until the last drop comes out plus two more minutes not to go past 30 minutes. It can be time consuming to do this everytime the baby eats, but again the other option if you want to give breastmilk.
Good luck in your decision. I am all for breastmilk and it's benefits!

See a lactation consultant - either through your OB, the hospital, or an outside source (like Help Me Grow). Pumping is a great option - it's tiring though. I had to pump and feed twin boys because they wouldn't latch (spent one month in hospital as preemies on bottles). They also sell or give a nipple shield which turns your nipple into a bottle and pulls your nipple out. Talk to the lactation consultant about hte benefits and negatives of this. Also, if you don't like the first one you get, ask for another. It's important you like and trust her.

No two kids are the same. Your next baby may latch on and nurse like a champ right away! A few things to remember 1)Your milk doesn't come in right away. At first, there is stuff called colustrum. Don't worry, your baby wont starve! colustrum is fantastic stuff and will more than satisfy your baby for the first few days. 2)Relax! Babies can sense stress and tension. It will do more harm than good if you're stressed out. Baby will pick up on it and probably have a more difficult time nursing. 3)Take a class! Most hospitals offer a breastfeeding class. I know our WIC offers one too. You need to sign up for it. Sometimes they're free, sometimes they cost a little money. I took one with my first and it was wonderful! I got to know my lactation consultant and she had some amazing advice. 4)Do NOT let the hospital give your baby a bottle. You NEED to try, try and try again. He's not going to starve! I promise! 5)Ask for help! If it's not the lactation consultant, then the nurses. Just ask someone to help you. 6)Nurse your baby right away! Get him on your breast as quickly after delivery as you can!
I breastfed my first and am currently nursing my second. They've never had any problems with jaundice. Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby. I would go in with the attitude that it's going to work. Be positive! Good luck and congrats on your baby!

I have breastfed all three of my children (6, 4 & 2) for the first full year. With my first I intended on going back to work (never did!) so I purchased a rather expensive Medela Pump. I used it, but not much because one time I would bet a bottle full & the next a couple drops even when I knew I was full. No matter how high I turned the suctions, I could not always get my let down to trigger every time I pumped. Frustrating! With my second, it was the same so after giving it a few shots, I would only pump here & there.
The birth of my third, the lactation consultant at the hospital introduced a hand pump (which I thought I would NEVER use). Very inexpensive:

http://www.amazon.com/Ameda-Hand-Breast-Pump-Free/dp/B001...

The most WONDERFUL thing a breastfeeding mom could ever invest in! I used this from the day she was 2 days old until the very last day I had milk in my breast! I had breast milk stored even for sippy cups after the year birthday had passed. It was awesome & so easy to use. Got a great amount of milk every time. Fits inside a small bag/purse, easy to clean and gets the let down going every time even when I knew she had just nursed & there wasn't much. I had the best milk production out of all three years of nursing and it was because of this pump.
Right away I began pumping on the opposite breast she would nurse on & it helped my production come in at full force. I had more then enough milk b/c I trained the supply for more production.
I hope this info helps you. I would think if you are strictly pumping, this pump will help you succeed!
Good luck, contact me anytime with questions, ____@____.com
~J.

Ask a lactation consultant about a nipple shield. I had problems with our daughter latching on and a nipple shield allowed me to continue to nurse.
Good luck, breast milk is best!!!