breastfed vs bottle fed

[jezzabelle383]

I know there are a lot of good reasons to breastfeed especially related to health benefits and it being free and all, but I am just feeling like I don't want to. My 8 year old was bottle fed and he has been a pretty healthy boy. Hr is very excited to be a big brother and I want him to be able to help with feeding and my husband as well. Obesity runs in the family as well and I feel like I would be better able to monitor feedings if I bottle fed. I also don't want to have a baby nursing at all hours of the night, as is recommended to increase milk production. I feellike it is just as important to have your baby learning to sleep at night. I dont know. I do know there is a lot of controversy around this subject, but I wanted to attempt reaching out anyways. Please be kind in your responses. Thank you.

[jaloveslorelei]

^ that gives me chills. I am so happy for you and your son!

[0_LING_0]

My son was born at 25 wks and so of course he was in the NICU for 3 months. I pumped for 8 months for him till oi got on birth control and my milk dried up. Didn't get much chance to actually breastfeed him cuz he was so used to bottles by the time he came home. I def think that breast milk is very important!!! I do believe that my 1lb 10 oz baby wouldnt have been as healthy as he is today if I would have given him formula. He had a lot of health problems and the Drs told me if he did survive he would have a lot of health problems and have cerebral palsy. Today he is a very healthy 12 yr old with NO health problems whatsoever :) I do believe breastfeeding helped him and is the best choice u can make!

[jaloveslorelei]

Im sorry but it's offensive when women who couldn't, or chose not to, breastfeed try to put breastfeeding down. It absolutely is better, no question about it. It is absolutely benificial past 4 months of age, do you know what athletes pay per ounce for it? It truely is incredible stuff. If you are formula feeding, you SHOULD NOT be trying to manage how much formula your baby is getting, they are just babies, they are not gluttonous and they eat to thrive. Feed on demand, they gain the weight they are going to gain because of genetics, and if you are formula feeding, I beleive the 1st or 2nd ingredient is corn syrup solids? Yes, it does cause a baby to gain more weight than nursing. I 100%, in every way, think it's way easier than bottle feeding. I'd much rather get up and nurse baby than get up, make baby a bottle with baby crying while waiting, then sit there and feed baby, then try to fall back asleep. I had flat nipples as well and it was excruciating for 2 months, after which it was bareable until 7 months, when it was finally comfortable. Everyone thinks they are not producing enough, myself included, that's an incredibly rare condition, and I wish women wouldn't give up because they self diagnose this. Yes, if you choose to bottle feed don't beat yourself up but if you want to breastfeed don't give up easily. Women have done it for thousands of years, they didn't just let their babies perish, so I figured I could do it too.

[sglow]

Completely agree with you mumziemz :-)

[mumziemz]

You do whatever you want to do hun there is no right or wrong way.. I used to beat myself up that I couldn't breastfeed but why give yourself stress that is not needed.. I tried with all of mine to breastfeed and they just weren't  getting enough so I packed it in after a couple of weeks and bottle fed them.. They and myself were much happier they were getting what they needed and I was getting rest.  Bottles are easier because the other half and other siblings can help.. my daughter loves helping me feed now how can they do that with a boob lol.. yeah you can express but damn that's hard work and in my case pointless I would sit there for half and hour and only produce a max of 2 ounces !!... bottles you can see exactly how much they are getting.. and to add none of my kids are obese if your kids are active and eat right later on how the hell is a bottle at birth going to make them fat. Obviously just my opinion but you can always do what I did and make sure first few feeds are breast so they get what they need from you and then go to bottles.. others around you feel very useless so it's a great way for them to feel they have an input and they would be helping you out!! My hubby loves feeding our babies and I can't wait for him to do the same with this one.. fourth and counting haha ;)

[sglow]

I've had to stop breastfeeding/expressing my milk after 2 weeks due to severe painful engorged breasts. I am now exclusively formula feeding my daughter (I was able to express for 2 months with my son). Its just one of those unpredictable things I.e. baby won't latch on, engorgement,  not being able to express enough,  or feeling down with milk let down.

I haven't worked myself over it but in fact have felt well supported with the midwives and health visitors who have said caring for your baby isnt just limited to being able to give them your own milk, its about everything.

A happy mummy = a happy baby (and vice versa)

[kelley_bump]

Studies show that formula fed babies are more likely to be obesed than breastfed babies. My hubby he was formula fed and is 270 lbs and i was breastfed and im 107 so it seems to be true in our situation. Find out if the obesed ppl in your family were formula or breastfed. You can pump and let others bottle feed. I exclusively  breastfeed and the first two months she woke up every 2-3 hours now by 3 months shes sleeping through the night from 12-4:30/5 a.m

[babyboo32]

Nursing has benefits for you too. It helps get your uterus & tummy back into shape. Helps you burn calories. If you are a stay at home mom I'd say it's something you'd be able to do. Many working mom's have a hard time keeping up with pumping at work. Your milk production is based on how much you nurse & pump. The more you do, the more you make & vice versa. Some women have a lite supply because they rarely put a demand on their body to produce milk. My son was on antibiotics for 10 days when he was born so I had to pump to make sure I didn't lose my milk before I could nurse. People in the nursery didn't always know I wanted to nurse him so they'd feed him formula. The lactation consultant said sometimes babies don't nurse well once they get use to bottles because the milk flows out easier than when nursing & the latch for a nipple & bottle are so different. In spite of our unforseen challenges I nursed him till he was 2. He wasn't big on regular foods & I wanted to give him the best nutrition I could because we didn't have health insurance at the time. All that being said, if you want to nurse the best thing you can do with your baby is establish a good latch. Most people give up because it hurts & it won't hurt if they latch correctly. And if you choose to bottle feed don't let it bother you. Whatever you choose for you, your baby & family will be the right choice because it will no doubt be a choice made in love.

[Madisonsmom1]

When I went in for my 3d ultra sound, the tech shared with me that she has twins. She didn't have enough milk to breastfeed both girles so she opted to breastfeed the smaller one and bottle feed the bigger one. She said that her breast fed twin was so healthy that she actually ended up being bigger than her bigger one. That sealed the deal for me. I breastfed my daughter as long  I could but my milk only lasted like 3.5 months which is frusterating. I definitely plan on breastfeeding again, I hope this time I can go longer.

[3bgirls15]

After 4 months there is no difference between breastfed and formula fed babies. I hate nursing but stick with it for 3 months because it's so much cheaper and I know it gives then health benefits. (Sleep is hugely important to our family too and while nursing I got my babies sleeping through the night early - I don't overly worry about supply since I'm happy to switch to bottles). But follow your own conscience and don't let others guilt you into doing something that makes you (and therefore everyone) miserable.

[Farah_Remo]

Oh and just to mention. Babies can build up their immune system through other ways than breastmilk. I have a dog that is constantly around my baby and i personally believe thats its healthy for him to be exposed to some bacteria

[Angeline722]

Do what feels right for you and don't let anyone make you feel bad for your decisions. I tried to breastfeed with my first. My doctor had told me I was going to struggle because I have super flat non existent nipples (sorry for the tmi). I only lasted a little more than 2 weeks. I was in so much pain (I know, selfish move) and my baby was crying all the time because he wasn't getting enough food. I gave up and bottle fed. Right move? I don't know but it felt right. Everything was more calm and everyone was happy so I do feel it was the right move for me. With my 2nd I didn't even try to breastfeed him. I had them really close together and I was scared to try it all over again so I didn't. I have two smart and healthy boys. I most likely won't try to breastfeed this time either. I feel I've had success my way and everyone turned out great.

[Farah_Remo]

This is my experience:
I had my son in september and I wanted to breastfeed for the first 6 months so badly. I know how important it is for a baby to receive the antibodies in breastmilk for immunity to diseases. I tried with all my might, it felt like i was nursing him all day but my supply just wasnt keeping up for him by 2 months of age. So I started formula, as soon as I did that my supply dwindled. He's now 5 months old, exclusively formula fed and is healthy as ever. Although theres times I feel down about not breastfeeding and not having that close bond, i'm how everything turned out. Im happy he got breastmilk foor the first 2 months and honestly, thats good enough. Im also glad that i can let my husband, parents, and in laws babysit him and not have to worry about pumping and storing. Im pregnant again and im hoping to breastfeed just a little longer this time. Wishing you luck with your new bub!

[love_being_his_mrs]

Obesity is actually linked to bottle feeding in childhood. Sleep isn't as important as the nutritional benefits of breastmilk. Our bodies were designed to run on it. You can always pump and have others give them the pumped milk in the bottle. It's a little overwhelming but it's possible!