Breast feeding vs. Bottle/Formula Feeding

[Savannah11]

Can you ladies list advantages/disadvantages of both?

I know breast is best but im still not entirely sure what i want to do.
I'm leaning more towards the bottle/formula feeding for my own personal reasons.
but i really need to think it through and would just like to know the advantages/disadvantages of BOTH.

thanks

 

[Pippasdvision]

(takes a deep breath) I could not breast feed my last two for different reasons asnd have no issue with formula feeding so I would say its more what suits you and your situation. But a word of caution this is one of those subjects that everyone seems to get a bit silly about. Hopefully it will not this time. Will be watching as I am interested too.

 

[Savannah11]

thats what im worried about pippa!

hope nobody starts getting too opinionated on this!!
x

 

[UkCath]

Whilst breast is best I think the benifits might be a little overstated in the figures published, as they are based on world wide studies including countries that don't have access to as clean water as we do to mix the formula.

I am going to try breastfeeding, but if it doesn't work I am not going to be too concerned about it.

 

[Mummy to be x]

Nobody should get opinionated hunny It's just a question Personally I am bottle feeding, I would LOVE my husband to be able to bond with his daughter through feeding her too, that's just my reason. I no you can put breast milk into a bottle but i would just prefer to bottle feed xxx

 

[Vickieh1981]

I bottle fed my first two.

ADVANTAGES

-Anyone can do it so you can get someone taking over some feeds.
-You know exactly how much they are taking.
-It's pretty easy to do

DISADVANTAGES

-Sterilising everything
-Having to take it all out with you
-Having to go downstairs in the middle of the night for a bottle
-Cost
-No health benefits.

I then breastfed the next two (one for 2.5 years, tandem feeding for 6 months and the second one for 22 months)

ADVANTAGES

-You don't have to take anything out with you but your boobs lol
-Its always there when you need it.
-Health benefits to yourself and the baby
-Helps you get your figure back much faster.
-It's an amazing feeling to have your baby feeding from you.

DISADVANTAGES

-It can be hard in the beginning until you sort the latch etc out.
-You can sometimes worry about how much milk they are taking
-You alone are responsible for feeds

That's about all I can think of right now although I am sure there are others for all columns.

I hope that was an ok overview. I am very pro breastfeeding but don't try to shove it in peoples faces.

 

[Savannah11]

Thanks mummy - thats my reason for wanting to bottle feed - i want my husband to be able to feed whenever and wherever he wants so he can bond with his little boy xx

Nobody should get opinionated hunny It's just a question Personally I am bottle feeding, I would LOVE my husband to be able to bond with his daughter through feeding her too, that's just my reason. I no you can put breast milk into a bottle but i would just prefer to bottle feed xxx

 

[Pippasdvision]

For me the main advantages were that my DH could help with nightime feeds and it helped him bond with our sons (his comment and opinion) as a negative you have to carry more around with oyu and it costs a bit more I think.

 

[Savannah11]

Thanks Vickieh - made some very good points there
x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Hmmm, I know Scotland puts out a book on the benefits.....

There's a lot about boosting immunity of the child and providing a closer bonding experience....less allergies and less likelihood of asthma and ear infections later in life.

I know for some women it's just not possible due to medical reasons or personal beliefs. I'm going to give it my best shot. The midwives here are very supportive in helping you learn to breastfeed and assisting in teaching how to get the child to latch on properly. There are some good techniques I've read about bringing the child to the breast as opposed to the breast to the child.

I suppose it's all up to personal preference really. I hope you find your answers

 

[Mummy to be x]

Thanks mummy - thats my reason for wanting to bottle feed - i want my husband to be able to feed whenever and wherever he wants so he can bond with his little boy xx

Nobody should get opinionated hunny It's just a question Personally I am bottle feeding, I would LOVE my husband to be able to bond with his daughter through feeding her too, that's just my reason. I no you can put breast milk into a bottle but i would just prefer to bottle feed xxx

Yeah Plus through the night when she need's a feed he can do it sometimes in my personal opinion it will just be much easier x

 

[Savannah11]

I'm with you on this x

Thanks mummy - thats my reason for wanting to bottle feed - i want my husband to be able to feed whenever and wherever he wants so he can bond with his little boy xx

Nobody should get opinionated hunny It's just a question Personally I am bottle feeding, I would LOVE my husband to be able to bond with his daughter through feeding her too, that's just my reason. I no you can put breast milk into a bottle but i would just prefer to bottle feed xxx

Yeah Plus through the night when she need's a feed he can do it sometimes in my personal opinion it will just be much easier x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

You can always express milk and store it for up to a certain amount of time in the fridge or the freezer. Then your OH can still feed when he gets up with LO at night and LO still gets the benefits of breast milk

 

[UkCath]

Thanks mummy - thats my reason for wanting to bottle feed - i want my husband to be able to feed whenever and wherever he wants so he can bond with his little boy xx

Nobody should get opinionated hunny It's just a question Personally I am bottle feeding, I would LOVE my husband to be able to bond with his daughter through feeding her too, that's just my reason. I no you can put breast milk into a bottle but i would just prefer to bottle feed xxx

Yeah Plus through the night when she need's a feed he can do it sometimes in my personal opinion it will just be much easier x

I have concerns about this too... having never had a baby I don't know how easy it will be to express the milk. If it turns out to be too hard for me, then it would be a shame for DH not to be able to feed the baby and it might put me off. I will certainly be giving it a shot though.

 

[Mummy to be x]

You can always express milk and store it for up to a certain amount of time in the fridge or the freezer. Then your OH can still feed when he gets up with LO at night and LO still gets the benefits of breast milk

yeah i totally agree, In my opinion though i would find formula easier. Thank you

 

[tina3747]

Do not let anyone tell you to do something you no isn't working!!! I breast fed my son for 3 weeks, every 1/2 an hour and hourly through the night!! After sheer exhaustion I suggested trying the bottle as although I thought I knew what I was doing and doing as I should he would lose the latch after 10 mins then get fustrated with getting back on... Was such a hassle calming him down I ended up in tears most days. My midwife (obviously pro b/f) encouraged me to carry on telling me it's the best thing for baby and I need to think of him more than myself ( yes really!) 3 weeks in and I was at breaking point, my best friend (also a m/w) begged me to give him a bottle, she had one from her job.. He drank it. He slept for 4 hours!!!! I gave up that day. I'm not telling you this to scare you but ad a warning to know your limits! I knew I should have given up but the powers of persuasion were good. After all that I'm giving it a go again... Even though it was hard work, when he was latched on it was truely the most beautiful thing ever, fingers crossed we work it out this time. My personal opinion is that breast is best just for even a short while, the natural antibodies they get from you can't be reproduced in formula so even a few days is good. But if you don't fancy doing it don't! It's your body and your baby, do what works for you !!

 

[Pippasdvision]

I tried expressing with my last and inbetween trying to look after a newborn baby my other son a house and getting some rest I really struggled to find the time to sit and relax enough to express. I did manage when my DH was home for the first two weeks so we mixed that in with his formula (advised by our MW to give colostrum first with 1oz of formula and have a second bottle with another 2 oz in) but once he was back in work and I was on my own and a baby to feed every 2 hours day and night I just could not keep it up. From what I understand the colostrum is the best bit like foremilk. I will try breast feeding again this time but I would look to express in spare time so DH can help I know it will be a hassle and if it doesnt work I dont mind I am not going to get myself upset about it this time it will either work or it wont

 

[Bmonki]

i wanted to bf Naomi, i tried for 2 days while we were in hospital and she refused to latch properly except when the midwife put her there on me... i couldnt get the hang of it and neither could she, she wasnt getting any when she did latch either. (I apparently was the same as a baby - couldn't suck hard enough). So i expressed as much as i could and topped her up with formula, until she was about 6 weeks old and then my milk stopped. DH took most of the nighttime feeds for me cause i was exhausted (had a womb infection which didnt help)... and the two of them have a bond now that any daddy would be proud to have with his baby girl. I expressed as much as i could because of the supposed health benefits and because i had convinced myself i was going to bf so when i couldnt i kinda felt like a failure.

I definitely intend on bf'ing with this bubba, if she'll let me... but if we have problems i have no bad feeling toward formula whatsoever, will just do the same and express all i can.

personally even if i can bf with this bubba i will still express once/twice a day so daddy can have that bond again, and probably after a while will combo feed with formula.

it all comes down to personal preference hun - and tbh even if you decide to bf you may not be able to do it so its better just to wait til bubs is here and then see how you both feel about it.

 

[CelticNiamh]

Me to hope its not another good thread that gets shut down because people fly off the handle!

any way Ive done both and hear what I found,
managed to BF my first baby for a few weeks but then was worried he wasn't getting enough plus other reason etc and changed to FF he was fine and healthy lad still is.

Advantages of FF
DH could take over some of the feeds and give you a break...
God I thought I could think of more than that now sorry

For me I love BF because no preparation milk is there on demand, night time feeds are much easier and less disturbed esp as baby get bigger. it can be intense for the first 6 weeks but after the baby will drop a feed and do this on till you are on 3 feeds a day and go from 20 minute feeds to 5 minute ones. It never bothered me feeding in public I always pick a spot I felt comfortable with and cover in such a way no one would even know I was feeding. my DH had no problems bonding he took over nappy changing and bathing and just cuddling so I could have some time to do other things.
I know it has some other advantages as well, but they were not my main reason for BF, I just wanted to give it a go and have that time with my baby feel proud I was feeding him and hopefully get in shape quicker luckily it went to plan and after getting over the first bit of soreness it went great.

The way I always see it, if you plan on BF and give it a try and brill if it works your happy and baby happy, if for what ever reason it doesn't work I always say at least you tried and any amount of BM is better than none, ( please any one who has never BF please don't take offence as I only mention this as we are all very good at beating our self's up and feeling guilty when things don't go the way we planned)

If you do FF then it wont set your baby back and I think the main thing is here is happy mum means happy baby so what ever works best for you is the best option does that make sense.

good luck with what ever you decide, I plan on BF again this time FX that baby is ok with my plan as well

 

[Pippasdvision]

Just to add another spin on this thread those who have expressed can you give any hints and tips as I really struggled to get anything out and would be there for ages. any advice greatly appreciated