What are the benefits of EBF?

[IHeartLockhart]

Obviously breast is best and all that, but what are the benefits of them only ever having breast milk as opposed to say breast milk all day and 1 bottle of formula as the last feed on an evening?

[Tory79]

Have a google of virgin gut.

[caroldecker]

Then realise it is all bollocks and feed how it suits you

[AuntieMaggie]

Practically you don't have to sterilise a bottle or make up formula whilst dealing with a hungry screaming baby... not all babies sleep longer after a formula feed (mine doesn't) so only benefit imo is someone else can give that feed.

[PickleMobile]

You don't have to buy formula, bottles and steriliser cheapskate

[BertieBotts]

This lists some of the research: www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/Breastfeeding_reasons_to_be_proud.pdf

[squizita]

Never Google anything health related. Seriously.

Most of the time you start with a respectable charity/organisation... but by a few down that list...

Not about BFING but general Web safety!

As someone said read up using known sources eg NCT, NHS etc.

[hollie84]

There's a theory that anything other than breastmilk will disturb a baby's "virgin gut" and cause problems, but I'm not sure there's much actual hard evidence for it.

There are also risks to using formula/bottles - overfeeding, incorrectly prepped formula, bacteria in the milk powder, increased risk of D&V in formula fed babies.

[Tory79]

Ok sorry, didn't realise I needed to specify that

kellymom

[Hollycopter]

Hmm, not convinced by the virgin gut theory based on how much my DS managed to find and chew even before he could crawl. God knows what he actually ingested between bits of fluff and other baby drool.

Convenience once you get the hang of it was the big thing for me, sterilising bottles and stuff seemed like never ending hassle. Plus the baby bag got so much lighter once we got bf working.

[squizita]

You just said google, not which site to go to. That is what you did.

In fact this pulls up 357000 results and Kellymom isn't the first one (at least when you google from the UK). Even on the 1st page there are random discussions and forums from facebook pages, communities etc' rather than established sites.

If you meant refer to Kellymom why not just say that? You made a glib comment which really could lead to anxiety and obsessing if someone vulnurable and anxious did google and went on to those infamous later pages where strange opinions - extreme both for and against - can float to the surface.

[Tory79]

I meant that I didn't realise I was obliged to specify to look for a reliable source of information. I generally take that as read....

My first post wasn't referring specifically to kellymom, that was just one of the results that came up when I googled it.

[SpanielFace]

I think the "virgin gut" issue is mostly an issue for prem babies, otherwise it's mostly theoretical. I may be wrong though. Kellymom is a good source for BF info.

However, some people find that introducing a bottle affects their supply, especially if they use it to replace night feeds. Not everyone, I have friends who fed successfully that way for months, but for some people it can be an issue. There is also the issues of "nipple confusion", which in DS's case meant "I'm not confused at all - I prefer bottles!" He had a tongue tie and was able to get the milk much more quickly from a bottle, which meant when I introduced one (at 6 months) he rapidly started to refuse the boob, and BF came to a sudden, unexpected end for us .

But it works for an awful lot of people, and personally I think that if giving a bottle a day doesn't affect your supply and allows you to stay sane and continue to partially BF for longer, that has to be better for the baby than quitting BF altogether due to exhaustion! Just my opinion though.

[ShadowStar]

If you're the one doing the feed, then breastfeeding is easier than giving them a bottle as there's none of the preparation / cleaning associated with bottles required (assuming breastfeeding is established).

[PenguinsIsSleepDeprived]

The main issue with the one-bottle idea is likely to be that, if you do it from day one and it results in an extended gap between bf's, it could affect supply.

Also, formula often doesn't help sleep (if that's what you are thinking).

The main advantage is if you have someone who will do, say, an 11pm feed for you, allowing you to go to bed early and get a good stretch in before the night shift.

[Hollycopter]

Oh, another advantage is that if you get visitors who overstay/just want to hold the baby/are a pita, you can take the baby back saying that they need a feed and then scarper and hide for a bit and get some peace

[Writerwannabe83]

Disadvantages is you have the cost of milk, bottles, sterilising equipment and the faff of having to make the bottles up.

EBF is so much easier - boob out and baby on

There are benefits if I'm the early days you are sleep deprived and someone else can feed the baby - but generally you have to wake up and express some milk off anyway otherwise you can have problems with engorgement/mastitis or cause issues with your milk production/supply.

Also, feeding from a bottle is much easier for baby than feeding from a breast so there is always a small chance they will start refusing the breast and just wait for the easier option.

How old is your baby?? If he's a few months old it any be that he won't even take a bottle (as is the case with mine) so if giving some formula is something you really want to do then I'd start at about 6 weeks when breast feeding has been established.

[Iggly]

Giving an evening bottle can be a pain - my two were most unsettled at that time so me feeding was what they wanted.

Why would you bother? Easier to whip out boob. Plus it means you need to sit down too.

Formula isn't more filling - it has the same calories as BM. It is just a bit harder to digest and you can end up overriding baby's "I'm full mechanism" so they take more.

[VeloWoman]

DS2 got gastro at 28 days old when he was still have one or two bottles of formula a day, his paediatrician said that EBF babies don't get gastro so that was enough reason to EBF for me.

[IHeartLockhart]

Thanks for the replies. I was mainly thinking about so his dad can do the last evening feed while I get off to bed. I've heard all sorts from FF friends that formula makes them sleep longer and was wondering if there was any truth in that.
He's doing very well from BF though so I think I'll just stick with that for now

[ShadowStar]

Re. the sleep thing - I think it depends a lot more on the baby than on the feeding method.

DS2 was ebf and has been a very good sleeper - had his longest sleeps at night even when a frequently waking new born, and started sleeping through most of the night pretty early (albeit after cluster feeding in the evenings). But I know other breastfeeding mums with babies that wake a lot.

And again, for every FF baby I know that's a good sleeper, I know another that's been a terrible sleeper and awake half the night.

So I think a baby that sleeps well would likely do so regardless of the feeding method.