Are you going to bottle or BREAST feed?????

[Emmylou]

I did notice that someone has put that they would not feel comfortable breast feeding in public-its weird for people to say this considering most women wouldn't mind a grown man suckling and nibbling their breasts..if its there why not give it to your baby even for a few days??

I'm not being funny but I don't think I'd ever want a grown man suckling & nibbling my breasts in public....

And not to be rude.....but it is not as easy as just chucking the baby on the breast & letting it take the milk (please be aware when you read this that I am a breast-feeder), some girls have problems getting baby latched on right/ find it uncomfortable/ exercise their right to make a choice on whether their baby is fed by breast or bottle.

Why does this thread keep getting resurrected....

 

[mrs_tommo22]

i am now 37 weeks pregnant and my breasts have just started to leak in the past 24 hours if your body produces the milk why not give it to the child? I did notice that someone has put that they would not feel comfortable breast feeding in public-its weird for people to say this considering most women wouldn't mind a grown man suckling and nibbling their breasts..if its there why not give it to your baby even for a few days??

Because its the mothers choice and she will do whast best for her and the baby whether thats breast or bottle.as long as mother and baby are happy and comfortable.

 

[Redshoes]

I think what's MOST IMPORTANT in the breast/bottle debate is that BOTH mother and baby are happy, and sometimes that means breast, sometimes bottle, sometimes both

I was passionate about breastfeeding Isaac, as it happens the birth went a bit off plan and ended in a week long hospital stay, which meant exclusively feeding Isaac on the breast was difficult, and I am glad I was able to choose BOTH to feed my son, as it was best for both of us, and still is.

Whatever any mother decides, she should be supported in that choice, it's hard enough when baby arrives without being expected to do more than you feel you can or want to ... that's my tupence worth

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Theres so much pressure on new mums to breastfeed and I wiosh there wasnt.No one should be pressured into decisions like this unless they are 100%comfortablev with it.
Breast or bottle, it doesnt matter.

 

[Nicola]

I really hope to breastfeed.
If I can't I'd like to express into bottles and feed him breastmilk that way.
If that is'nt an option either I'd have to look into formula.

It's a personal choice/decision and each to their own in my opinion.

 

[tiggerstacy]

I plan to breast feed but express so that Hubby can be feed too, we both feel that it is an important way for him to bond with the baby, plus on a night time we will be able to tell how much little one has had.

 

[mrs_tommo22]

I really hope to breastfeed.
If I can't I'd like to express into bottles and feed him breastmilk that way.
If that is'nt an option either I'd have to look into formula.

It's a personal choice/decision and each to their own in my opinion.

Its exactly what im doing, though id like to put the baby on the breast if i can and get her used to both, i have been told by my MW that its possible, then everyone else i live with can feed her too lol

 

[trixipaws]

i'm breastfeeding, my reasons are:

its free! lol

i'm lazy i cant be bothered messing about preparing formula lol

my boyf has several allergies as apparently BFing can protect against them i'm trying 2 avoid our baby getting them

it uses up 300 or 500 calories per day- thats an extra spoon of honey in my cups of tea and a can of cherry coke without getting fat lol



people ask me (even strangers) am i breastfeeding all the time- its like the 3rd question after whats her name and her weight- "are u BFing"- to which i proudly say yes (and i say proudly coz its so demanding and bloody hard work lol- NOT coz i think i'm above u formula mums )
and i quite like being asked coz i get praised for it- but it made me wonder how awful it must make formula mums feel. i bet u hate it!

 

[lauramumof2]

and i quite like being asked coz i get praised for it- but it made me wonder how awful it must make formula mums feel. i bet u hate it![/quote]

I doesnt really bother me. Its what I do and thats that.

You should be proud of your bfeeding, im sure its very hard work indeed and requires a lot of perseverance.

 

[littlebump]

Hello all - don't get to post much these days but this thread caught my eye...!!

I planned to b/f with my first and tried and tried for 6 weeks before finally giving it up under pressure from HV (she hadn't recovered her birthweight and I was told she wasn't thriving). I felt like a total failure and was quite depressed about it. I was convinced it was due to low milk supply inherited from my mother who had the same experience. I also felt very sensitive about all the b/f blinkies on this site as I felt it was a constant reminder of my failure to succeed. I have to say though my oldest daughter thrived on formula and is a lovely and bright little girl now. She also is a healthy bean and certainly so far has been allergy free.

I decided this time that I would like to try b/f again. Started to have the same problems - she lost more than the 'allowable' 10% of birth-weight and struggled to get back to her birth weight, while I had very sore, cracked nipples. Here we go again I thought. But this time I got extra help - I went to a b/f clinic twice. It turned out she just wasn't latching on properly so was mostly chewing my nipple (ouch) and certainly wasn't drawing down any hind milk.

It has been a struggle and I've had several fights with my parents and DH about continuing (they were trying to get me to switch to formula as they didn't think I had enough milk), and lots of tears privately wondering whether continuing was truly in her best interest or whether I was just trying to prove to myself I could do it. But I'm proud and delighted to say that she is now 7 weeks old and is gaining weight nicely.

I can see things from both sides. You do get asked all the time with a new baby if you are b/f and you feel judged by people when you have to tell them you are formula feeding. But looking back I now realise I was very sensitive about it as I felt like a failure. I also now realise that the b/f blinkies on this site aren't to make formula feeders feel bad and inadequate - they are there because b/f mothers are proud of their achievement, and they should be - it's bloody hard work for the first few weeks - especially if baby is a slow learner when it comes to latching on correctly. But I know that I used to feel sensitive about that sort of stuff when I was formula feeding Maddie.

Some mums will breast feed and others will bottle feed - everyone will have their battles with whatever they choose to do but as others have said, THE most important thing is that mum is happy and baby is loved.

hugs to everyone

LBxx

 

[mrs_tommo22]

All i can say to that is wow littlebump you go girl! I would of backed down if the parents and my DH started on me!!!!