Breastfeeding or Bottle?

[Moonpieash]

I've had several people splurge their opinions on this already...mostly in favor of breastfeeding. I do want to breastfeed, however, I am not sure if it is realistic to do so when I will be going back to work 3 months after the baby is born. I know they have pumps and all of that but will I really have time to do all of that? Is bottle feeding really that bad? I know the benefits of breastfeeding...but I am still in limbo as of what to do. What are you gals doing I want to do what's best but I also want to be realisitc.

 

[Serene123]

I'm going to try BF and if I don't like it then I have no problem with switching to bottle. I know alot of people who didn't BF who have wonderful babies.

 

[Moonpieash]

I have a friend who has told me to do the breastfeeding thing. I've heard it's best because of allergies an all...but her son has soooooooo many allergies it's not even funny. I guess it didn't work as far as that goes for him.

 

[turbo_mom]

I'd say at least do breastfeeding for those first 3 months. The milk is sooooooooooo good for them and helps them to grow strong. Of what i've read it's the best thing for newborns. Also don't forget that you can freeze your milk for use later on. It's good in a deep freezer up to 6 months. You could also just try pumping even though you're working and see how you do. If it doesn't work than it doesn't work. But I definitely say if you can breastfeed than try!

 

[Holldoll]

My husband worked with a girl that breast fed for twins! I'm going to breastfeed. I CANNOT stand the smell of formula! So I'll breast feed and pump, just to avoid that nasty smell of formula, formula throw up and formula poop! I think that it would be a lot more time consuming to mix formula than to bf too. You could pump an extra bottle every day for the 3 months you aren't working and have quite a bit of milk stored up.

 

[turbo_mom]

yeah it will be much cheaper on the wallet too Breast milk is after free!

 

[PurestFeeling]

I'm going to breastfeed even if I have to use a pump. Hey, it's free. I don't think formula feeding is bad or anything I was formula fed because I was adopted it's just a bit expensive to have to buy all that plus diapers.

 

[luckyme225]

I'm going back to work at three months as well. I'm going to be breastfeeding and I will pump when I go back to work and breastfeed when at home. Medela has really good pumps. I'm pretty sure if I didn't breastfeed the girls at work would have a heart attack lol (I work with lactation consultants).

 

[Stef]

There plus sides and minus sides to both.

I think that you just personally have to choose on your preference. I have given both alot of thought and feel that I will be more comfortable with formula milk for several reasons...

Also... My partners little girl from a previous relationship was breast fed, allegedly his ex expressed straight away which I know is not recommended as the milk supply wont have built up fully and you are supposed to allow 6 weeks BUT she gets every illness under the sun, I dont know if that is beacuse her mother is a twit and finds it acceptable for her not to wear a coat in the middle of december and practically sends her out in summer clothes... or so she does when we pick her up.. Or if she just does that on purpose to wind up Chris and I.

On the other hand... Chris' nephew was formula fed and was a happy healthy baby, now toddler.

You could try breast feeding and if you dont like it you could switch but if you express you can save breast milk in the freezer for I think its up to 3 or 6 months. X

 

[Tilly]

Always try if you can. I tried and only managed to give Bethanie her first ever feed in hospital (still, better than nothing.. thats how I look at it). She was in hospital for a week and wouldn't latch on after that.. my fault really but im not going to beat myself up about it.

Don't listen to other people too much, trying to push their opinion on you.. do whats right for you.

 

[Louisa K]

I'd say give it a go and see how you get on, even if you only BF for those 3 months, I'd say thats better than nothing.

I'm hoping to breastfeed for as long as possible, but not everyone finds it easy to do, so just see how you go, formula is pretty good nowadays too.

 

[Tam]

There is nothing wrong with bottle feeding at all.

I had BF drummed into me so much in my first pregnancy that I would not give up, so much so that it was so lucky my GP just popped in off her own back to see how I was doing........she just happened to be there when my Mum changed my baby's nappy, she saw the contents and her little legs and yelled "this baby is being starved". (I had not slept all night as I was constantly feeding her, so my Mum had sent me to bed whilst I rested, the Doctor insisted I got up so she could see me)......She took looked at my face, hands legs and took my blood pressure.......I also had postpartum eclampsia!!

My milk never came in hence Jade being starved.....she had gone from 7lb 14oz down to 6lb in just 5 days! The best thing I ever did was put her on the bottle and that was my orders form my GP! We never looked back, she is now a very healthy 9yr old, and I also have a very healthy 10 month old who has been on bottles from day one......I did start BF along with bottle feeding but he got a cold at 3 weeks and he couldn't lay in the right position to take the breast (As I did have milk this time, not loads tho) so he then went onto the bottle full time.

I think it is nice if you can do it even if just for a couple of hours, as the colostrum has your anti-bodies in it, but I do not think BF is the be all and end all. It gets drummed into people too much these days and they are not given all the benefits of bottle feeding and the fact that you do actually get healthy babies from bottles too! x

 

[Tam]

My husband worked with a girl that breast fed for twins! I'm going to breastfeed. I CANNOT stand the smell of formula! So I'll breast feed and pump, just to avoid that nasty smell of formula, formula throw up and formula poop! I think that it would be a lot more time consuming to mix formula than to bf too. You could pump an extra bottle every day for the 3 months you aren't working and have quite a bit of milk stored up.

It takes around a month for your milk to be established, and up until then you may be feeding every couple of hours day and night.......when I did BF, my babies were on the breast for at least an hour at a time, with a bottle, it was made up, baby was fed and winded and back to bed in way less than that, so formula really isn't that time consuming at all! x

 

[Deise]

I will breastfeed...I was breastfed and I turned out fabulous!!

 

[Margerle]

Breastfeeding here too... too cheap to not.

But both DH and DD want to feed baby too and I was offered some great advice as to a bottle that mimics the breast VERY closely. A baby sucks different for a bottle and breast, which is why many may have trouble breastfeeding if a baby gets supplements in the hospital (with a bottle) prior to having the breast.

https://www.adiri.com/products_html/natural_nurser.asp

https://www.babybungalow.com/adbrnutulbab.html

Aparently Adiri's Natural Nursers are just the ticket for those who still want to encourage breastfeeding but need someone else to feed, or need a break for whatever reason. The sucking a baby does with this bottle, mimics that done on mom's breast.

 

[Jenny]

I'm going to try to breastfeed with this baby. I didn't really get the chance to with Drake. I had to pump for him since he wouldn't take the boob since he was in the NICU for 2 weeks. That kinda made my work even harder. I also have inverted nipples which made it even tougher. I managed a month of pumping before I gave up and switched him to formula completely. He was also a piggy and was eating more than I was making . Hopefully things go better this time but if it doesn't work out, I have no problem with bottle feeding either. Drake turned out just fine

 

[Caroline]

If its any help I breastfed all 3 of mine, and still am the youngest who is nearly 9 months. I went back to work around the 12 -14 week mark and it is hard work. B4 going back to work I expressed as much as I could and froze it ready for when I went back to work. I then either expressed early morning b4 going to work, norm alarm set 6.15, go have breakfast, take drink back to bed & express, or get LO uo and fed ( do this now) although get up about 6.30

I then expressed at lunchtime although now stopped that about 3 weeks ago as now weaned doesn't have b'feed @ lunch when home plus was only just getting 4oz.

Then feed / express when get home & hubby cooks tea ( now dropped this too), then bedtime feed.

I now just give feed morning & night, occasionally has feed mid afternoon when @ home but rare.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sara]

I'm breastfeeding, absolutely!
Lol, already calling myself a (soon to be) lactavist and my midwife told me that if I want I can get trained to be a breastfeeding consultant

 

[Madwolf3]

Bottle feeding is JUST FINE! In fact, it has some advantages- other people can feed the baby also, giving you a break. You don't have to find somewhere to go when you're out and about and need to feed baby. AND you don't have nearly as much trouble as most do when they finally try to switch from breast to bottle, or even breast to sippy cup! The only downside is it's special time for you and baby, but some women don't feel that way about it anyway. Some women just don't like it at all. With my first I mainly pumped because we had a lot of trouble, plus had to supplement with formula anyway. I'd pump if I were you (although you could do BOTH) since you have to go back to work anyway! Don't let other people bother you about it. They have their own opinion, and if they disagree with you it doesn't make you wrong or them right! You'll figure out what's best for you! But I'd definately invest in a pump ahead of time! Good luck!

***After reading back at previous comments I'm not sure if we're talking about nursing vs. pumping or breastmilk vs. formula! My response was about nursing vs. pumping! If you can try to feed baby breastmilk that would be best, although formula is ok too. My first child ended up on formula because I was anemic and had issues with my milk establishing. But again, whatever you choose to do!***

 

[spcsharpsgirl]

i am breastfeeding.