Name: fresh
Age: 41 (yep, I am actually an antique)
DCs: 3.5 yo DD and 1 ginger antique feline
TTC: April 2014
Upduffedness: 32+2 and feeling whalelike with a wriggly blue already in training for football or boxing or the circus or something, I swear he was punching my appendix on purpose last night
Current activity: Peeing about every 3 minutes, insomnia 5 nights out of 7, crying at kids tv, the usual
Welcome pud!
La I'm going to try to be diplomatic not my usual state but upfront I am a huge fan of bf. As Zyla and gaggia say, the boob cures all. Like being able to just pop baby on the boob when it's upset or has bumped head or you're in a plane taking off or whatever that you can't do with formula, there's the fact that night feeding actually induces both mum and baby to go back to sleep whereas after making up a bottle you are wide awake.... There are +ves and -ves to both, of course. BF'ing does mean much less "me" time for mum in the first 6-12 months, but also less gastric problems and better immune systems for baby. FF'ing usually means better sleep for all, but is also strongly linked to childhood obesity, as formula is ALWAYS food, and breastmilk is both drink and food. When baby starts a breastfeed, the foremilk is very watery and is thirst quenching, so sometimes when thirsty this is all they want. If they stay on for several minutes they then get the rich, fatty hind milk which is food, so they learn to satisfy both thirst and hunger, not just filling their bellies. BF babies do gain weight less quickly, on a different curve, but this again has long term ramifications for health. Also, like gaggia, I am a lazy cow and making bottles is just hard work. Then there's the cost (formula ain't cheap after all).... I am rambling now but please PLEASE give it a go.
Also a tip for the first feeds - after our rather long and gruesome birth, both DD and I were beyond exhausted. While she latched fine directly after delivery, she didn't have the energy to suck. We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful mw who spotted this, and instructed me to express a syringe full of colostrum (with DH holding the syringe to catch the droplets). I managed 4 ml, a tiny amount, but after we gave this to DD at about 3 hours old, she had sufficient energy to actually start sucking. I think this made all the difference in the world, and will always be thankful to that mw.
I fed wherever/whenever, after the delivery room I figured modesty was a bit redundant!
Ooh and happy birthday for yesterday tee!