Breast or Bottle

[user4321]

Imagine a world where formula and breast milk were equally nutritious for newborn and the benefits of BF were unknown.

I’m wondering if this were the case, what the general opinion is on what is the easiest way to feed baby and which method is more likely to cause problems at the beginning, and statistically, which method would be better for a happy mother and baby?

Depends on the mother in question as what is easy for one person isn't for another. Best to try breast feeding first and if it's not for you change to bottle. There is no way of telling how breastfeeding will go until you try it. Some women struggle and some woman have no problems at all and find it so easy.

I found breastfeeding so easy, I never even left my bed during a night feed. I had loads of milk and no problems I must have saved a fortune

My milk didn’t come but formula was absolutely fine for lots of reasons
A happy child and a happy mother is the main thing

BF is cheaper and is always on tap. No bottles to make up and no sterilising to do. It worked for me but not everyone finds that it’s for them.

Whatever is best for you. A baby just needs food and a happy mum.

Breastfeeding made for a very miserable mother and baby here. Bottle feeding worked mavellously though. No ill effects. Too many variables for there to be a blanket “best” in the hypothetical situation put forward by the OP.

Breastfeeding! So easy and cheap.

Ideally with a baby who will take a bottle if you need to have a little break

I hated breast feeding. Gave up at 6 weeks and never even tried with nbr 2.
Bottle feeding every time for me.

I breastfed because I and the babies enjoyed it, I think the health benefits are pretty marginal. Staying in bed at night, not having to plan ahead etc very nice too.

Bottle feeding for me too. I regretted ever trying breastfeeding and gave it up after only 4 days with DD1. Nothing on earth could have persuaded me to try it again with DDs 2 and 3.

A mixture of both! Whap tits out in the middle of the night and you’ve always got safely prepared ready to go milk on hand and bottles so your husband can take a turn too whilst you go out.

I bottle fed my first as i was only yound and it just wasnt for me at the time and she turned out fine. Im currently breastfeeding my 9 week old and its going well, im really enjoying the closeness but on the other hand he is so attached to me now he wont take a bottle from me or anyone else. Im kind of loving how much he wants to just be with me but sometimes find it hard since im the only one who can settle him. I wud say try and breastfeed but also pump and feed from a bottle quite early on so they are used to both just incase it doesnt work out. I know midwives and docs might say you shouldnt but their not the ones who have to do it! Sorry about the long post no body warned me that he might refuse a bottle altogether and i wish someone had!

In that hypothetical situation I'd do a mix - BF is convenient the majority of the time, but would be good to have the option of a bottle for Dad to do a couple of feeds.

In your imaginary world, it would have to be bottle feeding. I combo fed both of mine. Snuggling with a bottle is every bit as delightful as snuggling while breastfeeding. And the enormous advantage of bottle feeding is that it need not be the mother all the time. The mother can rest, recuperate, recover from birth, have proper time to sleep, to tend to stitches and/or wound care and I think would be in better physical and emotional shape.

I felt such a failure for combo feeding my first, despite clearly not making an adequate milk supply ton nourish him entirely. And I tried all the tricks and tips and for me, they only worked at the margins. I eventually realised that I don't make enough breast milk for it to be the sole source of nutrition for an infant. And that's ok because thankfully I live in a time and place where formula is accessible, safe and perfectly healthy.

For me, breastfeeding was far from free - lactation consultation visits, breast pump hire, nipple shields, additional doctors visits for my slow-gaining child, nursing bras and clothes - were all expenses that I felt pressured into to be sure I had given breastfeeding my best shot.

I absolutely despise the pressure around feeding choices. Adequate intake of safe milk - whether breast, formula, pumped or some combination - given with love and care is all that matters.

I can only tell you what I know. I have two big, healthy lads who I breastfed. Healthy, tall, bright and well attached. Best method for me and best method for them. I have no care for making up milk, cleaning bottles and getting the temp of the milk right

I waited for my milk to come in, I whooped my boob out and fed 'until the cows came home', no pun intended.

Sounds like you want a fight. I'm not about to fight about what you're looking for. I found it easy and fair enough some mother don't.

Out and over

Bah

Breastfeeding is easy. It is

You win

I went through weeks of cracked nipple and bitten to shreds months later... It still was easy and worth it.

Sorry

Me bad

Breastfeeding.

I realised the other day that bottle feeders probably can't scroll through Mumsnet while feeding their LOs because their hands aren't free!

I would have far fewer excuses to sit on my arse with a cup of tea and MN if I were bottle feeding.

Yes I realise that while BF I am supposed to be interacting with my child

Breastfeeding provides a lot of nutrition and reduce his risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type I diabetes, celiac disease and Crohn's disease.
And that feeling of the baby in your arms.. that's priceless.

I’m hoping to do a combination of BF & bottle feeding when our DD arrives anytime from 5th Jan...I cannot believe she is gonna be here soon! Only so my DP can help with feeds too, especially when I go back to work. Does anyone have advice re breast pumps and the storage of breast milk. I’m keen to get any advice I can. I’m aware that BF May just not work out for me but here’s hoping...

MissUnderwood, that seems a little overly defensive. Where do you get the impression of anyone looking for a fight?

I certainly don't. Just a discussion about own experiences, which is what others are giving.

I totally agree with sycamore, the pressure around breastfeeding is unreal at the moment, do whatever is best for you and dont let anyone make you feel like a failure if whatever you choose, i had a horrible breastfeeding wifey at mine the other day who actually brought up why i didnt breastfeed my seven yr old and made me feel really bad. My first was bottle second breast they r both happy and healthy and i enjoyed both. Cant stand the judgement on ppl these days lol .

For DS1 breastfeeding. It was so easy, he was happy, I was happy, he weaned off it after a year and by 4 months he was feeding 6-7 times a day for less than 10 months. He could drain both boobs in ten minutes flat. So less than an hour a day feeding. Could be out and about. And we had a nice routine.
DS2 was v v v prem. He latched on at 29 weeks gestation which was so amazing that the doctors brought half the NICU to stare at my boobs and the miracle baby. We did establish breastfeeding. He never took to it in the same way though. By 7 months he was bottle fed expressed milk and formula.

So the answer is: depends on the baby!

Although i should say here that for prem babies breastmilk can be life saving in protecting against NEC, which is a near fatal condition that only premature babies get. It is what preemie parents live in dread and fear of. Every small vomit, bilious aspirate, slightly swollen tummy and we were on NEC watch.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

MissSycamore - I certainly wasn’t looking for a ‘flight’, which is why I suggested the hypothetical situation of a world where one method is no better than the other. I was just wondering which method do people think is best for practical purposes only.

My story - I was a bf ‘failure’ in the early days, literally on the edge of breakdown emotionally and hated every second of feeding. After a very long 6 weeks I switched to bottle and never looked back. My only regret is not switching to formula sooner, I would have enjoyed my DS so much more in those first weeks. I obviously only put myself through that (including a ridiculous amount of hours pumping) because of the immense pressure I was under by health professionals, and DH (who had been taken in by all the ‘formula is poison’ advice, marketing) to continue to torture myself feeding. I know now, looking back, that my heart wasn’t it, it was just the pressure. I don’t personally believe there are enough proven bf benefits for baby to make mum unhappy, allow baby to lose too much weight etc. And that’s why I didn’t try persist and try hard enough to make it work. Those who feel strongly in their hearts are more likely to torture themselves make it work and are grateful later.

My post was trying to take all of this out of the equation, and see which way parents think is easier to nourish a baby in the early days.

With my next DC I will either Breast feed directly if I find it natural and easy, if at any point I have an issue I will introduce formula, but 100% advance decision I’m giving up on expressed milk, as practically it’s the worst of the options. I have given away my breast pump as I’m certainty not wasting hours and hours every day pumping.