Breastfeeding V's Bottle Feeding

[lolabanola]

Just being down right nosey now! ....

I have been reading up on the whole breast v's bottle feeding and I personally have decided that I want to bottle feed. Without wanting to turn this into a whole debate on how 'Breast Is Best' I was just wondering what everyone else plans to do when they have their baby? Are you breast or bottle feeding?

Or you could mix feed????? Now there's a thought!

i've read from a couple of people who had to go back to work when their babies were quite small that actually they found that breastfeeding was a really great was of bondin with baby once they were home
that isn't to say that bottle feeders don't bond with their babies! but y'know... it's just a nice thing that only you can do with your baby and it's a lovely time to spend just cuddling them while they feed and get all squidgy and sleepy and yummy

was just going to add a similar thing thisisyesterday!!! The concept of breastfeeding BEFORE you have actually given birth can seem a very strange thing, I was very much split down the middle before I had DS1 BUT when you have that baby in your arms it really does seem like the most natural thing in the world.
So you never know you may well end up doing the opposite of what you planned to do?

Not everyone has trouble - people tend to post on here as they have problems, which gives a skewed result.

Have a look a the Kellymom site, it is excellent. Look up biological nurturing on youtube, that is good too.

emmyloo2 I started a thread about this recently. I am more scared of the breastfeeding than the birth becuase I read so many stories about how hard it is.

Sorry but I'm laughing at the " I'd rather spend quality time with my baby" time doesn't get more quality than when breastfeeding!!

sorry, that was for emmylou

emmylou, i was the opposite. i presumed i would breastfeed my first. read all this "nose to nipple" stuff and how baby would do this that and the other

was totally unprepared for the fact that some babies DON'T instinctively know what to do. that mine, in fact, screamed and arched his back and wouldn't go anywhere near me!
it took a long time to get him to breastfeed, and i did give up after a few months and FF due to other problems

but i do have a point here, eventually, and that is that the more informed you are the better! it's good to know that it isn't always easy IMO, and if you can get a good support network behind you before baby is born then all the better. so, why not see if you have a local breastfeeding cafe, or la leche league group. they're welcoming to pregnant women and it gives you a contact once yo have the baby just in case you have any problems

OP you said "I personally think that bottle feeding is the right choice for me, if bottle feeding was that bad then they wouldn't make the formula - It would come with a health warning at least!"

The thing is, it kind of does! Formula tins are labeled with a reminder that breast milk is best for babies. There is a lot of research done on infant milk and it is consistently found to be far inferior to breast milk. A large study in 2009 compared different types of formula and resulted in the conclusion :"We conclude that infant feeding practice has a high potential for long-term health effects, and the results obtained should stimulate the review of recommendations and policies for infant formula composition." www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/5/1502S

In developing countries where there is no reliably clean water supply, babies die from drinking formula. By preparing bottles with boiling water (to kill the contaminants in the formula) we can avoid that in this country, and for those who cannot breast feed, formula is life saving for their babies (and in my opinion should be free to them on prescription)

Emmyloo - don't worry about it My nipples bled (hence the expressing I mentioned) and I found it bloody hard work at first (was still encouraged to latch him on to help supply) but still going nearly eight months on.

Stock of up on good nipple cream, have MN near by, and look up your local breast feed support group etc if you run into difficulty. Generally very few people have problems they can't over come, I think just more people have had them that are on MN as they come on here for advice!

emmyloo I haven't heard of cracked nipples during pg before - poor you! have you got a tube of lansinoh? slather it on as much as possible, and if you have any milk yet then squeezing out a little and rubbing in on your nipples then letting them air dry also helps.
hopefully you're getting it out the way now and they'll be fine once lo is here!!!

I BF all of mine. Still am BF two of them

WRT work/expressing - at home you wouldn't need to express. Your baby would be able to do that for you and you would have a lovely excuse reason to sit on the sofa all evening cuddling and nursing your baby.

Thanks RobynLou - I haven't got any of that but will try it. It is just one nipple but it might be more eczema than anything. It just seems to have been made worse by pregnancy. I never had any trouble before but have always suffered from eczema and general skin problems! I will get some and start lathering it on!

Thanks to the others for the suggestions about workshops etc. There is an NHS breastfeeding workshop I plan to go to and I know the midwife/health visitor makes visits after the birth to help as well. I figure I will give it my best shot, persevere and see how I go!

Dueling fanjo - I will search for your thread. Sounds like it is exactly how I am feeling!

leonie I was rather at that comment too, but then decided that although DD has never had any formula she has had fish fingers and sausages, so my non-factory processed halo slipped off when she was about 1....

I was a bit unsure about bf, as I'd always hated how some of the pro breast people came across and this put me off. In the end I decided to try and bf, expecting the last 3 days, figuring at least she'd get colostrum (sp?). I'd assummed that I'd move on formula pretty quickly.

It was mainly the allergies and excema that convinced me I really wanted to try (esp with me being lactose intolerant). None of the other arguments convinced me and I've always been dubious as regards to their extent (if that makes sense).

Have now been bf for 4months and the biggest advantage is how easy it is cf to making bottles (even expressed bottles are loads easier). Another biggie has been the bonding, I think I still struggle with this, but if I didn't bf, I know I'd feel even worse.

emmyloo2 get friendly with lanisoh and apply it as often as you remember, regarding of you thinking your not that sore.

emmylou. I have breastfed both of mine. not for any self righteous, 'why would I feed my baby chemicals, breast is best' (dont know why people are surprised when others react to such comments), but because my mum did and it is what I know (I am 2nd of five kids so saw it all growing up).....Anyway, my first baby didnt feed properly for probably 10 days, my milk didnt come in properly, he didnt latch on but my principal was until midwives fretted I woudlnt worry. Got there in the end. Lot of pain, cracked nipples etc. . He fed for around 14 months
Second one came out feeding and fed till she was 3. still went through the 2 weeks of pain mind you.
My sister had really bad mastitis, a lot of pain. Ended up with surgery and an open wound. She kept expressing and feeding through it and came out the other side. She did a mix of expressed, formula and breast.

Well done you for thinking it is not going to be easy before you start. My sister in law (who is capable of a great many things), assumed that she would be able to breast feed without batting an eyelid. She couldnt and there was much much fretting until she accepted that she could actually believe me that the 'toe curling pain' (quite literally) would pass. Also, that maybe she wasnt so mother earth as she thought. I do question whether the ones that feel great guilt when BF doesnt work for them are the ones who start off with slightly unrealistic expectations in the first place

lolabanola - you are completely right, some people are EXTREMELY RUDE. I stopped reading half way through because some people are so ridiculous. You were only asking for what everyone else is thinking of doing, which you are quite entitled to do!

Its my first baby too and although I plan to TRY and breastfeed for the first few goes, the actual feeling of someone touching my nipples let alone sucking on them makes me feel physically ill! If I don't like it I WILL NOT CARRY ON WITH IT! And no one should be made to feel they are providing inadequate care for there child if they chose to formula feed.

Me, my mum, my DP, my cousins and several close friends but to name a few were bottle fed - and we are all absolutely fine! My other 3 cousins on the other hand were breastfed and are the most sickly children I've ever met!! Like people have said - formula wouldn't be sold at all if it was so bad would it!

You do what is best for you! You will be a fantastic mother! As will pretty much everyone - REGARDLESS of whether they bottle feed or breastfeed!

Best of luck to you.xxx

MadasaChatter - its great to go into bf with a positive, well-informed attitude, well done!

Just to let you know; breast milk is fantastic for lactose intolerant babies. A lactose intolerance is actually an intolerance to Cow's milk lactose - breast milk has a very different composition.

A severe cows milk intolerance could mean the baby reacts a bit in some way if you drink cow's milk while bf though; a friend of mine experienced this and switched to goats cheese and soya milk while she bf. I think that's pretty unusual though, as fewer bf babies develop allergies.

(Another thing to be away of, is that not giving solids until 6 months in another way to protect against intolerances developing/getting bad so try not to give in if older generations in your family put pressure on to start weaning early.)

HTH (and sorry for slight hijack OP)

ahem, just correct a common myth which Lymond has mentioned. Cow's milk allergy is an allergy to the milk protein, not to the milk sugar (lactose). Lactose is the milk sugar in all animal milks including human milk. It is the protein that is different.

I breastfed, still am actually so I was also slightly mystified by the 'you'll have to give them the factory made stuff eventually' comment. DS has never had formula in his life, something which I'm very proud of.

"Some formulas are very good and although will never replace breast milk are going a long way to help developing eyesight and immunity."

I am sorry to say that this is also not true. Formulas are all very similar to each other. there are minimum standards by which they all have to comply around the World, not just in the UK. The formula companies' marketing about boosting the immunity and developing the eyesight and brain etc. is all marketing really. These ingredients do not have to go through rigorous testing such as medicines do because they are foods. In effect, a lot of these novel ingredients are going through uncontrolled testing on the general public.

I am sorry if this news makes some people feel but I'd rather inform people than let them continue to believe the marketing hype.

Breast. I can?t understand why you would buy a substitute for something you produce yourself, unless there is a medical reason you can?t bf.

I think the factory made stuff eventually comment was a reference to processed food in general, not forumula? that's how I read it anyway.

thatbuzzingnoise - you're right, I'm wrong. I can't believe I just confused lactose intolerant and cow's milk intolerant. (I know people with each, and they often use the terms interchangeably.)

Yes, a baby with an allergy to cows milk will be fine with human breast milk of course.

For a baby with a lactose intolerance it is all a bit more complicated - I've been researching it for the past 30 mins (I feel at posting incorrect information earlier) and every scientific study on it seems to recommend something different, ranging between exclusive breastfeeding and switching to lactase-free formula and every permutation in between! (I suggest someone in this situation phones a breastfeeding information line for advice.)