What is healthier: bottlefeeding your baby, or breastfeeding on a poor diet?

[lardylegs]

Hi guys! I'm new to this forum and am looking forward to hearing from you! My question isn't intended to incite a debate - it's a question I'd be interested to hear your views on. Thing is you see, I'm breastfeeding my daughter who is 2 months old. The breastfeeding is going really well, but my diet at the moment is appalling (LOADS of choc, crisps, cake etc.) and it does make me feel pretty guilty. I've always had a weakness for junk food and my self discipline at the moment seems particularly poor - no depression or anything like that; I am happy and love being a mum! Am I compromising the quality of the milk I am giving her? Your answers, from a nutritional point of view, would be most welcome! Thanks.

not compromising it AFAIK, obviously its better if you can snack healthily, but its not the be all and end all.

even on a poor diet breastmilk is better for baby than formula IMHO.

No, you are compromising your own nutrition.

The milk draws what it needs from you, leaving you lacking.

If you are snacking alot then perhaps considering eating some dried fruit, or raw veg instead of crisps or cake. Just as quick and easy.

Also make sure you drink lots of water.

Or fresh fruit as well, I should have said.

Crikey, that was a quick response - thanks! Ah well, I think Slimming World beckons once more! I can't be doing with feeling guilty whenever I breastfeed - it kind of defeats the object!!

I think, tho not sure Im right as Ive had a few vodkas tonight. Baby comes first so, much like in pregnany baby gets what he/she needs leaving you and your body with what is left.

If you think of women in third world countries, they dont have the best varied diet but only option is to breastfeed and manage to satisfy their babies.

I think each oz of breast milk is perfect. Its not as simple as what goes in comes out as breast milk.

If anything yuou would feel a bit tired and crap if what you were taking in was inadequate, Im sure bubba thinks Mums milk is just PERFECT

Good luck nd ENJOY breastfeeding

aww, feel better now - thanks!

This may sound daft, but spend an afternoon cooking eg bolognaise, cottage pie etc, portion it and freeze. Make enough for a week and each night before you go to bed take it out and let it defrost in the fridge over night. That way dinner/lunch is made. Get your husband/partner to make a plate of healthy sandwiches in the morning before he goes to work for you to nosh on and lunch/snacks are covered. If you eat these then you won't feel guilty about chocolate and crisps. Which you can have in moderation; ie one of each per day.
I agree with Domestickler, the baby is a parasite. When inside you it takes whatever it needs leaving you with whatever is left over and this continues when you are BF. Forget the diet, that comes later. If you eat homemade food with good ingredients you shouldn't gain any wait by having a few chocs etc.
Hope this helps.
I have fed three (and still feeding third who is now 1yr) and found that I HAD TO HAVE CHOCOLATE EVERY DAY! I compromised with the healthy food as well.

LL,give yuorself abreak.
Having a baby is hard work and if eating crap makes you feel better able to cope then don't worry.

Plenty of time to sort it out in the future.

Much better to b/feed and eat crap. I feel sick when I think back to my b/feeding snacks. Obviously it would be far better for you to eat healthy and b/feed but it won't make much difference to your baby.

"My question isn't intended to incite a debate"

famous last words

tell me to eff off if you see me anywhere near this thread again .......

Eff off Jools

I don't think I could have survived the first few months without rather a lot of wine.....

I figured that if it kept me breastfeeding it was a Good Thing.

I'll second that Moondoq, and it never made mine sleep any more but it certainly made me feel a lot better

What you eat really wont affect the quality of your milk. Your body will make milk just fine unless you are really really malnourished. I ate total crap (honestly ) for most of the time I was excl bf DS (now 2 years old), it was only when it came to him eating food that I started to realise just how crap my diet was (loads of takeaways, ready meals, process muck etc). Now I eat a fairly balanced diet (still with the occasional takeaways) mostly made up of fresh & unprocessed foods...not discernable difference in my milk at all!

The evening I came out of hospital (ds 2 days old) my husband, mum and I shared a bottle of champagne. I was having trouble getting my son to latch on (and continued to do so) but on that evening he latched on and drank solidly for 45 minutes!

So I recommend alcohol

Erm..I seem to recall hogging a whole bottle of Champagne that dh brought to the hospital 24 hours after dd's birth.

It was ostensibly to share but needs must.

Hi I BF dd till she was 17wks, and I ate Crap! Drank wine on an evening and she was fine!
I think as long as you get fluids and some healthy things, I would not worry- even though I ff dd after 17 weeks, I feel that BF with crap diet if better than FF.(Not inciting debate) In other words do not let this be the reason you stop bf.

Lardylegs ( at name), if you're craving junk food more than normal surely that's likely to mean you're actually just not getting enough calories? If I were you I wouldn't bother about that diet for a while: just make sure you eat enough of the good stuff and don't feel bad about the extras.

Anyway,the early days with a baby are to my mind,one of the few times when you really don't have to worry about this sort of stuff.