Breastfed vs bottle fed

[Georgia2609]

Hey mummas, I’m definitely planning quite far ahead with this as I’m not even pregnant with the next baby yet but I was just wondering if those of you who have formula fed one child and breast fed another could tell me what the biggest differences are that you noticed in your babies, eg sleep, happiness, hungryness, how they were with other people and things like that. My current baby has cmpa and I wish I’d have breast fed as he would probably be able to tolerate it so considering it with the next just in case. Thank you!!

Just to say, my son was EBF and has severe CMPA, so it isn't a guarantee you will avoid it!

I’ve only breastfed my DC however I just wanted to let you know that my DD also had CMPA that was diagnosed whilst being breastfed at 6 weeks old. It is less common in exclusively breastfed babies (usually diagnosed during weaning for them) and I had to eradicate dairy from my diet for her to be able to feed, but just wanted to hopefully reassure you that the CMPA wasn’t necessarily anything to do with how you fed your child, and the most important thing is to be happy and comfortable whether you choose breast or bottle. It’s hard but try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

I desperately tried to breast feed my first baby, but had to give up after 4 weeks, as she just wasn't getting enough and I was so, so sore! She thrived on formula, slept well and generally very contented.

I had several friends who had babies around the same time; all of them breast fed successfully and I felt a bit of a failure and I think was the reason I had another child within 2 years. This time I was able to breast feed him, but he was harder work than first DC. He was always hungry and didn't sleep, or seem contented for as long as first.

They are now grown up and there hasn't been any discernable difference at all in their health, mental ability etc.

I FF my first and am BFing my second (although he does take the odd bottle). No difference in sleep and going to others but I have noticed DH is struggling more with DS as DS has a strong preference towards me and wants a breast for comfort whereas DD loved her dummy. As a result I find DS far easier and quicker to settle than DD at a similar age, but conversely DH finds him far more difficult. I would say though that DS's willingness to take a bottle is a godsend so the baby is not entirely reliant on me 24/7 - v helpful when DS was hospitalised at 2 weeks old late at night and I couldn't drive because of CS so had to be the parent staying home with toddler DD.

I should’ve said in my post that he was exclusively on pumped breast milk for 9 weeks and it was only once we moved to formula that he started showing signs and I had quite a bit frozen that I was giving him and while he was drinking that he started getting better but I didn’t have enough to last weeks and by the time he was diagnosed it was too late to start again. The next baby might not tolerate breast milk either but I’d like to try or hopefully they won’t have any allergies! Thank you for those of you who have said their babies couldn’t tolerate breast milk though, I didn’t know it was so common

Well I EBF til 10 months and sadly stopped because my milk dried up in pregnancy :( ... It's been 6 days with DS on formula and he has gone from waking every 2 hours to sleeping through the night. He also cuddles with me now to sleep and he NEVER did that before. He always needed my boobs and was a light sleeper but is now in a milk coma.