is bottle feeding breast milk all the time wrong / practical

Humphreythecamel · Dec 17, 2013 2:24AM

HI ladies

i have popped over from due in oct 2010, just starting to look into options.... wondered if any of you lovely ladies can offer me any advice (as i dont know a thing!!!)

is it practical to consider bottle feeding breast milk all the time? im hoping to express with an electric breast pump?

also is this what anyone else has done?

or is it just a crazy idea!!!!
how long does breast milk last once expressed, and how can it be stored - have read some people say that they will freeze it? is this safe?

thanks very mch x x

Coco-25 · Feb 22, 2010 5:54AM

It is definitely possible as people do it, but I have to say I have amazing admiration for people that do as it must be such hard work! For me part of the joy of BFing is the convenience so having to wash/sterilise bottles, as well as your pump, and then pumping several times a day/night would defeat the object and I'm pretty sure I would have succombed to formula pretty quickly. However, I am a fairly lazy person and if you're determined to do it it can be done. There are people on here who have!

Good luck xx

annebop · Feb 22, 2010 2:09PM

It's a unique situation but yes, I exclusively express and give my LO 100% breast milk in a bottle. My LO lost weight after birth and had to go on a regimented feeding plan so for me it was the only solution.

It is hard work and not an easy option. I pump 5 times a day for 15-25 minutes a time, including once during the night. You do miss out on the physical connection with your LO and I wish I could have that.

I keep BM at room temperature for 8-10 hours normally and therefore give it at room temperature and most of the time I don't have to warm at all. If I take it from the fridge I put it in a jug of warm water and heat it to room temperature.

You can store it in the fridge for 3-8 days, opinions vary so I am cautious and stick to 3 days or less. Freezing is definitely recommended, it's very safe and easy to use afterwards.

Feel free to ask any further questions xx

[Modified by: lawso on February 22, 2010 06:12 PM]

PinkToothbrush · Feb 22, 2010 4:42PM

It wouldn't have been do-able for me. Although I seemed to have plenty of breast milk for her when she fed directly from me, for whatever reason it took me ages to express enough for a feed. I usually managed 3oz in a 25-min session. I don't think there would have been enough hours in the day to express enough to feed her exclusively that way, not when I also needed to be changing her, cuddling her, running the house etc. I also hated the sensation and all the washing/sterilising of equipment - even more wasted time.

If it's what you choose to do, best of luck - there are plenty of women who it does work for and I really admire those that do $:\$ )

TheHogMama · Feb 22, 2010 5:56PM

- I did - we had huge latching issues

- and in the end he lost alot of weight and so I started expressing, I lasted for 5 weeks - then i dropped to mix feeding and finally FF, I just got to the point where I found it hard to get anything done/ leave the house.

x x x x

Good Luck what ever you decide x x

mrsa111 · Feb 22, 2010 7:10PM

I think there are many who do, although I can't imagine choosing to. It would be an awful lot of extra work.
If you do choose to do this best of luck with it. I have bf a real rollercoaster ride and couldn't imagine the hardworking involved in expressing every feed, one a day is more than enough for me.

renee18 · Feb 22, 2010 8:23PM

my lo is 9weeks, and i have been exclusively expressing since day 1 due to latchin problems, it is alot of hard work as you get the downsides of both bf and ff, my lo feeds every 2 hours and i pump 8times aday for 20-25 minutes. so between pumping,sterlising, feeding and changing i think i am gradually loosing my mind. but i am intending to try as long as i can.I also got mastitis and clogged ducts.

Room temperature varies and so is the time the milk can stay out, less than 23c for 8 hours, 23-25 6-8 hours, and so on. i guess in summer it can only last for 2-3 hours.
if i have another baby i would definetly try to bf, dont think i would express again. The only tips i can give, is get a medela double pump and a hands free pumping bra, also your oh should be on board as it takes alot of support.

Just dont stress yourself about it.
good luck hun
Renee and Sarah (9+3)

mummyGG · Feb 23, 2010 7:34AM

renee - it is amazing what you are doing - I couldnt!

I love bfing bcos: no sterilising, hot milk on tap for baby's demands, no cost!! Solo expressing just doesnt make sense to me (unless you have no other chioce re latching issues/premature baby) It just defeats the object of bfeeding. If you have issues about getting yr boobies out - there are so many good cover ups on sale!!But once baby is latched on - no one can see anything.

What are yr reasons for wanting to solo express?

I have to express now for lo's porridge and it takes me 10 mins to get 1oz!!! nightmare!! I couldnt sit there all day and express....not when you have so many other jobs to do for baby xxxxx

LadyTottington · Feb 24, 2010 6:03AM

Hi, yes excl expressing can be done, and I know there are a few girls on here that do - and I take my hat off to them!

I suppose it depends on your reasons for not wanting to bf - if it is a personal thing to you that you don't want to - then yes, expressing is a possible option, but it's an awful lot of extra work! The beauty of bf'ing is, like others have said, the sheer convenience of not having to wash, sterilise bottles, store ebm etc. You just always have it there - sterile and at the right temp!

If you feel you don't want to bf cos you don't like the idea of it - then wait and see how you feel after the birth - as I've read loads of stories about girls feeling like this when they were pg, but then having a go and loving bf'ing.

If you do go down the expressing route, then I understood you can keep bm in the fridge for 24 hours, and you can freeze it for 1 month.

Mrs KB - I used to hate expressing for the morning cereal as well! I got lazy in the end and would buy those tiny cartons of formula and use over a couple of days.

Mxx

MrsCalopa · Feb 24, 2010 1:31PM

I am having to express all DDs feeds at the moment again due to difficulty in latching on and various difficulties since DD was born. It is do able but I would give anything to be able to latch DD on to the breast and 'breast feed normally' It is very time consuming as mentioned above and you have to keep doing it regularly in order to keep up a supply

It is very hard work and I am only 3 weeks into it (though have only been exclusively expressing for about 8 days! - before it was a combination of breast, expressed and on doctors say so formula!)

renee18 · Feb 25, 2010 8:43AM

renee - it is amazing what you are doing - I couldnt! xxxxx

Thanks hun, i really wanted to bf, my lo already has eczema and i am off most food, so knowing that this best for her makes me determined to continue.

love
Renee

Humphreythecamel · Feb 26, 2010 5:34AM

thank you so much for all your replies, it has given me a lot to think about! and i suppose it is early days at the moment x x

foxinsocksandbump2 · Feb 26, 2010 5:43AM

I have also read somewhere recently (try googling it) that the milk you produce in the morning has different hormones in it to the milk that you produce at night. So the thinking is not to give your baby milk at night that you have expressed in the morning as it may wake them up instead of putting them to sleep!! If you freeze your milk (which is easy to do) then you need to mark if its morning or evening milk.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17908-evening-breast-milk-means-a-good-sleep.html

mummyGG · Feb 26, 2010 8:56AM

I have also read somewhere recently (try googling it) that the milk you produce in the morning has different hormones in it to the milk that you produce at night. So the thinking is not to give your baby milk at night that you have expressed in the morning as it may wake them up instead of putting them to sleep!! If you freeze your milk (which is easy to do) then you need to mark if its morning or evening milk.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17908-evening-breast-milk-means-a-good-sleep.html

completely correct!

And also, if the day is hot - you produce more foremilk, to give the baby a refreshing drink, your body adapts everyday depending on the weather...very clever....but dont know how you mimic this if expressing??

xxx

is bottle feeding breast milk all the time wrong / practical

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