Did you breast of formula feed?

[isitThursday]

I'm not looking for a debate just wondering. Did you breast, formula or mix feed?

I breast fed both mine and I don't regret it but I would have dealt the same about ff.
I am the only person I know in my whole family who bf and there is no difference between my two children who were bf and the rest of us.
We all turned out fine being fed formula.

You absolutely did not fail OP!

Btw you did well too op

Mix. I was BF and pumping as baby wouldn’t latch on the left initially. He was also in NICU for a week so it was challenging establishing feeding and pumping. We also had a tongue tie to deal with. DC is 5 months and is now combi fed. For me, this has really improved my mental health - taking the pressure off me feeding made things so much better.

OP - please do not feel like you failed feeding. BF is so hard!

Breastfeeding was very straightforward and totally painfree for us so did that - still going even though DS is over 2.

If it hadn't been straightforward, I would have considered mixed feeding or formula

DD: tried breast, did not work out, didn't get right advice and it was painfully slow and had to go back to hospital for a night after 10 days as she'd lost too much weight. Mixed fed until 11 or 12 weeks, then moved to bottle which was an great decision for us both - wasn't stuck on sofa for hours a day and she was satisfied.

DS: tried breast again, 3 weeks of agony but then it worked and was great.

And therefore I absolutely advocate mums doing whatever works best for them!

Just wish I'd had better advice first time round - I was assured that her intial really short feeds that didn't feel like they were well latched were fine, but they weren't - she got dangerously underweight at 10 days because (and this happened with a friend of mine's baby as well) she was a baby that didn't cry constantly if hungry like most do, so it wasn't obvious anything was wrong, certainly to a first-time parent.

Breast fed and bottle fed using expressed milk for the first 8 weeks then bottle fed with formula

EBF found it extremely hard but it gradually got easier and now find it a breeze, probably have found it super easy from about 6 months and she's almost 11 months now. Have been pumping this afternoon because I've got an appointment tomorrow and had to clean all the bits and pieces for it, honestly couldn't be arsed doing that all the time. Glad I stuck with it. But it was a lot harder than I ever imagined. Started co-sleeping at 5 months (following lullaby trust) and it was an absolute game changer.

EBF for… well he’s 2 and in no sign of stopping

Formula with both babies.
Never even considered BF

Should add I never felt like a failure stopping BF - it just totally felt like the right thing to do. BF is hard (I wish this was made clearer!) - it does not work out for all sorts of reasons that are no one's 'fault'.

It doesn’t matter what other people did or didn’t do.

There is no shame in feeding your baby however your baby was fed.

You grew, birthed and fed that child, you. Amazing you.

I'm currently breastfeeding my 4 month old. Was hard to begin with but easy now. I've no idea what it's like in comparison to formula feeding though.

You absolutely are not a failure for not breastfeeding. While other mums might breastfeed every experience is different. I had planned and hoped for a natural birth at a midwife led unit and in the end I had to go into hospital for a planned induction due to reduced movements, had an epidural and it was a totally different experience to the one I had wanted but it brought me my baby so I don't care.
You are feeding and nourishing your little baby and giving them everything they need to grow and develop. Whether or not you are doing that with formula or breastmilk, it's you that's doing that. Your baby wouldn't be here without you and everything you do for them. If you ever feel down about not breastfeeding remind yourself of that.

@isitThursday

Thanks everyone. I'm just wondering. I didn't as I got PND but I'm envious of people who managed it and feel like a failure (DD is 4 months now)

I vividly remember feeling exactly like that.

Both mine were FF as I just could not BF despite many attempts.

I can assure you that DD19 and DS14 have not suffered any ill effects and are both extremely hale and hearty.

Try not to dwell on it, a year down the road you will consumed with weaning and feeding sufficient fruit & veggies.

Exclusively breast fed 1st until she was 16 months. Currently mixed feeding 2nd 4 month old for convenience.

Ebf 2 DS however with Ds1 I went back to work at 16 weeks and I pumped for the rest of the year... He refused like 90% of those bottles and my poor wife had a terrible time trying to feed him during the day and I stayed awake all night feeding.

Both options come with ups and downs... Just go and enjoy your little bundle of joy. They're not gonna hold it against you x

Tried bf with DC1 for two and a half weeks - the most miserable, isolating, lonely weeks of my whole life and definitely was a major contributor to PND. Straight onto formula for DC2, no regrets.

Formula fed and no regrets, although I did make a half arsed attempt at BF because I felt enormous pressure from midwives. I mostly felt relief when it didn't happen for us in hospital but I did feel occasional guilt when she was a baby.

It gets far less important as they get older.

Breastfed all three. I was lucky and had no problems.

Exclusively expressed for 6 months due to not being able to latch properly. I also donated some excess to a milk bank!

Started off bf then mixed then ended up ff

Formula feed both DD's. Just didn't get on with BF. Gave up after a few days. No regrets. Tbh I never really thought anything of it, until MN came along. No-one was so bothered back in the day!

We do a mix. Mostly breast, but sometimes I will turn to DH and ask if he can make up a bottle. This is usually when I am tired or on the very rare occasion that I need to go out.

Really wanted to breastfeed, DD had tongue tie followed by nipple confusion so hasn’t ever latched properly so I’m pumping but as an under supplier need formula too so worst of all worlds really as I spend so much time pumping, washing. Sterilising and making up bottles. She’s mix fed but could be on exclusively breast milk eventually as my supply goes up every week or I might ditch the pumping at some point and just do formula.

Dc1 ebf till 18 months, wish I'd expressed sometimes as would never take a bottle.
Dt bf plus expressed for 12 months, I felt obliged to continue feeding them to give same chance as Dc1 but had to stop at 12 months as it was exhausting. I felt pressure from hv, Dr's, family, media to continue when actually it probably would have been best to stop earlier.
I don't think people should be judged either way but unfortunately society does put pressure on mums to do certain things even if it's not best for mum and baby.

EBF both for 2 years (+ counting with yongest). No regrets, but I doubt it made a massive difference. I was lucky enough to find it easy after the first few weeks, so stuck with it to avoid cleaning/ sterilising, gettting out of bed for night feeds, and later because it instantly stops toddler tantrums. If I had found it more difficult then doing the above I would have changed without a second thought.