I need some advice

[teenmum]

Hi there

I am seventeen and I am pregnant, my baby is due next year in April, I will be eighteen by then!

Um...I was just looking for your opinions on Breast freeding, I would like to but I just don't know.

If you could help me with a few pros and cons that would be excellent!

Thanks

teenmum :)

[angcaltam]

Breast feeding is great but not for everyone. Just wait until the time comes and then give it a go, if you can't do it then that is fine. I only breast feed my first for 2 1/2 weeks and my second for 6 1/2 weeks. I tend to always have to much milk and that stressed them out. I will try and breast feed this one for as long as I can, hpefully a bit longer than the other 2 but we will see.
Just remember it is up to you, don't let anyone make you do anything you don't want to do.
Good luck and keep us posted.

[Chickadee]

Breastfeeding is considered the best start for babies, as the perfect food. Bubs get a huge health benefit if they are breastfed for the first 6 weeks, and continued benefit even longer than that. Recommendations on how long to breastfeed range from 6 months to 2 years to "as long as you want".

But... It's a learnt skill. For both you and your baby, and it's not always easy. Baby needs to learn that the breast equals food, and that suckling will ease the hurt in their tummy. And Mums need to learn how to get bub to do that easily and consistently. Sometimes there are problems with how bub is attaching or feeding, or mums not having enough supply.

For the first set of problems there is help from midwives, lactation consultants, and the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

The second type of problem, supply, is usually fixed by feeding more often. As bub feeds your body is triggered to create more milk, and as long as you're eatting well and drinking enough water this demand-creates-supply will kick in and bub will be satisfied within a few days. Usually there are periods in the first few months when bub is growing so fast and seeming to want to feed all the time - it's tiring and frustrating. But this is the demand-supply system working and if you persevere then feeding times should settle back down to being a few hours apart.

If you can't breastfeed, or choose not to, then formula is designed to be as good a substitute as possible. But the quality, convenience and low cost of breastfeeding can't be beat. I am SO tired of washing bottles!

[Rainbowbrite]

I had no intention of breastfeeding when I was pregnant. I just didn't think i'd be comfortable with it. But after MJ was born I decided to give it a go. Even when we had problems with attachment and alot of pain, I stuck it out and have never looked back. Just do what feels right for you. Give it a go if you can, I did and I can honestly say that I just love looking down at MJ when she's feeding. Its private time for you and bub.

I personally think its more convenient and as MarthaM said
convenience and low cost of breastfeeding can't be beat. It costs nothing, there is no washing up and its always available at the perfect temperature.

BUT just do what you can. Don't let anyone pressure you - even though the midwives will try to :rolleyes:

Good luck with everything

[bb]

It is such a HUGE decision, isn't it !

I felt incredible pressure to breast feed, and really wanted to, mainly because I do believe that it is the best option for babies. HOWEVER, when it came to the crunch, breastfeeding was impossible for me, and, taking a huge swallow, I decided to stop punishing myself (and my child) and we switched to formula.

Basically, I think you have to do what works for you ! When you are there, facing it all, you may find breastfeeding a magnificent thing ... there are plenty of women who do ! All that is really important is that you are happy with your decision ! Be aware too, that if you decide to bottle feed, you have to be prepared to answer the "why aren't you breastfeeding ?" question, about a million times !

Given my time over, I would do exactly what we did again - that was, breastfeed exclusively for about a week, then top-up with formula, then express and formula, then exclusively formula. This all happened over the first 7 weeks of Hamish's life. Formula is great. It is convenient and quick, but does cost a lot more than breastfeeding ... and the cost just goes up and up and bubs has more and more scoops in the bottle !

Just see how you go ... and do not apply any unnecessary pressure on yourself !

B

[meshan]

I suggest you contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association - the number in SA is 8411 0050. They have support groups where you can meet other Mums and learn about breastfeeding. They also have talks which you may find useful, including one called ' preparation for breastfeeding' .

Good luck

[jarrahsmumma]

hey teenmum,
there is so much pressure out there when u become a mum, for everything feeding, changing, clothing it never ends. Just be happy with your decision, i couldn't breastfeed but will be keen to try again with next bub. The washing up is a pain and the cost, the temp isn't too bad just get bub used to room temp bottles.

like the other mums have said dont beat yourself up if you cant do it or dont want to do it, it's your choice. I cant emphasise that enough, he/she is your bub you know what to do for your bub. I was 21 when i had my bub and i think i let peoples coments get to me especially on the breastfeeding.

good luck with everything
peace
Natalie

[Benandrewsmum]

Hi Teenmum

I had problems breastfeeding my little guy....seriously cracked nipples and engorged breasts. I found that by about 3 weeks old I did not even want to look at my baby because he was causing me so much pain!! Whilst I subscribe to breastfeeding I truely don't believe that this can be healthy for the baby. If mum is so upset that certainly carries through to the baby. Anyway, to cut a long story short, it is so important to find one person that you are comfortable with that can help you get the hang of it if you decide to go that way. I had a thousand different midwives all telling me to do a thousand different ways. I would recommend that you see a Lactation Consultant while you are in hospital and stick with their advice. It is also a good idea to keep seeing a lactation consultant if you think you are having any troubles at all!!

Good luck......and don't be preasured into one way or another....do what you feel is best for both you and your baby!!

From

Ben's mum

[draught]

I am one of the lucky ones - with some great help in the early days to learn how to breastfeed so that it didn't hurt, I have been able to feed both my girls - the first for 13 months and the second I am still feeding at 10 months. The pros of it are as others have said - it is cheap, it is convenient and it is highly portable.

The con's are that your baby is very reliant only on you - if you aren't there they need expressed milk from a bottle and often are VERY reluctant to take a bottle no matter how hungry they are. It means that it is very hard for you to have any time away from your baby - which sometimes you need to do just for a few hours to save your sanity. Some people feel very uncomfortable feeding in public too so find themselves restricted from going out much. (I got over this pretty quickly and you get very good at feeding discretely very quickly). Most shopping centres have parents rooms where you can feed in private and despite some of the bad experiences people have reported, I personally have never had a bad comment for feeding in public - and it is not-legal to discriminate against feeding mothers so always be aware of your rights.

Having said all of that, for me the pros outweighed the cons. I agree with everyone else - it is worth giving it a try as it is the best start in life for your baby. But if it doesn't work, use a bottle and get on with all the other great stuff about babies without worrying about what other people think or say - do what is best for you and your child.

[draught]

Some other pro's for breast feeding - you don't have to worry about over feeding them, it is an easy way to comfort an upset baby and to put them to sleep, and it is a lovely bonding experience (if it is all working well!!) It also boosts their immunity to reduce the risk of illness, lowers the risk of obesity when they are older, and (in my case) is a great way to lose weight!

More con's - if it is not working well it is very stressful, and with bottle feeding you know exactly how much your baby is getting so you don't question your milk supply. (The way to overcome this with breastfeeding is to understand the principles of supply and demand - you body will keep producing to replace what your baby needs, so if all is working well you should always have enough milk - but it is a bit of a case of blind faith sometimes!)

[AlisMum]

Hi teenmum,

I tried breastfeeding but it was impossible for a variety of reasons, so I decided to bottle feed instead. The result? Less stress all round for baby & myself. She's now 9mth old & is a happy healthy baby. I have no regrets.

The only problem I had with bottle feeding, is that everyone (family in particular) felt that they had a right to feed her also. I put an end to that as the bonding still occurs between mother & baby whilst feeding - the only difference is where the baby gets its food from.

Be happy with whatever decision you make as it is your choice & yours alone.

Cheers

AlisMum

Alisha Sara - D.O.B 17.11.2004 :)

[Rell]

Alismum I know exactly what you mean. I bottle fed both my kids and had the same problems with my inlaws. I don't know why people think they have a right to feed you baby, second time around I was much more firm.
Teenmum the choise is yours, with my son I got very bad mastitis and started to resent my son, I was an emotional wreck. Thats when I decided to swich to the bottle, both mum and bub where better off

Good luck

[Melissa1983]

I can relate to both of you. But i find it a relief though too, because if i was tried dh could feed. But my mother inlaw always wanted to feed, but i only let her when i wanted her to. (i know that is selfish but i wanted to bond). The bond that i have with my two girls is great.
I don't regret bottlefeeding at all, some people ask me but i just say i don't.

[AlisMum]

I agree with mummyof2 - when I was too exhausted to get up, my dh would feed her too. :) But we agreed that he would be the only other person who did. At first we would let others feed her, but they wouldn't give her a proper feed (approx 40ml only) & try to tell us that she didn't want any more when she obviously did! :mad: So we simply put a stop to others feeding her.

We both enjoyed bonding with our daughter & have no regrets about bottle feeding. A happy healthy bub is the most important objective right? No problems there - she won't stop laughing & I love spending my days with her as a result! :D

Kate 26yrs
Wayne 27yrs
Alisha Sara 9mths

[~Chick79~]

When I found out I was pregnant it was so important to ME that I breastfed my baby...it was just the bonding that I craved for...

However not all went to plan.... thanks to NO help from the midwives at my hospital and the fact that Ryan was not attaching properly it was a pretty traumatic time for both of us (and not to mention my DH who had to watch it all!). While I did express and then bottle feed for the first week, it was later discovered that my milk wasn't enough as Ryan wasn't getting the good stuff down the back... so I switched to formula. Now my DH is able to help out when I need the break and I still can get the bonding with my son!

My only advice is to atleast try (even if you have to express and bottle feed) for the first week so as the baby can get your colostrum (full of antibodies). But remember it is YOUR choice and you do what YOU want....don't let anyone pressure you into doing anything else!