Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For all the people saying their babies had issues with breastmilk, it may have been because of your diet. If you’re dairy and wheat free while nursing that can help with colic. Generally the proteins in breastmilk, minus certain inflammatory foods, are much more digestible than formula.

Nope, it was the breastmilk. Colic is the we don't know what's wrong with your child and don't care to figure it out. What you are describing is a medical issue.

What? I agree with the PP that an adjustment to the mom's diet solves many issues. My kids were all sensitive to casein. While I was eating milk products (even a slice of cheese), they had "colic". Unrelenting crying, gas pains, screaming, not sleeping, etc. After that, a new baby.

Glad it helped yours, but not for many of ours. OP doesn't want to breastfed and that is ok. Formula and reflux meds were our lifesaver.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am due in less than a month. I am planning to breastfeed but give 1-2 bottles of formula a day. My baby can still get breast milk, but he will get used to formula and bottles. I might go back to work part time ( 3 days) until 6 months, and might continue to breastfeed until then if it’s working out. I will stop breastfeeding once I’m back at work full time.

Awesome plan, OP! Breastfeeding can be really rough or really easy (I experienced both). By four to six months you'll have a very good idea of where you are and what the best plan will be. For now, focus on the delivery and perhaps take a breastfeeding class (the ones at the Breastfeeding Center are very good). I plan to stop expressing milk at work once the baby turns 1 year old but offer at all other times, and see what happens. With my first, I was able to nurse just mornings and evenings for a long time.

OP here. I am due in less than a month. I am planning to breastfeed but give 1-2 bottles of formula a day. My baby can still get breast milk, but he will get used to formula and bottles. I might go back to work part time ( 3 days) until 6 months, and might continue to breastfeed until then if it’s working out. I will stop breastfeeding once I’m back at work full time.

I didn't want to pump at work so I weaned at 4 months before going back. I had very low supply though, so fully weaning and drying up only took about a week. I realize that may not be the norm. I liked comfort nursing, so it was worth it for me to breastfeed during those first few months (even though baby was mostly formula fed), but it's a really personal decision and I don't think there's really a right or wrong answer here.

People seem to have gotten off track with this thread. OP doesn’t have to pump when she goes back to work, she can wean slowly and then stop if the realities/logistics of her job make pumping too difficult.

That’s a different question from whether she should BF at all when on maternity leave if she’s just going to quit 4 months later. Which, absolutely, yes! There are many benefits to breastfeeding in the early months, which have already been stated. Something is better than nothing.

Absolutely I would breastfeed, it's so good for babies when they are newborns.

Anonymous wrote:OP does not want to breastfeed and it is not realistic given her commute or job. Its a non-issue. OP do what is best for you and your family.

That's not what OP said!

She said she won't be able to pump. I get that. I had a difficult time getting time and space to pump, also. I also never got a lot while pumping, probably due to the stress of it. However, I nursed for nearly 2 years.

OP, I think your plan to breastfeed, and have dh give a bottle or two a day, is a good one. Breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing, after it is established. By 6 months, my baby was about 75% BF and the rest, formula. Basically, I nursed when home and she had bottles when I was at work. When I was home (weekend/day off) I nursed (no bottle that day) and that kept up my supply.

You can do both, if you choose. Even if you choose to use formula only after you go back to work, 4 months BF is good! I'd try BF and see how it goes and make a more firm decision then.

Anonymous wrote:NP- curious do Elvies work well? I’ve heard of medical professionals using these now.

Elvie’s are disgustingly expensive. And the product is not well made, you can’t wash it in hot water or sterilize it without the plastic warping, not good for newborns or fragile babies. Also there’s a steep learning curve and many don’t respond well to it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For all the people saying their babies had issues with breastmilk, it may have been because of your diet. If you’re dairy and wheat free while nursing that can help with colic. Generally the proteins in breastmilk, minus certain inflammatory foods, are much more digestible than formula.

Nope, it was the breastmilk. Colic is the we don't know what's wrong with your child and don't care to figure it out. What you are describing is a medical issue.

What? I agree with the PP that an adjustment to the mom's diet solves many issues. My kids were all sensitive to casein. While I was eating milk products (even a slice of cheese), they had "colic". Unrelenting crying, gas pains, screaming, not sleeping, etc. After that, a new baby.

NP- curious do Elvies work well? I’ve heard of medical professionals using these now.

Anonymous wrote:For all the people saying their babies had issues with breastmilk, it may have been because of your diet. If you’re dairy and wheat free while nursing that can help with colic. Generally the proteins in breastmilk, minus certain inflammatory foods, are much more digestible than formula.

Nope, it was the breastmilk. Colic is the we don't know what's wrong with your child and don't care to figure it out. What you are describing is a medical issue.

OP does not want to breastfeed and it is not realistic given her commute or job. Its a non-issue. OP do what is best for you and your family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t jobs now required by law to provide moms with a place/time to pump? You need to schedule 20 minute breaks in your day to pump. You can do this!

OP said she sees patients during the day with 5-10 minutes between patients. No she can't schedule 20 minute breaks in her day. Formula feeding is just as good. Many people in the medical field don't get the luxury of being able to pump at work.

Maybe extend the leave more then. She can definitely pump at lunch. And maybe once more around 4 pm. I’m sure she will be allowed a 15 minute break once to pump. Most likely she wouldn’t be the only nurse there.

OP here. I'm the only nurse practitioner at the site. I only have time to pump during lunch. I can't take a 15 minute break to pump because I have patients. I won't be able to pump at 4 because I will be working.

That should be okay, I think. Breastfeeding morning, pumping lunch, pumping after work before leaving, breastfeeding when you get home and settled, breastfeeding again at night before bed.

Maybe OP doesn't want to any of this.

True, but OP's question was that she goes back to work in 4 months and she works "in a job where pumping isn't possible". I was simply pointing out that it would be possible to do it in lunch and after work, and not take work hours. That probably wouldn't work for a new baby but I think by 4 months it could work just fine (in my experience as a mom of 3), and then she could also get a good sleep every night as well. Her supply might slowly dwindle but she'd still give the baby a lot of milk for 6 months, which would be my personal goal in her situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t jobs now required by law to provide moms with a place/time to pump? You need to schedule 20 minute breaks in your day to pump. You can do this!

OP said she sees patients during the day with 5-10 minutes between patients. No she can't schedule 20 minute breaks in her day. Formula feeding is just as good. Many people in the medical field don't get the luxury of being able to pump at work.

Maybe extend the leave more then. She can definitely pump at lunch. And maybe once more around 4 pm. I’m sure she will be allowed a 15 minute break once to pump. Most likely she wouldn’t be the only nurse there.

OP here. I'm the only nurse practitioner at the site. I only have time to pump during lunch. I can't take a 15 minute break to pump because I have patients. I won't be able to pump at 4 because I will be working.

That should be okay, I think. Breastfeeding morning, pumping lunch, pumping after work before leaving, breastfeeding when you get home and settled, breastfeeding again at night before bed.

Maybe OP doesn't want to any of this.

For all the people saying their babies had issues with breastmilk, it may have been because of your diet. If you’re dairy and wheat free while nursing that can help with colic. Generally the proteins in breastmilk, minus certain inflammatory foods, are much more digestible than formula.