Question for the mothers of AH

[MrsDeathlynx]

Okay, first off I want to start by letting people know this is serious, so if you are someone who just wants to be a smartass please do not comment. Diversions are one thing, but this is a serious matter to me so I'd appreciate people taking it seriously...

Okay, I'm planning on breastfeeding, however I know there will be times when hubby wants to get up and feed the baby and obviously if I am solely breast feeding that is an issue. So I was thinking on getting a breastpump, however there are so many out there with mixed reviews I was wondering if any of you had an opinion on the subject or any reccomendations? They're so expensive and if I'm going to pay a pretty penny for one I want to make sure that it's a good one...So any reccomendations or ideas?

I may end up posting more questions, but that's the one on my mind right now...

 

[starrkers]

I used this one and found it both inexpensive and easy to use.
I also tried the Avent one - I hated it, it hurt.
The idea of an electric one frankly scares me!

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I used a handpump/handheld Avent breast pump that I picked up at the local baby store. It was about $45. Mainly used it because it was easy to put together and take apart to clean.

Avent also makes some really good electric pumps which will be much quicker. But again like you said they can be pretty expensive. I wont hazard a guess as to which ones are better in the states though.

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnancygear/429.html

Thats a good site for some information as well. Though it mostly takes you through how to chose one not which ones they recommend.

As an extra for the breastfeeding...you can pump and store breastmilk in the fridge for a 1 day but you can also pump and freeze said milk for use for one month. We froze some in icecube trays for when the hubby wanted to have a go at feeding or for emergencies.

I would say more but there is a munchkin pulling on me to get up.

http://www.breastpumps.com/Avent_Breast_Pumps_s/22.htm

 

[reignophelia]

Okay, first off I want to start by letting people know this is serious, so if you are someone who just wants to be a smartass please do not comment. Diversions are one thing, but this is a serious matter to me so I'd appreciate people taking it seriously...

Okay, I'm planning on breastfeeding, however I know there will be times when hubby wants to get up and feed the baby and obviously if I am solely breast feeding that is an issue. So I was thinking on getting a breastpump, however there are so many out there with mixed reviews I was wondering if any of you had an opinion on the subject or any reccomendations? They're so expensive and if I'm going to pay a pretty penny for one I want to make sure that it's a good one...So any reccomendations or ideas?

I may end up posting more questions, but that's the one on my mind right now...

Hi, congratulations again. My daughter is 20 months old now. I breast fed her until she was 8 months old. She is very stubborn, and gave up the breast, baby bottles and pacifiers that same month. Since then she has only been interested in sippy cups, or cups with straws.

I think it's great that you're planning on breastfeeding. It's really one of the greatest gifts you can give your baby. But beware. I know people in La Leche who are wonderful, but you're going to come across extremists. Please don't let them deter you from breastfeeding. My friend quit because she couldn't take how rough they were with her, and how rude they were. I had a similar bad experience where after a difficult labor my daughter wasn't eating and the lactation consultant started implying that I was a bad mother for not trying to breastfeed my daughter. ( I WAS pumping from the start mind you.)Around the same time the doc was talking about putting in a feeding tube because she would not eat AT ALL.

As for the question, I'd say the pump all depends upon how much you're going to be working or away from the baby. I got like a $ 60 Medela: which I've heard really IS the best. But that's a cheap one that only does one breast at a time. I only worked weekends after my maternity leave, so pumping wasn't much of an issue for me. You'll definitely want some sort of pump; if only to get rid of some pressure if the baby had a bad feed or something. They have models that go all the way up to like $250 or more.
You can easily find replacement parts in Babys R Us.
It all depends upon how often you're going to need to use it. I work at a hospital, so if you have you're own Medela kit, you could use the pump that the hospital provides. My hospital also has a little shop where they sell slings and pumps and stuff. I hope this was helpful. Feel free to PM me.

 

[Guest]

breastfeeding

I did not have a choice as to the electric pumps, and to be honest, a good electric pump does not hurt, and I never did liked the manual.

If you plan for hubby to feed baby once in a while, a Medela mini-electric would do the job. If you really want to have some milk on the freezer, or if you are going back to work while someone else is feeding the baby, then a "hospital" breast pump would be a better investment, because they work a lot faster.

Hospital grade pumps can also be rented, even by mail. You just buy all the attachments and things separatedly.

Lots of gfs gave up on the pumping after a while though, because it comes with the hassle of sterilizing all the bottles and equipment.

One of the solutions for this is to pump directly into a disposable, sterilized plastic bag. There are bottles that attach to these baggies so there is less stuff to sterilize. Otherwise, it is like running a lab...

Good luck!

Maharat

 

[SensualCealy]

Congratulations!

I breastfed my daughter for 11.5 months and tried with my son but he was allergic to milk- so they said. The feeling of being an incompetent mother giving up after having no sleep for either he or I for three months was overwhelming. The night he took his first soy bottle he slept for 9.5 hours straight!

Anyway, to the point. I had a hand operated pump, you could pull at your own pace or strength which was good, but I didn't do as well with the pump as I did by hand. (maybe I AM a country girl at heart? lol)

My trick was to take a really nice long hot shower, this would relax me and get my milk flowing. Becareful, take a towel with you or you will drip milk everywhere when you are done! lol
I would get a plastic glass with a seal top and start 'milking'. If you do one side then the other you will keep your supply going well and not get engorged. Babies tend to have a favourite side, but you have to make sure you switch with every feeding. From my experience, if you dont one side is always rock hard before the next feeding and baby has a hard time latching on.

One really serious note to this, if hubby is really intent on helping you out with the feedings, once baby has got onto nursing and is doing really well, introduce the bottle, soft nippled ones are the best and most like mom. Just make sure the hole is super tiny or baby can tend to like the bottle more because it's easier to get the milk out of it. They say to leave introducing the bottle for three months, I disagree, if left that long your baby may not take the bottle at all- cause its not mommy!
Another thing is, its best for you not to feed baby by the bottle. Let dad be the one to do it, if you do it, baby will constantly turn to your breast and it will make life more stressful for you. They can smell that its you and know where to find their favourite meal. Dad smells different and baby will soon relate that dad gives she/he the bottle and mom gives them the breast.

One last tip, in the pregnancy books where they discuss breast feeding they should show pictures of the breast and where the milk ducts lay, make sure you take a good look at them and figure out where to gently massage and 'milk' your breast from. No sense in doing it to places where there isnt the glands, it will only make for sore breasts.

Good luck, and don't be affraid to ask questions!
C

ps: if you use playtex bottles you only have to boil the nipples and wash the 'bottles' with your dishes. I would wash the nipples in the dish water and while doing so, I would have the kettle on to boil so when they were washed they would go into a stainless steal bowl and I would pour the hot water over them.

 

[Guest]

Breast fed both of mine.

For my daughter I used a small battery powered bump. I really hated it and don't believe it was very effective.

My son had to have two surgeries immediately following his birth (once at 3 weeks, again at 6 weeks - gawd). Anyway, since I stayed with him at the hospital, I used the breast pump machine they had there. Amazing.

So when he and I went home, I wound up renting one of the serious ones from the hospital for a few months. It pumped both breasts at the same time, it was very calm and low stress (you do purchase your own cups, bottles, cords, etc.).

That would be my suggestion.

If there is a breast feeding consultant on staff at the hospital you should discuss this with them.

Congratulations!

 

[lisa123414]

Congratulations! I am just amazed at all the good advice you have gotten so far, I suppose it makes sense that women comfortable in their own bodies make good breastfeeders. I had a manual pump, about the same as the one linked by Starrkers. I think they may have given it to me in the hospital. It worked fine for me, but I only pumped once in a while.

The one thing I would add is to not start trying to pump and bottle feed too early. Some moms and babies take to breastfeeding right away and some need to work at it. If you can, try to wait until you both have established a good rhythm. It’s difficult, at least for the first several weeks, to make enough milk for the baby, much less extra to pump.

I nursed four kids and each one was different. My second never would take any kind of a bottle, whether it had breastmilk or formula. Fortunately I only worked part-time when he was an infant. I nursed him when I dropped him off and the first thing I would do when I got to the sitters to pick him up was to sit down and nurse him – at that point he was very hungry, I was ready to burst and the sitter was at her wit’s end. My last son was so active, he preferred moving around with a bottle to sitting still with the breast – or in retrospect, maybe it was me, with three other kids, who could not sit still to nurse!

Breastfeeding is a wonderful thing. There is no substitute for the quiet bonding. The downside is sore nipples, leaky breasts, and the occasional infection. In my opinion, all are nothing compared to the experience of having a baby at your breast. It might take some effort to make it work for you and your baby, I agree with the earlier post that Le Leche can be helpful, but some of those ladies are a bit scary! If it does not work out for you, don’t take it to heart. Seek support when you need to, and Good Luck!

 

[impressive]

I had a Medela pump that could operate electrically or manually. It was okay. The first couple of pulls would make me wince, but after that, it was fine -- kind of like baby, too, if the nipples are sore/cracked.

My ex used to howl at the expression on my face the first couple of pulls by baby at breast. Once you acclimate, though, it's a most enjoyable bonding experience. Breastfeeding was my favorite part of newborn parenting -- by far.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Hi, congratulations again. My daughter is 20 months old now. I breast fed her until she was 8 months old. She is very stubborn, and gave up the breast, baby bottles and pacifiers that same month. Since then she has only been interested in sippy cups, or cups with straws.

I think it's great that you're planning on breastfeeding. It's really one of the greatest gifts you can give your baby. But beware. I know people in La Leche who are wonderful, but you're going to come across extremists. Please don't let them deter you from breastfeeding. My friend quit because she couldn't take how rough they were with her, and how rude they were. I had a similar bad experience where after a difficult labor my daughter wasn't eating and the lactation consultant started implying that I was a bad mother for not trying to breastfeed my daughter. ( I WAS pumping from the start mind you.)Around the same time the doc was talking about putting in a feeding tube because she would not eat AT ALL.

As for the question, I'd say the pump all depends upon how much you're going to be working or away from the baby. I got like a $ 60 Medela: which I've heard really IS the best. But that's a cheap one that only does one breast at a time. I only worked weekends after my maternity leave, so pumping wasn't much of an issue for me. You'll definitely want some sort of pump; if only to get rid of some pressure if the baby had a bad feed or something. They have models that go all the way up to like $250 or more.
You can easily find replacement parts in Babys R Us.
It all depends upon how often you're going to need to use it. I work at a hospital, so if you have you're own Medela kit, you could use the pump that the hospital provides. My hospital also has a little shop where they sell slings and pumps and stuff. I hope this was helpful. Feel free to PM me.

This is really some great advice. All those breast feeding books/consultants can be a great source of advice, but they can also make you feel extremely inadaquate if your breastfeeding experience isn't going like all the happy photographs you see in the books. Just remember, above all, that it's okay to pump, to bottle feed, even to supplement with formula if you absolutely have to. Do not let anyone make you feel guilty. Sometimes, in the time it takes for your milk to fully come in and for you to get the hang of breastfeeding, you can get awfully sore and have a very hungry screaming kid. Do what you have to do and keep trying. Although breastfeeding is the most natural thing, it's not always for everyone. So, don't feel defeated if doesn't end up being for you.

I'd definitely rent a good electric pump. If the hospitals don't rent them, check your local pharmacy. The manual ones are kind of a pain. Also, having somewhere comfortable to sit while you nurse is highly underrated. A comfy padded rocking chair is perfect and not as hard to get in and out of as the sofa.

 

[christabelll]

I breast fed both of mine -
It was a nightmare in the beginning... THey new I was going to breast feed her but kept her from me until she was almost 14 hours old and gave her a bottle. She was born C-section and the hopsital sucked in maternal care. Then I became extremely ill (renal failure). I pumped at the hopsital for them to give it to her (and to keep my milk flowing between bouts of high fever delirium)... but because I was so sick they dumped it out and gave her formula. It wasn't until she was 17 days old that we had a fully successful breast feeding. My daughter breast fed from then until four months then simply refused the breast...Egads talk about pain!!! Her pediatrician said to introduce her to the bottle - I did - I pumped and mixed formula in with it. The pump sucked Pardon the pun. I ended up with hickeyed nipples. But she was such a big baby (10lbs 23 inches at birth, 23lbs 30 inches at 5 months) that I wasn't too worried about it. THe milk and formula lasted until she was 6 months old, by then I was barely getting any.
My son and I had a much better experience. I got him within two hours of the c-section. He latched on so hard I yelped! He was 9.8 lbs and 22 inches. By four months he was 20 lbs and 28 inches. We were also at a different hospital who had a much better opinion of women who wanted to breast feed their children.
We both got sick when he was four and half months old. It turned my milk bad, I guess, because after that he wouldn't take the breast at all. I was an old pro by then and would stand in the shower milking myself...Ex refused to touch them if they were engorged.

It was heartbreaking in a way that I wasn't able to breast feed them for at least six months. In other ways I certainly was happy to not be tethered to t-shirts and cotton diapers to catch the over flow LOL....

I commend you on wanting to breast feed. Make sure the hospital and your doctor is informed of your wishes so you can get that first session in as early as possible.
I am still furious over how my daughter was handled by the staff at the hospital. I beleive it messed with the mother child bonding that is essential by not bringing her to me sooner. We have compensated for it... but still.... argh...

Good Luck and Congratulations!!!!

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm one of those "La Leche extremists" someone warned you about, haha-- I breast fed mine for about three years apiece-- my daughter only stopped (a once-a day, pre-naptime ceremonial nip) when I was around seven months pregnant, and the milk changed flavor. My son was... difficult to wean, let's just say. They were, of course, eating real food and drinking from cups as well, don't think it was breast milk all the way! (Plus, I worked from home anyways, and I couldn't have done it that long otherwise)

Both of my babies nursed right after birth, before the umbilical cord was cut-- I hope your delivery will accommodate that. If you know moms that will talk with you about their birthing experiences, ask them, because the more you hear the more you will know what you want- my second was a different experience than my first for that reason!

As for having daddy feed the baby, we never got around to that.

I never did successfully pump, and it seemed much much easier to attach the kid at the source-- I nursed them in public, too. We tried the bassinet as well, but it was so comfortable to keep baby in bed between us, most of the time. Feeding was automatic and easy, and daddy cuddled both of us, and walked the babies afterwards, and burped them... He bonded very very well with his kids! Changed diapers and everything!

Don't walk away from La Leche, and don't let them try to talk you into more than you want to do, is my advice. With my first, I didn't know how to get her to latch on correctly, and was incredibly sore. One of the league came to my house-- the day before New Year's to help me. I heart La Leche, they do good stuff.

 

[deathlynx]

Poking my head in briefly to say that money may not be an issue...Well, depending on the registry...
Then again, if we have to afford it ourselves it would be more of an issue...

 

[MagicaPractica]

Okay, first off I want to start by letting people know this is serious, so if you are someone who just wants to be a smartass please do not comment. Diversions are one thing, but this is a serious matter to me so I'd appreciate people taking it seriously...

Okay, I'm planning on breastfeeding, however I know there will be times when hubby wants to get up and feed the baby and obviously if I am solely breast feeding that is an issue. So I was thinking on getting a breastpump, however there are so many out there with mixed reviews I was wondering if any of you had an opinion on the subject or any reccomendations? They're so expensive and if I'm going to pay a pretty penny for one I want to make sure that it's a good one...So any reccomendations or ideas?

I may end up posting more questions, but that's the one on my mind right now...

I know I don't have any experience here, but I did want to pass along a piece of advice my best friend feels very strongly about. She waited to be sure she would be able to breastfeed then they spent a good bit of money on a high end model and one that would express both breasts at once. She was very happy that she did this and is using it again with her second child.

 

[angelicminx]

My daughter was premature and didn't have the ability to breastfeed. In order for her to get the breastmilk I had no choice but to pump.

Initially I had an electric pump I rented from a medical supply place and that would be my preference. After that pump went back I tried 10 different kinds of pumps. The only one I liked that functioned very well was one like this:

http://www.breastpumpsdirect.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=17061&click=550

It would be the one I recommended. It only requires one hand and is efficient. I used it until my daughter was 5 or 6 months old. I only quit because it broke and I couldn't get another one. (That one was given to me by a Le Leche nurse.)

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

Thank you all for your responses, I really appreciate it. I am definitely, unless not physically possible, going to breastfeed and no one will convince me otherwise. I've known this since before I was pregnant, no convincing necessary as I know it is the best choice for baby. Which pump I end up using after that will be a hard choice, but I will take all of your advice into consideration. Again thank you.

 

[Just-Legal]

Without wishing to interrupt, or threadjack...

What the heck is La Leche?

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

Without wishing to interrupt, or threadjack...

What the heck is La Leche?

I was wondering the same thing honestly...*blushes*

 

[Just-Legal]

I was wondering the same thing honestly...*blushes*

*sits next to MDL* Can someone educate us? I think it means "The Milk" but other than that... *points to blondeness*

 

[starrkers]

*sits next to MDL* Can someone educate us? I think it means "The Milk" but other than that... *points to blondeness*

C'mon ladies, you're on the internet!
La Leche

 

[Just-Legal]

C'mon ladies, you're on the internet!
La Leche

O..kay. I'm kinda scared...

 

[MrsDeathlynx]

Another question

I got some advice from someone hubby knows, just wanted to know what ya'll thought...

Is lamaze class really worth the expense?

 

[tickledkitty]

I got some advice from someone hubby knows, just wanted to know what ya'll thought...

Is lamaze class really worth the expense?

I think anything that educates you and makes you feel more safe and prepared is worth it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I got Lamaze classes sponsored by the hospital-- they were part of the "birthing package" And yes, they helped...

Check with your hospital and see if they have any resources, maybe.

 

[reignophelia]

Even if all you remember is one breathing technique to help you focus and get through, then it was worth it. It may even help ease your mind as you'll at least feel slightly prepared going into it. The classes I took involved a big biological educational session. They covered everything from emotions to pain medication, the event of cesarian birth, postpartum, even to your rights as a new parent. I really was fortunate to take those classes. A lot of it was information that I already knew, but the things I took away from it were worth every penny.
Good luck!