Breastfeeding and pumping question??

Hey ladies:) 30 weeks preggo and i have a quick question about breastfeeding. I plan on breastfeeding and hope that everything turns out well.  I was wondering if any of you pumped successfully to have bottles ready at night? I was talking to my mother in law who talked to friends and she says that i basically will have to get up all the time and do all the work and that pumping isn't going to work.  I mean i won't be working for awhile so i have to feed him myself but i don't want him to be spoiled on breastfeeding.  Is it possible that i pump for some night feedings??? What have you all done?? THANKS SO MUCH! :)

[mum2beagain]

You can begin pumping and freezing milk for when you go back to work after a couple of weeks and can start to introduce the ocasional bottle after about 4 weeks so your baby will get used to the bottle. Don't however skip breastfeeds and give a bottle during the night for two reasons; firstly it is during the night when we are resting that our prolactin levels peak (prolactin is the hormone that makes our bodies produce milk for our babies) and by nursing during the night you will be helping increase your milk supply to your babies demands, to skip these feddings may result in a drop in milk and a hungry baby and you may end up having to suplement with formula. The other reason is you will find you become engorged if you skip a feed and don't pump instead, this will leave you with painful, leaking breast and may possibly lead to blocked milk ducts and maybe even an infection such as mastitis. Once your baby gets a bit older and your milk suppy is well established you could possibly give a bottle at night, but by that time your baby will probably be sleeping longer anyway.
I bottle fed my first and breastfeed my second and beleive me it is much easier to breastfeed at night, you can just lay down and latch baby on and dose while they feed, there is no going to get bottles, warming them and sitting up and saying alert whilst you give the bottle.

Best wishes on the rest of your pregnancy and good luck with breastfeeding.

[AnnieBrooke]

I have also heard that you can pump one side when breastfeeding the baby on the other, to build up a supply of breast milk in yourself and for the freezer. It helps bring in your milk and it is handy to have extra available for whatever reason.  There are good freezer packets you can get for storing breast milk.  

[Liza55]

Wait, spoiled on breastfeeding? I don't understand the comment.
If you want to have extra bottles, then you must pump in between baby's normal feedings. I fed every 11/2-2 hrs round the clock, so didn't have too much extra time for pumping until about 12 weeks when she could go longer spans of time.
If you really want a bottle at one of the night feedings you could also substitute one bottle of formula for that feeding.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

I used to get up about an hour before I expected my ds to get up and I would pump, then eat a huge breakfast and then I would nurse him after he got up.  I only gave bottles when I was working away from my home office, never used it to avoid the night time feeding.  I personally find it easier to nurse in the middle of the night than prepare a bottle.  My dh would change and burp the baby for me so I could go right back to sleep.

You cannot spoil a baby by breastfeeding him/her.  That's what breasts are for, nursing is a wonderful, sweet bonding thing for mother and child.  Yes the baby will want to nurse rather than take a bottle as he will love the feel of your skin against his cheek.

Don't listen to your MIL, my guess is that she was not a nurser.  My MIL nursed for about a month with each child and her advice was irrelevant.  Talk to friends who nursed successfully, call a lactation expert, call the LaLeche League.  Get up to date info, not second hand "my friends say" stuff.

[BusyMom92960206]

I started pumping when DD was 4 days old, to help with milk supply and to have some "in stock".  She is three weeks old today and I pump and breastfeed.  I will feed her and then about 1 hour later, pump, get about 3 ozs or so and then feed her again on demand.  This works out fine for us....so I wouldn't get discouraged by what people tell you, it is possible and you do NOT have to wait until you go back to work.  

[Christieanna19]

hey ladies! thanks a lot! the freezing the milk in the fridge for when I go back to school is something i forgot completely about.  Also the idea that I would breast feed and my DH would change and burp him was a good one too:) i was afraid that my dh would not get as much bonding time with our son and that i would be doing all the work lol!!!

ps what i meant by "spoiled on breastfeeding" lol is that i didn't want him to become so attached to breastfeeding to the point where he wouldn't take a bottle in case i couldn't be there.  I have had friends who nursed non stop that when they finally needed to go to work their babies would stop eating

thanks again!