Breast or Bottle?

[2nd time mum]

Hi ladies

All the way through this pregnancy I have said that I would give breastfeeding a try. I bottle fed my first and always said I would try it with any more babies. The reason for it was when my milk started to come through which was about day 3 after my son was born he went to me for feeds. Midwife said by then it was too late to start him on the breast.

As time is pressing on I am seriously having 2nd thoughts. It is maybe silly things like I will be going into work doing the "Keeping in Contact" days one day a month and what if baby won't take bottle from someone else because they want me, or are they that fussy? Will I be able to express? A selfish one of me getting a bit more sleep - OH had said he would do late feed which would mean I could go to sleep before that and sleep through. Also I have a teenage son and 4 year old stepdaughter and would like them involved with feeding aswell.

Are these normal thoughts?

Also curious as to how many mums are going to bottle or breast feed. Thanks in advance

 

[soon2b6]

I can give you my perspective on this. I bottle fed my first and had a similar experience to you, suddenly feeling that I needed to BF but also thinking "id made my choice" and so didnt. With my second (and all thereafer) I decided that I didnt want that feeling again and BF from the start, I have never looked back. As for more sleep BF is (bizarrely) the way to go, you stay almost asleep as does baby the feed happens in bed (or whereever) and you go back off quick smart, as does baby. I remember with my first getting up warming the bottle for 5 to 10 minutes then finding I got it too hot and had to cool it, grrrrr, by which time she was screaming her head off and far toooo awake to fall back to sleep without a battle,lol.
If having others feed baby is important then you could express milk or even mixed feed. Then the baby will be used to feeding from more than just you and you get the best of both worlds.

 

[dizzy duck]

Im bottle feeding but only because of medication I have to go back on the second my little man is born, its too harmful for him. Its completely up to you hun, I see both sides of where you are coming from and think you should go with your heart, sorry not much help am I, take care XX

 

[dannydustcart]

Im bottle feeding.. mainly because i didnt get one with BF when i had my daughter and im refusing to put myself through it again.
Much to my midwifes dismay

 

[mama2b]

I am breastfeeding to start with because for me personally I feel the benefits outweigh bottle feeding.

Aside from it being best for baby (which of course is my main reason ) I really could not be bothered to get up in the middle of the night and start messing about with bottles, I know I would never get back to sleep and its free I couldn't believe how much the formula cost when I had a look in tesco !

Having said that it is my intention to start using the bottle and expressing as soon as I can so that oh can do feeds to.

 

[baboo]

I'm going to try and breastfeed my twins, but we have all we need for bottle feeding if it doesn't go to plan.
x

 

[Sarah88]

I just wanted to add my experience.
I'm a first time mum, I had a hard time bfing my daughter. She wouldn't latch on for a couple of days but with help from the Lactation Consultant and moral support from everyone else we persisted and succeeded.
I don't get why people say they can't get out and about if they bf. savannah will quite happily take a bottle of ebm. I am back at work 4 days a week and she has ebm at her nursery, I just express whilst at work.
She also started sleeping through from 3 months, even before then I would just feed her in bed with me. Mama2b was right- breast milk does make your baby sleepy. I have never once had a problem with Savannah being awake in the middle of the night and not going back to sleep, nor have I ever had a problem with wind/colic/reflux.

I'm not going to sit here and preach saying it's great and wonderful. For me, it was hard, it hurt, I cried... alot. But imo it is worth it. I love watching her drink and knowing I am giving my baby the best start I can.
My friend, on the other hand bf easily, her bub latched on perfectly, no pain nothing.

Each women has to do whats right for them, and for me it was bfing.

 

[shorman]

I'm going to bf as I can see all the benefits are good but this is my first so it's a new experiance for me I've looked bf online and they say you should do it for 6 months? I am also going to get bottles in incase she doesn't latch on. Xx

 

[Ravelyn]

I will be a first time mom, and have decided to BF for the first 6 months, if of course I am capable and the baby latches on. Otherwise, I will be switching to the bottle.

I will of course be pumping breast milk, so that my hubby and other family members can bond with the baby during feeding times, as well as have the baby get used to both the breast and the bottle nipple. I have read that switching from breast to bottle can be difficult because of the different texture of the nipples etc. I have also seen some women who solely breastfeed and do not pump, that their baby because extremely dependant upon their mom and will not settle down with anybody else. And when mommy leaves for a period of time, the baby is extremely upset until mommy comes back, even if she only left the living room for the kitchen. (Seen this first hand)

We all know that babies put on more weight quicker on the bottle than they do on the breast. But we also know that breast helps build up the immunities of the baby.

The decision and reasons for breastfeeding versus bottlefeeding are purely a personnel choice. In whatever you decide, your baby will thrive.

Good luck sweetie.

 

[Jkelmum]

I am expressing from the start i have a good pump and baby will still bennifit from my milk without me getting upset and stressed cos my boobs are too big

 

[sadiescooby]

I am expressing from the start i have a good pump and baby will still bennifit from my milk without me getting upset and stressed cos my boobs are too big

Have you done this before? Just wondering because it's something I'm thinking of doing if breastfeeding doesn't get off the ground. Thanks

 

[kaykay]

I posted a similar one a few weeks ago. The advice I have been giving from u guys and MW is to keep on the breast until its well established maybe a month on something and then it should be okay to pump into a bottle for night feeds etc..It just depends on the baby really we dont know how there going to react to bottle. Well thats what Im going to do anyway.x

 

[lisaandsprog]

i will be breast feeding. i did with both of my previous children, up till about 18mnths. It was just so much easier and healthier i feel. I didnt have all that trouble with sterilising bottles, making sure the milk is the right temperature, ever having to worry about it running out. For me it was just so much easier. with my daughter after the first few months a decided to combine the two (bottle and breast) and replaced one of her feeds with formula. That way she got used to taking a bottle aswell and if i had to leave her with dp then i didnt have to spend ages expressing.

 

[cs22]

Im going to try breast feeding at least then i can see how i go. Quite a few people who have had babies in our family lately all bottle formula fed. Im gonna give breast feeding a go because the benefits are so much better than formula and ive heard its better for bonding with baby x

 

[PitBullMommy]

B.O.T.T.L.E! All the way! I was going to BF Charlotte, but was too sick and then had to go on meds that wouldn't allow me to. After doing the bottle feeding I realized how easy it was and we are DEFINIETLY going to bottle feed Edward. DH can help, other people can watch him w/o me becoming a milk factory before hand....just seems more convienent to me

 

[Wombat]

I would say go with the flow. When the LO will be born you might experience a great urge to breastfeed or you might not. And don't forget that you can combine breastfeeding and bottle feeding. And also expressing.
Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[marley2580]

I have also seen some women who solely breastfeed and do not pump, that their baby because extremely dependant upon their mom and will not settle down with anybody else. And when mommy leaves for a period of time, the baby is extremely upset until mommy comes back, even if she only left the living room for the kitchen. (Seen this first hand)

I think you'll find that a lot of babies go through a separation anxiety phase, whether they're BF or FF. I have never pumped and given my daughter a bottle, partly because I physically couldn't get enough out (something many women struggle with), and she is a very independent child.

I think it's important to remember that it is possible to bond with baby in ways other than feeding them.

 

[happyfamily123]

I had a terrible time breast feeding. My nipples got all cracked and would bleed and it was just extraordinarily painful. I had surgery 12 days after delivery and pumped and dumped to keep my milk production up. I am hoping this time to be able to breastfeed and if its too painful maybe just expressing? Formula is so dang expensive and breast milk just helps baby so much