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Question about Breastfeeding

Hi girls,

As some of you may know I have a ickle issue with BF, it kinda freaks me out but I am not letting that get the best of me and want to give my baby breast milk to begin with. I intend to BF but would like OH to help out also............with breast pumps are the manual or electric better? what did you think? did you feel like a cow being milked? (seriously please nobody get offended by my post, I genuinly have issues with BF'ing, it frightens me a little but am still going to give it a go)

aka

11+1

Replies

  • i never bf/expresses with my son but when my twins were born 9wks early i wanted to give them the best so i expressed,in hospital i used there electric pumps which were great,they gave me a hand pump but i also went out and bought a medla mini electric one which is very noisy but it did the job and yes i did feel like a cow and expressing is very hard work and time consuming,after 5wks the twins came home and the nurses warned me that it would be even more hardwork as i have a 23month old son,i carried on for another week and gave up,i was gettin so tired,i was gutted and it still upsets me that iam still not doing it,dont know why its effected me this much as i never did this for my ds1

    sarah
  • Awwww bless you honey, it still frightens me a bit and i'm on the third baby!
    I have used both, manual and electric and must admit i found the manual one better! The electric one was a medela mini, and i found it was too powerful and made me sore! Never got any milk out either. My manual was avent and i got on with it better but still found it painfully slow! Apparently the medela swing is a good one, but i've decided not to buy a pump just yet, going to wait and see if breastfeeding works for me, and once its established and i have a good supply, i'll start looking then.
    You know honey, if breastfeeding is not something you want to do, don't force yourself. There is no harm in buying a few bottles etc just in case, i have, and i find comforting to know they are there, and i will give breastfeeding my best shot. I really really want it to work, but won't be beating myself up if it doesnt! I think its great that you are going to give it a try, and you never know, once your baby is here, you may find that you actually enjoy it! Just try not to dwell on it too much just yet, you don't really need to decide until baby is here xxxxx
  • Sorry, double post!! :roll:

    [Modified by: lynz_81 on March 12, 2009 07:41 PM]

  • an electric pump is alot better hun and saves ur hand! xxx
  • i used a manual and found it easier than the electric one i have breastfed two of my babies and intend to do the same with this one sorry for TMI but once flow was estasblished i found i didnt have to use pump it just squirted out into the bottle, the first time i fed with my daughter i had to stop quite early on only did it for two weeks as she wasnt getting anything but lil boy he was getting plenty and we established it really well, but you do tend to feel like a cow yeah and to involve hubby after i had finished breastfeeding my hubby winded the baby and changed nappy before putting babes back down feels like a joint effort then, but do what feels right for you if you are funny about breastfeeding maybe not do it hope this helps
  • I have an Avent manual pump and it's fine, but it takes about 15mins to get just 3oz (though I expect this is my body, rather than the pump). It also makes my hand ache. If you're going to be doing it often I'd definitely get an electric one.

    As you want honest experiences, I have to admit I'm not a fan of expressing, it's boring, very unglamorous and it feels clammy. I also don't seem to be able to get much out for my troubles - Lily is far more effective. I want to stockpile a whole load though for future nights out etc, so am trying to express every time I have two free hands and then freeze it.

    Good luck! I think it's really brave and selfless to confront your worries about bf.
  • good for you ladyK, I hope it works out for you!
  • Hi i agree with most of the above - hand pump is easier and better to control. I had tommee tippee everything - got the pump free with baby expert subscription!! I am a constant cow, i still have milk now and no baby is feeding from me! I had to buy shells to catch the spare from the other whilst feeding, and froze that - i had a massive stockpile! BF is not as bad as you might think, i had a real issue as i thought my breasts were far too sensitive and (sorry if tmi) worried that i might get turned on by my baby feeding!!! lmao! I know now how silly that thought was, but i thought BF was a bit perverted!! lol! It seems i am more naive than i thought!! Good luck and i hope it goes ok -BF is not for everyone and although they say its best, Formula works just as well. xxx
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