Nursing Vs. Pumping..

Research is a great tool, but I think you should listen to your instincts here. You seem to want to give your sweet little girl a bottle at least sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with that! If you'd like to do it, do it! As long as she is getting her nourishment, and plenty of bonding time with her mama- does it really matter? Especially since you're talking about pumped milk.

At this point she's eating solids, and becoming an independent, curious girl, right? Learning to crawl and stand up and all sorts of cool stuff. Do what feels right for you both, not what anyone else thinks is right. (Even your family.) YOU are the mama!

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There is so much more to nursing than just meeting your baby's nutritional needs. For one, babies suck differently from a breast than they do from a bottle and that affects their jaw formation. I've heard dentists say they can tell whether a child has been breastfed or bottle fed from that factor. Maybe you can talk to a lactation consultant to get find out some of the other factors. I think the person who said listen to your instincts said it best!

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I think it's great that you have been exclusively breastfeeding up until this point. I have done the same with my 9 month old son. I think it is absolutely fine for someone to give her breast milk in a bottle while you are at work. Although I would suggest introducing a sippy cup instead since she is old enough to start using one anyway. She can learn to drink the milk out of the sippy cup pretty quickly. My son really likes the Munchkin and Nuby brands and drinks his water out of them with his solid meals. I'm guessing your daughter is taking 2 or 3 solids meals a day at this point too, so she probably needs only enough milk for a few breast feedings while you are at work. Don't feel guilty, you are giving her the best nutrition and she will benefit equally whether it is out of the breast or bottle/sippy cup.

For some concrete information on this you can look at the website http://www.kellymom.com. I love this website because it is so full of useful information that I have not found elsewhere and it was started by a breastfeeding mom.

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I think the biggest benefit of breastfeeding, aside from the milk itself, is the connecting/bonding you do with your baby. 2 things to consider in your case. 1) your baby is probably eating solid foods now. So, she is getting a more varied diet and not solely relying on your breast milk. 2) you really need to do what makes sense for you. Most moms who go back to work and decide to pump will breastfeed when they are home and put expressed breast milk in bottles for the baby during the day. It is a wonderful way for your baby to bond with your partner, grandparents, and other adult caregivers, or siblings even!

I understand the pressure you feel. I'm sorry you feel as though you have to prove it to them. You may want to contact a lactation consultant or your doctor (OB or Pediatrician) for the "official" resources you seek. Outside of that, I'd say that you present your case with YOUR thought out logic.

Best of luck to you!!

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hinoopur;

i have to tell you that your posting was so beautiful. what a devoted, knowledgeable mom you are!

here's my thoughts on pumping and nursing etc; my experience is that my son is 3 yr old and my daughter is 20 months; i nursed my son right thru my pgncy with my daughter, on until he was turning 3, and i am still nursing my daughter. i never used formula, ever. i did try to give my son a bottle for a couple of weeks just to have my husband help me but the pumping turned into a disaster; i did not go back to work so i didn't have to use the bottle. but what i learned in the process was this;

you don't have to give the baby a bottle at all! i think that bottles and pumping can really get in the way. because if you pump you have to buy one, and they are expensive, or rent one, which is the best way because the Hospital Grade pumps, like the Medela Classic, are much more effective (i used to get out 8-10oz! which i then ended up throwing away because my son hated the bottle), and, once you introduce a bottle, you run the risk of the baby preferring the faster flow which is actually not that good for them. they can start spitting up and throwing up from too much milk too fast and too much air. then the feeding turns out to be a waste. also you have to clean the pump and bottles all the time, and that's a hassel.

but at your baby's age, you can skip all this, and just start introducing foods. both my kids started eating large chunks of fruit that they could hold and suck on like melon and peeled apple and banana, and they also had sweet potato and chewey bagels which they loved on thier gums, and avocado and even a bit of boiled or broiled chicken and turkey. you can use traditional cereal if the baby likes it. mine bot were eating food before 6 months but certainly by 6-8 months it is totally safe.

you can also start to give the baby a little water in a straw cup; a strong baby with good sucking can learn to use a straw cup easily; give her the water after she's tried some moist fruits so that she gets hydrated that way and doesn't fill up on water. but you can also give her pumped milk, if you decide to pump, in the straw cup!

depending on how long your work day is, this may work well for you. it could take a couple of weeks for your body to readjust to the new nursing schedule but it will happen; make sure you give the baby a big nurse before you leave and right away when you come home at the end. also, don't be surprised if she starts waking up more at night to nurse, because she will miss you during the day and will be very aware of you at night.

good luck!

J.

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Congrats on still being able to breastfeed for as long as you are. My baby never was able to latch up, but I was able to pump and give her my breastmilk for the first 2 months as it was what was inside the bottle that matters the most, not how I gave it to her.

If you do go to bottle, make sure you store & heat properly.
Pump when you would be nursing and nurse when you can to sustain your milk supply. I purchased breast milk storage bags that you can freeze your milk in, make sure you cool it if you freeze it. The actual bottles that you use, you'd want to look into those that are BPA-free if you're heating up in a bottle-warmer.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

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i commend you for your determination in doing the best for your daughter!

for your specific question, there are emotional benefits to actually nursing vs bottle feeding breastmilk. the human body contact has been shown to be very beneficial for a baby. obviously, there is a certain amount of bonding that wont be the same for bottle feeding(i can atest to this since i only bottle fed #1 and only breastfeed #2). there are some benefits but when thinking about the true benefits of breastfeeding i.e. the milk, no i would say there are no health benefits.

the problem lies in your milk production. nothing can truly replicate a nursing baby so many moms face milk supply issues, which spiral into a cycle of thinking she doesnt make enough, so she supplements, now her body doesnt realize he needs more, so she supplements more to satisfy. for you specific circumstance, is it possible to come home just once in the middle of the day to help with supply? then bottle feed the rest?

i would say, make sure you pump enough at work, maybe try to go home in the middle of the day for a feeding if possible. but whether you do that or not, the body is an amazing thing. feed her in the morning, feed her as soon as you get home, and in the evenings. your body will then adjust to the day. i would also highly recommend you nursing only on your days off. your body will realize the need and adjust. the only way to protect your milk is to nurse her as much as possible when with her. as long as you feed her breastmilk, you are doing the best. good luck

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While I do not believe in nursing out of guilt, I will say that I highly suggest doing all you can to continue to feed your daughter breast milk either by nursing or through a bottle. The main thing is to pump when you would nurse and nurse when you can so that your supply can stay up. Other than that there is no reason she can't take a bottle of breast milk. She is still getting the best nourishment.

I have a friend who wanted to nurse but things happened after the baby was born and the hospital really dropped the ball I feel on getting her right on board with it. By the time people started trying to help her, she already didn't have much of a supply and I think depression might have kept her from pulling out all the stops to try to get her supply back up. Her baby was put on formula and it has been horrible. He has horrible reflux, stomach issuess. They've changed formulas a few times some of which were ungodly expensive. The baby has had to have tests done which I cannot imagine having to go through with them.

Don't feel bad about giving your baby a bottle of breast milk. The best thing is what's inside it! :)

L.

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Maybe these websites will help. http://www.exclusivelypumping.com/
http://www.workandpump.com/
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-pumping.html

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Like other moms said, it's truly the breastmilk that has the nutritional benefits, not the method of feeding. My family places a lot of pressure on me too, and all of my friends are breastfeeders too. In this highly critical competitive world, it's hard to feel like we are making any choices about parenting that are truly our own.

I have to work and can't leave during the day to nurse. So I went with second best - pumping when away and nursing when together. And when I started to be miserable pumping and resenting the time it takes to plan/do/clean/store/prepare, I went with my alternate second best option - formula at daycare and nursing when together. And when I needed sleep and nursing was not promoting sleep because it wasn't holding my daughter over for long enough, I stopped. I was very sad to be done. But now I'm happier - and that has made me an infinitely better mom.

My point is, even those of us who are totally pro-nursing and anti-anything else have to remind ourselves of the old adage: if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. And if you would like to switch your daughter to a bottle and your family balks, just remind yourself that YOU are the parent, YOUR happiness matters, and whatever you decide will be the absolute best for your daughter, I'm sure of it!!

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Hi,

I breastfed my daughter for 1 year and now I'm breastfeeding my 5 1/2 month old son. There really aren't any cons to pumping, with the exception of making the time during work. I found that when I work I typically only had to pump once during the work day. Bring icepacks with you and store the milk in the fridge until you get home and if you have extra over time, start freezing your supply. It will stay good for about 3 months in the freezer.

There's never any cons to breastmilk only PROS !!!!!
Hope this helps and good luck

A little about me:

I'm 40 and the mom of a beautiful 2 1/2 year old girl and adorable 5 1/2 month old son. Life is great !!!!

Hi,

I nurse and pump and have from day 1. Not by choice, I had to pump when my baby was born, but it worked out to a great advantage. My daughter, now 9 months, nurses and will take a bottle.

I still pump becuase when I have to go into the office, my husband needs to feed her. It is also often more convenient to have a bottle ready rather than nurse her. THe other advantage is that my husband also gets to feed her which is a great father daughter bonding experience.

My only thought is that from my resarch, make sure you do spend time nursing. OUr bodies can actually tell from the babies saliva what nutrients / fat content to have int eh milk we are producing.

Good luck!!

I am going back to work and pumping so my daughter can have bottles while I'm away. I found La Leche League web site and Baby Center to be helpful. Good luck.

Your baby already experienced the enhanced bonding some feel comes from breastfeeding vs. the bottle, so do what works best for you. You have received lots of good advice and opinions.

If you can pump 2-3x a day while at work, with a good pump (like the Medela), you should be able to maintain your milk supply at the current level - just make sure you don't change your diet (inc. what/how much you drink) while you're working, because this affects supply too. Breastmilk has the same nutrition whether it comes from the source or from a bottle (although some feel some is lost if you heat the milk in the microwave).

As other mom's have said, you could introduce the sippy cup instead of a bottle, and you could supplement her diet with more food instead of/along with pumped breast milk. Increasing food intake into her diet will decrease your milk supply because it will decrease her demand for milk.

Good luck, do what makes sense to you - that is never wrong!

I went back to work when my daughter was 4 months, pumped and supplemented with the occasional formula bottle. I think we started introducing food around 6 months, then around 9 months I was busy with work travel, which both affected my milk supply because I could pump less often and didn't eat as well (and flew - which is dehydrating) - and got my daughter more used to the fast flow of the bottle. At 10 months, I came home from a business trip and she weaned herself, she decided it was easier to drink from the bottle than from me. It was a little sad knowing the breastfeeding was over, but I know she got a great start for those first 10 months (and I was free from the pump!!).

there is nothing wrong with using the bottle. in fact it is a blessing when the baby can nurse and feed with a bottle. some babies flatly refuse one or the other. even without going back to work, it is important that she uses the bottle because what if you are in a situation where you just cannot be there to nurse? there are no cons, only pros in my book. at the end of the day you and baby will still be able to bond by nursing. all will be well.

first time mothering always has questions and concerns but the good news is, the babies always do well.

Pumping makes it a lot harder to keep up your milk supply.

I never did it personally but I worked doing new parent support at the local Navy base and met a mom of 3 who never ever breast fed one:one but always pumped, put it in bottles, and gave them breast milk that way. They still get the good nutrition, just lose the close physical contact. Good luck.

I have been pumping for almost 9 months (I had trouble in the beginning with breastfeeding - but no trouble with pumping) and have had no problems. A friend of mine that works for WIC and also is a Lactation Consultant said that babies who receive breastmilk via a bottle receive all the same health benefits as a child who receives breastmilk directly from the breast. I have gotten my pumping down to three times a day - right a way in the morning - again in the afternoon - and right before bed time. I have learned that my limit is about 9 to 9 1/2 hours in between pumping - though it took me until about 5 months to get to that point.

Hi N. J~
I have 3 children, all of whom didn't latch onto my breast so I pumped every day and fed them the breastmilk with a regular bottle. You may experience her refusing to take a bottle because the nipple is different and she may become confused if, for instance you breast feed on weekends when you are home.
It really does not surprise me that you would not find much information on the topic. People can be fanatical about strickly breast feeding and feel there is no need for a bottle at all. The truth is, bottles almost always become a neccesity with babies. It also gives dad a chance to bond with baby during her feedings so I say, go for it. If your family supports you, then there is no reason not to extract the milk manually and feed her with a bottle.
Good luck to you with your decision.
J. S

I don't have any literature to cite, but lactation consultants and breastfeeding experts say that feeding directly from the breast is always best because there are antioxidants and other compounds in the milk that start to break down the longer the milk is stored... but pumped milk in a bottle is still great, just be sure to store it properly.

N.,

You can have it both ways -- I would say go to the Care Connection (look them up and give them a call). If you live in WNY, they are in Snyder, on the corner of Harlem and Main, behind the Snyder Square building. You will be pleasantly surprised. They are so, so nice and understanding. They rent breast pumps and have classes about adjusting to going back to work and nursing/pumping and best of all, they are not going to judge you one way or the other. No matter what you decide on doing. They also sell other items. You go in and you just feel more relaxed and you'll find other Moms in there with the same issues as you! Good luck!

I pumped for the first month and a half and now my baby is having formula during the day and I nurse him when I'm home. He's going on five months and he is happy and thriving! I am slowly going to move toward weaning him off of breast feeding one feeding at a time (every 2 weeks or so, so it is gradual). All the best to you.