Breastfeeding Questions

@ Maj - I was the same in the first 3 weeks. I didn't want to go to the shops at all & tried to be home in time for his feed, which was difficult as he would some times feed every 1 - 1 1/2 hours!!! Then I realised, shops do have bf facilities. Some centres have better ones then others & it just got easier. I would some times feed him with a cover in restaurants but when he got bigger & started moving more, I fed in the bf rooms.

Regarding breast pumps. Some med aids cover it BUT it comes from your savings. I purchased both of mine through dischem as I'm with Discovery. The NAPPI code is a unique coding system (identifier) for medicines, surgical or consumable products and medical procedures which allows you to claim a rebate / refund from your medical aid. Discovery both of mine.

Paced bottle feeding:

1) Feed baby when he shows hunger cues, not on a schedule.
2) Hold baby snugly. Keep him fairly upright to give him control.
3) Hold bottle almost vertically against his lips at the start, as you would
hold your finger to say “Shh.” When he reaches with his lips, tip the
bottle horizontally into his opening mouth. Let him draw it in himself,
so his lips close on the fat part of the bottle nipple, not just the
skinny part.
4) Keep him fairly upright, so that the bottle is nearly horizontal when
it’s in his mouth. The milk won’t pour into him automatically, and
he’ll have much more control. You may hear him sucking some air,
but it will just come out his nose.
5) If he gets tense or gulps, tilt baby and bottle slightly forward so the
milk drains away. He will soon learn to pause on his own.
6) Let him pause and take breaks when he wants to.
7) When you think he is nearly full, twist and remove the bottle. Immediately
offer the bottle again to see if he wants more. If he takes it,
offer another ten sucks or so, remove, and offer again. Finally he’ll
just keep his lips closed. This reduces the risk of overfeeding. If he
routinely doesn’t finish the bottle, put less in it.
8) If there’s milk left over, don’t throw it out! It will keep just fine in the
refrigerator until the next feeding - just remove teat & put cap on.

You can google paced bottle feeding to watch some videos.

Also remember to never heat milk in the microwave. Just but bottle in some warm water. Also, NEVER shake milk. You just swirl it around the bottle to mix the fatty cream texture back into the milk.

@Blessedmom - thanks for your advice. If you dont mind me asking, why were you not able to bf your daughter? You give me hope to not make the conclusion that if you did not bf the first baby you wont be able to bf the second baby.

I would also like to know what paced bottle feeding is.

One gets nice breast feeding shawls that you can use to cover. I am very shy myself and will even probably use a cover if I feed at home - in front of my son // husband.

@Maj - a nappy code is a code that your medical aid recognises and then pays for what ever is bought. I know you get nappy codes for procedures to be done in hospital etc...

Blessedmom – Thank you so much I really appreciate all your input and advise. I don’t think I would be able to bf without a blanket or something covering up. I don’t have a problem with it but personally I am so shy.

@ blessedmom thank you for the insight.
I think alot of the time we have preconceived ideas of what should happen, and how we should do things, and often dont think about it logically enough-like the bottle teat size!
My daughter fed every 2 hours, and initially if I couldnt feed her and leave the house, and be sure to be back within 2 hours, I would just stay at home. Eventually I realised I am not gonna get out much, and realised I could bf while out. A lot of shopping centres have facilities, admittedly some are in the toilets but there are others which are really nice.
And people are getting more accustomed to the idea of seeing mothers bf in public.
I would never be able to do it uncovered in public though!
Thank you for the advice on the breastpump as well. I was so confused as to what to buy and when, etc.

What is paced bottle-feeding?

FYI one of my collegues purchased a breastpump from dischem and using a "nappy" code it was claimed from the savings in the medical aid. I have no idea what a nappy code is though

@MommywannaB - some women leak during pregnancy and others not. It's completely normal. I didn't leak at all hahaha

I only purchased a breast pump when my son was about 8 weeks old. My decision was based purely on the fact that I didn't bf my daughter but was determined with my son but I didn't know how it was going to go. I wanted to make sure I got a hang of it all & to get to the 6 weeks mark.

Don't be afraid to go to the shops or to visit friends & family because you are bf. You don't need to express. You can feed baby anywhere, any time. Some women feel comfortable to bf in front of people but I just always went to a bedroom & fed my son there. In the beginning, I fed in front of people with a bf cover cause it was just easier but when he got older, it became a bit of a challenge hahaha, especially when it's so hot! I applaud women who bf without a cover. I just can't hahaha

Regarding overfeeding....bf babies can't, even when they feed every hour. They control what they take out & will stop sucking when they've had enough. When you have to go back to work & they need to take a bottle, the caregiver will just follow paced bottle feeding technique to ensure baby doesn't overfeed. You will also stay on the smallest teat because your nipple size doesn't change as baby grows

A formula fed baby can easily overfeed & that's most of the time because they don't follow paced bottle feeding. Baby can't control the flow & just needs to swallow the whole time.

ninies - I'm glad I cleared a lot of confusion for you. You really don't have to buy a pump now. I started expressing about 2 or 3 weeks before I had to go back to work. I didn't express a lot at a time & started worrying BUT I knew once I got back to work, I'll be fine & I was. I expressed enough for my son & also was lucky in the sense that he didn't drink a lot at a time. He would drink between 60-90mls per feed, some times 100mls but never more & would top up once I got home When he started crèche he was 13 months old & didn't want any expressed milk. He was never really into bottles when I went back to work & also introduced a straw cup when he was about 8 months old. It was easy to ditch the bottles...he was about 11 months that time.

@blessedmom - thank you so much for your advice and valuable insights. You have cleared alot of confusion that I had.

I was also thinking of not buying the pump now and to wait and see how it goes after the birth. Atleast take-alot delivers quickly should I wish to buy through them.

@ninies – I know I have milk in there cause some days my shirt and bra would be wet and I have seen the milk coming out of my breasts. (Don’t know if this is a good thing) I sometimes wear feeding pads at work so if I leak it’s not on my shirt.

@Karmie – Thanks for the advice I looooove oats with banana and syrup so I will eat an extra spoon Hehehe. That’s good to know I will make a point of it to feed as required by my baby and not on a schedule.

The books don’t really tell you how to be a mom heheh they only tell you how to be a good mom. But I will take advise from my mother and anyone who gives advice. And like you say babies don’t read books so how on earth would they be able to write and say what needs to be done lol.

@blessedmom - So would you suggest 1st see how baby react to the breast before you actually go and invest in a pump? I would like to express while I am at work as well so that I can feed my baby for longer.
I thought as much, I was a bit sceptical about all the sugar in the juice and in my heart I felt weird about the recipe and now that you said that I got confirmation.

I never knew that re baby cannot over feed I always judged people who feeds on the hour every hour like are you trying to make your child fat hahaha, now I know.

Thank you so much for all the advice.