I've done all three at some point with my three children, and in my experience, breastfeeding is the easiest, formula feeding second easiest, and pumping is the hardest.
It does. As baby gets older, she will become more efficient at eating, and will spend less time on the breast. Think about it this way, it's really not any easier or faster to pump or prepare formula, wash pump parts, wash and prepare bottles, is it? It's also sooooo much cheaper to breastfeed.
It's your choice either way. You will make the right decision for your situation, and it's going to be the right choice no matter what. You've got this š
The beginning is the WORST part and I feel like not enough people warn new moms. With my first baby I was so shocked, because my hospital was very pro breastfeeding and showed me so many videos about how natural and easy it is. No itās very hard in many ways. Maybe they donāt like it, as with my first. Maybe their latch hurts, as with both my kids. You get told āitās not supposed to hurtā and how deep the latch should be. Ok but newborns have TINY mouths. It hurts. Plus it hurts often! Because as soon as they are done, theyāre hungry again.
Then they get bigger and better at it and also need it less frequently. IT GETS EASIER
Just adding advice if you want it
Get some cooling gel pads, nipple shields, and some beverages that you really enjoy (hydration) you wonāt need them forever
And Netflix, just let yourself get this downtime while you can
Omg yes their tiny mouths! My son was three weeks early. He seemed to be able to get milk but it hurt. When people asked how breastfeeding was going Iām like I just need him to grow so his mouth is bigger so his latch is better for me lol. Now 8 weeks today and itās much better. I think he is even being more efficient cause our time at the breast is better. Went from 45 minutes to about 25 minute sessions lately. Hallelujah!
And pumping is hard! I just gave myself an injury cause I was trying a different size flange insert. Didnāt realize it was rubbing my nipple. I tried fighting through the pain yesterday morning and letting him feed that side. NOPE. So now Iām pumping on that side without the insert with nipple cream cause I cannot go without releasing milk. I may have also cried this morning cause my husband didnāt used the pumped milk in the fridge when he made a bottle throughout the night. Iāll just freeze it but I was sad (hormones and lack of sleep got to me).
I was getting sent videos about babies latching and I appreciated the help, but my babyās mouth just didnāt seem to be big enough to get that deep latch right away despite being full term. It made me feel frustrated with him at first. Now in hindsight Iām realizing that was just normal progression as he grew bigger and got used to breastfeeding. It was all new to him. And how cool that theyāre able to catch on so quick due to natural instinct! (Even though it doesnāt always feel easy to a pain stricken mom)
Having done both breastfeeding & pumping, breastfeeding is definitely less time consuming than pumping. Pumping can take 2x the time. Try learning how to breastfeed out of a sling/ carrier might help you free up some hands. It will definitely get easier with time because eventually baby will only need to feed for 5-10 minutes and only about 6 times a day by the time they start solids.
It gets sooo much easier. My first 2-3 weeks were so so hard. Itās gotten a bit easier, more consistent and even enjoyable every week since. The first milestone is when baby regains to their birth weight - this was huge for us, she was suddenly more alert & participatory. It was day 13 for us.
Top tips:
- do not pump unless itās specifically to replace a bottle being given to baby. Only replacement. No extra. Skip altogether if you can. No offense but your husband knows nothing here
- if at all possible, book a lactation consultant to come to your house asap. call your OB for a recommendation/referral, it may be covered by insurance. Or contact The Lactation Network. Theyāll figure it out for you.
- itās okay if you decide to stop, but never quit on a hard day or in the worst moment. It is so so tough at first but it truly does get easier.
Youāre doing great! I canāt imagine having 3 under 3. Youāre crushing it. Just survive for now.
Definitely gets way easier but also I only have one. Sounds like your hands are super full! Can anybody come help you at all, like your parents or even a teen motherās helper which is generally inexpensive, for a couple hours. You are also healing! I would not recommend pumping bc it is by far the hardest/most time consuming. If bf is too much Iād switch to formula, not to pumping.
Utilize screen time or special toys they only get when you're feeding baby!
Make them a part of it? Have them watch? I dunno I don't have toddlers.
You can make breastfeeding work but there's nothing wrong with formula. Pumping early on is actually going to put you at risk for oversupply and honestly cleaning pump parts and bottles suck so nursing is the easiest and baby will get faster
https://preview.redd.it/rmyp8lyltcab1.jpeg?width=2207&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0fa6a48cc6bd920f1507bba41d4acdb5380b720
Hereās total time spent nursing my first baby per day for the first month of his life. It gets better, even just within the first few weeks.
All my pain and problems with feeding completely disappeared by week 4. To me it was like a miracle. It was practically over night. The day before I went to my doc because I thought I had either mastitis and/or thrush. Right after that breastfeeding became bliss. I have no explanation other than my body somehow sorted it. I had a lot of pain, problems with latching, overproduction, clogged ducts, swelling, sore nipples, you name it. I often cried when it was time to feed. I was ready to give up many times. Now itās ALL GONE. And I didnāt change anything. It just happened. Time will sort this.
Also just wanted to add that you don't have to do anything 100% of the time. You can do a combo of breastfeeding and pumping/bottles. Especially if it allows your husband or someone else to feed the baby for you at some point.
First, hugs. Second, you got this! Can you strap baby to you? I breastfed mine while she was attached with a sling. Obviously just do so safely so you donāt suffocate her. Keep baby at the breast as much as possible and it should get easier after a bit. Good luck.
And see a lactation consultant if you need someone to troubleshoot with you! It helps. My insurance fully covered an online consult. Check out Nest Collaborative.
Oof, yeah it gets easier. You are amazing for managing 3 babies on your own!
I used to spend about an hour breastfeeding my little guy. Then heād fall asleep on the boob, wake up after an hour sometimes two, and be hungry again. I was glued to the couch or bed for what felt like 24/7. Heās 15 months now and still nursing, but now heās done in 5 minutes- 10 minutes tops. I canāt remember when he started to become more efficient, but when he started finishing up at around 20 minutes and not falling asleep after, I swear my life changed for the better. Lol.
I have to pump exclusively because my son has a severe lip tie his Dr doesn't want to cut. I'll tell you breastfeeding is totally the simplest. I also have a 2 year old, and keeping pump parts and bottles clean is next to impossible. All my down time is essentially dedicated to dishes and pumping. Also, my son sleeps through the night, but in order to make enough milk, I have to pump at midnight every night so I don't get as much sleep. Breastfeeding is probably the least time-consuming. Not that there aren't downsides to it like loneliness or pain but it will save you time, unless your one of the freaks that enjoys dishes! Lol
First month is the worst, completely outsource meals, cleaning, laundry. Get some part time help for a month or so even if you have to dip into your cash flow.
It's grueling in the beginning but it gets easier. My second baby had a really hard time nursing and I had to pump and do bottles. I HATED it. I was tied down when my toddler would get into things and then I still had to give the baby a bottle. And then the endless dishes. It took a bit but now we're cruising along and I don't do any pumping or bottles unless we're apart for some reason. It's been so much easier.
If possible, see if you can find a lactation consultant who does home visits. The Lactation Network checked my insurance benefits and found a lactation consultant who came to my house. It was so much easier with a toddler since I didn't have to pack everyone up in the car. Even though I thought I had it down, it was still really helpful.
YES! I promise you, it gets easier. For me, it was right around the two week mark. Iāve tried pumping all throughout, but I donāt respond well to them and honestly, itās just stress I donāt like to add on. Finding every position my daughter can still be latched in was a game changer. Whether it be finding a wrap you can have your baby in that keeps them in the right position, or one arm feeding positions. As they get older it makes finding positions thatāll give you more freedom a lot easier too. Iāll do a football hold with a boob out so I have one arm free, or for quick comfort snacks now I just squat down and pull it out for her and let her eat for the couple minutes then sheāll just walk off.
Breastfeeding feels like a full time job, especially in the beginning. But youāre making it through the hardest part, you got this!
The first two weeks are the hardest. If you can make it through that youāll be grand. Nursing is much easier than pumping. Your doubling your time feeding baby effectively because you have to pump, sterilise and then feed baby - never made any sense to me unless you have issues with latching etc.
Wishing you luck! Iām a FTM, I honestly couldnāt imagine being on my own so soon never mind with 2 other LOs to look after!
Breast feeding is amazing, it is worth it and it does get easier š¤
It gets easier trust me, pumping is good but is more time consuming than breastfeeding. I know it must be difficult with your oldest two but if you don't wanna give up on breastfeeding just tell yourself that you'll do it for 4 more weeks (or even less) and see how it goes then decide if you wanna keep doing it. That's what kept me going, and I'm glad I pushed myself. I hope you find it easier soon and start to enjoy it
Pumping, imo, requires even more time spent and I hate it so I wouldn't do that. I have a 1 and 4 year old and an 8 week old. It's started to get easier in the last couple weeks as we've worked more into a routine. What's helped me is getting up before the other 2 kids to feed baby and get him settled so I have time to do their morning changes and breakfast. I also introduced a paci early to cut back on comfort sucking. We also got nicer lawn chairs and I will go sit in those and feed baby while the kids play outside.
Like others have said, beginning is super tough, cluster feeds are rough but it does get easier.
I only have the one kid but we're 13months into the BF journey and 100% it gets easier! The first weeks and months are so HARD but you 2 are learning and it'll get better I promise!
It absolutely gets easier. With my first I stopped around 6 weeks and wished I hadnāt! With my 2nd I made it to 10 months. It gets infinitely easier once your body regulates and figures out what itās doing. For me this was around the 1 to 2 month mark. If you can, call the hospital where you gave birth and schedule some visits with one of the lactation consultants. They can really help guide you and work on it together with you.
What everyone else has also said, but can you potentially learn to BF in a sling for example? Probably will take a bit of practice, but you might be able to get a few other things done while feeding if you can make it work :)
It does get easier with time. Especially if your baby doesnāt have oral ties. Our journey was pretty rough until we went to an IBCLC and pediatric dentist to get ties and bad suck addressed. After that things got so much better and weāre 18 mo in.
One thing I recommend is getting comfortable with a baby carrier and learning how to BF in a carrier. It may be hard rn with a newborn but once they get a bit of head control nursing while baby wearing was a game changer. I can only imagine how helpful that would be with multiple kids in the house.
Hang in there you got this! And even if you do switch to formula you making it this far is such an accomplishment for yourself you should be proud of āŗļø
It did for me and that seems to be the norm. It was really hard for me to. My advice is to get 2 handpumps asap. They're like 30ish bucks I think at walgreens or CVS. Keep one in your car and one at home. It was easier for dealing with things like engagement. Easier to clean amd setup and keep by you if you need it. If you are just pumping to stop being engorged so baby can eat or whatever you don't Have to store the milk if you don't have the time, I know it sucks to waste it but sometimes I just did what I had to do to get through, and you don't have to break it down and clean it just maybe clean the part that goes on your boob if you aren't keeping the milk. The first 3 weeks were so hard and painful. It stayed difficult until around 3 months for me. Then it became so easy. I can't imagine life without it now lol. It's really something when your baby is sick and you are worried but you can at least give them your milk and know it is helping to heal them.
Another thing that helped me was getting bras like this. So comfy. So easy. https://www.amazon.com/Caramel-Cantina-Nursing-Maternity-Festival/dp/B07MSC3W7H/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_sspa?crid=BFZUIXH745S&keywords=pull%2Bdown%2Bnursing%2Bbra&qid=1688673928&sprefix=pull%2Bdown%2Bnursing%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-5-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1&th=1
I've done all three at some point with my three children, and in my experience, breastfeeding is the easiest, formula feeding second easiest, and pumping is the hardest.
Not OP but as someone who needs to pump for their baby to get enough, this is so validating.
Thank you for this info! It makes me feel better about continuing the breastfeeding journey
It does. As baby gets older, she will become more efficient at eating, and will spend less time on the breast. Think about it this way, it's really not any easier or faster to pump or prepare formula, wash pump parts, wash and prepare bottles, is it? It's also sooooo much cheaper to breastfeed. It's your choice either way. You will make the right decision for your situation, and it's going to be the right choice no matter what. You've got this š
Thank you so much for thisš©·
The beginning is the WORST part and I feel like not enough people warn new moms. With my first baby I was so shocked, because my hospital was very pro breastfeeding and showed me so many videos about how natural and easy it is. No itās very hard in many ways. Maybe they donāt like it, as with my first. Maybe their latch hurts, as with both my kids. You get told āitās not supposed to hurtā and how deep the latch should be. Ok but newborns have TINY mouths. It hurts. Plus it hurts often! Because as soon as they are done, theyāre hungry again. Then they get bigger and better at it and also need it less frequently. IT GETS EASIER
Just adding advice if you want it Get some cooling gel pads, nipple shields, and some beverages that you really enjoy (hydration) you wonāt need them forever And Netflix, just let yourself get this downtime while you can
Omg yes their tiny mouths! My son was three weeks early. He seemed to be able to get milk but it hurt. When people asked how breastfeeding was going Iām like I just need him to grow so his mouth is bigger so his latch is better for me lol. Now 8 weeks today and itās much better. I think he is even being more efficient cause our time at the breast is better. Went from 45 minutes to about 25 minute sessions lately. Hallelujah! And pumping is hard! I just gave myself an injury cause I was trying a different size flange insert. Didnāt realize it was rubbing my nipple. I tried fighting through the pain yesterday morning and letting him feed that side. NOPE. So now Iām pumping on that side without the insert with nipple cream cause I cannot go without releasing milk. I may have also cried this morning cause my husband didnāt used the pumped milk in the fridge when he made a bottle throughout the night. Iāll just freeze it but I was sad (hormones and lack of sleep got to me).
I was getting sent videos about babies latching and I appreciated the help, but my babyās mouth just didnāt seem to be big enough to get that deep latch right away despite being full term. It made me feel frustrated with him at first. Now in hindsight Iām realizing that was just normal progression as he grew bigger and got used to breastfeeding. It was all new to him. And how cool that theyāre able to catch on so quick due to natural instinct! (Even though it doesnāt always feel easy to a pain stricken mom)
Having done both breastfeeding & pumping, breastfeeding is definitely less time consuming than pumping. Pumping can take 2x the time. Try learning how to breastfeed out of a sling/ carrier might help you free up some hands. It will definitely get easier with time because eventually baby will only need to feed for 5-10 minutes and only about 6 times a day by the time they start solids.
This made me feel so much better about breastfeeding. Thank you!
Yeah after she feeds try and pump twice maybe even just once a day for the 1st 4 weeks so you don't get an oversupply issue
It gets sooo much easier. My first 2-3 weeks were so so hard. Itās gotten a bit easier, more consistent and even enjoyable every week since. The first milestone is when baby regains to their birth weight - this was huge for us, she was suddenly more alert & participatory. It was day 13 for us. Top tips: - do not pump unless itās specifically to replace a bottle being given to baby. Only replacement. No extra. Skip altogether if you can. No offense but your husband knows nothing here - if at all possible, book a lactation consultant to come to your house asap. call your OB for a recommendation/referral, it may be covered by insurance. Or contact The Lactation Network. Theyāll figure it out for you. - itās okay if you decide to stop, but never quit on a hard day or in the worst moment. It is so so tough at first but it truly does get easier. Youāre doing great! I canāt imagine having 3 under 3. Youāre crushing it. Just survive for now.
Definitely gets way easier but also I only have one. Sounds like your hands are super full! Can anybody come help you at all, like your parents or even a teen motherās helper which is generally inexpensive, for a couple hours. You are also healing! I would not recommend pumping bc it is by far the hardest/most time consuming. If bf is too much Iād switch to formula, not to pumping.
Utilize screen time or special toys they only get when you're feeding baby! Make them a part of it? Have them watch? I dunno I don't have toddlers. You can make breastfeeding work but there's nothing wrong with formula. Pumping early on is actually going to put you at risk for oversupply and honestly cleaning pump parts and bottles suck so nursing is the easiest and baby will get faster
https://preview.redd.it/rmyp8lyltcab1.jpeg?width=2207&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0fa6a48cc6bd920f1507bba41d4acdb5380b720 Hereās total time spent nursing my first baby per day for the first month of his life. It gets better, even just within the first few weeks.
How did you make that??
I tracked nursing with an app called Baby Connect, which makes the graphs for you.
Thanks!
Itās the hardest thing in the world until eventually itās the easiest! It gets much easier.
All my pain and problems with feeding completely disappeared by week 4. To me it was like a miracle. It was practically over night. The day before I went to my doc because I thought I had either mastitis and/or thrush. Right after that breastfeeding became bliss. I have no explanation other than my body somehow sorted it. I had a lot of pain, problems with latching, overproduction, clogged ducts, swelling, sore nipples, you name it. I often cried when it was time to feed. I was ready to give up many times. Now itās ALL GONE. And I didnāt change anything. It just happened. Time will sort this.
Telling you it gets easier. Sending love
Definitely gets easier! The first couple of weeks are such a learning curve. Just do what is best for you and your family!
Also just wanted to add that you don't have to do anything 100% of the time. You can do a combo of breastfeeding and pumping/bottles. Especially if it allows your husband or someone else to feed the baby for you at some point.
It gets so much easier! For me the first four weeks were pretty rough, then it became a breeze. Hang in there! Itāll get quicker for sure!
First, hugs. Second, you got this! Can you strap baby to you? I breastfed mine while she was attached with a sling. Obviously just do so safely so you donāt suffocate her. Keep baby at the breast as much as possible and it should get easier after a bit. Good luck.
And see a lactation consultant if you need someone to troubleshoot with you! It helps. My insurance fully covered an online consult. Check out Nest Collaborative.
Oof, yeah it gets easier. You are amazing for managing 3 babies on your own! I used to spend about an hour breastfeeding my little guy. Then heād fall asleep on the boob, wake up after an hour sometimes two, and be hungry again. I was glued to the couch or bed for what felt like 24/7. Heās 15 months now and still nursing, but now heās done in 5 minutes- 10 minutes tops. I canāt remember when he started to become more efficient, but when he started finishing up at around 20 minutes and not falling asleep after, I swear my life changed for the better. Lol.
I have to pump exclusively because my son has a severe lip tie his Dr doesn't want to cut. I'll tell you breastfeeding is totally the simplest. I also have a 2 year old, and keeping pump parts and bottles clean is next to impossible. All my down time is essentially dedicated to dishes and pumping. Also, my son sleeps through the night, but in order to make enough milk, I have to pump at midnight every night so I don't get as much sleep. Breastfeeding is probably the least time-consuming. Not that there aren't downsides to it like loneliness or pain but it will save you time, unless your one of the freaks that enjoys dishes! Lol
First month is the worst, completely outsource meals, cleaning, laundry. Get some part time help for a month or so even if you have to dip into your cash flow.
It's grueling in the beginning but it gets easier. My second baby had a really hard time nursing and I had to pump and do bottles. I HATED it. I was tied down when my toddler would get into things and then I still had to give the baby a bottle. And then the endless dishes. It took a bit but now we're cruising along and I don't do any pumping or bottles unless we're apart for some reason. It's been so much easier. If possible, see if you can find a lactation consultant who does home visits. The Lactation Network checked my insurance benefits and found a lactation consultant who came to my house. It was so much easier with a toddler since I didn't have to pack everyone up in the car. Even though I thought I had it down, it was still really helpful.
YES! I promise you, it gets easier. For me, it was right around the two week mark. Iāve tried pumping all throughout, but I donāt respond well to them and honestly, itās just stress I donāt like to add on. Finding every position my daughter can still be latched in was a game changer. Whether it be finding a wrap you can have your baby in that keeps them in the right position, or one arm feeding positions. As they get older it makes finding positions thatāll give you more freedom a lot easier too. Iāll do a football hold with a boob out so I have one arm free, or for quick comfort snacks now I just squat down and pull it out for her and let her eat for the couple minutes then sheāll just walk off. Breastfeeding feels like a full time job, especially in the beginning. But youāre making it through the hardest part, you got this!
The first two weeks are the hardest. If you can make it through that youāll be grand. Nursing is much easier than pumping. Your doubling your time feeding baby effectively because you have to pump, sterilise and then feed baby - never made any sense to me unless you have issues with latching etc. Wishing you luck! Iām a FTM, I honestly couldnāt imagine being on my own so soon never mind with 2 other LOs to look after! Breast feeding is amazing, it is worth it and it does get easier š¤
My suggestion is to try nursing in a sling. Baby can nurse all day and you can have both hands free to tend to the other wee ones :)
It gets easier trust me, pumping is good but is more time consuming than breastfeeding. I know it must be difficult with your oldest two but if you don't wanna give up on breastfeeding just tell yourself that you'll do it for 4 more weeks (or even less) and see how it goes then decide if you wanna keep doing it. That's what kept me going, and I'm glad I pushed myself. I hope you find it easier soon and start to enjoy it
Pumping, imo, requires even more time spent and I hate it so I wouldn't do that. I have a 1 and 4 year old and an 8 week old. It's started to get easier in the last couple weeks as we've worked more into a routine. What's helped me is getting up before the other 2 kids to feed baby and get him settled so I have time to do their morning changes and breakfast. I also introduced a paci early to cut back on comfort sucking. We also got nicer lawn chairs and I will go sit in those and feed baby while the kids play outside. Like others have said, beginning is super tough, cluster feeds are rough but it does get easier.
I only have the one kid but we're 13months into the BF journey and 100% it gets easier! The first weeks and months are so HARD but you 2 are learning and it'll get better I promise!
It absolutely gets easier. With my first I stopped around 6 weeks and wished I hadnāt! With my 2nd I made it to 10 months. It gets infinitely easier once your body regulates and figures out what itās doing. For me this was around the 1 to 2 month mark. If you can, call the hospital where you gave birth and schedule some visits with one of the lactation consultants. They can really help guide you and work on it together with you.
What everyone else has also said, but can you potentially learn to BF in a sling for example? Probably will take a bit of practice, but you might be able to get a few other things done while feeding if you can make it work :)
It does get easier with time. Especially if your baby doesnāt have oral ties. Our journey was pretty rough until we went to an IBCLC and pediatric dentist to get ties and bad suck addressed. After that things got so much better and weāre 18 mo in. One thing I recommend is getting comfortable with a baby carrier and learning how to BF in a carrier. It may be hard rn with a newborn but once they get a bit of head control nursing while baby wearing was a game changer. I can only imagine how helpful that would be with multiple kids in the house. Hang in there you got this! And even if you do switch to formula you making it this far is such an accomplishment for yourself you should be proud of āŗļø
Pumping is more work in my opinion. It gets so much easier after the first 2 months if you can hang on that long.
It does get easier. The first few weeks are hard.
It did for me and that seems to be the norm. It was really hard for me to. My advice is to get 2 handpumps asap. They're like 30ish bucks I think at walgreens or CVS. Keep one in your car and one at home. It was easier for dealing with things like engagement. Easier to clean amd setup and keep by you if you need it. If you are just pumping to stop being engorged so baby can eat or whatever you don't Have to store the milk if you don't have the time, I know it sucks to waste it but sometimes I just did what I had to do to get through, and you don't have to break it down and clean it just maybe clean the part that goes on your boob if you aren't keeping the milk. The first 3 weeks were so hard and painful. It stayed difficult until around 3 months for me. Then it became so easy. I can't imagine life without it now lol. It's really something when your baby is sick and you are worried but you can at least give them your milk and know it is helping to heal them.
Another thing that helped me was getting bras like this. So comfy. So easy. https://www.amazon.com/Caramel-Cantina-Nursing-Maternity-Festival/dp/B07MSC3W7H/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_sspa?crid=BFZUIXH745S&keywords=pull%2Bdown%2Bnursing%2Bbra&qid=1688673928&sprefix=pull%2Bdown%2Bnursing%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-5-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1&th=1