Baby Advice - Post 3

Breast Feeding.

"Breast fed baby's poop doesn't stink."  People LIE.  It stinks.  Some days, it smells nasty.  Perhaps it's worse when they are eating food, but make no mistake, it's not a bed of roses at any stage of the game.

A breast pump will provide a tremendous amount of freedom.  While the baby is breast only, you have to stay where breast feeding is convenient.  The biggest place where this is a problem is while driving, in a restaurant, and night feedings.

When driving a car, you can't breast feed and keep the car in motion - despite previous family experience - this is generally regarded as "unsafe".  Having a bottle allows you to keep the baby on the schedule while keeping the family moving.

The problem with restaurants is not that it's public (see post 2 for commentary on public feeding), but rather the timing.  It always happens that baby is ready for food just as your fresh steak is coming out of the kitchen.  By the time you eat, the steak is cold.  Or the ice cream is melted.  Or the ice melts into the soda.

And night feedings.  While baby is breast feeding, there's really no reason for dad to wake up - there's nothing he can do to make the situation better.  If there's a bottle of breast milk, then dad can help.

Of course, all this is negated if your family chooses formula.

Back to breast pumps.  I don't care how cheap it is . . . don't buy a manual pump.  A manual pump works like a spray bottle - an old spray bottle that's a little tough and not an gentle squeeze.  So imagine this . . . squeeze the bottle once each second for 20 minutes.  That's just one side.  And assuming your breasts release milk quickly.  Now do it again, on the other side.  Wait 2 hours and do it again.  Your hands will kill you.  Don't buy a manual pump.