Here I am about to be a 4th time mom at 38 and I really have no clue about breastfeeding. I only want to part time breastfeed. Is that even an option? I'm usually in a rush when I'm out and doing 50 things and I know it just wouldn't work. Anyway, I'd love advice on pumping, part time feeding or whatever other tips or advice you can send me way. - Cindy
Answer
You can eventually pump and feed or have an occasional bottle of formula. But at the the beginning, you have to nurse lots. Your body only makes what it needs and sometimes just barely that. I know I nursed Katy exclusively for six months and when I weaned her, I dried up in like one day. Some women make tons of milk and could feed the neighborhood. Some women are in danger of drying up totally if they miss just a couple of feedings.
Breastfeeding in public doesn't have to be hard. You can get a sling, put the baby in the sling, hook him up and have both of your hands free. - Leighann
I originally intended on feeding my daughter "part time" as well, because I was going back to college. I froze my breast milk for a few months and trained her on a bottle with it. So, wouldn't you know it, a week before I went back to school she started refusing the bottle! So I had to continue to pump my milk, then rush home from school to breastfeed her. While I was in class, my mom would feed her the breast milk from either a baby spoon or teensy bits at a time from a cup.
I say just be prepared for anything. It could work out fine, it could work out the way it did for me, or it could work out that she'll favor the bottle and refuse the breast. It's all up to the babe.
As for pumping, that was kind of hard. WIC had loaned me a really nice electric pump, but it made me too sore. I ended up using a hand-held pump, but it still made me a bit sore. Lansinoh helped, but not much. I think the frozen breast milk lasts up to 6 months, but you'd want to check to be sure. - Marcia
It is doable, but it is actually harder than just nursing straight from the tap. Even if you don't pump and use formula for the daytime feedings, you still have to sterilize bottles and make formula. But, it is doable. The first thing I would advise is to nurse exclusively for the first month at least (some people advise 6 weeks). You can really do damage to your supply if you try to supplement too early. It's strictly supply and demand. - Paula