@zaysmomma, gotcha. thanks for the advice. I feel much better now!

No prob! If u want more of a supply just pump and pump😊

@kimberkatherine, that makes sense..i guess that's what I was asking is how pumping is a part of bf.

@zaysmomma thank you!

I'm a first time mom and I don't ever pump. I don't get anything out because I bf on demand so he gets it all. If u ebf ur ave super is 24 oz so unless u pump extra to trick ur boobs u prob won't get too much out either

I was told that it would be a good idea to pump after each feeding so that my milk supply would increase. I don't want to give my boy a bottle at least for his first 8 weeks of life in order to avoid nipple confusion but I'm going to freeze my milk because you never know. I know some mom's why randomly dried up after 6 or 7 more the of breastfeeding and didn't have anything frozen to keep giving their baby breast milk. Get the baby latching as soon as they put the baby on your chest for skin to skin after labor. It makes it so much easier. Don't get discouraged with breastfeeding either. It really hurts at first and it takes some getting used to. Baby eats sporadically for its first few weeks of life so just try to feed on demand.

If you give her the breast from the very beginning it shouldn't be an issue. If they try to give her a bottle in the hospital she will only use that latch. Make sure she latches to you only. When Macie was born her blood sugar was low so by their protocol they had to give her 10ml of formula and check again. It's their protocol so I couldn't say no but I told them they couldn't use a bottle, just a dropper. Which they had no problem with. Both my girls latched perfectly. And once you and her learn the latch, it shouldn't be a problem.

@babymaciesmomma, what if she has trouble latching? should I just tough it out and she will get it eventually? is there a point when a bottle becomes necessary?

That's good. That's what I'm going to do this time around with my son. With Macie, her dad didn't feel a bond and wanted to feed her with a bottle too, and I wanted him to bond with her but like I said, a lot of the time they'll prefer bottle. So this time I'm just sticking to breast. No bottles for the boy. Lol

Yea ur gonna run to the pump when ur baby is sleep n ur titts are heavy n full... I remember coming home from the hospital n couldn't for the life of me figure out why my Breast looked like a size Z lol build u a good stash so u can have ur Me time n someone else can feed

@babymaciesmomma, gotcha. I'd definitely like to stay away from bottles for as long as I can.

Well, I tried to have her in daycare and still breastfeed, so I'd send the milk with her to daycare but then she liked the faster flow of the bottles and stopped taking my breast. So I took her out of daycare and stopped giving her pumped milk all together, and she started breastfeeding again. Her appetite increased and I didn't need to pump anymore. If you don't want to give it to them in a bottle you can save it for when you first start to give them baby food and mix it with breast milk- that makes it easier on their tummies.

@fruitloop13 Then I'm sure you'll do fine. The first month is always a struggle because of the constant feedings and making sure baby is latching correctly and what not. Once you get the hang of it you will be able to get a routine down.

@babymaciesmomma, i love hearing that! definitely how I am hoping my experience will be. so when you did need to pump, because you were still full, did you store and use what you pumped? or continue with just your breast.

I am a housewife and this is my first baby so I have a LOT of time on my hands. I've spent most of my pregnancy napping with my dogs and watching tv so I am ready for a full time comitment. I definitely have the time, and hopefully the patience. it's something I really want to do. @karnamarie

With my first I never pumped. My milk came in just enough to supply her. With my second my boobs went crazy and even after feedings id be full so I'd pump immediately after feeding her. It was easy with both my girls though. Convenient to whip out a boob wherever we were instead of having to find water and make a bottle and warm it up and deal with dirty bottles. Breastfeeding rocks, in my opinion. :)

I'll be honest as a stay at home mom who bfed with a toddler it's hard to even go to the grocery store. You have to really be in tune and coordinate feedings with your everyday tasks. Even with breastfeeding and then pumping a little extra to help with getting through for a few hours without you you send one whole hour feedings, pumping and then storing.... Breastfeeding is a full time 24 hour job. It's very fulfilling and great if it comes easy to you. But. it's a lot of work