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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breast or Bottle?

23 replies

CDStudier · 21/05/2011 17:46

Hello,
For my Child Development GCSE course, I'm writing a magazine article on breast feeding vs. bottle feeding. I'm making a survey and it would be great if you could give me your opinions on the two and which you use(d)/prefer(red)?

Thank you :)

OP posts:
crikeybadger · 21/05/2011 19:07

Happy to help- are you going to post the survey on here?

pearlgirl · 21/05/2011 23:46

Also happy to help.

notthewowy · 22/05/2011 08:42

ditto.

Original poster
CDStudier · 22/05/2011 17:54

Yes I will post the survey onto this thread, just have to make it :)

OP posts:
Original poster
CDStudier · 22/05/2011 20:27

Survey

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?

Answering this would be a great help, thank you so much :)

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 22/05/2011 20:35

this sounds rather inflamatory Hmm

but i'll answer your questions anyway:

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    ds1- breast, then bottle
    ds2- breast
    ds3- breast

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    breast is the biological norm and therefore "best" for your average baby, however in certain circumstances (ie primary lactose intolerance) clearly a synthetic formula will be "best" for that child)

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    no, i think i would have had just as good a bond if i never fed my children at all

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?

    no, it is a lovely way to bond, but it certainly is not the only way to bond

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    yes, i feel comfortable feeding in public

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    when you and/or your baby is ready to stop

scarlettsmummy2 · 22/05/2011 20:46

you are very brave posting these questions but I will answer honestly and hope I am not shot!

  1. I breastfed for the first 4 months, then my milk dried up and I had to bottle feed which I was quite sad about.

  2. breastfeeding has consistently been shown by science to be better for babies than formula.

  3. yes, I loved doing it as I was the only one who could do it and my baby found it such a comfort.

4)I don't know as i didn't formula feed from the beginning.

  1. I don't have an issue with breastfeeding in public but I would still be choosy where I did it and pick somewhere discrete. I once saw a lady do it in the reception area of a bank which I found a bit odd.

  2. I think 6 months minimum up to about a year but this isn't possible for everyone.

gkys · 22/05/2011 21:01

  1. exclusivly bf

  2. breast feeding, it is tailored to the individual needs of baby

  3. I loved the bf experience and am still feeding my 3rd son

  4. have never bottle fed so no comparison

  5. Ifeed when and where I need to, on the bus, by the pool, at the bank, parents evening. breast feeding in public shouldn't be an issue, I also refuse to use bf rooms, they are vile and almost always in the bathroom, yuk

  6. weaning 6 months ds 1 and 2 five months ds3. although still bf, ds 1 and 2 fed til they were 14 months, then self weaned ds3 on going

good luck with the GCSE's

TribbleWithoutACause · 22/05/2011 21:02

Again very brave, but I'll give it a shot.

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    I've breastfed from the begining.

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    I think breastmilk is more natural for babies, but as for better I think it's very subjective. In certain situations formula is better (such as lactose intolerance, premmies, where Mum is unable to feed for whatever reason)

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    Not really, I'm a Mum and I would still be a Mum however I fed my children.

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good? I think I have a special bond with my child because I've fed him, but I feel that as his primary care giver I would have that bond whatever.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it? I'm fine with feeding in public, you feed yourself in public, why not feed a baby.

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at? When you/baby want to stop.

thisisyesterday · 22/05/2011 21:03

oh sorry, i may have misunderstood question 6

did you mean wean from the breast, or wean as in introduce solid foods?

i answered for weaning from the breast... but if you mean onto solids then around 6 months

BertieBotts · 22/05/2011 21:09

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    Breastfeeding

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    I think in most cases, breastfeeding is better. It is the physiological norm so it's better suited in most ways, than an artificial substitute could ever be. But some mums prefer bottlefeeding and I think that is fine too.

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    Yes - but see next question

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    Not necessarily. I think breastfeeding has a lot of elements conducive to bonding, but I don't see why bottlefeeding mums, or dads, or other people can not bond with the baby in the same way. The bonding elements of breastfeeding (in my opinion) are:
    Skin-to-skin contact (anyone can do this)
    Forces you to hold baby physically close while feeding (you can do this while bottlefeeding)
    Generally you are feeding more often than bottlefeeding so offers opportunities for this more often without having to physically remember.
    Parents tend to be more aware of their baby's cues, but you can do this if you bottlefeed on demand, or for other things, e.g. attachment parenting in general.
    Encourages co-sleeping which helps bond with your child.
    Strong association for feeding being with one particular person (or two at a stretch) - you can do this while bottlefeeding as well, or with other activities, e.g. bathing, bedtime routine.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    Of course

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    Whichever age mum and/or baby has had enough. Whether that's 6 weeks or 6 years or somewhere in between.

notthewowy · 22/05/2011 21:26

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    with my 6 year old I combination fed
    with my 8 week old she started off combination fed in SCBU and we are now breast fed

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    In an ideal world (in most worlds too..) breast

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    no but it does give me an excuse to sit on my arse ( it is an excuse to, I can do 2 things at once with my spare hand but dont tell)

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    hard to tell. You love em regardless but I found a breastfeed takes longer so you get more cuddle time.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    Totally comfortable with it. Love to see it.

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    When they are ready, when they can feed themselves to a degree.

there. Done. HTH

breatheslowly · 22/05/2011 21:28

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    We tried breastfeeding, but switched to formula after 5 days as I wasn't well enough to breastfeed.

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    I think that it is best to breastfeed, but the difference isn't so big that it matters hugely. I think that there are other things about raising children that matter as much or more. I also think that formula feeding well (making up the formula correctly) is much better than formula feeding badly.

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    I think that being the person who has given my daughter most of her milk feeds has given us a special bond, but perhaps just being the person who has spent most time with her has done this.

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    I think that in my case bottlefeeding is just as good, if not better. My reasons for this are:
    a) I have massive boobs, so I can look my daughter in the eye as she bottlefeeds whereas I couldn't really when I tried to breastfeed her.
    b) When breastfeeding was going wrong for us I really dreaded my baby waking up as I was worried that I would have to feed her again - I am not sure I really liked her at that stage. When I switched to formula I was able to develop a better relationship with her as all my worries over feeding her melted away and I could just hold her and enjoy being close to her.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    I totally agree with it and am really proud when my "mummy friends" do it. I was more concerned that I would be judged by people for bottlefeeding in public.

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    From breastmilk - whenever suits you. I would have liked to breast feed for at least 6 months, but I think it is down to the individual. It is really important that some form of milk is carried on after this though. I know one baby who isn't given any milk of any type and is only 10 months old and this makes me concerned.
    Onto solids - after at least 4 months, when the baby is showing signs of readiness.

For what it is worth, if I have any more babies they will be formula fed too, because I now think it is the right choice for me.

I hope this helps. I am not sure who visits this forum, but I hope that you get a fair spread of breast and bottlefeeders.

cotswolder · 22/05/2011 21:36
  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?

Expressed breast milk so my milk but via bottle. Daughter would not take to the breast directly. Be careful of saying breast or bottle as for some of us they are not seperate!

  1. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?

Well I'm doing both, again my milk via bottle. Technically breast for health benefits however I think there are other factors to be taken into account such as a happy mother. If one has problems breast feeding as is painful for example, I have seen mothers not reject but not bond well with their baby.

  1. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?

Made no difference one way or other.

  1. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?

It is just as good. Feeding is only one way of bonding! Many others including cuddles etc. Many breast feeding friends say they dont get the cuddles the same as baby if permanently rooting for the breast when close to them!

  1. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?

Not relevant for me

  1. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?

Breast when both are ready
Food - 6 months

StealthPolarBear · 22/05/2011 21:40

Survey

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    Breastfeeding for DS and DD

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    Breastfeeding

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    Yes -

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    no idea if it is more than if I had bottle fed as I have nothing to compare it to

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    Very comfortable

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    MY babies - chose to wean DS at 4. DD is feeding at 20m, I have no idea when I will wean her expect it will probably be about the same age for the sake of fairness Blush. As far as OTHER PEOPLE'S babies go, I don't have an opinion on the 'right age' (other than I think it is of benefit if babies are excl bf for 6 months and bf for as long as it suits child and mother. That might be 7 months, or it might be 7 years.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 22/05/2011 21:49

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    Breastfeeding.
    However you needed to phrase this question better - as breast/mixed/formula fed. Some people exbf using expressed BM (as pointed out by Cotswolder) and some people do mix feed as well.

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    Breastfeeding is the normal, default way to feed a baby. Formula is an adequate substitute for those who can't/won't breastfeed but it has quite a few disadvantages.

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    Yes, but it doesn't mean that ffers don't also develop a special bond, it is just different.

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    See above. Bit of a loaded question and it comes down to other parenting choices, not just feeding.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    I do feel comfortable with it. People who don't have ishoos...

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    When he/she decides to. DS weaned himself off at around 2.7. I will do the same for the next one. WHO guidelines recommend bfing exclusively for 6month, and to continue offering the breast for at least 2 years in total.

KD0706 · 23/05/2011 11:11

  1. expressed breast milk through tube thenbottle (premature baby) then bf.

  2. I think breastmilk is best. Ideally by 'direct' breastfeeding (for both mum and baby as ime exclusively expressing is v time consuming and bf ing directly can be much less of a faff). Formula is an adequate substitute when breast milk is not available.

  3. In our case yes I think bf has given us a special bond.

  4. I'm nit really sure about this. When I was bottle feeding DD I deliberately didn't do it in the cuddly bf position as we wanted her to prefer bf to bottle feeds. But I think a bottle feeding parent can get as good a bond, bonding is more than just feeding anyway.

  5. absolutely I bf in public. Less now because dd BFeeds less frequently but when she was teeny I did it all the time. I think if somebody has a problem with BFing in public then it's their problem.

  6. weaning from the breast - I'm aiming for two years per who guidance but I don't have an opinion about other peoples babies. Re solid food, we did baby led weaning so dd was weaned once she could physically feed herself.

crappymummum · 23/05/2011 13:24

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use? Bottle from birth dd1,2nd feed dd2

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding? breast but did not have the right information or support at the time.Currently pregnant with DC3 and will do everything i can this time to try and make it work

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children? I cant say if i wouldve had a better bond BF as i havent done it but i feel well bonded to my DCs

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good? no idea

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it? I am hoping to manage it if i can be discrete.I dont have a problem with others feeding atall

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    I think its up to the family and what suits them and their child

anonMum2 · 23/05/2011 13:36

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    DS1 - bottle
    DS2 - Mixed feeding for 2+ months, then bottle

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    Breastfeeding is best IMHO to give them a good start in life, but more concerned about eating habits as what they eat from 1 year to 100 years old means more than what milk they drink in the first year.

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    Breastfeeding has in my case. Had a really hard time bonding with DS1 compared to DS2 who was BF a lot for 2 months.

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    Yes, in my case. As stated above.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    Not very comfortable but did it anyway. I would like to see more people breastfeeding in public.

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    Wean food? 20 weeks
    Wean from breast? 1 year but I did not manage to get that far

1Catherine1 · 23/05/2011 14:25

  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use?
    ---> breast feeding

  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding?
    ---> breast on the whole.

  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children?
    ---> Yes but i believe the bottle could have done it too with the added benefit that my OH could have bonded at feeding time too.

  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good?
    ---> No, see previous answer.

  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it?
    ---> yes am comfortable, over time you learn to do it discreetly and tbh most people assume baby is just sleeping.

  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at?
    ---> Ideally I would wean baby off breast completely at 2 years as advised by the world health organisation (I think- don't quote me on that). Due to work pressure and commitments though I expect it won't be much past 6 months for me.

Original poster
CDStudier · 23/05/2011 16:58

Thank you all so much, this is really helpful :D

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 23/05/2011 18:52

just to confirm, WHO advice is to feed for at least 2 years, after that for as long as suits

organiccarrotcake · 23/05/2011 19:18
  1. What method of feeding did you/do you use? DS1 - Breastfed to 4 months, then breast and formula. DS2, Breastfed to 6 1/2 months, weaning onto solids. No formula given.
  2. Which do you think is better, breast or bottle feeding? "Better" is a poor choice of words. Formula milk has well-known health risks for mother and baby, ergo from a health perspective breastmilk is "better". In an ideal world everyone who wants to breastfeed should be given the information and support to be able to. However, sometimes breastfeeding isn't the right choice for parents, and for them, formula is better, and sometimes formula is the only option, so for the health of those babies (or their mums, depending on the situation), formula is better.
  3. Do you feel it has given you a special bond with your child/children? For me, breastfeeding is very special whereas bottle feeding was more like giving any other food. But bottle feeding can be lovely, too. The one thing you just don't get with bottle feeding is the "love" hormones that you get from breastfeeding which is working well, and that can make a very special bond. Sadly, when breastfeeding is going badly it can interfere with bonding which is very traumatic for mothers, and why breastfeeding supporters are so keen to help.
  4. Do you think that breast feeding gives you more of a bond or is bottle feeding just as good? It's just different.
  5. Would you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public or do you not agree with it? Not agree with what? The question doesn't really make sense. Of course I breastfeed in public. Otherwise how would I leave the house? :)
  6. What age do you think is right to wean your baby at? Start to wean onto solids - around 6 months or so. Wean off the breast? Whenever mum and baby/child are ready. For us probably somewhere between 3 and 5 years.
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