Not sure I can face breastfeeding again

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Due DC3 next month. DC2 has only just stopped BFing. Both previous DC we had horrible starts to BFing. Bad tongue ties which were identified late, lots of baby weight loss, horrific pain for the first 2 months each time. Nipples literally shredded to pieces.

DC1 we mixed fed and felt like the worst of both worlds. DC2 ended up being a boob monster which made weaning very difficult and really impacted my ability to feel like myself again. I'm someone who found it very difficult to lose baby weight whilst BFing which I found hard.

I guess I'm just dreading the whole thing starting again. The experience really impacted my enjoyment of the newborn weeks both times, and with this being our final baby, I'd love to just have a positive time.

The thought of not doing it fills me with great guilt. But I also objectively know by now that a bottle fed baby will be absolutely fine. WIBU to just skip the effort this time round?!

Personally I bloody hated making bottles when ds used 1 bottle a day! Why not try and see for the first few weeks?

YWNBU! Go for the bottles from the off if you want to. The other DC will benefit from anything that means you're happier and saner.

My older sister was breast fed, but I was bottle fed because my mum just could face it again. Hasn't made the slightest bit of difference.

My two are the other way round because it went wrong with the first and there wasn't enough support. I made sure I had better support in place for the second. I hated breastfeeding and don't think I could have done it again if we'd had a third.

Honestly, we all know breast is best, but in a first world country with access to clean water and decent formula it doesn't matter as much.

Definitely not unreasonable. My 3rd is due imminently and I will latch him at birth but as soon as it gets too much for me he'll be straight onto formula. For me not breastfeeding helps my physical and mental health and helps me be a better mum! With 3 to look after this time around I can't afford to be in the mire of feeling guilt over not bfing but loathing the process and the feeling and everything about it that just doesn't work for me. Happy mum happy baby I guess!

Nah, go for it. I struggled to BF my first and switched to bottles. For my second I just started straight on the bottles and it made those early weeks much more pleasant.

Benefits are at a societal level not individual. It won’t have any effect on your child, so do what’s best for you. Nobody cares how you feed your child after the first year or so (they shouldn’t care at all really, but people love to interfere!). I’ve never been asked if I was breast or bottle fed.

Your baby your choice. So what works for you. Best decision I made was to bottle feed. I loved dd baby hood and our bond is amazing. I found making bottles so easy and it worked for me. I've had friends who bf and it worked for them. Happy mum means a happy baby. Whatever works for you. X

YANBU at all! I found breastfeeding to be awful when I tried it with my first. Baby re-admitted to hospital with weight loss and dehydration, me exhausted and in pain from it. It ruined those early days with my newborn and I felt nothing but relief when I switched to the bottle and I started to love feeding my baby. I would have no hesitation in bottle feeding any future children I may have.

You are well placed to make this decision! You've done both and know what it was like for you.

I found formula the biggest faff and really stressful having the right stuff clean and enough to go out with etc. If you were brand new to this I'd say see how you go. But you're not, you've done it all. So how could you be unreasonable? Go for what makes sense for your family!

Do what feels right. I feel the first 5 weeks I EBF my dd were lost weeks where we both struggled immensely. We were both A+ overnight when we jacked BF in. Formula was the right decision for us.

Do whatever you prefer. You already know what both breast and bottle feeding are like for you, so it'll be an informed decision, and you've no reason to be swayed by anyone else's subjective experiences either. If you want to formula feed from the start, crack on. If you want to give bf a go again, crack on.

If you don't want to don't! It's so much better to have a happy mum and fed baby than an unhappy mum and fed baby! I've got friends who changed to bottle. One had a surprise 3rd with 2 under 3 at home and just didn't think they could handle the time etc it takes with 2 others to run around after. Another just despised it first time round. Both did however feed for the first couple days to get colostrum into them then switched to formula as milk came in. One mixed fed with expressed bottles for first couple weeks because it was winter and hoped would help prevent them getting unwell - intended to do that for longer but hated pumping. Decide what works best for you and do it. You can use formula from day 1. No problem, no reason to feel guilty. You can see how it goes and switch if you want to, maybe DC3 won't have tongue tie.

As long as baby is fed and happy then who cares where the milk comes from;if it makes you life easier go for bottles.

I would breastfeed for one month to pass on the colostrum then switch fully over to bottles. This will ease any future guilt about antibodies, and you can count down the days knowing you have a definite end point

It isn't mandatory. I was always going to bottle feed so I don't really understand the guilt.

But as for the "work" of bottles I just never understood the fuss. Dishwasher, sterilise, ready made (yes expensive but if third child you probably are not buying the big items). Other people can do the prep and feed should you choose.

Happy mum happy baby.