Feeding newborns - your stories please!

bogtotty

This topic may have been done to death already on boards, so apologies if I'm repeating what has been done before.

I'm planning on doing a piece of research into attitudes to infant feeding in Ireland and was hoping to get some preliminary opinions from the good folk of boards.ie.

My main questions are:

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?
Why did you choose that method?
If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).
If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
If you chose combined feeding, was it successful?
Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
How/when do you plan to wean your baby?

Thanks a million for any replies!

metrovelvet

I couldnt breastfeed so I formula fed. TBH I blame the breast feeding nazis in the hospital who made it a huge deal and ended up causing inhibitions.

littlebug

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?

Baby 1. Breastfed for 6 weeks then bottle
Baby 2. Breastfed for 7-8 months

Why did you choose that method?
Baby 1. I was undecided until she was born prematurely then I decided I had to try my best to give her the best start.
Baby2: Because it didn't work out so well with baby 1 I wanted it to work second time

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc). NA

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?

As with second question.Not sure what else...??

If you chose combined feeding, was it successful? NA

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Baby 1: Fed with expressed BM via ng tube for most of her first 3 weeks. After that I found "real" feeding very difficult. I couldn't find much info specifically breastfeeding a premature baby. She also had bad reflux with added to the difficulty but again. Unlike the previous poster I didn't feel pressurised and in fact was getting very conflicting advice.

Baby 2: No pressure in hospital but he took to feeding well. The only difficulty was getting him weaned after 7 months!

How/when do you plan to wean your baby?

NA

Ickle Magoo

My son was born prematurely and without a suck so he was originally fed witha naso-gastric tube then bottle-fed expressed breast milk for four months, supplemented with a special fattening-up formula as he wasn't gaining any weight.

My daughter was breastfed for just two weeks. I had awful cracked nipples and she was a chomper, tried shields, tried pumping (I'll never view pink milk in the same light again!) - and everything else my local LLL could think of - but when we weighed up the SPD, the 15month old I also had to care for and the agonising pain I was in whenever she was trying to feed, I gave up the ghost & went for formula.

I didn't really choose anything, I knew I wanted to breastfeed in the same way I wanted a water birth - and circumstances saw to it that that went out the window too! :rolleyes:

I've had difficulties with getting the kids to take all kinds of feeds - even solids! We've reflux, strikes, you name it! I didn't really wean them either, they weaned themselves. We waited until they showed an interest in foods & we went with that.

bogtotty

metrovelvet wrote: »

I couldnt breastfeed so I formula fed. TBH I blame the breast feeding nazis in the hospital who made it a huge deal and ended up causing inhibitions.

Seems a common theme amongst many new mums - promotion of official health message without any proper support to back it up. Any chance you could tell me a bit more about how they made you feel inhibited? I'll understand if it's a bit personal...

eviltwin

Hi. I have a 12 day old son so might be able to help

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?
Combined breast and formula feeding

Why did you choose that method?
Never tried breastfeeding with my daughter and wanted to try it this time but didnt want to be the sole person responsible for feeding the baby so decided to breast feed during the day and stick to formula at night and when we are out and about so daddy could help

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).
Dont like the idea of breastfeeding in public or in front of family/friends so its handy to have the bottles for when we are out and about, I also find the baby sleeps better during the night when he has had formula before bed

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
Just wanted to give it a go really. I dont have any real reasons for starting but its really helped me to lose weight so I'm definately going to stick with it

If you chose combined feeding, was it successful?
Yes, has gone like a dream. The medical staff in the hosptial were a bit unsure about me doing it so I only started when I came home but its worked wonders. He sleeps better after a bottle so its meant that we've been able to have very little sleepless nights and it gives dad a chance to feed him too

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Not really, just a few issues getting breast feeding established but our local health centre has a breast feeding counsellor we saw when he was a week old and she was a great help

How/when do you plan to wean your baby?
When he gets teeth!!

metrovelvet

bogtotty wrote: »

Seems a common theme amongst many new mums - promotion of official health message without any proper support to back it up. Any chance you could tell me a bit more about how they made you feel inhibited? I'll understand if it's a bit personal...

1. Pushing you into breastfeeding classes in the hospital after surgery when you cant walk and just want to sleep

2.standing over your shoulder with your garagnutan breasts hanging out readjusting your arms, fiddling with the baby's mouth, the baby looking up not knowing what the hell is going on. general intimidation towards mother and infant.

If they handed me a six pack of beer and let me sleep I probably would have relaxed enough to be able to do it. But no, they just added more pressure and stress to it.

run_Forrest_run

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?

Both babies delivered by c-section, the wife tried breatfeeding on the first but between the discomfort she was in from the section and exhaustion, pain, slow milk, pressure from the breast is best brigade/nazis we both agreed on bottle fed.

Why did you choose that method?
See above.

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).
Certainly not social reasons. Again, above says it all.

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Not with the first but the second baby (4 months old now) is a divil for messing with the bottle. His suck action seems non existent (but obviously not!). Could be the bottles we are using this time, Tommy Tippee (we used to use Avent but stopped due to the latest BPA scare/over-reaction!).

metrovelvet

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?

Both babies delivered by c-section, the wife tried breatfeeding on the first but between the discomfort she was in from the section and exhaustion, pain, slow milk, pressure from the breast is best brigade/nazis we both agreed on bottle fed.

Why did you choose that method?
See above.

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).
Certainly not social reasons. Again, above says it all.

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Not with the first but the second baby (4 months old now) is a divil for messing with the bottle. His suck action seems non existent (but obviously not!). Could be the bottles we are using this time, Tommy Tippee (we used to use Avent but stopped due to the latest BPA scare/over-reaction!).

I had exactly the same experience.

Nevyn

metrovelvet wrote: »

1. Pushing you into breastfeeding classes in the hospital after surgery when you cant walk and just want to sleep

2.standing over your shoulder with your garagnutan breasts hanging out readjusting your arms, fiddling with the baby's mouth, the baby looking up not knowing what the hell is going on. general intimidation towards mother and infant.

If they handed me a six pack of beer and let me sleep I probably would have relaxed enough to be able to do it. But no, they just added more pressure and stress to it.

Those American midwifes/nurses sound pretty awful.

Popel

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?
Breastfeeding, have recently started weaning her.

Why did you choose that method?
I wanted to give it a try in spite of all the stories about how tough it is.

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
I wanted to provide the most natural and healthiest option, if I could. I was open to using formula if it didnt work, but it did work, and I´m still waiting for the agonising pain that everyone talks about Found it completely easy, especially as I don´t like doing the dishes and havn´t had to deal with bottle-washing and sterilising.

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Well, she never took a bottle or a soother, which proved to be a difficulty when it comes to calming her down when crying, or giving her colic medicine (which had to be mixed with their milk in a bottle for half an hour before feeding:rolleyes:).

How/when do you plan to wean your baby?
I started weaning her at 5 months, to give some room before she has to eat food for iron. She took to it brilliantly, but we´re still taking it slowly enough for now. I want to keep my breastmilk as her main source of food still.

metrovelvet

Thaedydal wrote: »

Those American midwifes/nurses sound pretty awful.

They are. They stink.

Mrs.T

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?
Breastfed son for 27 months, currently breastfeeding 7 month old

Why did you choose that method?
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I never even considered formula.

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
Best for baby, best for me (after the initial difficulties), hayfever, asthma on husbands side, cost, it's always ready and at right temperature. I was determined to breastfeed, I didn't have formula just in case (although I did have a slight panic about that whilst in labour )

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
In the beginning I had bleeding nipples because latch wasn't good. PHN lack of knowledge about breastfeeding. The "experts" I met at the time didn't have a clue about the correct information regarding breastfeeding eg weight gain, the centile graphs being out of date, breastfed babies can go without pooing for nearly a week.etc etc. I found support from a breastfeeding forum on the internet or from friends who had breastfed. Never had a problem feeding in public or in front of everybody.
With daughter had a c-section. My only concern was if I could breastfeed. Midwives were fantastic helping me latch on when I couldn't move and get her out of crib because I wasn't allowed to pick her up the first few days.

How/when do you plan to wean your baby?
Weaned son at 5 months on baby rice because PHN advised us that he would then sleep through...... he never until 18 months! Found out about Baby Led Weaning and switched over straight away.
With daughter, we started a week before she was 6 months, again with Baby Led Weaning and she is loving feeding herself!

I have a fantastic husband who supports me along the way and is there with a cuddle after a long day/night, I think that is half the battle.

~me~

Was going to be starting college when baby was 6 weeks old (father minding her til creche would take her) so I decided it was best to bottle feed from the get go instead of messing around with alternative methods and getting her out of routine and stuff. I also didnt think i was healthy/strong enough to breastfeed, after a pregnancy of chronic morning sicknes and especially with the stresses of college etc.
It was also a more attractive method being honest, but that wasnt my main reason!

I found that the nurses were really bossy and pushy when it came to breastfeeding. they talked me through it on my first hospital visit and made me sign a form to say i was told about all the positives of breastfeeding.

it was on my notes that i wasnt going to breastfeed but straight after the birth the midwife told me to start feeding her, i said i wasnt planning to breastfeed and she kept saying give it a try until my partner sternly told her i didnt want to and she shouldnt pressure me to do so! i thought that was unacceptable because had i been on my own i wouldve given in to her even though its not what i wanted and women need to be comfortable in their decision before they start or else it will cause all kinds of problems for mother and baby.

my lil girl has some stomach problems and sometimes i find myself wondering if its cause i didnt breastfeed but the same could happen to a breastfed baby too, its luck of the draw really.

I weaned her at six months, and she was quite a hungry baby at that stage! we'd give her the baby rice and stuff but also the rusks to suck on and rice cakes as she got that bit older and even though she couldnt chew she could munch her way through them! now you can get this container that has loads of holes in it that you put fruit in so that the baby can suck the juices through it without the fear of her choking or anything! they're hard to explain but really good!

i think whatever the mother chooses is the best way to go because the mother has to be comfortable in her decision otherwise the baby is gonna pick up on her worries and feeding time wont be the relaxing bonding experience that it should be.

CeNedra

Hi,

I breast fed both my babies until they were 6 months.

Baby 1: I decided to give BF a go as my sister had done it for 6 weeks and managed. I decided I would try, but if it didn't work that was fine. I was very open minded about it and didn't appreciate having bf shoved down my throat at pre-natal classes/hospital visits etc.

My baby was very big and in hospital I was feeding her continuously. I was getting very very sore. My sister had almost got an infection due to bad latching on technique (she got no help whatsoever in hospital, midwives can be very pushy, but no follow through in some cases) so my mother basically started telling me to give baby a bottle so I wouldn't end up so sore like my sister.
When I asked for a bottle I was told no. I was giving in too easy. But I got my husband to follow another mother and find where they were. I gave the baby a bottle that night and the night after. Best thing ever as I spent most of the day with her latched on, so I got a break for a few hours at night. It kept me going. I didn't give the baby another bottle after that until she was almost 6 months.

This baby got her first bit of food at 5 months. Started on carrot and other veg. It went really well. She is still a great eater to this day (2.5yrs).

2nd Baby;
Decided to give the bf another go. Couldn't do it for one and not the other. Still sore at the beginning but not as bad.
I gave her a bottle for first two nights in hospital and like the other baby didn't give her another bottle until 6 months.
5 and half months she got first feed (sweet potato).
She is 9 months now and has very broad diet of fruit/veg and meat.
Food is all home cooking like the first. Major time investment.

To encourage BF I think the best way is make it as easy as possible.
Enourage the mother to give formula for first two nights and get a good night sleep. Yes I know the first few days are so important for 'bring in the right milk supply' but based on my experience, the baby spends so much time latched on, one bottle each day doesn't impact it. I had loads of milk. I know his can vary so a case by case approach should be taken.

I actually wish I had kept a bottle going and gave formula last feed every day. Spread the load between parents. Again, get sleep for the mother and a mother who is getting some sleep has a better chance of keeping BF going.

I think focusing education on the how in the hospital is key. My sister had an awful experience and could have given up bf. The midwives ignored her basically and she is a very quiet person. You need to be shown a few times how to get the latching on right. A book doesn't cover it. 5 mins doesn't cover it. Soreness turns people off and I think after giving birth and the soreness associated with that, adding soreness to bf is like adding insult to injury. I was very sore on 1st, I would compare my first week of BF like having glass pushed into my nipples. I was doing it wrong. I could have given up.

Anyway that's by 2cents worth. Best of luck with research.

Grawns

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?

Baby 1. Still brastfeeding, now 10 months


Why did you choose that method?
Baby 1. WHO recommendation also a history of allergies on both sides of family.

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc). NA

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
Research into multiple benefits



If you chose combined feeding, was it successful? NA

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Baby 1: Just in the hospital with ill-informed nurses. Left me to my own devices and baby slept too much and became jaundiced. At this stage I threw a proper freakout and insisted on expressing and the baby being cup fed. I did my research and lucky too as they were more dangerous than useful and no wonder so many women get cracked nipples through stupid nurses shoving the baby on to latch any old way.

My advice buy a proper breastfeeding book and read it beforehand. Latching shouldn't ever hurt. Hence never had a cracked nipple. Also buy a proper breastpump to ease engorgement. I went with the medela pump in style and got some habermann bottles for the odd bottle feed.



How/when do you plan to wean your baby?

Was going to do it at a year but might wait until winter over.

run_Forrest_run

Popel wrote: »

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
I wanted to provide the most natural and healthiest option, if I could. I was open to using formula if it didnt work, but it did work, and I´m still waiting for the agonising pain that everyone talks about

...
....
Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
Well, she never took a bottle or a soother, which proved to be a difficulty when it comes to calming her down when crying, or giving her colic medicine (which had to be mixed with their milk in a bottle for half an hour before feeding:rolleyes:).

I hope your comment above about the pain was just a simple little giggle and nothing sarcastic because sometimes the breastfeeding brigade are well able to be sarcastic which is one of the reasons why people in difficulty with breastfeeding just give up, it's a combination of ignorance on the part of the people pushing breastfeeding and pressure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought a baby doesn't get colic if being breast fed?? That may sound dumb but hey, I heard it on a video during ante-natal classes when they were plugging breastfeeding.

run_Forrest_run

Grawns wrote: »

Latching shouldn't ever hurt. Hence never had a cracked nipple. Also buy a proper breastpump to ease engorgement. I went with the medela pump in style and got some habermann bottles for the odd bottle feed.

what did the book say about the pain experienced by mothers who have had c-sections and it takes longer for the milk to arrive? I've seen some serious pain and discomfort (c'mon, there was even blood!). It was pretty tough going...and I'm just the father!

CeNedra

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

I hope your comment above about the pain was just a simple little giggle and nothing sarcastic because sometimes the breastfeeding brigade are well able to be sarcastic which is one of the reasons why people in difficulty with breastfeeding just give up, it's a combination of ignorance on the part of the people pushing breastfeeding and pressure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought a baby doesn't get colic if being breast fed?? That may sound dumb but hey, I heard it on a video during ante-natal classes when they were plugging breastfeeding.

Both my babies had colic. Tried all remedies and none really worked, they just grew out of it. Besides 2 bottles in hospital they were 100% BF from breast. No bottles. I called LL league, got zero help. Just had to ride the storm.

run_Forrest_run

CeNedra wrote: »

Both my babies had colic. Tried all remedies and none really worked, they just grew out of it. Besides 2 bottles in hospital they were 100% BF from breast. No bottles. I called LL league, got zero help. Just had to ride the storm.

thanks for that info, another myth from LL league so.

metrovelvet

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

what did the book say about the pain experienced by mothers who have had c-sections and it takes longer for the milk to arrive? I've seen some serious pain and discomfort (c'mon, there was even blood!). It was pretty tough going...and I'm just the father!

I think this happens [happened to me] because when you give birth theres a huge hormonal release which "lets your body know" that the baby has been born and so your body knows it has to feed soon. The minute babies are born through natural birth and given to the mother they start rooting. THis doesnt happen with c sections. You dont have the hormonal release and the baby doesnt really know its been born and it doesnt start rooting, so you have a whole chain of events there.

bogtotty

Thanks a million everyone for your replies so far - throwing up some really interesting experiences, especially about the effects of bf-'pushing'! This kind of stuff is great preparation for me when I head out into the 'real world' - keep 'em coming!

~me~

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought a baby doesn't get colic if being breast fed?? That may sound dumb but hey, I heard it on a video during ante-natal classes when they were plugging breastfeeding.

babies who are breastfed are less likely to get it, one reason being that with the bottles they suck in alot of air, especially with the old types of teats.

but they can get it if they're breastfed as well. afaik if the mother takes dairy then the baby can get it really bad.

Grawns

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

what did the book say about the pain experienced by mothers who have had c-sections and it takes longer for the milk to arrive? I've seen some serious pain and discomfort (c'mon, there was even blood!). It was pretty tough going...and I'm just the father!

I had a section too but my milk came in more or less immediately. The pain and discomfort of breastfeeding is avoidable or minimal if proper instruction is given whether by research or an experienced teacher. First timers are helpless in the hosp and at the mercy of well meaning but overworked and underexperienced nurses. My mother didn't breastfeed and most of her peers didn't so there are not many many people to turn too. The nurses were worse then useless as their instructions were wrong.

Grawns

~me~ wrote: »

babies who are breastfed are less likely to get it, one reason being that with the bottles they suck in alot of air, especially with the old types of teats.

but they can get it if they're breastfed as well. afaik if the mother takes dairy then the baby can get it really bad.

Yes babies who are breastfed can get colic ::( It went away overnight at 4 months though.

Grawns

metrovelvet wrote: »

I think this happens [happened to me] because when you give birth theres a huge hormonal release which "lets your body know" that the baby has been born and so your body knows it has to feed soon. The minute babies are born through natural birth and given to the mother they start rooting. THis doesnt happen with c sections. You dont have the hormonal release and the baby doesnt really know its been born and it doesnt start rooting, so you have a whole chain of events there.

Not my experience of a section like I said milk came in more or less immediately and she knew what a nipple was like magic.

One note about breastfeeding that comes to mind. Most first timers are not aware that they are far more likely to get jaundiced babies as the baby has to work hard to get the colustrum whereas bottlefed babies are getting lots of liquids. This is when the switch to bottlefeeding can occur.

littlebug

+1 about some midwives not knowing what they're talking about re breastfeeding. There again sometimes the baby just doesn't latch properly and it is really hard to get them to do it right.... they haven't read the books . I had cracked nipples within 5 seconds of my son latching on for the first time Really there wasn't a lot anyone could have done to prevent that.
That said I do think there is waaayyy more scope for better information and guidance more tailored to individual circumstances e.g feeding after having a section, feeding a premature baby, feeding a baby with reflux, breastfeeding a baby with colic etc.
I pretty much got all my information on the internet as I encountered problems and there were plenty of problems. I never once considered breastfeeding easy... like others I just rode the storm.

metrovelvet

I had "breastfeeding consultants". The midwives in the US dont do it. The hospital hires specialists to terrorise you.

Ickle Magoo

Grawns wrote: »

The pain and discomfort of breastfeeding is avoidable or minimal if proper instruction is given whether by research or an experienced teacher.

Soooooooo not true! I am close friends with several women who have tried in vain to bf through the pain barrier and had to claim defeat, other friends have found bf a doddle or not too painful & sometimes it even varies between pregnancies - please don't write off anyone else's experiences as general ignorance. I had a lactation consultant and an army of LLL peoples trying to work out what was going wrong, it was just not working at all - yet I pumped for my son for months without issue, go figure?!

Kimono-Girl

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?
Breast milk in a bottle for 3 weeks then switched to formula...

Why did you choose that method?
wanted to feed by breast milk (even though it was constantly being pushed to me by maternity staff to point i was annoyed..) but the baby wouldn't suck so in the end had to use the bottle. (much to the annoyance of nurses!
If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).
switched to formula around 3 weeks when BM dried up on me despite using an electric pump.
If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?
My partner wanted me to try it.

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?
1. she wouldnt suck as a newborn she would wait for the milk to come to her so in the end i request to bottlefeed her breast milk.
2. we started her on aptimal 1 (original) and she got very constipated and suffered bad heartburn, so we switched to aptimal easy digest and all problems resolved.

How/when do you plan to wean your baby
she is almost 5 months so we decided to try her and see how she gets on with our food!she now eats mashed potatoes with gravy (we blitzed them less and less each week)and liga biscuits (we tried but she never liked the baby food in jars or boxes.) we didnt intend on giving her solids so soon but she used chew hard on ginger biscuits until she broke them, (given to her for her teething,) tried her with liga (it melts in her mouth with all that extra drool)and she holds and chews half a biscuit no problem!

smelltheglove

How do/did you feed your newborn baby?

Bottle fed both

Why did you choose that method?

Tried breast feeding first and it didnt work

If you chose formula, were there particular reasons you didn't breastfeed (medical, emotional, social etc).

Painful, baby didnt seem to be getting anything, I kept trying under pressure from nurses but there was no luck even with expressing so after a few days I gave in to bottles.

If you chose to breastfeed, what assisted your decision?

I just wanted to ensure I gave my baby the best

If you chose combined feeding, was it successful?

Whichever method of feeding you chose, have you encountered any difficulties?

First child seemed to have intolerance so tried every formula on the market, in the end she had an under developed diaghphram which caused her problems rather than the milk / colic.

How/when do you plan to wean your baby?

Both were at the one year mark



On the note above about the diaghphram, I notice there are a few mentioning colic etc so thought Id add this in. My first suffered terrible, was constantly crying, constantly getting sick after bottles, we went through at least 3 towels a day, and I dont mean burb towels, I mean bath towels. First the doctor thought colic, tried various remedies to no avail, then thought intolerance to formula so tried everyone on the market, when even gaviscon wasnt working we were sent to the hospital. She had a check with a specialist doctor there who pretty quickly diagnosed her with an underdeveloped diaghphram allowing everything to come straight up. Strange I know, but he did say 1 in 10 girls are born with a slight case and she was just more severe than some, it closes over time usually by the 10 months mark. Strangely enough the second child had pretty similar symptoms though not quite as bad, the only girls in the family and the only babies to get so sick after a bottle.