silly really me askng this. i know breast is best, but i am in 2 minds in what to do.

i did try once to breast feed my son 3 yrs ago now but non of us took to it, and really considering it this time round as im due in 3 wks but hopefully getting induced next week maybe.
i have brought a electric breast pump though this time round just incase we do not take to it again, but means pumping it out. this good still? i know for certain i will not feel confortable doing it in public only in my own home.

what do others think?

Do what's best for you and for your baby! See how you feel when baby is actually here, try breastfeeding again, if not try expressing, if not use bottles!

I think there is far too much pressure and nowhere near enough support for breastfeeding. I really struggled with my first, and now pregnant with my second, and am prepared to try again - i'm much more openminded this time round - but i also know that my son was only mixed fed for 7 weeks and there's nothing wrong with him so have no issue with mixed feeding again this time if it doesn't work!

good luck!

thank u

Im going to do a mix of both. My cousin breastfed on demand and although she found it a lovely bonding experience, she found that sometimes she spent the whole day feeding and it exhausted her. At 6 months she tried her baby on a bottle because she was finding it too exhausting but the baby wouldnt take it. My SIL struggled with breast feeding - her breast milk just didnt fill her baby - so does a mixture of expressing and then tops up with formula. Her baby is healthy and happy and getting the best of both worlds. Im going to do the same. I want to breastfeed because I know it will give my baby the best start, but I will express and bottle feed if it gets too hard. If my breast milk doesnt fulfil the baby then I will top up with formula. And, I intend to do it all guilt free!!!

I am hoping to BF as I successfully BFd DD for 9mths but am still keeping an openmind as to every baby being like every pregnancy and having their differences. Also don't know how easy it will be BFing with 21mth old DD wanting cuddles or to help so may end up mixing with bottles of top up feeds to enable sharing feeds.

hi!

my first dd was in special care for a few weeks and she only had expressed milk through a tube for the first few weeks, she would never latch on so i carried on expressing and bottle feeding her with that. after a few weeks at home expressing became too time consuming, and my milk supply dwindled so she went on to formula.

my 2nd latched on straight away and was breastfed for 6 months, with the occasional bottle of expressed milk from about 2 weeks. i intend to bf no 3 too, as i found it so much easier than formula.

every baby is different, this lo might take to it straight away. give it a try in hospital, get a midwife to come and sit with you and help you. alot of people think its just a 'natural thing' but it does take practice for mum and baby.

like the others say don't put too much pressure on yourself a happy mummy is the best thing for any baby. good luck x

I have breastfed my first 3 and plan to bf this one too. I really struggled with the first 2 but really wanted to do it and ended up bf my 3rd until she was over 2 years. Although I am really pro bf I believe that everyone should do what is right for them and their baby/rest of the family and not feel guilty about whatever they choose to do.

The only advice that I would give is that if you want to try breastfeeding, find some bf support before you have the baby so that you know where it is if you need it. Most trusts have breastfeeding support groups, peer supporters (mums who have bf themselves then had training to help others) and some specialist bf counsellors because a lot of us do struggle and need help!

If your breastmilk is not enough you need to put baby to breast more, not less, as your milk works on supply and demand. Each feed increases your milk supply.

I ebfed a 91st centile baby for 6 months. She's now 15 months and still breastfed. Honestly, once you get past the first 2 weeks it gets easier once you get past the magic 6 weeks its second nature.

BUT I'd srrongly recommend giving a bottle of expressed once a week at least, as mine won't entertain milk from anything other than me!

i really want to breastfeed and honestly think its best for the baby however its a personal decision and you have to do what works for you and your bubba. xx

I will be BFing this baby whatever it takes. I had the same attitude with my 1st and it was really hard at the beginning but if I didn't have such a determined attitude I would've given up.
In the end I BF for 14 months and the sense of achievement and pride that I'd conquered it was overwhelming and definitely worth enduring the tough early days for.
I think you should start as you mean to go on, it's too easy to give up if there isn't a bit of pressure - but that's my personal opinion and I know it isn't shared by everyone. (Obviously I do appreciate that if a baby isn't getting enough nutrition then something else has to happen.)

Mrs B xxx

I didn't know this was something people choose to do, I just assumed people only bottle fed if for some reason breastfeeding didn't work out. I imagine if you don't feel committed to doing it now then you probably won't once baby arrives. I never knew what all the fuss was about, as far as I was concerned as long as I had boobs my baby was getting them. I know everyone has different experiences though and you do what's best for you.