Expressing breast milk

I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy

Sandy writes:
: I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions I
: gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
: couple of days.

: I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely feeding
: baby with bottled breast milk?
: Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

: Thanks for your advice, Sandy

I dont know how many weeks along you are, but the first thing I wouuld
recommend is to subscribe to misc.kids.breastfeeding, explain your
problems over there, read the posts, and try again with better
information, and better support this time.

There are a few moms over there how have successfully pumped and fed
EMB, but they are rare, and it is much more difficult in the long run
than nursing if you can manage it. For full time pumping, the mimimum
I would recommend is the Medela Pump-In-Style or the Ameda Purely Yours.
If you want to spring for the bit bucks you could buy a Medela Lactina.

Good luck,
Larry

Sandy wrote:

I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.


Get a lactation expert to sit with you, make sure
you have some Lansinoh on hand and use is, and promise yourself
to grit it out for the first couple of weeks. Even though
it seems like it couldn't ever get better, it *will* and
it won't be painful *at all* afterwards.


I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?


If you're going to a lot of pumping, the hospital
grade pumps will probably work the best for you. However,
there are two huge downsides to exclusively pumping:

1) Even the best pumps aren't nearly as good as getting
milk out as your baby. Because of that, your supply
isn't likely to be as good as if you were nursing,
particularly if you start pumping from the beginning
and don't even have the advantage of the baby nursing
to start up your initial supply.

2) Exclusive pumping is very time consuming, even with
a pump that can do both sides at once. For every
ounce your baby takes, you have to spend time pumping
it and *then* time feeding it. Especially with a
newborn, you could spend nearly every waking moment
either pumping or feeding.

Feeding EBM beats formula in terms of health benefits,
but I think you'll find that if you line up really good
support and get through the first couple weeks, nursing
is just SOOOOOOOO much easier.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Take it from someone who had to pump for the first 3 weeks, it's much easier
to breastfeed! Once my DD did latch I had a hell of a time (sore bleeding
nipples, mastitis) but it is all worth it in the end. It does get easier
and even though it can be very difficult at first it's worth it in the end.
Breastmilk is so much better for your baby and much easier than preparing
formula. You have to be totally committed in order to succeed. Do go to mkb
and ask questions there!

--
Nadene

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
| I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions
I
| gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
| couple of days.
|
| I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
| baby with bottled breast milk?
| Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?
|
| Thanks for your advice, Sandy
|
|

"Richard" wrote in message
...
Sandy wrote:
: I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both
occassions I
: gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the
first
: couple of days.
:
: I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
: baby with bottled breast milk?
: Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can
recommend?
:
: Thanks for your advice, Sandy

Sandy, our DD was fed EBM for a year. In spite of the help of eight (!)
lactation consultants (six of them IBCLC's), we could never get DD to
latch correctly.

Aye!!! Is she really 15 months now?

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 01:17:17 GMT, in misc.kids.pregnancy "Sandy"
wrote:

I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occasions I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy

If you really are serious about it you'll want to get a Medella (sp?) Pump
in style it does both
breasts and once and if you get a cheap bra you can cut little holes over
the nipples and slip the
breast pump into the holes and pump hands free. I would pump literally
for hours at a time while on
the computer using that method... I also pumped while driving once or
twice.

I'll agree about the bra thing, though I learned to clamp the two breast
horns across my chest with one harm, and type or hold a book one-handed.

But, you'll be happier with a hospital-grade breast pump. I paid $30/month
for the Medela Lactina I rented for 21 months, when I was pumping
exclusively for one of my daughters, who was non-oral (she's still non-oral,
but at the age of 4 she gets a different diet now). Also, the motor on a
Pump In Style is not designed for exclusive use, day in and day out around
the clock for months on end; the motor on a Lactina (or its equivalent,
hospital-grade) is. Plus having used both, I found the Lactina to be far
more comfortable for long-term use, and more adjustable.

--angela

Sandy wrote in message
...
I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions
I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy


Really, the first few days are the worst painfully. If you can go through
that you should be okay. I'm not sure whether pumping would be less painful.
I've only done a small amount later on, with a hand pump.
Debbie

Sandy,

I empathize. I had the same pain issues with my first (plus inverted
nipples), and the lactation consultant was the one who suggested
pumping exclusively. It's difficult to discuss this with others, as we
all have different tolerances for and experiences with pain. Fact is,
my nipples are extraordinarily sensitive. I had a c-section and wasn't
even bothering to take my meds, but the few times they got my son
latched on, the pain was so horrific I involuntarily grabbed him and
shoved him off the bed. The second time he nearly hit the floor before
my husband caught him.

I pumped with a Pump-in-Style for 5 weeks after that episode, and I
think the grit-my-teeth-and-bear-it pain I felt from the pump, at the
lowest setting, was comparable to what most people find with
breastfeeding. I finally quit after I was getting more blood than
milk...plus, it was as exhausting as everyone says it is.

I'm going to give it another try this time out, too, and I feel a bit
more confident (because the pain won't come as such a surprise). But
if it doesn't work out, I will resort to a first month of pumping
again and call it a day.

Please consider what is best for your baby *and* for you.

wizardcat


"Welches" wrote in message ...
Sandy wrote in message
...
I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions
I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy

Sorry for the unintentional thread drift...my reply was meant to be in
response to Sandy's post, not to Debbie's.

wizardcat

(wizardcat) wrote in message . com...
Sandy,

I empathize. I had the same pain issues with my first (plus inverted
nipples), and the lactation consultant was the one who suggested
pumping exclusively. It's difficult to discuss this with others, as we
all have different tolerances for and experiences with pain. Fact is,
my nipples are extraordinarily sensitive. I had a c-section and wasn't
even bothering to take my meds, but the few times they got my son
latched on, the pain was so horrific I involuntarily grabbed him and
shoved him off the bed. The second time he nearly hit the floor before
my husband caught him.

I pumped with a Pump-in-Style for 5 weeks after that episode, and I
think the grit-my-teeth-and-bear-it pain I felt from the pump, at the
lowest setting, was comparable to what most people find with
breastfeeding. I finally quit after I was getting more blood than
milk...plus, it was as exhausting as everyone says it is.

I'm going to give it another try this time out, too, and I feel a bit
more confident (because the pain won't come as such a surprise). But
if it doesn't work out, I will resort to a first month of pumping
again and call it a day.

Please consider what is best for your baby *and* for you.

wizardcat


"Welches" wrote in message ...
Sandy wrote in message
...
I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions
I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy

You are all an incredible source of brilliant info and support.
Thanks heaps.



"Sandy" wrote in message
...
I failed dismally breast feeding my first two babies. On both occassions
I
gave it my best shot, but found it too painful to continue past the first
couple of days.

I'm wondering has anyone tried expressing their milk and completely
feeding
baby with bottled breast milk?
Do electric breast pumps work successfully? Any brands you can recommend?

Thanks for your advice, Sandy