breastfeeding & feeding questions

[sadies93]

I am still undecided if i want to breastfeed. My main concern is that i was told if i breastfeed then i really have to watch what i eat more so than normal or while pregnant, is this true?

also i know your supposed to breatfeed or formula feed till baby is 5-6mo old but how does this work like do you just start feeding whole foods starting with cereal and still give them formula or breast milk or at 5-6mo old do you stop compleltly and just give whole food.

I know these questions might sound dumb to some people but im completely serious. Im 15wks along so i have plenty of time to learn but im afraid once baby is here that i wont know what to do if i dont start preparing now. Ive never been around a child under 12mo old before so i dont have experience with babies.

Thanks for all help

[hansen20]

when you feed the baby it should be anywhere from 10-20 minutes on each breast. another way to know your baby is getting enough is if he/she has alot of wet diapers also your baby might also only take a bowl movement once or twice a week and the smell there is not much like formula fed babies. and when they have a bowl movement like that once or twice a week its normal for that. if your baby is really sleepy and cant get them to wake up take their clothes off that way they are awake really good. if your have a vaginal birth or not try to do the skin to skin contact its really good bonding and it can also regulate their body temp too. i did that after my c-section and the doctors loved how i did the skin to skin contact.

[lilpollywog]

You are typically gonna pump less than what the baby will get by feeding, guess that's because that's nature's design.  But the baby will stop when it is full and will cry when hungry.  Babies typically cry for three reasons:  hunger, need changed, or cold.  I always changed mine first to make sure that wasnt why they were upset and that they were really hungry.  It ended up being anywhere from 2-4 hours.  Both of mine would nurse for 10 -15 minutes on each side but my daughter would fall asleep.  We finally had to start taking her clothes off to eat because they get warm and cozy and sleep more than they eat...so you basically become a glorified pacifier.  Good luck!

[steph_ut]

Babies are remarkable - even at a very young age, they self-regulate, looking for food when hungry and stopping when full. The only real concern is if your baby is not gaining weight as expected, but your doctor will tell you if s/he is concerned and it's amazing how accurate our mommy instincts can be, even if before birth we feel we don't have any (that was me!).

[MamaBear0612]

Type into google "online breastfeeding class" and you'll see some options...if you can't go to the class, maybe the class can come to you. You might also ask your OB, mine offers one through the hospital where I'm delivering, and also one of the OBs at their practice holds classes there at their office.

[Nocturnally]

Wow, this is all so helpful for me too! I had the same questions. But if anyone could answer this, how do you know when babies full or how much theyre being fed? I suppose by pumping the milk?

[hansen20]

i breastfed both of my kids=) and i plan to do so with this one. all i did was not to eat that much acid things and soda too and my babies were perfectly fine. it helps also to reduce the risk of having breast cancer too besides losing weight, and great for baby and helps get the jaundice out of the baby and help the baby not be over weight when he/she gets older. oh ya and like the other ladies said avoid spicy foods too=). with the formula i know that the doctors recommend that waiting every 3 hours if its formula, when its breast milk it could be when ever the baby cries and you dont have to wait that long. with my son i breastfed him for 1 year and 1 week after his b-day even though he had all of his teeth in at 10 months old=) and with my daughter i stopped when she was 4 months because i felt like i was not giving her much.

[Riot_Queen]

I 100% recommend breastfeeding!! I breastfed both my kids and plan to breastfeed our newest addition when she is born!

Breastfeeding burns calories all on it's own, so you lose that baby weight FAST!! It also helps contract your uterus so your womanly "stuff" goes back to normal much faster.

They say you're supposed to eat blandly while breastfeeding, but I'll let you in on a little hint- I never did and my diet consists of mostly spicey food, and neither of my babies seemed affected by it.

You can breastfeed as long or as little as you wish. They say the most important is the first 6 weeks, but I set my goals to at least 6 months but prefered to try to make it to 12. I breastfed my daughter for 8 months, and the only reason why I stopped was because I got pregnant with my son when my daughter was 4 months and my body was having a hard time supplying nutrients to both of my babies. But I breastfed my son for 13 months before I really had to stop him because he was too old, and the biting wasn't good on my tah tahs. lol.

Breast milk is the healthiest for your baby. It reduces the risk of colic, it's better for babies with reflux (my son had both) and it helps jaundice (which my son also had when he was born).

[sadies93]

All of you have been so helpful, thank you

[lilpollywog]

People will tell you to avoid eating spicy foods and foods that give you gas because the baby's tummy hasnt processed that yet.    I ate whatever I wanted though because my thought was their tummy is gonna have to handle it sometime, might as well be gradually.  Your pediatrician will tell you when and how to add solids.  I breastfed with both of my kids and plan on it again with this one.  It's much easier to roll over at 4am and nurse than to walk to the kitchen and make a bottle.  Plus, it's always the right temperature, less mess, more bonding, and they get the exact nutrients they need for their stage of development.  Plus, when you are sick the antibodies you are producing are passed straight to the baby.  And formula spit up it disgusting, breastmilk has a very mild smell.  Good luck and best wishes!

[kfrasher]

Forgot to add, you continue the breastmilk or formula while adding in the solids...you will do either one until the baby is a year old..then you will switch to whole milk if formula feeding or if you decide to wean baby from breast..;-)

[kfrasher]

For the first 4 months you will either breastfeed or formula feed exclusively..around 4 to 6 months you will start to add solids to their daily feeding, starting with cereal as the first solid..at 6 to 8 months you will start adding fruits n veggies to their diet..after 8 months you can start adding cheerios, little puffs( made by Gerber) or any soft food the baby can gum..also start adding meats........I've breastfeed n formula feed and there are good points to both ways...I recommend tryin.g breastfeeding first b4 you would decide on formula...;-) best wishes..

[cminamyer]

Your hospital will should have some kind of newborn class that can teach you your basics and you babies pediatrician will be a great source of information when you have the baby.  Your baby will go to the pediatrician at 2 weeks of age and then 2mos, 6mos, 9mos then a year.  You will either feed your baby formula or breast milk for a whole year until they can start to have cows milk.  If you breast feed you won't give your baby anything else until 6 months and if you formula feed you might start to introduce foods a little earlier.  When you breast feed you don't have to watch your diet anymore then you would if you were pregnant.  You'll actually be let up some and will be able to eat more as long as your baby can handle it.  I myself could eat whatever I wanted and it didn't affect my babies, they have no allergies of any kind.  But a friend of mine had to cut out dairy completely because her baby couldn't handle it, so you'll just have to wait and see.  

Honestly if you can breastfeed it is the best thing you can do for your baby!  It's difficult at first but gets WAY easier the more you do it.  If's better for you as well it will help you lose your baby weight faster, reduces your chance of breast cancer and many other benefits.  You won't have to worry about bottles and it's FREE!!!  Formula gets VERY expensive and isn't nearly as good for your baby as breast milk. (don't get me wrong, it's not bad for your baby, it's just not as good)

[mom2jesi]

Get on Amazon.com and order The Complete Book of Breastfeeding.  It is very informative!  I read it and went on to nurse all 4 of mine for a year each.  Don't stress about diet too much, the main thing is you actually need more calories than when you are pregnant.   I never noticed anything I ate bothering my babies.   Good luck!

[sadies93]

I have looked into parenting classes and because i live in a very small community, there isnt any parenting classes.for an hour and a half away and i cant afford that. I tried signing ip for a college class called parenting: disipline and basics that covered a wide range of parenting stuff but they wouldnt let me take it

[parkersmommy]

Other than making sure you are careful about drinking alcohol and breastfeeding and if the baby is allergic to anything you can't have that nothing huge diet wise to switch. And babies start baby cereal and baby food at about 5-6 months but no they continue formula or breast milk until 1

[louieforlaughs]

hi!
i would absolutely suggest a prenatal class to you. look around and see what your community offers.
i haven't heard of any major things you need to change diet wise. just remember whatever you eat affects your milk, flavor too. you should be able to do a google search on something like this.
some women breast feed until their children are much older than six months, i've heard of doing it until they are 2, or 3 or even 5 sometimes. personally my son was off by the age of one. at 6 months we introduced cereal and worked our way up, bananas, beans, applesauce and then to cheerios and cookies and such. and then adding more textured things. again, you can look this stuff up more on the web.
i would suggest going to the library or book store and getting a parenting book. its good to have on hand.
a lot of this is instincts too. follow your gut instinct and be practical.
enjoy your pregnancy.