Hi guys

Thought I would join the club of  bottle feeding.

I went into BF with the attitude that I would do my darndest and really try but if it didn't happen so be it that at the end of the day you have to feed your baby.

I've seen too many of friends just feel so bad when they had to go to FF I was determined not to be one of them.

Anyhoo we started BF with a hiss and roar.  Both myself and my wee girl were pro's for first timers.  I even coped with the cracked nipples and such but then things went a bit sour.  One of my nipples was always sore even though the cracks had cleared and it was to the point I had to nearly bite on a flannel when she latched.

After feeding my nipples would continue to be soooo sore and sensitive and my boobs would really hurt.

Then one night I realised (after expressing) I didn't have enough milk..........didn't even get 60mls.  So after half an hour of battling with my inner voice I made the decision to go out and get formula.   Bubs had a great feed that night and slept really soundly so happy mum.

I think half the battle was making the decision but once I did I was OK with it.  I continued to do half and half for a while and express.  Finally MW sent me to GP regarding the pain and as MW suspected I was diagnosed with Raynaulds Phenomena.

I got pills to help but unfortunately I think it was too late as my milk pretty much dried up so now we are exclusively formula.

I'm totally fine with it now.  Bubs is getting plenty and she sleeps really well and the little chubba chub is putting on great weight.  And I look at all the positives such as now my hubby can do a feed when I feel too tired and need more sleep

I also know I gave bubs 3 weeks of the good stuff so thats better than nothing.  I do miss the convenience of BF when out and about but I have coped so far and so has baby.

I think its a shame there is not so much info for FF mothers.  I was quite surprised with my plunket visit yesterday the nurse didn't make me feel bad and gave me a booklet all about FF and reassured me I was doing the right thing...........that was so nice to hear.

All in all this BF thing is hard and I don't think they really tell you that before hand.  It might be a natural thing to do but it doesn't mean that it comes naturally!!

Ooops sorry about the long post but just thought I would share my experience. 

Welcome Lililly - your links are awesome and so moving. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Hi ladies . I just received the above email and thought it may be of interest to those reading this thread?  Wish I'd had access to this sort of info at the time DS was born.

Jaxnz1 - I tried for 12 weeks unsuccessfully to BF my son. During that time I expressed as much as I could and he probably had about 1/3 EBM and 2/3 formula up to 3 months of age, when we switched to 100% formula.  If you are able to express, there is nothing wrong with feeding your baby both EBM and formula via bottle for as long as you want.   Some women with amazing milk supplies manage to express enough EBM for all their babies feeds (wish I was so lucky - I had a terrible supply).  My MW recommended not to mix the two - but I think that was mainly to try to ensure bubs didn't waste any of the EBM I'd spent so much time and effort trying to make for him.  So usually I'd offer the EBM, and once that bottle was finished, offer a top up of formula if he still seemed hungry.

Even though I had such a terrible experience trying to establish BFing last time, I'm willing to give it another go with Leah when she arrives in March.  But if it doesn't work out for us I'm hoping I won't succumb to the feelings of guilt and failure I associated with bottle feeding - there was really no point putting myself through all that agony - DS has turned out just fine!   And there are some benefits of bottle feeding too - DH developed a really strong bond with DS from birth, as he was the main bottle-feeder for the first few weeks.  This helped immensely when I returned to work full time and DH became a full time stay-home Dad (DS was 8 months old).  You also get a break during the night etc if someone else is willing to get up and give a bottle .

"Baby bottle warming: tips for keeping bugs at bay

With the busy lifestyles led by most new parents, providing warm expressed breast milk or infant formula quickly, and often while you're not at home, can be a bit of a challenge.

There is a range of options for warming your baby's bottled milk - whether it's the tried and true sitting the bottle in a container of boiling water, commercial bottle warmers, or microwave ovens (not recommended, particularly for breast milk).

Whichever method you choose, it's important to do it safely so you don't burn baby's mouth or allow the transfer and growth of bugs that cause tummy upsets. Some bugs can make your baby extremely sick. Signs of foodborne illness to watch out for include: vomiting, fever, irritability and crying, not wanting to feed, or frequent dirty, runny nappies. Powdered infant formula is not sterile, so you should take particular care and follow label preparation instructions closely.

Babies who are pre-term, low birth weight, or who have an illness or condition that means their immune system is weaker than normal are most at risk from harmful bacteria. You should talk to your doctor or lead maternity carer about specific feeding advice.

For all babies, but especially those under 3 months of age, it is very important that caregivers are scrupulous about hygiene when making, storing and feeding infant formula or expressed breast milk.

Health professionals, our Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization all agree that babies should be fed breast milk wherever possible. Breast milk contains all the nutrition newborn babies need, and breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby. There are times when bottle feeding with either expressed breast milk or infant formula is necessary. Here are some tips for keeping baby's feed safe:

Before you touch any of your baby's feeding equipment or food always wash your hands properly. This means scrubbing with soap and water then drying thoroughly with a clean towel reserved for hands only. Don't use a tea towel or baby's feeding cloth. This is such a basic step, but it's so important.

Clean and sterilise feeding, expressing and preparation equipment for every feed, until your baby is at least three months old. A dishwasher will clean, but not sterilise.

Store infant formula powder in its container, sealed, in a cool dry place. Remember, infant formula is not a sterile product. Take care not to transfer harmful bugs by allowing hands or dirty spoons to dip into the powder.

It's best to mix powdered infant formula with cooled, boiled water just before you give it to your baby (once your baby is older than three months you can use town-supply tap water, otherwise keep using boiled water until the baby is 18 months old). Use it straight away and throw out any unused formula that's more than two hours old.

Made up formula can be stored at room temperature for up to two hours, or in the fridge for four hours. Expressed breast milk can sit at room temperature for up to four hours or in the fridge for 48 hours.

Never reheat already-warmed or partly-used feeds. While it's tempting to re-use expensive uneaten formula or precious expressed breast milk, bugs may have been transferred by you, or your baby's lips or hands and it's easy to lose track of how long the milk has been left at an unsafe temperature.

If you're travelling with bottles of breast milk or made up formula, keep them cold in a chilly bag with ice packs and warm only as needed.

Expressed breast milk or made up formula can be warmed by placing the bottle in a container of boiling water.

Electronic baby bottle warmers are safe to use as long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Ideally, choose a warmer that sounds an alarm when the right temperature is reached and then automatically switches off. Remove the bottle from the warmer and feed your baby within two hours.

Some travel models use the car battery as an energy source to heat the milk. Other products have a re-usable warmer pouch which can be activated by bending a metal disc attached. Both of these products are safe to use as long as the formula is made up by mixing the water and powder together just before warming. Remove the formula from the bottle warmer and finish feeding your baby within two hours. Throw out any unused formula.

Microwaves are not recommended for warming baby's milk because they can overheat the milk or heat it unevenly. This can cause nasty burns to the baby's mouth and throat. If you need to use a microwave stop halfway through and shake the bottle, then after heating shake the bottle again and let it stand for two to three minutes. Breast milk should not be warmed in a microwave as this may destroy some of the milk's immunological properties.

Whichever method you choose, always shake the bottle once warmed and check the temperature of the milk by shaking some drops onto the inside of your wrist before giving it to your baby.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Ministry of Health have developed guidelines for warming infant formula. NZFSA also has general advice for feeding your baby safely.

For more advice on preparing and using infant formula, ask your lead maternity carer or your Plunket nurse."