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I also EBF and pumped very minimally. I did it a bit in the beginning to have a bit of a stash and then stopped bc I just preferred to feed directly. Also, I really didn't love cleaning the pump parts and didn't want to deal with cleaning bottles of if I didn't have to so I just stopped pumping really early on. I did pump a little bit again at 6 months to mix breastmilk with oatmeal when she started solids. But I never did bottles after 10 weeks
I agree with @LAZB that there are so many ways to bond with baby other than feeding - bathing, comforting, baby wearing, etc.
Bc I decided to be a SAHM I was able to make that choice to BF for all feedings and honestly it didn't feel like a burden to me. Who knows if I will feel differently this time and will want someone to help out with feedings more
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Not sure if I posted about this in the past so excuse me if it seems like redundant information. I actually had a breast augmentation (making them smaller for health reasons) back in college. One of my concerns when it happened was that I would not be able to breast feed - after all we were cutting into tissue and glands - but I was assured I'd be able to if I wanted to. Probably not exclusively but I would be able to at least some. The doctor was, of course, right.
With my first LO I was not able to exclusively BF. Not even close. There was some debate whether it was a latch problem, production problem, or if my surgery played too much into it. I feel like it was probably all three since I was a SAHM at the time. We ended up primarily formulga bottle feeding while still offering the breast until around month Three when I finally said "Enough." It wasn't a bonding experience for me at that time. I felt like a failure, it was painful, there seemed to be no effect on appetite so I quit.
With my next LO, I was actually able to more successfully nurse her. Whether it was her latch, the fact that they were so close in age so my supply probably never fully dried up or what have you, it was just easier. I was able to pump a little with her but not frequently - again SAHM and low supply. We actually did combo BF and formula from the start which also helped my stress level. We felt we knew the lay of the land. Second time around it was more of a bonding experience and we were actually able to extend our BF until six months or so. That little bit of success really helped booster my self esteem, mom wise and woman wise. I hadn't effed up my body when I had my surgery.
This next one we expect to primarily formula feed and have been taking steps toward prepping for it. I'll still try to BF but not sure if we'll fool with a pump this time around. I'm pretty sure it'd be covered under our insurance but I never liked being stuck to a chair. And with two active preschoolers a hand pump might be a better fit. Whenever it came to expressing breast milk, I found it easier to do it myself than my pump anyways.
And that's my experience with the formula/BF debate.
In other news, we're considering cloth diapering. A friend of mine has the stash she accumulated years ago with her son and she's trying to help us save money. Anyone a cloth diaper convert? I can't imagine after two kids in traditional diapers why I would change other than save in expenses.
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@CedarMagnolia: feeding really depends on your own situation and goals! I can say that I wanted to breastfeed (without using formula) and knew I'd have to pump at work (I work full time). So I EBF and then started pumping around 3 w pp (because I was in a wedding at 4w pp and wanted some on hand). We gave a bottle maybe once a week just so she'd stay used to it but otherwise I EBF on maternity leave. I did get a freezer supply going during maternity leave which was a lifesaver over the course of the year!
I prefer to EBF because it's easier than pumping. If you EBF, you just feed the baby and you don't have to clean bottles or pump parts. You can go out and not have to cart around pumps and bottles. VERY USEFUL in the first weeks when baby feeds 12x a day. If you pump, you have to pump and then you still have to feed the baby. Plus wash bottles/parts. So it's more work.
I pumped at work when I returned and after I got a new pump (my first was crap) it took me a month or so to get good at pumping (pumping isn't always easy- it was much more difficult than BFing for me in the beginning). Outside of the initial period, pumping was fine. But it's a little more stressful than just EBF (when it's going well) because you have to "meet" a number of ozs for the day. Difficult for some women because generally women respond better to baby than a pump (meaning a baby gets more milk out than a pump). That's where my freezer stash came in handy.
If you are a SAHM, I would prefer to just EBF and then pump on the side enough to build a small freezer stash just so you can have some evenings out later. Otherwise, I wouldn't pump.
My DH pretty much never helped with feeding because he doesn't have boobs. TBH, it is still less work to get up and BF than it is to get up and pump. You need to realize that (unless you have a huge oversupply- some do) even if DH gets up to feed a bottle of pumped milk during the night that you will STILL need to get up and pump. So I didn't see a reason to ever do it, EBF is easier than pumping. For most women, you can't just "skip" a feeding and giv ea bottle or formula, if baby is getting a bottle then you HAVE to pump for that missed feeding.
You can use formula to supplement but it can be tricky to do without harming your own supply. If you give a bottle of formula and do not pump, you are telling your body you don't need to make that milk. So in return, your supply will decrease. So then giving that bottle of formula isn't an option, it's a requirement. That's a negative feedback system (it's also a positive one- so if you pump BEYOND what baby requests, you will increase supply). So a pump is also handy for trying to increase supply and it's also useful in case you are engorged and need to pump for relief or have clogged ducts (pumping is great because you can do it when baby isn't hungry). So even for women who EBF, having a pump on hand can be great.
Formula is great for some women (some women BF and supplement with formula and it's great for them), so that's why I said it really depends on what your goals are and your situation. But it's important to note giving formula without proper support (or milk removal) can lower your supply if you're not careful. Also worth noting that pumping is not as effective at keeping your period away, so if you want your period to stay away EBFing is where it's at!
For me, I EBF/pumped and then I quit pumping at 1 year. Continued to BF her until I weaned her just this past May (25mo). It's way easier after the first year (and I didn't find BFing to be difficult at all, just pumping in the beginning). My advice is directed at women who want to BF, some just don't care or don't want to so I don't have any advice as I never used formula before.
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@Mrs. Grizzly Bear: I use cloth diapers on #1 (please potty train soon child!). So I'm continuing on. I figure at this point I've invested so much I'm going to keep going since that's really when savings can kick in (second child). All I need to do is replace my elastics but I'm waiting for DD to potty train. I did get a few upgrades to my stash though. We have all BG 4.0s and freetimes. Pockets are my fave! I really like them (not having to buy disposables often and not throwing tons of disposables out) my one and only issue is that it took me 2 years to realize I hate microfiber. lol. So outside of my freetimes, I'm not using microfiber in my pockets (which is now why I say pockets are my fave- I am stuck with microfiber in my freetimes).
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I exclusively pumped for my first LO. I'm not sure what the issue was in the beginning, but he had jaundice and I guess he wasn't getting enough fluids so a week later he had to go under the lamps and stayed in the hospital for a weekend. The whole ordeal stressed me out so I pumped to know that he was getting enough. While I was at the hospital i used their "hospital grade pump" and it was so awesome! I ended up renting it for a week to get my supply going... I read up on the Kelly Mom website and was pumping both sides everytime and for a LOOONG time which helped my supply tremendously. I EPed for 11 months, at around 4 months i got to the point where i was only pumping 4 times a day and was making enough.
Honestly, pumping is a PAIN IN THE ASS. You're just latched onto a machine and it gets harder when your baby gets mobile, but it gave me a peace of mind with how much he was eating.
I'm hoping/wishing/praying that I can EBF this time around but I honestly won't say no to pumping again if I have to. We supplemented with formula here and there but the smell of it got to me... not sure if it was because of hormones or not! Anyway, as others say.. you just don't know how it will go until your LO comes, be flexible with your plan and there's so much great information out there, you'll eventually find what works for you and the baby.
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@kes18: You totally spoke Greek. I know absolutely nothing about clothe diapers. I know people who do it but beyond that, I have no experience with them. I've never even seen one except in a package (buying for showers) or on a child.
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@Mrs. Grizzly Bear: haha! Yeah, it seems that way until you start using them yourself! Then things start making more sense. I even read up before hand but things didn't really click until I got into using them.
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I BF my first until 21 months. I went back to work at 4 months so I pumped from 4-12 months, then continued to BF on demand when I was home until we weaned. Pumping is a PITA, but worth it to me as working mom. I started pumping about 1x a day when he was a few weeks old to build up a stash and also to allow DH to bottle feed some times. We got a routine going where I would feed DS, go to bed early, then DH would take the late night fed and allow me to sleep a bit before I took over with the early am feed (DH is a night-owl, I am not). I plan on BF and pumping for baby #2 as well. It seemed to work out relatively well for DS so hoping to have a repeat experience
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Anyone's back and pelvis area hurting already? I've been trying to walk more to get a bit exercise in but today my lower back is achy and so is my pelvic area. I'm so uncomfortable I don't know how I'm going to make it another 12 weeks!
I had another sono check up last 2 weeks ago and the doc said that the baby's stomach is measuring small (7%) while the head and femur was measuring on track around 20%. He asked me to up my protein intake and I have to come back and recheck again next week. I love seeing the babe, but all these tests just make me nervous as they keep finding other things to bring me back for! i plan on taking to my normal ob about it to see what their opinion is....Anyway, any tips on this body pain will be greatly appreciated!
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@dragonsword: Hope the check up goes well! And yes been having some randomly occurring pelvic and hip pain. Not looking forward to the inevitable worsening over the next 15ish weeks.
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I have been staying busy the last few weeks. The last couple days I have been having intense pain and cramping in my left lower leg/ankle area. I hoping my chiro can help me out tomorrow. I haven't slept in like 2/3 nights. I need sleep. The pain is waking me up out of dead sleep. I cried twice last night.
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@kes18: What made you not like microfiber? thanks!
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@milag64: I just think it is more difficult to get it cleaned. If you think about what it is, it is a lot of layers and it is really good and capturing and holding in dirt. Which is why it makes a great cleaning rag. It absorbs a lot and doesn't want to let it go. So it makes it harder to get it clean IMO. I know why it's used- it's thin, cheap, and holds a lot (and quickly). But that also makes it more difficult to get it cleaned. So it is going to hold onto the yucky stuff easier than other fabrics. It holds onto stuff so well that it's more difficult to clean. So then you end up with ammonia or smelly inserts easier more often than with other types of inserts. Whereas something like a flat cotton square is going to be the easiest to clean, it's one cotton layer. Let's just say I'm still trying to tweak my washing routine 2 years later to effectively clean microfiber and haven't had any luck (yet). So I've always eventually needed to strip my microfiber. However, I've never had the issue with flour sack towels, hemp, or bamboo inserts. So I've switched mostly to those except on my freetimes, where I am stuck with microfiber.
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@kes18: thanks! thats helpful!
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@dragonsword: Good luck with your appointment next week, fingers crossed that everything will work out fine. My wife definitely feels you on the back pain! She has SI joint disfunction which caused her to have to stop working early. She sees a physiotherapist who gave her lots of useful tips for ways to use her body to ease the pain. She also switched from heatpads to icing her lower back which made a big difference, and she's been told to get a pillow with a hole at the tailbone area, and to sit with a rolled up towel in the small of her back. There are also certain forms of exercise she shouldn't do. Don't know if any of that would help you?
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Thank you everyone for the feeding advice! Even knowing everyone is different, it's still really good to hear people's experiences. We're trying to go with a "be ready for everything" approach!
Now I have another question for you November ladies: who already knows what they will call their little one? Do you have a shortlist that you will choose from when you meet them? Have you yet to think about names, or have you had one picked out since fifth grade?
I am finding it waaaaay to easy to go down the nameberry / baby name wizard rabbit hole......
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@MrsRcCar: Oh hey lady just saw your message. Poor you! Was your chiropractor able to help out? I hope the pain subsides and you can get some much needed rest.
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@CedarMagnolia: I saw the chiropractor this morning. She thinks that basically dealing with a sprained ankle and need to stay off it as much as possible. Plus brace it when I am on it.
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@dragonsword: hope everything is ok with babe and they are just being extra extra careful! I feel you on the back and pelvic pain - if I walk I feel it so much in my hips and pelvis - just sore and painful and like I pulled something. I have no tips for avoiding pain
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@CedarMagnolia: we have about 5 names but haven't locked in on any one of them yet. We have a top 2 but for some reason we can't commit to either one of them
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@MrsRcCar: that's awful you haven't been able to sleep! Hopefully using a brace and giving it some rest will help!
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@sandy: I haven't been sleeping well anyway. I am hoping I can get more sleep tonight. I am going to talk to my doctor about getting hooked up with Ortho about my ankle or PT. I have a long history of trauma to my ankles and lower joints. My old AT is concerned about stress fracture in my ankle or foot.
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So I had unexplained bleeding from week 10 to week 16. Then nothing. I'm 27 weeks now and had another bleeding episode Sunday and Monday and so my OB sent me to the ER/L&D to get checked out bc it was after hours. Baby looks great and they can't find the source of bleeding but they ruled out all the dangerous causes. So I'm just taking it easy and resting often.
Anyone else having Braxton Hicks? I've had them every once in awhile for several weeks. I never had them with my other two. It usually happens when I'm walking or exerting myself even a little
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@MrsRcCar: oh no! I think getting a referral to an ortho is a great idea! I have a friend who I broke a bone in her foot from barre classes and they put her in a boot and where doing bone stimulation to heal it bc she didn't want surgery if at all possible. Well the boot and bone stim treatment didn't work and then she got pregnant so she can't have surgery. So like you she's just struggling through the pain and dealing with it. That's just awful to deal with in addition to the usual pregnancy aches and pains!
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@MrsRcCar: Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well!!! Hopefully you will be able to get some relief (and sleep) soon!
@sandy: I have been having BHs for the past couple of weeks (currently 31 wks). I had them with DD1 but definitely not this early. It's freaking my husband out- he keeps wanting to call the OB/GYN because he thinks it's too early but from everything I've read it should be fine even though it sucks. I have a checkup on Thursday and I am definitely going to ask! Glad to hear that nothing is wrong with baby- bleeding is so scary!
@CedarMagnolia: We decided about 3 months ago on a name- Julia!! Our other daughter's name ends with -a and we wanted them to sort of coordinate but not be matchy or share initials.
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@sandy: I see my doctor Thursday. I am hoping for some answers or at least help. I have been having BH contractions for a few weeks now. The doctor doesn't seem worried but I am because of previous pre term birth. I am glad baby is doing well. I hope you don't have anymore bleeds.
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@MrsRcCar: sorry to hear you're going through that pain! Hope you get better soon.
@sandy: That sucks about the bleeding scare again, but good news that they ruled out anything dangerous! I did see my doctor today and he thinks the perinatal center is being extra cautious (because that's what they are there for)
@caterw: I love the name Julia
@CedarMagnolia: I think we're going with the name Violet... we threw some names out there to our son and Violet stuck with him... as in, my husband would say, how about baby so and so, and he'd say NOO! It's baby Violet! He's been telling people too... so we'll see lol.
Had my glucose test today, yuck. I really really hope I pass this one.
I feel like we are all coming into the homestretch? Feels so close, yet so far.... I totally don't want to do anymore work and I haven't even started cleaning out the nursery and go through clothes yet. sigh... so much to do, so little energy to do it -
I had my appointment today instead of tomorrow. The doctor was pretty pleased with everything. Baby O was head down at this appointment according to my doctor. My tummy measured at 30 weeks and I am 31 weeks, so it measured well. He sounded wonderful on the Doppler with a heart beat of 145. We are hoping he will continue to bake until just after 37 weeks.
What do you all still need to get done?
I need to:
prep cloth diapers
purchase newborn diapers,
wash newborn clothes,
install his car seat,
register at the hospital,
pack a hospital bag. -
@dragonsword: I have been feeling better since I got adjusted. It's just something we will have to watch for now.
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@dragonsword: I'm almost 28 weeks and did my 1-hour glucose today too. Really hoping I pass!
@MrsRcCar: Still so much to do but not planning on doing anything for a few more weeks. Need to unpack all the newborn stuff, buy another swing (we got rid of our first one) and a few small items like humidifier, sound machine, pacis, bottle nipples, etc., wash newborn clothes, tour the hospital, pack a hospital bag. Also been wanting to buy a bigger car before Baby #2 gets here so that may be in our near future but I'm really not looking forward to doing that and even less looking forward to spending money. And we need to figure out what we're doing with the sleeping situation! DS is 2 and still comfortably in his crib in the nursery. Was planning on switching him to a full size bed in a new room, but that has not gone smoothly so we're back in the crib in the nursery. New baby will likely sleep in our room for 6-8 weeks, but it seems way too stressful to be trying to get DS to sleep in a new room and have a newborn at home, ugh!
The one thing I've done is try to stock up a bit on size 1 diapers whenever I've seen a sale so I have a few boxes.
I'm assuming it'll hit me at about 37 weeks when my DH is out of town for the weekend and I'm home alone with DS and panicking about not being ready for a newborn
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@dragonsword: sorry you are feeling so achy. I was feeling sore earlier in pregnancy and then stepped it up a notch and started doing massage and yoga weekly. That has helped me a ton. I'm just starting to notice some more pelvic pain but I think I'm overdoing it with walking these days. Damn Pokemon go!
@CedarMagnolia: We don't have a name yet! We have a few boy and girl names picked out but won't decide on one until after baby arrives. With DD, her name wasn't even one of our too 3 girl choices but we somehow came up with it at the hospital.
@sandy: ugh I'm so sorry you've had more bleeding. With my DD I had on and off bleeding throughout. From 35-40 weeks I bled like a period the whole time. I remember being super stressed about it. I'm sorry you have to deal with it and hope that it disappears.
@MrsRcCar: so glad everything went well at your appointment!!We've been busy with renovations around the house. We are building a garage right now and a master walk-in closet. We haven't even started any preparation for baby AND we both go back to work next week after having the summer off. I'm starting to feel like there are a bazillion things to do. Good news is that after failing the 1 hour glucose I passed the follow-up test!
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@dragonsword: I'm glad your OB is not super concerned! Keep us posted! Hard not to worry but extra monitoring just in case is always good
@NorCalWayfarer: I just did my glucose test and passed - so relieved bc I really didn't want to do the repeat 3 hour test. Fingers crossed you pass too!
@delight: yay for passing your glucose test!!! And yay for all the renovations - it will be feel good to have that all done before baby gets here! That's so crazy you bled so much at the end - thanks for sharing - it definitely makes me feel better when others went through the same without incident.
What you need to still get done:
Clear out the nursery (this is about 1/2 way done but there's still so much to do bc we've just been using the nursery has storage for everything). A lot of it is DD1's stuff that we won't need for a little brother - no girly winter gear, shoes or clothes - so much stuff!
Go through all the hand me downs from friends and keep what will work for the time of year this baby is born and then fill in the baby clothes where needed
Decorate and organize the nursery -
Hi ladies! I've been kind of MIA lately. I've been lurking though. I went to post the questionnaire last week and accidentally closed out and lost my answers, whoops!
I failed my 1-hour and 2-hour. My doctor diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. I didn't take it as well as I had prepared. I was super bummed and I had a sleepless night last night. I have to go see a dietitian today and get a pricker to take my blood sugars four times per day. Then next week I have my ultrasound to see if my placenta is still too close to my cervix. Suddenly my healthy pregnancy feels not-so-healthy. I don't even have any of the risk factors for GDM, I'm a fitness instructor, I've never been overweight or had any problems with my insulin. It's so weird feeling for the first time ever like I have a medical issue that is tough to control. My sister is a doctor and had GDM with two pregnancies, so that's the only reason I was mentally preparing myself for the bad news. So much to learn. I've never had to diet. Carbs and sugar are everywhere!
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@Plainpistachio: Hi, popping in from Sept./Oct. Let me know if you have any questions, this is my second pregnancy with GD and while I was very healthy/fit prior to both pregnancies, I still ended up with it. I've been on the GD diet since 20 weeks this time and you can absolutely have a healthy pregnancy despite it.
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@avivoca thanks for the encouragement! Luckily my husband is totally on board to help make meals and make it easy. I need to plan out my day of meals everyday which will take some adjusting. Know any good websites with meal plans or anything?
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@Plainpistachio: sorry you're going to have to deal with GD this pregnancy. But so many ladies here on HB have gone through it and managed ok. And I'm sure it will help so much being able to talk to your sister about it too. Hang in there mama!
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@delight: my pelvic pain has been so bad lately! Some days I can barely walk and even on good days I'm limping around at the end of the day. So I ordered one of those support belts online and I'm hoping that will help. I'll let you know
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@Plainpistachio: Sorry, I just saw this! I actually don't know any sites. I don't meal-plan that much. My husband is a Type 1 diabetic, so I'm familiar with the diet. Basically, I had to figure out what I could eat carb-wise each time. So for me, I can have cereal for breakfast with 1/2 a cup of milk and a glass of juice (juice is my non-negotiable morning drink) and keep my glucose low. I also love yogurt and granola and there is an easy breakfast casserole I make from PaleOMG that is so good. I just really watch my portions.
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@Plainpistachio: ahh sorry to hear that you got diagnosed with GD. I hope the diet isn't too tough to manage.
@sandy: yes let me know about the belt!! I'm really worried about going back to work next week. I've been off for 10 weeks because I work in schools and I'm starting back Tuesday. I commute 2-3 hours a day and I know my pelvic pain is going to keep getting worse. A support belt may be what I need too! -
@sandy: @delight: I had one last pregnancy because I worked retail part-time and I would barely be able to stand up by the end of the day- it worked WONDERS! Come to think of it... I should probably start using it again.
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