Breastfeeders who pump and give a bottle when out?

Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

cjra wrote:
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

Nope. Never offered a bottle to baby unless I was unavailable (like day
care etc). That being said, I did not (and to some extent, still don't)
feel entirely comfortable NIP, so I'd make sure I had a place to nurse
her in peace. (family rooms in malls, spare room at friend's place
etc). I refused to nurse in a restroom though. There were a couple of
instances where there was no other option but to nurse her in a
restroom, so I NIP-ed on those occassions.

PK

"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

The only people I've known of who do this are the ones who are EPing-and
usually anyone who is EPing has seriously tried breastfeeding first (it
pretty much combines the worst elements of both systems, especially in the
6 month age range where the baby is eating every couple of hours). Besides,
if you're out long enough to give a bottle, you're likely to be quite
uncomfortable if you don't pump during that time. When Alli was really
little, I always had a hand pump in the diaper bag, and there were several
times I ended up having to find an appropriate place to pump, just to
relieve pressure. Because while I could bring milk with me for her, there
wasn't any way I could tell my breasts not to produce for that feed. And if
you think discreetly NIPing is hard, try finding an appropriate place to
PUMP while out of the house!!

Donna Metler wrote:
"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

The only people I've known of who do this are the ones who are EPing-and
usually anyone who is EPing has seriously tried breastfeeding first (it
pretty much combines the worst elements of both systems, especially in the
6 month age range where the baby is eating every couple of hours). Besides,
if you're out long enough to give a bottle, you're likely to be quite
uncomfortable if you don't pump during that time. When Alli was really
little, I always had a hand pump in the diaper bag, and there were several
times I ended up having to find an appropriate place to pump, just to
relieve pressure. Because while I could bring milk with me for her, there
wasn't any way I could tell my breasts not to produce for that feed. And if
you think discreetly NIPing is hard, try finding an appropriate place to
PUMP while out of the house!!

oh yeah, I wondered about that too. No way could my breasts handle not
feeding!

I feel for you EP'ers, I worried briefly we'd have to go that route
when things weren't working in NICU,but as it turns out we now have the
opposite problem - refusing the breast.

Donna Metler wrote:
"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

The only people I've known of who do this are the ones who are EPing-and
usually anyone who is EPing has seriously tried breastfeeding first (it
pretty much combines the worst elements of both systems, especially in the
6 month age range where the baby is eating every couple of hours). Besides,
if you're out long enough to give a bottle, you're likely to be quite
uncomfortable if you don't pump during that time. When Alli was really
little, I always had a hand pump in the diaper bag, and there were several
times I ended up having to find an appropriate place to pump, just to
relieve pressure. Because while I could bring milk with me for her, there
wasn't any way I could tell my breasts not to produce for that feed. And if
you think discreetly NIPing is hard, try finding an appropriate place to
PUMP while out of the house!!

oh yeah, I wondered about that too. No way could my breasts handle not
feeding!

I feel for you EP'ers, I worried briefly we'd have to go that route
when things weren't working in NICU,but as it turns out we now have the
opposite problem - refusing the bottle

Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

it was very common in Korea, I got used to seeing bottles of milk that was
clearly breastmilk (it does look different to formula) and groaning mums
when the bottle had run out and baby wanted more, in the long run it's
unlikely to work very well, if you are regularly skipping a feed and giving
a bottle that you pumped at a different time your supply will probably end
up reducing and you won't be able to pump to provide that bottle.

Here in the UK I don't know anyone that does it, though I know lots who give
bottles of ebm at some time or other, but it's mostly so they can go out
without the baby! They're not going through all that faff just to take the
baby with them! There is quite a bit of variation about what people are
comfortable with though, you can tell that by where people feed in church,
though it's a bit backwards, if I feed somewhere in the middle of the
congregation, very few people will notice, if I go and feed in some of the
seating in what we call the concourse area, where you can still hear and
just about see the service there is a steady stream of people walking
through going to the loos and what not (we must be a very restless
congregation!) and finally there is those who automatically go to the
creche, where though you are going to be well seen, at least it is only by
babies and mums (and the occasional dad). When I've talked about this, all
it really means is that when I would happily go to a group, then shopping,
then out to lunch etc. risking breastfeeding at any location, others are
only happy feeding at say a toddler group and will make sure they feed there
before moving on anywhere and would if necessary bother to push/carry a
screaming baby 10minutes to somewhere with a feeding room.

Cheers

Anne

The only people I've known of who do this are the ones who are EPing-and
usually anyone who is EPing has seriously tried breastfeeding first (it
pretty much combines the worst elements of both systems, especially in the
6 month age range where the baby is eating every couple of hours).
Besides,
if you're out long enough to give a bottle, you're likely to be quite
uncomfortable if you don't pump during that time. When Alli was really
little, I always had a hand pump in the diaper bag, and there were several
times I ended up having to find an appropriate place to pump, just to
relieve pressure. Because while I could bring milk with me for her, there
wasn't any way I could tell my breasts not to produce for that feed. And
if
you think discreetly NIPing is hard, try finding an appropriate place to
PUMP while out of the house!!

Recently I had a friend who ended up EPing as her son had a very tiny cleft
palate (so tiny it took 2 weeks of him losing weight constantly for anyone
to realise). Her approach was quite different from what some people might
have done, it meant she only ended up EPing for 6 months, and he ended up
having a couple of bottles of formula before that date, but it made the
whole senario much more mangeable. After establishing pumping, she cut down
the number of pumps per day fairly fast, but kept each session long,
40+mins, don't know the exact timings, but there was a good length of time
on 4 per day and the last couple of months she did 3 per day, now, some
people wouldn't have managed on that and she was really strugging by the
end, but at least it finds some kind of middle ground. I'm not sure quite
what I'm trying to say, but just perhaps that some people might EP/provide
some bm for longer if they could set a rigid schedule and stick to it, it's
always said that any breastmilk is a bonus, I really don't know much about
it, but I guess many people when confronted with such a problem,
particularly one that has no chance of being solved go to formula straight
away and others stop pumping fairly soon.

Cheers

Anne

"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is there anyone here who does this?

I only did during the first 2 weeks of my son's life when I was pumping
because he refused to latch. Once we got him latching though he refused to
ever take another bottle, so even if we'd wanted to it wasn't an option.

Melissa
Mom to Connor born 05/24/05

cjra wrote:
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

I can only remember once that I did this - my MIL's 60th. I don't think
offending people was particularly the issue, as my attitude has always
been that if they can't handle a passing glimpse of my flesh between
T-shirt and baby then that's their problem. He was having regular
supplements of pumped milk at the time, partly to keep him used to the
bottle in preparation for me starting work and mainly because he was
quite underweight after all the problems we had with his tongue tie and
not getting it snipped early on. That was just his supplement for the
day. It was quite nice - meant I could pass him over to someone else
for long enough for me to use both hands to eat for a change. ;-)

Other than that, no way. Everything I pumped was either to supplement
him or for my freezer stash ready for me to go back to work. That was
important. Worrying about the delicate sensibilities of people who have
some sort of issue with breastfeeding was rather less important. As far
as I'm concerned, if someone thinks it's not too much trouble for me to
spend ages pumping, carry the milk around with me, and wash the bottle
when we get home, I think it's not too much trouble for them to avert
their eyes a few inches.


All the best,

Sarah
--
http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com

"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P. C. Hodgell

"cjra" wrote in message
ups.com...
Is there anyone here who does this?

I just wonder how common it is. On another board, someone had suggested
to avoid offending people by NIP, they pump and give a bottle when
they're out. Of course I said this was ludicrous, heck, one of the joys
of BF is that my boobs are portable and always ready! But I was shocked
by the number of people who said this is what they do.

I do, but only in certain situations. I go to church every Sunday, and I
don't feel comfortable breastfeeding her there. ABout 45 mins into the
service, she kicks off for food, and I want to to be able to soothe her
quickly, and still be able to concentrate, so I express a bottle that has
too much in for her so that I don't run out. I don't mind dumping a couple
of ounces if I do too much.

This week, I also did it when my parents-in-law visited. While their visit
was fantastic, our past releationship was rocky, and so I wasn't comfortable
NIP with them. At home, I could take her to the bedroom etc, but being out
was different. They were pleased she was getting BM and loved being able to
feed her as it was their first visit.

But to me, expressing to go out is ok. A lot of people aren't comfortable
NIP, and I can understand that - BFing should never be uncomfortable
emotionally,and if it is, find an alternative. Also, when you're in a mad
shopping.hurry, and trying to feed a newborn who fusses/messes about for
ages, it really isn't always practical (I know that might sound bad, but
let's face it, we all have those times when we wish they'd have just waited
an extra 10 minutes until we'd finished queueing in the supermarket!).When I
was first having BF issues, I expressed for the majority of feeds as it was
easier than struggling with a baby who didn't want to feed properly every
ten minutes, in public. I was embarrassed, stressed and uncomfortable. With
a 4oz bottle, I could do a quick dash round the supermarket etc, get her
home and try BFing again.

As for offending people, I can understand that too - yeah, boobs are
convenient, and I'm all in favour of being able to NIP, *but* I also realise
there are a few situations, like me at church, where I don't feel it
appropriate. There are a lot of elderly people there, and I respect that
they were brought up at a time where NIP wasn't done, and so they don't like
it. That's fair enough, and I don't want them and me to feel uncomfy -
therefore I express just before I go, meaning my boobs don't feel overfull.

Lucy