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please please please contact the hospital in which you plan to deliver, and ask to speak w/a lactation consultant, it's free and they can give you all the many reasons to sacrifice a bit and give the best for your new one. i felt the same way as you, but once i delivered she went straight to the b___st and had no problems latching, ect. the whole reason us women have b___sts is for the beauty of giving to our child. plus it has saved me hundreds of dollars and given me such a bond with my daughter, and is so much easier than preparing a bottle, ect. good luck.

I understand where you are coming from. Breastfeeding is a very personal issue and I'm sure you'll get a ton of responses on here telling you how beautiful and natural and wonderful it is. When in the end, it's all about how YOU feel about it. You've obviously done your research about the benefits of b___stmilk and would like to pa__s those benefits on to your baby and if you're more comfortable pumping and feeding out of a bottle, then go right ahead. As long as your little one is getting the nutrition, then it doesn't matter if it comes from b___st or bottle. The only drawback I can foresee is that I've heard that pumping can be more painful than b___stfeeding at first until you get used to it. I'm sure you'll get responses telling you that b___stfeeding is such a great bonding experience for you and your baby. Don't worry about thinking that you're not as close to your baby as someone who nurses. As long as you're holding your baby and cuddling here while you feed here, she's going to feel loved and nurtured. I know a lot of people who have b___stfed and loved it, and I've also known a bunch that have tried it and hated it. In the end, you have to to what's right for you. You're infant is going to be loved and healthy either way. Good luck in whatever you decide.

to tracey and sara, thank you for your replys. i go to see my doctor tomorrow and i will talk to her about it. i just feel really self conscious about "whipping" my b___st out if i am not home to b___st feed. but thanks again. i will let you know what my dr says tomorrow.

I was wondering the same thing. I did not b___st feed my first child because I felt uncomfortable and I myself wasn't b___stfed and I am extremely healthy. My son is 2 1/2 and has hardly been sick and has always been close to the 100 percentile for weight and height. I fed him Enfamil lipil with iron and he did just fine. I however had post partum pretty bad and was feeling guilty about not b___stfeeding because so many people around me kept saying "Why aren't you b___stfeeding?" My son turned out fine and it is a personal choice. Can you just feed from a pump?

ANY b___stmilk is better than no b___stmilk. if you want to pump then go for it. lots of women choose to express milk rather than nurse. it's alot more work to express and feed, but once you get into a routine everything will fall into place. talk to a LC about getting a good pump that will help maintain your milk supply.

My question is this do you have to start with the b___st in the hospital or can you start with the pump?

you'd probly have to bring your own pump, but yes, you could start in the hospital.

this is a dumb question but what do you do until your milk comes in?

you pump colostrum. it's a thin yellowish substance that comes before the milk. it is EXTREAMLY high in antibodies and nutrients. think of it as babies first immunization. and the best thing about it is that it will protect the baby against all the same things your own body has been protecting you against. if there are harmfull things in the air at your home, baby will be protected. if you have had a cold or flu bug floating around, baby will be protected. it won't look like much, but it's the best stuff baby can get.

ok, i'm back. i have been contemplating it for awhile now and i am leaning more on the b___stfeeding side. i am about 90% sure i want to bf. i will prob nurse and pump.

congratuations! you'll get more out nursing than you would pumping. the pump isn't nearly as snuggly and cute. best of luck to you! when is your baby due?

My question is this. Breastfeeding is extremely time consuming and I have 2 year old and am wondering how I am going to manage with my next baby?

i think the absolutely best for baby would be breasfeeding. but if you feel so uncomfortable then i think pumping b___stmilk is a good way to go! it's up to you... and to mary: b___stfeeding is actually not as time consuming as feeding formula. there are no bottles (unless you pump), no preparing, cleaning, etc.

I felt the exact same way until my sister who had recently had a baby (8 mos. earlier) provided proof that b___stfeeding was really beneficial for both mother and baby. For me, I lost all my baby weight and then some because I b___stfed. Neither my son nor my neice have truly gotten sick. They've both had mild colds lasting a few days but nothing worse than that. After the first month of b___stfeeding I got over the feeling of uncomfortableness. My son is now 9 mos. old and we still enjoy b___stfeeding. It's quiet time and bonding time that I wouldn't change or miss for the world. If you just can't get past actually b___stfeeding than I would reccommend pumping. It really is beneficial. Also, there have been studies linking b___stfed babies/children with higher IQ's. I learned this on the web and when I went in for my son's 6 mo. visit my pediatrican confirmed this finding without my asking. Hope this helps

i'm sorry, i haven't been on in awhile. i have been working a lot. my baby is due july 8th.

I say whatever you feel comfortable with. My sister in law b___stfed all 3 of her kids and they are always sick. They either have an ear infection or strep throat. It is a never ending cycle and no they are not day care kids.I am not saying b___stfeeding isn't beneficial. I didn't b___stfeed my son and he is 3 and very healthy. I had to go back to work right away so formula was best for me.