Breast is best?

[MommaBee97]

So I'm pregnant with my second baby, another baby girl! With my first daughter I breastfed but was only successful for 3 weeks as my nipples started to bleed :( I'm thinking of breast feeding my second, however I don't know whether it was how my daughter latched that made me bleed, whether it was the breast pump that made me bleed or That I did something wrong? Am I wrong for thinking of not trying again and just going straight to formula or should I try first and hope for the best! (Also, I can't deal with the nightmare you get from midwives saying 'breast is best') Is there any tips on keeping your nipples from bleeding/cracking? What do you thinks better and easier? Breast or Bottle?

I was watching something that said there is actually no evidence proving breast milk is any better for your baby after the first colostrum .. Not sure how true that is, I would have to see where the evidence came from in both sides.. But I don't think you should feel bad if you can't feed yourself, I know people who have bottle fed and have healthy, happy kids with which they have an amazing bond. I love breast feeding but my friend had her heart set on BF but couldn't and was made to feel terrible by some other mums and nurses in hospital. So much for supporting fellow mums

That’s not true tigger why spread it around?

Sorry xmaspuddingdisaster , I quite clearly say not sure how true it is but that's what I watched and would have to check the sources of the info on both sides ( for and against) . I was passing on what I had heard for people to then come to their own conclusion. I wasn't aware this would be a problem ??

It wouldn’t be if you had any kind of link or way for others to watch the same programme. But you don’t! Just sewing seeds of doubt with no way to check on what you’ve said is pretty poor imo.

My 10 day old baby is in neonatal and is tube fed. She isn't sucking so can't go on the breast.

All this "breast is best" shit really makes me feel better about our situation (which isn't likely to improve!!). That said I'm expressing and she has been on breast milk since she was 2 days.

I've formula fed my first and was an extended breast feeder with my second (she stopped when she was about 2y 8m and I was pregnant with DC3) so I feel like I've experienced the full spectrum off feeding.

My conclusion is, it is nobody else's damn business how you feed your baby.

I’m combination feeding my 8wk old baby. It’s not what I wanted, but after trying everything (a return to hospital, paying for a private BF consultant, domperidone and using a tube system!) I’ve realised that exclusive Bf won’t happen this time.

I was so upset in the early weeks, feeling like a total failure and that I was going to be judged for doing it this way. I’m now a lot lot happier and I think Crunchymum is right. It’s no one else’s business and ultimately my baby needs to be fed. My feeling now is that she gets the best of both worlds - the closeness and bonding of Bf and the nourishment she needs from ff.

That’s not true tigger why spread it around?

It's kind of true.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077166/#!po=21.8447

This study controlled for confounding variables much more rigorously than previous studies. It found the bf made no difference to children's outcomes between the ages of 4-14, except on one measure.

The article also contains a thorough review of the literature.

I think it's immoral not to at least question conventional wisdom when it impacts the lives of women and babies in such a profound way.

Thank you for the link Fartniss. The study looks at outcomes from 4-14 - I would suggest a lot of positives comes with younger babies, eg instances

(Sorry) instances of illness, relationship to SIDs etc.
Of course lots of other factors go toward the well-being of your child, if you can’t bf that doesn’t mean they won’t be healthy and happy.

Breast feeding was torture with my first and the best thing ever with my second. Fingers crossed it is easier for you second time round. But if it isn’t do not feel a bit of guilt. My nipples bled with both btw, you just have to get past that stage as both you and baby get used to it. 2nd time around I went to a breast feeding group, maybe that was the difference for me.. sounds weird but it was fun.

Breast feeding is the way we are designed to feed babies. In the event it doesn't work then formula is a very good substitute and and we are fortunate to live in a country that gives women this option.

Personally I think every mum should have the right to choose without being judged, and that we shouldn't have 'breast is best' shoved down our throats all the time.
Fwiw I chose not to breast feed, I chose to not even try it, simply because I didn't want to. I knew I didn't want to. I think it's wrong to say that everyone should at least try it. If a woman wants to try, then fine. Equally if a woman doesn't want to try, then that's equally fine. Or at least it should be.

Also to the poster who said about her child in neonatal, I understand. My son was in an incubator for 2 days and had to be tube fed. Then he was still tube fed for another few days after that.
I agree that the constant 'breast is best' is irrelevant. They don't stop to
think about when neither breast or bottle feeding is possible.

Fwiw I chose not to breast feed, I chose to not even try it, simply because I didn't want to.

Ditto. I don't need an excuse to do something that's not harmful to my child.

Breast feeding is the way we are designed to feed babies.

And your natural immunity is the way you're designed to fight off disease, so I assume you won't be supplementing with antibiotics at any point.

I take antiB's if I need them, in the same way I would use formula if I was unable to feed my baby that way. Your point is?

If you are willing to try, breast feeding becomes so easy and inexpensive once you get through the first weeks/months. Lanolin nipple cream. Defo necessary. As well as cabbage leaves and maybe an electric pump for days when one nipple is simply too sore. Good luck.

Sorry xmaspuddingdisaster , I wasn't aware I was in the stand and needed to evidence my comments, simply passing on something I had heard and giving people the credit that they had the ability to check it out as I stated I needed to, sorry if this offended you.