EBF and escaping the house

[jinnifah]

I'm sure I'm not the first new mom out there who's getting a bit of cabin fever. I'd love to get out of the house alone (or with just dh) for an hour or two occasionally but, as I'm breastfeeding, I'm pretty much constantly on tap.

When did you get out of the house without LO for the first time? How long were you able to stay out?

Did you just time your outing around LO's last feeing, or did youbstart pumping ahead of time to build up a stash? Did pumping effect your supply? Did you just get formula for your caregiver to use?

[karinothing]

I did not pump until my supply regulated, so 6 weeks. I did not start pumping to build up my stash until closer to when I returned to work. It did not impact my supply; however, starting to pump at 2 weeks might (which is why I waited until 6).

I did not leave DS alone until around then and I timed it after a feed. I was gone for about an hour. It never occurred to me to leave formula but I feel very strong about EBF.

I am a big weirdo though. My midwives stressed having a sort of "lying in" for 30 days after the baby was born. So I had it in my head that I wouldn't do anything except feed the baby for a month (DH was home the entire time). We just had fun watching movies, eating sushi and going on the occasional walk (although honestly, I didn't feel healed enough to walk that much until closer to 6 weeks).

[MamaMaui24]

I started with quick trips to Target or redbox to get a movie. I think maybe at a week or so? 30 minutes and by myself.

I was not pumping yet. I left immediately after a feed. Did not leave formula. At first I just left him with DH.

I started pumping at 3 weeks. Maybe around 3-4 weeks we went to dinner and my mom watched him. He slept the entire time and I ended up not missing a feeding!

I did go on lots of walks early on, just around the block. With and without baby. Or even just sat in the backyard for some fresh air.

[curbsideprophet]

I only pumped at the beginning for engorgement (both for my comfort and b/c it was harder for DD to latch if I was too engorged). So we typically had a least a little pumped milk around at any given time. I don't remember when I first went out, but it was probably only for about an hour. I would not give formula.

[vanillacourage]

If you're serious about EBF I would not keep formula in the house. For your first few outings until you're confident in your timing or have a pumped stash, just stay close enough that you can pop back home if you get a call that the baby's freaking out.

[jinnifah]

I should mention that I won't be giving DS a bottle until he's at least 4wks per my hospital's rec just getting antsy now. I took a 10 min trip to the corner store alone yesterday and it was glorious. Now I'm greedy for more!

[curbsideprophet]

The first time I left DD had not had a bottle yet. My mom was instructed to give her a little breastmilk via spoon if she felt DD needed/wanted to eat. I also did not go far so I could be home fairly quickly if need be.

[katieb4tom]

I know how you feel! I EBF and left at 2 weeks for the first time. She stayed w/ my husband, I got ready to go, fed her, and ran out of there so fast! They eat so often when they are that little, you can't be gone long (it was about an hour-1.5 hours) but it is so worth it! I went to Starbucks and then the mall...and then I heard another person's baby crying and immediately had to leave to go back to her, ha! I didn't want to give any formula, so I didn't leave any, and didn't start pumping until preparing to return to work approx, 7-8 weeks I think? Go, have fun, love it!

[satama]

Will your LO sleep in the car? When DS1 was that little, DH and I would drive to go get coffee and LO would fall asleep on the way. He would usually stay asleep long enough for us to go for a quick bite to eat too if we wanted too. That is why I loved the infant seat. Just take the sleeping baby with you and hope they stay asleep. It still felt like a nice little outing and DH and I would get to talk.

This time I pumped from day one because DS2 had a brief NICU stay. He also had bottles from day one and no problem switching back and forth. If not I would have introduced bottles at 4 weeks though. 6 weeks is too long for me to wait personally. I left DS for the first time for my six week PP appt and went and got coffee after by myself. He did take a bottle while I was gone. This past weekend was the first time DH and I went on a date, baby was 12 weeks. We were gone for about 4 hours and he took 2 pumped bottles. I would not leave formula.

The only other times I have left LO so far were two massage appts (8 weeks and 10 weeks) and a dentist appt, and a couple of quick trips to the store that were not long enough for him to need to eat while I was gone. I do have a freezers stash though if he did need it.

[slug*bug]

We took advantage of having our moms staying w/us right after we came from the hospital and went on a 'date night' when each child was about 2 w old. We happened to have a few great restaurants w/i walking distance, so we could've gone home quickly if necessary, but everyone was fine and we were out for 2-3 h.

I had to go back to work at 6 w w/both kids, so started pumping at 2-3 w to start building my stash. Our night out was a chance for a different caregiver to give each of them a bottle of BM, and it was nice to know that they'd take it w/o problems (both did: we BF'd until 13 mos. for DS and DD is still nursing a couple times a day...I didn't have any concerns about it hurting my supply to start pumping while on ML.)

I also did short outings by myself, but they were of really limited duration and involved doing the 'feed and sprint' that a pp mentioned. Usually, it was just easier and less stressful to take the baby with me, esp. the second time around when I was really comfortable nursing in public.

[McGavin]

I went out as soon as I felt physically good enough to go. I didn't pump or go between feedings, I just nursed when needed.

The mall was a great place to go because it has a great nursing room if I needed to bf. It was also a great place to chat with other moms which helped the cabin fever a lot.

ETA: okay, reading FAIL. Without baby? Sorry, can't help you there, I didn't go out for a loooooong time without baby.

[fortmyersbride]

I started pumping right when we got home for engorgement issues. It also allowed me to build up about a 30 oz stash in the first week. My mom stayed for a couple weeks after each kid, so DH and I did a couple of dinners out during that time as we knew we wouldn't have the chance once she left.

FWIW neither of my kids ever developed nipple confusion or bottle preference despite having bottles during the first week of life and at least once a week from then on. Given the choice they always preferred to EBF, and even at 9 mos old DD still refuses bottles from time to time while I'm at work.

[badtzmaru22]

I left DD with our parents when she was two days old because my milk came in and I needed some bras and tanks because absolutely nothing I had fit over the monsters that my boobs became. We were gone an hour, and I just left after her last feeding. After that, I only left her once or twice, and by then had some pumped milk to leave with her. All the other times, I just took her with me. Even now, she's four months old and I leave her every day at the sitter, but when I'm not at work, I'm not keen on leaving her anywhere. She is easy to just take with me.

Maybe I'm weird. I'm not interested in a date night or any time away from her. I hate being away from her during the work week as it is. DH feels the same, though not quite as strongly. Maybe I would feel different if I sah.

[water*drop]

I went to urgent care at 2 weeks, and I wasn't about to take DD with me. I was gone roughly 4 hours. I left right after feeding her, but I knew I was going to be gone over at least one feeding. I left bottles of pumped milk. It stressed me out a lot, but DD was fine.

Since then, I've gone on a handful of Target runs, which I time around feedings, although there's also pumped milk in the freezer if DD decides to change up the feeding schedule while I'm out.

I pumped one side during weeks 2 and 3 at the recommendation of a lactation consultant (I was having breastfeeding issues, and pumping let me work out the issues without that side drying up). It did give me an oversupply at the time, but I'm 5 weeks postpartum, and it's fine now.

[Deleted]

Jun 22, 2012 7:19:53 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

If you're serious about EBF I would not keep formula in the house. For your first few outings until you're confident in your timing or have a pumped stash, just stay close enough that you can pop back home if you get a call that the baby's freaking out.

Ditto this. Don't keep formula in your house, it's too tempting especially while LO is building up your supply by cluster feeding. That's a trap lots of BFing moms fall into, and one of the primary reasons they give up on EBF. Baby eats non-stop, draining mom's boobs. Mom thinks "I must not be making enough for him!" and supplements with formula. Mom's supply tanks, and BF is over before it starts. BFing is a demand-supply system, not the other way around. Baby feeds constantly (demand) which builds up your supply. You're never truely "empty", just well-drained. The baby is always getting something. So don't supplement with formula or pump too much early on, it can create some real problems with EBF.

I pumped and BF when I got home from the hospital to build up a freezer stash, and it was a big mistake. I ended up with an oversupply which made my life miserable, and made BFing a lot more complicated than it needed to be. I was engorged all the time and DS had trouble latching, which is trouble he didn't need at a week old KWIM?

I would take short trips not too far from the house for the first couple weeks. Then start pumping occasionally starting around week 6-7, once BFing is well established. I SAH, and I pump a couple of times a week after his morning feed. This ensures I always have a pumped bottle ready in the fridge for DH to give if necessary, but I'm not pumping all the time and messing with my supply. A pumped bottle lasts ~5 days in the fridge, so I usually pump every 4 days or do, or when the opportunity presents itself (DS only drains one boob, for example). If the fridge bottle doesn't get used, I freeze it. This setup has resulted in a small freezer stash without having to pump all the time, which I HATE.

I usually run short errands after DS is fed to get out of the house. One of my favs is picking up pizza, which is 30 mins round trip b/c we live in bumfuck. If I could walk anywhere (I can't) I would do that. But honestly, newborns are so sleepy I just took DS everywhere. Pop LO into their carseat and wait until they fall asleep. Then you can sit at a cafe and have lunch, get some coffee, etc....

[mrshandy]

I escaped the house a few times within the first few weeks for a doctor's appointment and once with DH for a little dinner. But DS did fine switching between bottle and boob. I had broken out the pump and pumped a little to supplement with at first (per doctor's orders). But I stopped pumping regularly when DS got over his jaundice.

Looking back, I was definitely taking a chance and wouldn't recommend introducing a bottle until you have a solid BF relationship established.

I agree with PPs who said that you should be able to get out fine with your LO in an infant seat. Whenever I went out in the first month with DS, he promptly fell asleep.

[Ashley&Scott]

I think I left the house for the first time without DS around 2-3 weeks after I had been cleared to drive again. I left right after a feeding but also pumped & left a bottle for DH just in case. I went to Target & was gone for about an hour.

Have you gotten out with the baby? A short walk is pretty refreshing. You could also try attending a BF support group too. (Most moms will most likely be BFing at the meeting & it's great practice for NIP. )

[mrshandy]

Jun 22, 2012 9:01:50 GMT -5 @supergreen said:

Jun 22, 2012 7:19:53 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

If you're serious about EBF I would not keep formula in the house. For your first few outings until you're confident in your timing or have a pumped stash, just stay close enough that you can pop back home if you get a call that the baby's freaking out.

Ditto this. Don't keep formula in your house, it's too tempting especially while LO is building up your supply by cluster feeding. That's a trap lots of BFing moms fall into, and one of the primary reasons they give up on EBF. Baby eats non-stop, draining mom's boobs. Mom thinks "I must not be making enough for him!" and supplements with formula. Mom's supply tanks, and BF is over before it starts. BFing is a demand-supply system, not the other way around. Baby feeds constantly (demand) which builds up your supply. You're never truely "empty", just well-drained. The baby is always getting something. So don't supplement with formula or pump too much early on, it can create some real problems with EBF.

I pumped and BF when I got home from the hospital to build up a freezer stash, and it was a big mistake. I ended up with an oversupply which made my life miserable, and made BFing a lot more complicated than it needed to be. I was engorged all the time and DS had trouble latching, which is trouble he didn't need at a week old KWIM?

I would take short trips not too far from the house for the first couple weeks. Then start pumping occasionally starting around week 6-7, once BFing is well established. I SAH, and I pump a couple of times a week after his morning feed. This ensures I always have a pumped bottle ready in the fridge for DH to give if necessary, but I'm not pumping all the time and messing with my supply. A pumped bottle lasts ~5 days in the fridge, so I usually pump every 4 days or do, or when the opportunity presents itself (DS only drains one boob, for example). If the fridge bottle doesn't get used, I freeze it. This setup has resulted in a small freezer stash without having to pump all the time, which I HATE.

I usually run short errands after DS is fed to get out of the house. One of my favs is picking up pizza, which is 30 mins round trip b/c we live in bumfuck. If I could walk anywhere (I can't) I would do that. But honestly, newborns are so sleepy I just took DS everywhere. Pop LO into their carseat and wait until they fall asleep. Then you can sit at a cafe and have lunch, get some coffee, etc....

This is excellent advice. Much better said that I could. I agree completely.

[zarapipe]

DD had a bad latch so I started pumping right away, which led to an oversupply so I wouldn't reccomend pumping right now if nursing is going well and your latch is good. I would wait another 2 weeks or so.

With that being said I had lots of milk in the freezer and DD started on a bottle right away. She had no trouble going from breast to bottle after we got her latch straightened out ( I got a nipple shield which did wonders!).

If you need out of the house at this point just take LO in a carrier, LO will probably fall asleep. I know it is important to get out of the house and not feel like a caged animal! If it is nice outside you guys could go for a walk or maybe get some takeout if you don't feel ready to go into a restaurant.

[ijack]

I was lucky that #2 was born on a 2-3hr schedule so I had plenty of time to just run out at the beginning. I actually started pumping the first week because I was so engorged and wanted to relieve a little of the pressure.

[Deleted]

I went to the grocery store 2 blocks from my house within the first week. I was only gone about 20 minutes, but it was nice. I would step out and just walk around the block now and then, too, to get a break when DH was home.

I did not pump to leave a bottle until I had to - I had a dentist appointment at about 4 weeks. I don't think he actually took the bottle, he waited for me. I was gone about 2 hours. My baby has never had formula. I don't like it. Do some reading on "virgin gut" if you're interested in why - it changes intestinal flora for about 2 weeks if you give any formula at all.

I just got good a nursing in public. We started going places (church, a work party, etc) when he was 6 days old and never quit going after that.

[hopecounts]

I scheduled around her feedings until BFing got easier around 2-3 months then I'd nurse while out if I needed to, it was fall by then so cool enough to go to the car (for my comfort) eventually I was comfortable enough to just nurse wherever.

I had to pump after feedings at first due to supply issues so never had a freezer stash or enough to take a bottle.
Since you'd have to pump at the time of the feeding to keep your supply up it's kind of pointless.

[sewpinkgal]

I think I went out by myself for the first time at maybe 2 weeks? I was EBF, but left right after I fed him and was only gone for an hour (Starbucks, in and out at Target, home). The trips solo at the beginning were super short, but did so much to help me mentally. I don't think I ever had PPD, but being home with a little guy that screamed most of the day wore on me after awhile. We introduced a bottle when J was 3.5 weeks old and then he got one every other day for one of the later feedings - H would give him a bottle and I'd pump. I knew that I was going to want to leave the house solo for slightly longer outings and it was a comfort to know that he would take the bottle and still get milk. J had formula in the hospital, but I really wanted to keep him off it for as long as possible. We made it to 4m before I had to start supplementing at night when it was clear that my supply in the evenings had tanked.

I had low supply issues from the get go and my LC had me start pumping starting at 1.5 weeks to increase it. I just started my freezer earlier than most and thank God since illness and other factors continued to mess with my supply until I finally started to wean a week ago.

[Deleted]

Jun 22, 2012 9:04:53 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

Jun 22, 2012 9:01:50 GMT -5 @supergreen said:

Ditto this. Don't keep formula in your house, it's too tempting especially while LO is building up your supply by cluster feeding. That's a trap lots of BFing moms fall into, and one of the primary reasons they give up on EBF. Baby eats non-stop, draining mom's boobs. Mom thinks "I must not be making enough for him!" and supplements with formula. Mom's supply tanks, and BF is over before it starts. BFing is a demand-supply system, not the other way around. Baby feeds constantly (demand) which builds up your supply. You're never truely "empty", just well-drained. The baby is always getting something. So don't supplement with formula or pump too much early on, it can create some real problems with EBF.

I pumped and BF when I got home from the hospital to build up a freezer stash, and it was a big mistake. I ended up with an oversupply which made my life miserable, and made BFing a lot more complicated than it needed to be. I was engorged all the time and DS had trouble latching, which is trouble he didn't need at a week old KWIM?

I would take short trips not too far from the house for the first couple weeks. Then start pumping occasionally starting around week 6-7, once BFing is well established. I SAH, and I pump a couple of times a week after his morning feed. This ensures I always have a pumped bottle ready in the fridge for DH to give if necessary, but I'm not pumping all the time and messing with my supply. A pumped bottle lasts ~5 days in the fridge, so I usually pump every 4 days or do, or when the opportunity presents itself (DS only drains one boob, for example). If the fridge bottle doesn't get used, I freeze it. This setup has resulted in a small freezer stash without having to pump all the time, which I HATE.

I usually run short errands after DS is fed to get out of the house. One of my favs is picking up pizza, which is 30 mins round trip b/c we live in bumfuck. If I could walk anywhere (I can't) I would do that. But honestly, newborns are so sleepy I just took DS everywhere. Pop LO into their carseat and wait until they fall asleep. Then you can sit at a cafe and have lunch, get some coffee, etc....

This is excellent advice. Much better said that I could. I agree completely.

Thanks Mrshandy! I always get the warm fuzzies when someone is pleased with my advice. I think BFing is going pretty well for us (knock on wood) so I like to share what I've learned when I can. EBF is hard, and I think most women don't get the support they need. IMHO, stopping BFing is a failure of the mom's support system, not the mom herself.

[mie]

I think it was maybe 2 weeks pp? I had an appointment with my doctor so I wasn't gone long.