To suggest that ff babies are generally more content than breastfed babies?

[mrsb26]

...because they are fuller for longer?

Following on from an article I read recently regarding a study that suggested that of its recipients, the ff babies were generally deemed to be more calm, easy to settle to sleep etc than breastfed babies.

I know this is bound to be a taboo subject, but I must say, as a breastfeeding mother myself to a 4 month old dd, I have considered whether she'd be more satisfied on formula. She's not the easiest of babies and, to me, seems fussier and more demanding than her formula fed peers.

For example, she is really hard to settle to sleep for naps. She will sometimes feed to sleep, but not always (I know this is a debate on itself). I have never been to the shops or out for a walk for half an hour without her fussing (even if it's just for a little bit). She will sit on my knee or go to someone else for five minutes tops before fussing and starting to cry.

I'm not doubting the benefits of the quality of breastmilk, obviously. I guess I just feel like I'm filling up a tank that's emptying as quick as it's filling^^ and that she's never fully satisfied. I know breastmilk is digested quicker, but still.

She has no issues re: reflux, tongue tie or anything either.

Of course there are behavioural differences amongst all babies, but as a general rule, what is your opinion? Interested to hear from anyone who has perhaps breastfed one baby and formula fed another.

Foals are weaned at 6 months usually

Tali - I've found your terminology cold, distant and comes across that you find much of being pregnant, BFeeding and even babies and toddlers etc as something a bit distasteful (I almost picture you shuddering at the thought). Just wondering how you coped with the mess and gore of birth.

But Tali you didn't answer when I asked if you feel the same about hugging your children, that you want privacy and body autonomy?

Bam I didn't enjoy being pregnant. I had an ELCS because I was scared of natural birth. Very clean and controlled. I adore babies and toddlers though!

Piper no, I don't.

It's getting very personal taii you are not obliged to answer questions being fired at you, you make a good point about women having choices.

I wonder how some of you feel about abortion, women going back to work, what about mothers in dangerous jobs such as police officers and fire fighters, what about fathers in dangerous jobs?

Breastfeeding is the natural way and I would like to see a cultural shift, I find it odd that dolls for children come with bottles.

Formula is adequate and a lot of the risks and downsides are associated with other things.

"Hidden dirty secret"? FFS, what a ridiculous and cruel thing to say. (And I say this as the mother of a breastfed toddler who's never had a drop of formula.)

I wouldn't pay gratias any attention she's not of this planet

It's tough isn't it. Personally I was really struggling to breastfeed and had PND and I was absolutely surrounded by HCP telling me to just give him a bottle - which I did in the end and I still feel awful about it. His weight gain was bad but I still think we could have managed with a bit more reassurance. I was repeatedly told we'd all be happier and get more sleep once he was eating enough (in other words that my poor crap boobs weren't enough).

So for me, I could've done with a few of these breastfeeding nazis I keep hearing about!

The most useful advice I had was from a friend who had had a baby much earlier than me. She told me what bf was really like and what to expect and basically said: pretty much give up on your life for a few months and just go with the flow, sometimes they want to feed for five hours at a time. So when I had ds, I knew what to expect and didn't mind as much as I would have! I was also lucky that my life circumstances allowed for that.

Society is not geared up for the realities of bfeeding.

es ff is there for those who want it in the UK but it should be a hidden dirty secret for those who fail at bf or there is no possibility of a wet nurse or purchase of expressed milk.

Hahahaha!

Jeez I don't even know why I'm laughing at that but it has to be the single most idiotic comment I've read lately

I always suspect that people who think like this, do so because breastfeeding is the only thing they feel they've managed to do 'right'.

Like the mother who gave me the 'You should give your baby the best start in life' speech when she found out I was formula feeding.

Except she was morbidly obese during her pregnancies and giving her babies the 'best start in life' i.e losing weight before TTC, took more effort than breastfeeding so she didn't bother.

Milk feeding is such a tiny part of raising a baby from newborn to adult, and given all the other things many people do 'wrong', it's just a tiny part of a much bigger picture.

See that's what I wish I'd done Hully - I was stupidly sort of panicky about it all and acted like it was forever. I should've just trusted my baby and my body more and relaxed.

I don't think I'll get a chance to try again and I'm so sad about it all.

I really don't understand why people aren't told properly about bf and given the chance to prepare for the realities if possible.

Worra, believe me, Deo does not think bfeeding is the only thing she got right and she has some extremely strong views on obesity so please don't give her ammunition.

Oh I think deo knows deep down she got lots wrong.

I think there is a misguided sense of not wanting to put people off. Like when people say breastfeeding is more convenient - really not so for me and I doubt it is for the majority.

Meh! I don't know anything about her splendide

Sounds like any other random internet nutter to me

Society is not geared up for the realities of breeding.

This.

With bells on. And that is what makes me so angry - that somehow through v claver marketing as far back as 100 years FF has become the norm, when it's not and hasn't been for as long as humankind existed.

'The Politics of BFing' has been the most difficult book to read (in fact I did not finish it) because it made me so, so angry: for the skewed idea of BFing I had (I thought 'natural' = 'easy'), for my mother who is still feels she has somehow failed as she did not BF us, having been told 3 hrs after birth that she 'had no milk' by HCP, for babies dying in countries without clean water/sterilisation facilities and for everybody who has ever felt they 'failed' for whichever way they opted to feed their baby.

It is such an emotive subject, and if it upset men as much as it upsets women, I am certain there'd be sweeping changes.

Deo also has some laughable views on poverty and how not to be poor.

She is a random internet nutter who has extreme views on pretty much everything. I'd call troll but I've a feeling she really does think that way.

So if you were BF you'd feel the same way about it as you do hugging

Like when people say breastfeeding is more convenient - really not so for me and I doubt it is for the majority.

I think that breastfeeding is easier if you are someone who it works well for and you are either a single mother or a DP who isn't around/ doesn't help much. If DP gets up on the night to do feeds while you sleep however FF has some fairly major advantages. That was the conclusion that my boss and I came to last week anyway

There ain't no money in that there breast milk is there?

Lot of great big lovely money in formula.

This is a hundred percent true. If bf was the societal norm, mother in laws and well meaning visitors would not try and push new moms to feed babies on a schedule, hv would not push that babies gain weight on the same centile, we would not be told to assume low milk supply/unhappy baby if babies fed constantly. I remember my baby at about three weeks old, all we did was feed, sleep and with the odd nappy change it flew by! Sometimes he fed for two hours or more, had a twenty minute nap and fed again, even fitting in a shower was hard, I was so lucky my husband did literally everything else! We should be told that this is NORMAL behaviour and part of bf not made to feel otherwise.

I wonder how some of you feel about abortion, women going back to work, what about mothers in dangerous jobs such as police officers and fire fighters, what about fathers in dangerous jobs?

Not sure why you wonder this or how it's relevant to the discussion but FWIW I'm very pro choice and believe men and women should have equal opportunity in any field of work, including 'dangerous' jobs

Yeah, 'formula' - as if it was somehow, you know, scientific and therefore vastly superior; even the word 'formula' is loaded.

Aaargh, I've not BF in almost 5 years, I will never BF again, and still it gets me so frustrated and furious

Ok, I'll leave you all to it and go get my toe nails painted. Toodle-pips!

Bfeeding is entirely baby-centric, no sleep, no life apart from baby (though easy to take and feed baby everywhere at least, no faff with bottles etc).

It's only a few months, and it's worth it, but it doesn't work with the current work structure.