I am almost 23 weeks pregnant and starting to believe there really is a baby in there (although, still sort of in denial too!) and I have recently been thinking about feeding the baby after it arrives. Have many of you breastfed? I have to be honest and say that I have always thought that I wouldnt. I feel that the whole ttc journey was difficult enough and despite pregnancy being ok, I sort of feel that I have done enough? I know that sounds really selfish. Obviously, breastfeeding is the best for baby but I am worried about hypos, surely, if Mum isnt able to look after herself, what good will that be for baby...
I cant really believe that I'm even considering breastfeeding considering I have always said no to it but if I was to consider it could any of you share your experiences please? Did you manage ok? How did you cope with hypos etc.? I will be home alone with baby a lot because my husband will be at work. I just dont want to put myself or baby at risk of any harm.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Breast milk really is the better (and CHEAPER) choice over formula when possible. I’ve always wanted to give my baby breast milk so maybe my opinion is biased. I just prefer something nature intended, over something mass produced, sealed and packaged in a factory. The fear of lows is understandable and I worry about that too. Alot of breast feeding, diabetic women I talk to say as long as they eat something before hand they are fine.
I plan to feed breast milk from a bottle and not directly from my breast. That way I can use a breast pump and nursing bra to get the milk out while my hands are free to eat or test my blood sugar. If I ever feel VERY hypo, I can disconnect from the breast pump right away, get something to eat and then lay down for a few minutes. All while the baby is safe and asleep. Have you considered using a breast pump? Good luck!
I’m still breastfeeding my 8 month old, but like Kathy said, I’m quite biased in favor of breastfeeding. Many of my friends chose formula, but I was a breastfed baby and believe it’s the better choice, so I was fully committed to going at least 1 year.
That being said, it was extremely hard getting started - much harder than pregnancy. We had latching issues and had to work with a lactation consult several times during and after our hospital stay. I had to pump after every nursing session the first two weeks due to the problems we were having and we still use a nipple shield…but the experience has been so worth it, in my opinion.
The hypos have been very manageable. In the beginning, it was helpful to keep some snacks or glucose tabs on the little table where I kept nursing supplies next to my rocking chair. (I’d have a burp rag, my meter, water to drink (you get thirsty BFing), the remote control, my phone, etc.) Now, I don’t notice a drop in my BGs at all. In the beginning, I’d drop 30 or 40 mg/dL during each nursing session, so a couple crackers or g-tabs and I was good to go. But, just as with milk supply, your body finds its groove. The reason your BG is dropping is due to calorie burn - the same calorie burn that has helped me shed all of the baby weight. So I don’t begrudge my body a few lows.
For great info and advice about breastfeeding, I recommend the website kellymom. My lactation consultant pointed me there and I found it really informative.
And as a side note, make sure you wash breastmilk (or formula) from your hands before you test your BG. I found that if I had any on my hands, my readings could be up to 150 pts higher!
