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breastfeeding
im really interested in breast feeding but i just have a douple of worries. im only 19 and my mum thinks i might be best not breast feeding. anyone any suggestions?? im just worried it might be alot of effort and might not be easy and i know the babys going to be hard in general anyway!! i tried to think about good and bad points for breast feeding and not and they both seem quite even!! i think this isd because i wouldnt just get my boobs out in public but it means sat there for hours preparing bottles!!
someone please help!!
someone please help!!
0
Replies
I wonder why your mum has said you would be best *not* breastfeeding? It's unbelievable! I'm thinking from other posts you have written that she is hoping that by not breatsfeeding she can 'take over' feeding the baby too..... As dcampbell said, the baby will get nutrients and antibodies from the breatsmilk, they will not get that from Formula. By breastfeeding you are dramatically reducing the risk of your baby being ill with problems such as ear infections and diarhoea/gastro-enteritis (a formula fed baby is 3 times more likely to suffer ear infections or diarhoea/gastro-enteritis) and also you dramatically reduce the risk of your baby having allergies or conditions such as eczema and asthma. Added to that, the longer you breastfeed for the less likely you will be of developing breast or ovarian cancer, or osteoperosis. And as the other posters have said, breastfeeding is cheaper than buying formula & bottles, and once you get the hang of it it is much quiker & less time consuming too than preparing & washing bottles. You also will not have the issue of remembering to pack milk & bottles on days out, you will have it 'on tap' and always at the right temp too! .................. .................. ..................... ................. .................... ................... I breastfed my first baby for 4 months, I was 18 at the time, so age is irrelavent. I wish I had percevered(sp?) for much longer, but I started introducing formula 'top-ups' on the advice of of my Health Visitor, and it ended breastfeeding for me as my daughter rejected the breast. You should get in contact with the La Leche League www.laleche.org.uk or a local Breastfeeding peer support/counsellor. Make sure you get help to perfect your latch and positioning. You should be aware that babies are *supposed* to be fed regularly, on demand, and it is perfectly normal and acceptable to breastfeed every hour or two, formula fed babies only go longer between feeds because formula is harder to digest - not because it is better for them or fills them up more. The charts your baby's weight will be marked on are based on Formula Fed babies from the 50s & 60s. Formula fed babies tend to gain more weight in their first year than breastfed ones. A weight gain average of 4oz a week is acceptable for a breastfed baby, so you do not need to worry about the baby's weight as long as they are gaining something, and producing wet and dirty nappies as normal (so dont be scared into giving formula and dont automatically believe the HV if she says you arent producing enough milk or something, I did & she was talking rubbish!) also, you are only 'obliged' to have your baby weighed 6 times in their first year, of course it is nice to weigh them more than that, but some health professionals feel that weighing more than once every two months does not give an accurate portrayal of weight gain and can cause unneccesary concern. .......... ................ .............. Also, at around 6 weeks babies have a growth spurt and often want feeding more frequently. Go with the flow and it shouldn't last too long, maybe a week or two and the feeds should spread out a bit again. If you are concerned about how much milk you are producing, oats are very good, either porridge or flapjack (good excuse to eat lots of flapjack LOL). If that doesnt help enough you can take supplements such as Fenugreek, Milk thistle etc, which you can get from a good Health Food shop. That shouldnt be needed though. ....... ........ .............. ............. Bottles and Dummies *should not* be introduced to a breastfed baby before 6 weeks as it can cause 'nipple confusion' and make your baby reject the breast. In my case, even waiting until after 10 weeks to give a bottle *still* hampered breastfeeding, so I would advise you to *not* give a bottle under any circumstance unless *really* needed. If you need to get fluid such as water or formula or medicine, into the baby, give it via a small baby spoon or syringe. Oh and if you decide to express your milk for any reason, bear in mind you will not get as much milk via pumping as your baby gets, so do not worry if you seem to be producing very little - your baby will get much more milk from you than the pump. I hope this is of some help, the la leche league site should be better though & go into more detail for you. Take care & good luck! Love Sam
xxxx (21yrs old now, 36 weeks pregnant with second baby, hoping to breastfeed for 1yr+)
Love Sam
xxx
HI LAdies
just wondering if anyone has done both breast and bottle? I am pregnant with my third, I want to breastfeed soley for the first month I think (maybe longer) but is it ok to give bottle feeds as well so my partner can take over? I will pump but I don’t want to over pump so I have to do it constantly so I don’t get mastitis... maybe I’m over thinking it. Just wanted some advice. I did breastfeed my other children but my youngest is now 7 and I feel like I’ve forgotten everything! Xx
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