To think breastfeeding is a hassle?

[choolaboola]

Apologies in advanced if this is offensive as I know some BF people feel really passionate about it - BUT - can I please ask, why do people breastfeed?

First time pregnancy here - all I read is "my BF baby won't sleep" "I can't leave them down" "I can't go to XYZ months in because Im exclusively BF" etc.

I'm genuinely wondering is it a much harder path to go down? My friends, sisters, mum and MIL have all formula fed and as far as I can see, the outcome is the same. So I'm just wondering what other people's thoughts are?

Bottles gave me major anxiety, I was always really worried I wouldn't have sterilised it properly or the water wasn't hot enough to sterilise the powder or it had been out of the fridge too long. Did about 2 formula bottles whilst waiting for DS2's TT to be snipped and was so glad to get him back to bf, I found it tons easier! Always there and always perfect!

I had no one to leave my DC with really apart from DH and have clingy babies anyway so I didn't find the need to be around too much of a drama.

Used formula from day one. Very easy as everyone can help giving a bottle so you can get sleep at night as it’s not always you doing the feeding. Perfect prep machine and microwave steriliser makes for an easy life. No difference in bonding with your baby. Could go to the gym or out for dinner without worrying about being back for feeding.

Even the late Queen breastfed King Charles which was comparatively rare at the time.

There's a whole feeding Talk topic if it helps,

www.mumsnet.com/talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding

FF isn't a hassle, after the first week you can make bottles up on autopilot in your sleep practically! Washing the bottles each day is no different than washing up/putting your dirty plates/cups through the dishwasher as normal. Then the bottles would just go in the microwave steriliser for however many minutes and done. It's a very quick job.

To me, being tied to baby for every feed would be more hassle whereas my (then) dh or another family member could feed.

Huge hassle, especially if you have hypoplasia and/or IGT.

I wouldn't have ever had a full supply no matter what I did, but I persevered because I was so desperate to do it this time (my third baby). It's the hardest thing I've ever done I think. Feeding around the clock for months on end, even when supplementing with formula. It very nearly broke me. We did end up relying on formula in the end and using the breast as comfort and now, at 22 months he still loves mummy milk time - even if he only gets a tiny bit.

I was told before having any children, that it was the easiest thing and so convenient but it couldn't be further from the truth. Pumping, feeding, bottle prepping, formula prepping took all my time with not much chance for any rest.
If I wasn't so desperate, it would have been easier to exclusively bottle feed, but every bottle feed broke my heart so I had to breastfeed as much as I could.

The health benefits for the mum are much greater than for the baby. There is a benefit for the baby but it’s very small. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing however, it’s a personal choice, but we don’t need to scare Ff mums about their kids being less bright or noticeably less healthy as it isn’t true.

WE tried BF for a few weeks then changed to FF, I much preferred the FF to be honest and didn’t find it much of a hassle. Sterilised bottles when I had 5 or 6 that needed doing. If we were going out somewhere, I would often make the bottle up with boiling water and then just put it in my bag and by the time I needed it, it had cooled. Only used the pre mixed if we were out all day and hadn’t any access to boiling water. With second baby we had a perfect prep, it was brilliant.

I agree with pp that have combined fed, this is what I did and it really felt like the best of both worlds.

I don't think it happens either BUT I do think a breastfed baby will either take a bottle or won't.

My first went between breast and bottle no issue. He had a dummy too.

My youngest ... we introduced a bottle in the same way at the same age. Hated them. Refused dummies as well. She just didn't like them. She's a thumb sucker instead.

It used to be the upper classes who formula fed and breastfeeding was seen as something the poor had to do because they couldn’t afford formula.
These days it’s the lower classes who formula feed and middle and upper breastfeed, by and large.
I guess it’s down to education and the divide was certainly borne out by the baby groups I went to.

Sorry iv not read through the thread buy nope what's the hassle of getting out your voob to fees your baby? Its clean at the right temperature messing about in the middle of the night. Yes its all on you but its your baby and gives the best start! No hassle whatsoever I breastfeed 3 of mine till they turned 1 and going to feed baby number 4.

I formula fed my first, now breastfeeding my second & I have to say I find breastfeeding much easier. It's readily available, & free, no faffing around with sterilising bottles & preparing bottles, waiting for bottles to reach the right temperature etc which is all very time consuming. Not to mention needing to pack the kitchen sink when out & about, making sure you had everything feeding wise was enough to give me anxiety in itself.
I don't need to do any of that because of breastfeeding, so I find it much easier.
Only problem is the feeding is all on you if you breastfeed, so my partner is getting a full nights sleep whereas I'm not, so there isn't much for them to do!
I'm going to start to express with a electric pump very soon, which will mean my milk will be readily available In the fridge/freezer so it will take the feeding on demand off me at night time & my partner can do some of the feeding then too. Not to mention the health benefits as well. I like breastfeeding because I like the bonding with my baby which I get from it.

@Cognacsoft

Not all women want to be solely responsible for feeding day and night

@OutofControl3

its not just the mothers baby though
their dad?

Because I didn’t want to bf - formula gives babies an excellent start in life and no issues at all with bonding.

I night weaned both mine at 9 months so from them it was a shared thing with night wakings.

By 10 months both of mine were also only feeding twice a day and having more solids.

Really it's not that much time that they are solely reliant on milk or solely reliant on mum.

Mine are 5 and 3 and breastfeeding seems so long ago now.

I suspect others before me may have already said this but imo breast feeding is best because it is healthiest for the baby and you have food at the correct temperature, on tap wherever you are. No bottles, no hassles.
Those 2 reasons are why I breastfed all my children.

Same. I didn’t want to and I never.

both my kids are very healthy and just as bonded to me as a bf baby.

It can be tough going to establish breastfeeding.
But now I've cracked it, I dont need bottles/steriliser/formula and no extra washing up. If baby wakes up I just lift him in to bed with me for a feed while I doze, then put him back in bed. Easier going out without needing to make formula up on the go.

Also, I find it settles baby for any/all reasons. Baby tired, grumpy, upset, can't sleep, whatever it is, breastfeeding just settles him.

Tbh it feels more like the lazy option than the hassle option.

I really don't think it is a bonding thing. I am sure ff babies by and large develop close bonds with their parents. However, the health advantages are significant hence the NHS encouragement for breastfeeding.

@LuckySantangelo35 what about dad? Is he going to do half the pregnancy? Half the birth? Nah thought not.

There is a lot dad can do to help with a new baby. He can play with them, talk to them, bath them, nappies, do the house, cook for mum, care for her as she recovers. When they get older he can feed them solids, help them to grow and learn.

He doesn't have to feed them milk.

FWIW out of the 14 possible bottles my DH could have given each week, he could only ever do 4 because he was at work. There were other things he could do to help.

Obviously intuitively breastmilk is best for your baby because that is what is designed for your baby. It confers immunity and adjusts itself to their needs. Formula is a very clever substitute and obviously fine. But it's made from cow's milk, not human milk (or goat's or soy). Babies will be fine however they are fed.

But even if there weren't any other benefits the cost alone would be a reason, particularly at the moment. I've just seen that formula is around £15 a tin, and then if you add in expensive things like Perfect Prep machines and sterilisers and bottles and teats etc you've already spent tens if not hundreds of pounds. To be fair, if you breastfeed you still might want a pump and some bottles and a steriliser, but you wouldn't need the milk.

@sanabria my mum sold breastfeeding to me by saying you can always stop a breastfed baby from crying.

Not totally true when my two were in the witching hours but it was the case a lot

I found breastfeeding no hassle. Never had to worry what I had in stock, could go out very light, was quick and easy when my son was upset. Breastfed him for ages on a flight. We did introduce a bottle before bed when he was 7/8 months but I was always nervous making it up compared to breastfeeding.