Formula feeding second child 'because it's easier'

[WiseSheep]

My mum and a few people of her generation that I know have said they formula fed their second child 'because it was easier'. I'm just wondering if anyone knows why it might be easier? Or if anyone did it and found it easier?

I'd rather not ask my mum as it'll turn into a 'thing' about breastfeeding but am really curious.

I'm looking for people's reasoning here however I'm really not looking to judge or start a breast v bottle debate.

I've done both, for various reasons. Hands down prefer breast feeding. I don't want to share feeds, even when using formula, as it's important for bonding and attachment. My babies were also unicorns and slept through the night from, the earliest 6 weeks, latest about 9 weeks.

I've had 3 formula fed babies and I've never had to wake up that frequently at night. When they did have night feeds, I had a perfect prep in the bedroom and barely had to move.

Going out, if I knew a feed was due soon then I'd make a fresh bottle up and by the time it was wanted, it was usually the perfect temp. No waiting for it to cool down.

I always had spare bottles in the nappy bag, no different to the spare nappies that were never touched unless for the few emergencies you end up having with babies/toddlers.

Yeah never did four bottles a night. If they woke that frequently you would increase the amount of milk.

Weird but my formula fed baby had fewer colds than the breastfed babies did. It isn't a given they have better immunity.

Formula feeding is a lot easier as you can share the load if you have a good support network. Breastfeeding mums generally say it's a lot harder work having to clean, sterilise and lug bottles around when you're out but in reality if you're having to organise a bag and do washing up daily, it really isn't a hardship 😅 in my experience, all FF babies I know have slept through the night faster and generally been happier and more settled. A lot of people will also say breastfed babies have a better 'bond' with their mothers than their FF peers, when in reality what I've seen from friends, that 'bond' is more just a dependency the child has as it's their only food source and once they're weaned, they're generally pretty happy and not always about mum anymore. It's a tricky one but I'd definitely say FF is easier on your mental health, particularly if you have other kids and are able to share the load 😊 I've FF both mine as BF never appealed, I saw too many of my friends become shells of themselves trying to make it work and their relationships with their partners suffered as well.

I formula my first child as I was told by everyone how much easier it is and that you can hand the baby to other people to feed etc.

I didn't find it easy in the slightest. All the people who are happy to help out by feeding the baby for you aren't there doing it at 3am when you're exhausted. The faf of sterilising and making fresh bottles all the time while the baby screams is not easier than having just getting a boob out and feeding whenever you need to.

I breastfed my 2 other children and wished I had had the courage to do it first time round instead of being so terrified of doing anything wrong I took whatever other people told me as gospel. My mental health was also infinitely better while breastfeeding, I don't know if it's related but I never got that mad hormone crash I did with my first.

I FF both of mine (4 year gap) and I found that when I FF DS I could involve his big sister more and/or I could spend time with her while DH fed him.
I can't compare it to BF as I never have and I am not saying you can't do this with BF number 2 but I certainly felt more available to DD by FF her brother.
I could still do things with just the 2 of us while someone else looked after DS.

Yes mine hasn’t been ill yet. But an EBF mother in my mother group told me how BF babies are so much healthier and I should BF for antibodies.

She’s posted about her baby being sick 5 times in 3.5 months. That said, she also thinks her baby doesn’t need vaccines because breast milk is so good for her baby’s health that it’ll pass on her vaccine immunities. So I feel the ‘breastfeeding is amazing liquid gold’ messaging may be being taken a little too literally by some women.

I BF all of mine as it was easier than the faff of washing up/sterilising/waiting for bottles to cool. Each to their own but personally, whacking out a boob to feed on demand was a whole lot easier than the alternative

I found it a lot easier to bottle feed. Breastfeeding is relentless and with no 2 I had to get no 1 to nursery! She would never have been on time if I’d breastfed! You also get 4 hours in between each feed

That last sentence makes me sad, and explains why so little help is available when wanted and needed.

I definitely couldn’t, massive boobs and tiny prem baby. They kept stressing how important her position and latch was to make sure she didn’t suffocate. Maybe once supporting her own head but not for a long time for us.

It makes me really happy!

I absolutely flogged the breastfeeding, even when it was clear (or should have been clear) that it wasn't working out and was to the detriment of both me and my baby. I really wish someone had told me that sometimes FF is actually for the best!

In any case, what's with all the FF Vs BF debates today? As a pp has already said: if FF is easier for you then it is. If BF is easier for you then it is. It really doesn't matter what anyone else's experience is, or what their views are!

I BF all of mine. It was a bit hard to get it established, but it was pretty easy after that.

I was just too bloody knackered with DC1 to stumble about at the dead of night preparing a bottle in a freezing cold house. With the others I was just in the zone. No hassle prepping and sterilising bottles, no worry about running out of formula, no need to remember bring anything apart from the nappy bag on a day out.

The feeding frenzies when the baby needed more milk than I was producing and fed hourly for a day or a too were bloody exhausting, but they didn't last long. I reckoned they were worth it for the sheer convenience of just being able to plug the baby in wherever without having to worry about making or warming up a bottle.

If breastfeeding goes well and you don't need to formula feed for practical reasons then it is very cheap, convenient and healthy for both mother and baby I think.
However, something which seems to be taboo to discuss is that, so long as you don't have sore ripples, or an older baby who bites, it can be very pleasurable. I get the impression that women feel guilty that it can be enjoyable, but I found it relaxing - maybe like a massage, but cosy and connecting?

I mixed fed (formula and breast) for the first six ish months, when my daughter started refusing the bottle. These things are always pitched as either / or when in fact I thought mixed feeding gave some of the advantages of both (and to be honest, at times, some of the disadvantages of both…!) personally I found breast harder than ff in the very early days, for many of the reasons outlined above, but definitely easier when it was more predictable and my baby was bigger and I really enjoyed it - did it for two years in total!

I thought it would be easier to formula feed my second but breastfeeding just came so naturally and never even tried a bottle once in the end. Turns out it was wayyyy easier to breastfeed than bottle feed. I had a small age gap and was spending my early post partum days running around after after a young toddler and could not have also handled the stress and organisations that would have gone into timed feeds that needed to be prepped in advance. My hands were too full and I never knew where or when we were going to be anywhere. I loved the freedom, knowing baby was just ready to come along for the ride and would have everything they needed!

I can’t really compare the two as I ebf mine. But to me, all the prep and sterilising seems like a massive faff. And I co-slept and fed lying down (and asleep), so I was never tired.

Ugh, my MIL is like this. And let me tell you, the one who was bf is the golden child and she is awful to the one who was ff. They also have wildly different metabolisms.

I've bf both my children, who have a 22 month age gap. Bf the second time round was so much easier than first.

I think people spout nonsense like this to make themselves feel better.

I found breastfeeding the easiest. As everyone has said, just whip a boob out instead of doing a 10 step routine to make 1 bottle. I also hate the idea of waste and sometimes a baby will drink 2 ounces and you have to pour 4 good ounces away!! It's sooo expensive! Also with formula you always have to be prepared, taking hot water with you, formula, bottles, containers, etc. However!!! My EBF son didn't sleep through the night till after age 1, most my family members FF kids slept from about 6 weeks ish.

I combi fed. Premature twins. Didn't bother saying as I wasn't passing any judgement on mothers, any which way. My post was a comment on my own stressful, sad experience, which you've inexplicably dismissed. I'm sorry you were upset by my words, but I feel you may be misdirecting yours.

The bit where I said "when wanted or needed" should have indicated that I wasn't talking about people who have received enough help, too much help, unwanted help, etc. I'm sorry for your experience. Those early days are tough.

Everyone will have had a different experience but I'd say bottle is easier, because you can share the burden, after a few months baby can even hold their own bottle, you don't have to watch your diet, and baby tend to feed less often. I bf'ed dc3 for six months and I only felt like I finally got my body back after I started bottle feeding, it was great. I would hate hate hate to still be bfing.

I think it depends on how breast feeding your first went. Establishing breastfeeding was hard with my first but by six months it was easy. I never even considered formula with my second.

It depends on your situation but most people I know who breastfed did it with all their kids.

I breastfed both of my children. The first for one year, the second for two years. They both weaned themselves when they were ready.

My youngest son became a sole parent to his son when the baby was 9 weeks old. The baby had been breastfed up until then. I'm helping my son raise him and for the first time in my life, I had to bottle-feed.

I found bottle-feeding very hard work. I'd also lost the handiest tool in my tool box because I'd relied on breastfeeding if my babies needed extra soothing. We live in the middle of nowhere and we have to drive very long distances to go even grocery shopping and so breastfeeding was very easy when we traveled, always the right temperature for a start. Taking bottles, hot water, cold water, cans of formula was not as convenient. Also, getting up in the night to make a bottle was a PIA. Whereas I found breastfeeding at night easy and peaceful. Getting out of bed, going to the kitchen, turning lights on, heating up a bottle was not as easy.

My grandson is 2.5 yrs now, so past that stage.

It means you can share the feeds. More formula fed babies sleep longer as it’s easier to pack them full of milk via a bottle. Not always the case though.