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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Formula feeding versus breastfeeding - which did you do and why?

100 replies

firstimer30s · 29/10/2013 10:03

I know there is research in favour of breastfeeding and all the benefits for baby, but aside from that, practically, how did it affect you and baby, whichever you chose?
I know this is a sensitive subject but I'm a first timer and clueless so would appreciate hearing your experiences...
Thanks

OP posts:

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DoBatsEatCats · 29/10/2013 21:08

Starlight, you were lucky! I BF and to be out of the house for more than an hour we needed a bag with at least three nappies, wipes, complete change of clothes for baby, clean T-shirt for me and a couple of muslins to catch the sick. I never went anywhere without a massive bag. I think much depends on the baby...

conorsrockers · 29/10/2013 21:08

DS1 bf for week 1 then mixed until week 6 then ff.
DS2 bf for 2 days before I caved to ff.
DS3 ff after 1 feed.

I went back to work with all three pretty much straight away (within days) and the ff for me was much, much easier - I always used hungry baby formula and did a BIG feed about 10pm, all great sleepers. Bf for me was too much aggravation - for some it's the other way round. I couldn't express either, so that made it pretty much impossible!

StarlightMcKenzie · 29/10/2013 21:13

It was my number 3 and he was summer born. I think I was partly unbothered by 'leaks' of any kind, or of dressing him in anything other that a body and sleep suit. If one get wet, I'd strip it.

itsonlysubterfuge · 29/10/2013 21:13

Formula was great for visting grandparents and having DH get up and feed when I was so tired. The whole cleaning bottles and getting it ready didn't really bother me. If you are modest or worried about BF in public, FF can make you more comfortable. FF was nice for my husband as he got to feed her and have that special bonding time with her.

BF is great for when she is hurting, falls down, needs comfort quick. It's always sure to clam her down no matter how upset she is. BF is cheaper. BF gives you a great excuse to eat lots of cake! BF can hurt when teeth come in, every person is different. Sometimes I felt like I was a failure when I was struggling with BF. BF is easier with travelling.

I mix fed her and it worked for me. She was mostly FF at first, when her first teeth came in she switched over to BF and didn't want the bottle anymore.

Whatever you decide, make sure you do what's right for you .

polosareverynice · 29/10/2013 21:15

I expressed bm at first up untill my ds was 10 weeks old then I switched to ff as too knackard. I put too much pressure on myself and should have ff from the start I wanted to bf but actually couldn't nipples too inverted to latch successfully hence the expressing.

notanyanymore · 29/10/2013 21:21

BF for all three because I found it alot easier. Its always there ready, I never worried about what they were having, when, how much, what facilities were available, did I have enough formula, what if the water went off, or the electric/gas, were the bottles clean enough aaaahhhh! etc. I always have a couple of nappies and a pack of wet wipes in my hand bag, but thats all really. BF is time consuming sometimes I suppose, but I enjoyed sitting cuddling them. I don't like to be away from them when they're little anyway (always taken much more ML then financially I should have) and have co-slept (more like co-snoozed really) alot.
Tried expressing once, freaked me right out!!!
You'll find what works for you, just go with that. I have had people comment like I'm some kind of crazed 'earth-mother', I'm not at all, its just what worked for me. (DP was never going to help with any feeds anyway!) Oh, and bf is like a cure all, it seems to immediately calm any upset.

lyndie · 29/10/2013 21:21

I never get the 'I breastfed because I'm lazy' comments! Breastfeeding is hard!

(and yes I fed 3 babies to age 2!)

howmuchwouldyoutake · 29/10/2013 21:26

Wanted to ff from the start. Never wanted to Bf (not popular i know. Selfish some say. I'm educated and had done my research. I just didn't want to) DS was prem and tiny - 3lb - and in nicu. I was pushed into expressing and hated it. Tried every day to Bf because med staff continuously told me i should. Dc eventually latched and fed with no issues. I still hated it but honestly can't explain why.

Dc fed for 4 weeks (after 2 weeks tube feed / trying Bf in hospital) before being readmitted with life threatening

hettienne · 29/10/2013 21:28

I didn't find it hard, and tbh I think if it had been difficult or painful I wouldn't have done it

howmuchwouldyoutake · 29/10/2013 21:29

*a life threatening condition because of a reaction to meds i was on - passed on through Bf. It was an horrific time. He's fine now but i wished i'd trusted my instincts and ff.

Each to their own. Ihate that so many ff parents feel guilty.

loopdaloo · 29/10/2013 21:31

Bf dd1 for a year, only really stopped then as was pregnant again and wanted to give myself a break!

Bf dd2 (7wks) and she's taken to it so much better than dd1 did! Going to start trying her with a bottle soon so family can help out but will be expressing rather than formula.

Do what's best for you. Health professionals really do push bf, with good reason, but they neglect to tell you how hard it can be to start with. Find a bf group and I really think skin to skin after birth helps. Good luck!

Heathcliff27 · 29/10/2013 21:36

Tried to BF DC1, fking sore, bleeding nipples, switched to FF and never regretted it. FF DC2 and 3 from day 1. All healthy and happy babies and mummy

Figgygal · 29/10/2013 21:39

Another one who says its not necessarily a choice for you to make.

I wanted to bf, am all for the benefits of bf my body and ds didn't support that choice and it almost drove me mad until he went fully ff at 8 weeks as he started refusing boob altogether.

At the time it was all consuming 2yrs later I have perspective DS is healthy and we were lucky that ff was an option.

Rowboat · 29/10/2013 21:48

breast. For me it just felt completely natural, and instinctive. I fed her until her 2nd birthday. When she started nursery at 9 months i couldn't keep up enough expressing she was supplimemted with 1 formula bottle a day for 3months . I hated it. i hated the sickly smell of it.
This is, obviously, just my opinion and everyone has their own decision to make. I plan to bf dc2 too, but if for whatever reason i can't, formula will do.

forgetmenots · 29/10/2013 22:01

Bf for 5 days, mixed for eight weeks, now ff.

You can't make the choice in advance. You have to wait and see what is right for you and your baby. In my case, it was this, but I could never have predicted that.

Thurlow · 29/10/2013 22:03

I'll give you that, rowboat, formula doesn't exactly smell tempting

onelittlepiglet · 29/10/2013 22:51

Bf dd for two years. It was tough at first as i was shattered but I was lucky in that I only really had sore nipples to contend with. I got mastitis once when she was 18 months old which was horrible but we got through it.

She wanted to feed all the time and didn't put on weight easily. I was lucky that I had older sisters who had all breastfed and could reassure me. Also went to a breast feeding cafe type group where I met some lovely people.

Expecting dc2 now and crippled with all day nausea and vomiting, I would much rather go through the difficult first week or so of breast feeding than this any time! Planning to bf this one as well fingers crossed - I loved breast feeding once dd and I had got the hang of it!

rallytog1 · 30/10/2013 08:37

ff but not by choice. It's a long story but I basically nearly killed myself trying to bf for weeks, and in the end even the lactation consultant and hospital infant feeding coordinators said it was time to give up.

I had been so determined to bf and I can very much identify with the pp who has spent many hours in tears over it. Fwiw, I think it's great that there is such a drive to encourage bf at the moment. However, something must be a bit wrong with the messaging when those of us who had no choice but to ff still feel distraught/guilty/ashamed/sad many months down the line.

Stevie77 · 30/10/2013 10:39

I bf DD for nearly three months, did well to get that far considering I had to express and dispose of my milk for about 2 weeks while I was on antibx that upset her tummy.

TBH, I didn't love bf. Didn't love how it tied me to her, how only I could feed (especially at night, in freezing cold winters). I was constantly leaking, with big rock hard boobs and it was a pain in the effing backside, milk supply never stabilised for some reason. I also HATED bf-ing in public.

Plan this time around is to give it a go again and see how it goes. If it's coming along easily then great, if not then I may reconsider. Having had one DC that ff from 3 months, I know it's not the end of the world and that they grow up to be just as smart, healthy and beautiful.

killpeppa · 30/10/2013 10:47

FF from birth after a traumatic labour ended up with me being anaesthetised so feeding was established by the time I woke up.
ds2 I just did the same.

hel123 · 30/10/2013 11:17

First one was bottle fed, and second was breast fed.

It it entirely down to how you feel and how the baby deals with it - my first wouldn't latch on, partly due to being very jaundiced and tired! Formula tends to wash out the jaundice quicker apparently (I am not a medical expert so don't quote me on this!). After 2 weeks of trying (and failing) to breast feed, expressing and feeding him the breast milk in a bottle, and then topping up with formula, I realised that being a paranoid, very busy and tired wreck just wasn't helping him, so gave up the breast altogether. It was the right thing for me and him at the time.

The second took to BF immediately and I fed him for 6 months. Even with him I always expressed a bottle before I went to bed so that I could get an early night and DH could stay up to give him his last feed. It was really nice for him to be able to bond with the baby in that way so I wouldn't change a thing!

Now preggers with no 3, and very relaxed about it - what will be will be and the most important thing is to get them fed!

Oh, and before I go, before I BF no 2, I was really worried that it would mean that he wouldn't get into a sleeping through the night routine very quickly, and he might not put on as much weight as his brother - absolutely unfounded! He slept through for at least 6 hrs at a time almost from birth, and was always in the top growth centile. He was a total 'angel baby' (I know I am going to pay for this with no 3!)

Original poster

firstimer30s · 01/11/2013 15:14

Thanks all so much for this tremendous response. It really does seem like I will have to see how I go, though mixed feeding might be the most sensible option. I am overwhelmed by how much we women beat ourselves up and will try and take note!
Thanks again for sharing your experiences, it is really helpful for me and no doubt will be for many others.

OP posts:

forgetmenots · 06/11/2013 16:36

Completely agree with rallytog, the push on bf is great but it's led to ff being seen as poison, and those of us who 'failed' feeling doubly awful. I actually still find it hard to properly discuss bf after what happened with my DS, and support was thin on the ground.

Strokethefurrywall · 06/11/2013 17:24

I breastfed DS and started to express when he was 2 weeks to stock the freezer. Went back to work when he was 18 weeks and he would happily go between breast and bottle.

Once I started back at work my supply dropped off so I just continued using my freezer stock for his feeds at day care and gradually stopped pumping at work and once my freezer supply ran out I switced to formula during the day and nursing in the morning and two evening feeds.

Will do exactly the same thing this time round with DC2. I enjoyed breastfeeding because I didn't want to have to worry about all the sterilization at the beginning (and I'm lazy and didn't want to have to get up at night to make them) but I have absolutely no qualms about switching to formula. Food is food and show me the difference between a breastfed adult and bottle fed one and I'll give you a medal

Don't listen to anyone who evangelises on how you should feed your baby, the choice is yours and yours alone. Equally, don't feel guilty if you can't or don't want to breastfeed, there is so much more to life and enjoying your baby is what is most important, not whether the milk comes from a boob or a bottle.

GOod luck!

WigglyBraddins · 06/11/2013 17:31

DS is 18 months & I'm still breast feeding. When I was pregnant I did the research into the benefits & decided if at all possible I'd breast feed exclusively. I felt under pressure to get my life back when he was tiny though so thought expressing was the answer. I HATED expressing & DS would always refuse the bottle which left me feeling wretched. At 4 months I had a sudden moment of clarity & decided to give up expressing & trying to make DS take a bottle. From then onwards I was so much happier & relaxed.

There are soooo many benefits to breast feeding, but from the point of view of vanity I lost 3.5 stone while still eating cake doing it!

There are some good reasons to bottle feed, like being on mega anti depressants, but it makes me sad when women who want to breast feed give up because they get the wrong advice or not enough support.

I hope that helps x

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