positive bottlefeeding from birth stories

[madmomma]

Various factors have conspired which mean it's quite unlikely I'll be able to breastfeed my 3rd child, due in a month. I breastfed my 1st (for 2 1/2yrs), struggled with my 2nd due to undiagnosed tongue tie, and right now I have MH issues, a house like a building site, a manic 1yr old to run after, a C section looking probable... I just can't see it happening this time round.

So I was wondering what it's like putting a newborn straight on the bottle?
There must be loads of Mums who've done this. Please tell me it'll be ok?

Hi
I'm a new mum so not alot of experience to go on, but I had various complications with both myself and my little girl when she was born 4 months ago and BF didn't work out for us despite trying incredibly hard. So while I didn't exactly start her on formula from birth, she has mainly been formula fed.

My DD is strong, and very healthy. She is thriving, slept through the night at 8 weeks, feeds at similar times each day, and hasn't had a single cold or bug - no problems with tummy bugs either. She is hovering around the 50th centile for weight and 91st for height. My DH does the evening feed and dream feed at 10pm so I get a break. She cuddles right up to me when I feed her, touches my nose and face and smiles while I sing to her - so no bonding problems there. I treat each bottle feed like a breast feed really, stay focused on her - skin to skin while feeding her too.

Making bottles a bit of a faff, but I make mine in the morning for the day, and the evening for the dream feed and morning feed. I didn't plan to formula feed, but I've met alot of mums who FF and their babies are thriving and well and happy too. I am very happy with how things have turned out with my DD and FF has been a positive experience for me.

I hope this helps - congratulations and best of luck!

It is ok if that's what you want. But why not at lest give it a go first and see if it works out ok. I'd at lest give colustrum while your in hospital to give your baby all the anitbodies.

Then switch when you get home.

On another possitive note I know some BF baby's feed all the time and want constant holding(cue my first). But my seconed shocked me by being a text book 3hour feeder and a good sleeper from the word go. So it may not be impossible.

That's very encouraging MigGril. I'll take a 3 hourly feeder anyday! I'll start off breastfeeding and see how I go. I just don't want to set myself up for feeling like a crashing failure if I end up bottlefeeding.