why did you choose to bottle feed?

[kate.m.]

Hi,
I usually hang out in wtt, as am not even trying untill next summer, but i was out with friends today: one has a bottle fed baby, the other has a breast fed baby, and it got me thinking about a few things.

I was just wondering 2 things really: For those of you who are exclusively bottle feeding, why did you decide to bottle feed? Also, did you get a lot of pressure to breast feed?

I think that when i have children, i will bottle feed- I just think its more convenient, and in my experience bottlefed babies are just as healthy (actually- all the breast fed babies ive known have been pretty sickly to be honest!) as breast fed ones (i know, i dont know enough babies for that to be a scientific finding, just a personal finding!).

I also question the goodness that comes out of situations like the following: My breastfeeding friend is so busy and rushed off her feet, that she doesn't eat properly. In fact one day all she had to eat was 2 chocolate digestive biscuits! Is even this breast milk "better" than formula?

 

[aimee-lou]

I think it's a very controversial subject.

We will be exclusively bottle feeding due to lots of reasons and I think that everyone has their own reasons.

The main things is to stick to what you believe is best for your baby. You are mother and as our mother's told us for all those years, mother knows best!

As for breast milk being best....yes there's no denying that this is what is intended to be fed to babies by nature. However, the formula you get now is so close to it and in some ways offers more, so there are pro's and cons to both.

If you read into the arguments you can get bogged down. Go with your instinct for what is right for you.

Best of Luck,

Aimee x

 

[kate.m.]

Yeah, it is a very controversial subject! I know that i want to bottle feed (like you said- for many different, personal reasons), but im just wondering how much pressure other people put on mothers to breast feed their baby? Im expecting pressure from health professionals, im just wondering how much? Will i be totally shunned, and made to feel totally evil?

 

[aimee-lou]

Yeah, it is a very controversial subject! I know that i want to bottle feed (like you said- for many different, personal reasons), but im just wondering how much pressure other people put on mothers to breast feed their baby? Im expecting pressure from health professionals, im just wondering how much? Will i be totally shunned, and made to feel totally evil?

I asked this question too. I was told to stand firm and just tell them that you want to formula feed. You can put it into your birth plan too so that when you're tired they wont pressure you. I think that 'breast is best' is the corporate line at the moment so you may be asked more than once to give it a go but you will just have to be firm.

No, you wont be shunned. You're feeding your baby, that's what's important.

 

[polo_princess]

Well since this is asking "Why did you choose to bottlefeed" there shouldnt be any real need for a debate

I chose to FF because it was the best option for both me and Brooke, i did spend a bit of time researching BF but it just wasnt for us for a few reasons

 

[kate.m.]

Thanks for your replies! guess im just worried i'll be bullied into doing something i dont want to!

 

[polo_princess]

Dont ever feel bullied in your parenting decisions no matter what they are hun, we all raise our children in different ways, just as we are all different as adults

 

[shampain]

I chose to bottle feed after breastfeeding for two weeks and deciding it defo wasnt for us. I chose to bottle feed to stop me getting depressed. x

 

[mommyof3co]

I bottle fed my oldest, but not out of choice, so I don't know how much help I am but I can give you my opinion having done both. If I were you I would give breastfeeding a try, it's a pretty short window that you can breastfeed (unless you go through relactation and all that which can be really tough) and you can try, if it's not for you there are always bottles there, but that way you know which way is best for you out of doing, kwim? Yes bottlefeeding is more convenient in some ways...but in others it can be more of a pain, you have to make the bottle everytime the baby gets hungry instead of just feeding them right then and there. Plus you have all the bottles to clean all the time. Where with breastfeeding it is harder in public, especially at first, and it does "tie you down" because you are the only one that can feed the baby. There are pros and cons of each, but I have to say it's so worth it to breastfeed. Just knowing you are supporting your baby even after they are here, your body is doing evrything to support another life, it's pretty amazing. Knowing you are giving the best thing possible to your baby, formula doesn't even compare, yes it is closer now but it is still miles away from breastmilk. As for kids being more or less sick..I have 3 boys all the same genetics and all that only diff as babies was who was breastfed and who was bottlefed and none of my kids have ever been sick alot but when they got sick my breastfed babies got better MUCH faster and would have a much milder illness/cold that my bottlefed baby always seemed to have. And even now my baby that I just finished nursing at 19mo gets better much faster, he seems to have a much better immune system. There have been times my oldest is sick and he still doesn't get even if it's really contagious stuff...like he had a horrible case of strep and neither of my other 2 got it. I'm not putting down bottlefeeding at all, just giving my personal experience having done both.

 

[mommyof3co]

Just want to add I'm not pressuring you to breastfeed, I'm just saying if I were in your position and going back and forth and not totally sure I would try the breastfeeding but have the other stuff on hand that if you decide it's not for you can bottlefeed right away but that way you tried both and you know what's best for you. Or just bottlefeed, whatever you feel is right

 

[Vickie]

I chose to bottle feed for various reasons but mostly because I felt that it was the right choice for my daughter and I. In all honesty I never told my doctor I was bottle feeding She never asked so I never said a word. I put it in my birth plan and they didn't really give me much trouble except for on pediatrician who 12 hours after I'd given birth (no sleep for almost 2 days) decided to question me on it. I think that the pressure goes both way. FF moms will tell you there's a lot of pressure to BF, but BF moms will say there's a lot of pressure to FF. I think each mom should do what she is most comfortable with and not be made to feel guilty either way for her feeding choices. As long as mom and baby are happy that's what really counts imo

 

[lesleyann]

I desided to bottle feed since LO was very badly tongue-tied and could not latch onto the boob and was even finding it hard with bottles after he had it snipped he was great with bottle but could still not latch on so was just using nipple gards and it hurt me really bad and by then my heart was just not in it anymore.. Personally myself i found my hospital quite pushy to the boob..

 

[princess_bump]

we switch to exclusive ff-ing after 3 days of exclusive bf-ing - i never had any milk come in, maddi hadn't pooed or wee'd since we'd left hospital at 24hours old - i was scared for her, for us it was the right decision to switch, and since then we've never looked back.

not sure about no 2 - going to see how everything goes, and how i feel when the time comes

 

[danni2609]

I bottlefeed because i tryed breastfeeding and couldnt get the knack of it basically!

 

[icculcaz]

my udders packed up...

 

[louise1302]

i was determined to bf archie as i had ff my older 3...well he had other ideas and refused the breast point blank...wouldnt latch at all so after a very tiring 1st day i admitted defeat and gave him a bottle..i did express for a couple of days but it just isnt as effective...i didnt get any pressure from the hosp they just told me to do what felt right xx

 

[lcside]

I chose to bottle feed after breastfeeding for two weeks and deciding it defo wasnt for us. I chose to bottle feed to stop me getting depressed. x

This was the same for me, I found breastfeeding extremely difficult - Erin had a really strong suck and I didn't have enough milk to fulfil her. It was getting me down so decided to stop and bottlefeed instead. It was the best decision I made. Erin was so much happier and so was I. xx

 

[xJG30]

I tried to breastfeed tom but he wouldn't latch on, he had the colostrum but after that wasn't interested so we went for bottle feeding.

 

[caggimedicine]

I breastfed Harry for the first 2-3 months. He's now bottlefed because i'll be going back to work on Monday and Harry will be at nursery. As for convenience, I honestly feel that breastfeeding is far more convenient than bottlefeeding. With bottlefeeding, you've got bottles to wash, steralise, pack when you're going anywhere, buying and measuring out formula.... i've never found it the more convenient option to be honest.

I enjoyed breastfeeding Harry - it was "our time" if you know what I mean? I know you can get that with bottle feeding, but no one else could breastfeed my baby - only me. I also wanted to experience breastfeeding, as well as giving Harry what was best for him.

The only restrictions I found with breastfeeding were diet and drinking alcohol - but then, if you've been eating healthily and not drinking alcohol for 9 months, you're already used to it! Plus, I found the healthy eating was what kept me alive during the first few weeks with all the sleepless nights!! Of course, you, not your OH, also has to get up during the night to feed baby.... but my OH was working, so whether we were bottle feeding or breastfeeding Harry, i'd have still got up in the night instead of him anyway - so that made no difference.

I found it very easy, and convenient, and never found myself restricted. You can express breastmilk and allow your OH to feed sometimes too.

 

[ryder]

I tried to bf in the beginning... even after saying I did not want to breastfeed, I did try it. Im glad I did, Im glad my baby got some colostrum and breastmilk.

It however just didn't pan out. If it had been easier and less painful, I would have continued, because obviously it is good for your baby, convenient and cheaper.

I had a long labour, my baby had some complications during labour and had to be taken for several hours immediately after birth. So I never got a good initial start to begin with. My long labour and various other things left me tired and sick feeling... Anytime I tried to breastfeed or pump I felt like vomitting... Plus my baby had an incredibly strong sucking relex and it was quite painful.

I do not feel that I have any less of a bond with her. She is still her momma';s girl, she is happy, and healthy... she slept much better when I fed her formula exclusively.

I will be ttc soon and I do wish to try breastfeeding again though... I do agree that making an attempt is a good idea, if you arn't sure. There is no pressure, your baby's main need/want is to be fed, and fullfilling that need is what is important, whether it is by breastmilk or formula.