One of the most controversial parenting debates comes down to how we decide to feed our baby. With so much pressure placed on mothers to breastfeed, we look at is breast always best?
This debate is seen on every parenting debate board with many mixed reactions. Sadly even today some look down their noses at the mothers who choose to bottle feed.
A professor of paediatrics, Michael Kramer, claimed that much of the information used to persuade new mothers to breastfeed was either wrong or out-of-date. The benefits of breastfeeding have been greatly exaggerated, according to a leading expert. Professor Kramer, has spent more than 20 years studying the subject and been an adviser to the World Health Organisation and Unicef, believes a significant amount of evidence behind the claims is flawed.
The ‘breast is best’ message, including that of the Department of Health, state a mother’s milk wards off a host of illnesses. NHS leaflets given to pregnant women and new mothers claim that breastfeeding protects against obesity, allergies, asthma and diabetes.
Professor Kramer’s own work has failed to prove that breastfeeding protects against asthma, allergies or childhood obesity.
The Royal College of Midwives and the National Childbirth Trust also actively encourage women to choose breast milk over formula.
The paediatrician, from McGill University in Montreal, also has further concerns. ‘The public health breastfeeding promotion information is way out of date,’ he added.There is very little evidence that it reduces the risk of leukaemia, lymphoma, bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
‘I don’t favour overselling the evidence - we should not be conveying false information.
‘I think some of the advice promulgated on obesity or allergies is false information.’
The Department of Health first advised that breast milk gives babies the best start in 2003. It invests up to £7million a year in promoting breastfeeding.
Not all mothers like the idea of breastfeeding, some try and just can’t do it. I breast fed four of mine. The other two children were bottle fed. It is a choice we as individual mothers make. It is a right of a mother to choose how she feeds her baby and should not made to feel guilty over her choice.
Mothers have enough to worry about without the added fear of being frowned upon if she is not feeding her baby herself. All six of my children are healthy, regardless of which way they were fed. I see no difference.
I personally found breastfeeding difficult at times, it was time consuming and I always worried they were never getting enough milk. When you bottle feed, you can see how much milk they are taking at each feed. The after pains made it impossible with my 5th and 6th child and when you have other family commitments and other children it makes breastfeeding difficult, sitting with your breast out when you have a house full of your children’s friends is not comfortable. I don’t like my boobs and never have. The thought of getting them out in public is not for me. I tried expressing but to no avail. I stopped going out when breastfeeding and I believe part of that led to me suffering with postnatal depression.
At the time breastfeeding worked for some of my children but not for others. I personally have no preference but do feel there is far too much pressure placed upon new mothers. My youngest child is 9 months old and when he was born the hospital gave you free formula milk, a month after the hospital no longer provides formula milk. If you decide to bottle feed then you are now to take all the equipment that comes with this, is this cutting costs or is this a way to persuade more mothers to breastfeed?
Do you think breast is best? Is too much pressure put on mothers top breast feed?
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yeah i think breast is best im breastfeeding my son now .. he has put on more weight than babys that are being bottle fed even though they were the same weight at birth . my firends lil boy lost weight befor he gained my lil man just gained straight away .. each individuals breast milk is persificaly designed for each baby .. were as formula milk is designed for babys in general x
I completely agree with everything written in this article. Although both of my children were breastfed it was only for 6weeks each and both times I’ve been questioned, frowned upon and belittled by comments like ‘atleast you tried’ or ’6 weeks is good’ although the comments were meant well it forced me to ask the question ‘what would you be saying to me if i didn’t try at all? what if i hadn’t WANTED to?’ .. I think just like the abortion debate the answer stands the same- a woman has the right to choose and i’m completely pro choice when it comes to conception, birth and bringing up our children.. My first is nearly two and hasn’t ever had a need for hospital stays, or medicines- her health has been amazing throughout her life and so far my son is the same.. yet i know breastfed babys who’ve been ill time after time with medicine after medicine. i’m not denying that had i found it more enjoyable and easy i probably would’ve done it for longer- fact is i didn’t and my relationship with both children started to suffer. I did what was best for ME and my babies- if i’d carried on they wouldn’t have had a happy mummy which I think is very important in a child’s life. negativity rubs off on children very easily. my mum didn’t feed me but fed my sister until she was two- she had more food allergies and she has asthma. their information isn’t valid for every case
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Yes, it is time consuming but i decided to have a baby and im responsible for feeding her, and i have given up my time for her and its worth it, and after all its only for a minimum of 6 months and i think i personally owe that to her for bringing her into the world and giving her the natural start to life. X
Breastmilk is:
1. It's the most natural food you can give a human baby as it's custom made.
2. It's free.
Wheras formula is a mixture of minerals/vitamins/chemicals etc.
I personally think every mum should try and give it a go for 6 weeks. It's too easy to give up after a week or two or not try at all. I've heard excuses like "i don't feel comfortable doing it?" before they've had the first child, come on! Really? You know before you've even tried.
I mix fed for the first 6 weeks of my son's life due to mother nature not playing fair but i am so glad i did it.
Formula has it's place and that place is as a back up to breast milk not a replacement.
I tried to breastfeed and lasted just over three weeks, I think it is a major strain on the mother particually as they are still recovering from giving birth. Of course its the best! Its the most natural thing but its just not for some people and by no means if your baby is bottlefed does it mean your child is going to be less healthy. I think for breastfed babies there should be more support in the hospital for the mother, I personally had a horrible time when trying to get my little one to breastfeed. Either way as long as babies being fed and mother and baby are happy then whichever you choose doesn’t matter xx
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Thanks for this post, it’s great. It is a very sensitive subject and I do think breast is best if you are able to do it. I have three boys, my eldest is 7 and was breast fed for about 6 weeks…I found it very hard, I have a 32a bra size and no matter what anyone says it is harder to feed with smaller breasts/nipples, coupled with the fact that he had a very high roof of his mouth made it painful too. I had lots of help and advice from breastfeeding buddies and the health visitors but I stopped at 6 weeks and was very disappointed in myself.
I then had twin boys, my eldest was 16 months. I made the decision to bottle feed towards the end of the pregnancy and it went very well. I have 3 very healthy boys and if you looked at them now you would not know if they had been breast or bottle fed.
I completely agree with this article, I believe every mother has the right to breastfeed or not breastfeed- I am pro-choice for everything to do with childrearing and our choices as mothers, I fed both of my children for 6 weeks each- the first I developed horrendous PND, this isn't an excuse its how it is, I didnt WANT to feed her, she is now 2 and has never been in hospital, never had development problems and never had any form of medicine other than calpol her whole life. My son, was a comfort feeder, a good 18 hours of my day was spend sat there on the sofa with him attached to me, this was NOT feasable with a 2 year old crying for attention * yes, i chose to have them close together* ..
He went onto aptamil and his colic went away, his pooh no longer came out bubbly and green and he slept!! and he smiled and was happy- even the HV agree'd i did the right thing not only for him but for me too, if I hadn't stopped and I had paid any attention to the bullying pro-breast gangs I probably would've developed PND this time too, even whilst feeding him myself I started to become very disconnected from him.
It doesnt matter what anyone else tells me or what I read- I'm doing a great job as a mum and I wont let anyone else tell me otherwise-
Also, my mum didnt feed me but fed my sister until she was 2, she is the one with asthma and food allergys- go figure!!!
I think breast is best. However I never breast fed and don’t intend to this time either. I watched my friend struggle to get her daughter on to a bottle. People don’t tell you how hard it is. Her baby was breast fed for about 5 months and is perfect. My daughter was never breast fed and there is nothing wrong with her. She’s very healthy. I think every mother should have the choice. People shouldn’t have to breast feed if they don’t want to.
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It is the mothers choice, but as a breastfeeding mum, I think everyone should give it a go! There should be more support for breastfeeding mums, and many mums I speak to claim midwives 'bully' them into breastfeeding. Breasts are made for our babies to feed on, and I don't get it when people say – the baby just didn't take to the breast. Maybe it's lack of support or mum's just giving up? This is the first time I've joined in with a discussion about breast v bottle, as I am so passionate about it. I know it is mothers choice, and babies do well on formula milks too, but I think more should be done to help mums breastfeed.
I fed my 1st son till 15 months, 2nd till 12 months and my 3rd son is 6 weeks.
So if you are pregnant, and are considering breastfeeding, I say give it a go, It is new to you and new to baby, so don't give up if you feel nothing is happening, it takes practice. Milk on demand – and it costs absolutley nothing! If you're worried about feeding in public, you can do it very discreetly, you can use scarves, shawls, shrugs to feed under.
I believe its mothers choice. With my little girls i never breastfed as to me it wouldnt have been practical too, as she was born a small birth weight, she was taking 1oz of milk every hour day and night. And with having a child at the time at age of 3 i felt that i wld have been shattered all day.
Dont get me wrong if i did have another child i will give breast feeding a go.
But both mine was formula fed and they are both healthy, but i really would love to give it a go x
I didn't breastfeed……i refuse to be made to feel guilty about it either!I tried for 3 days after my emergency c-section but she would not latch……she would squirm+wriggle not wanting to take so in the end the midwife on the ward said"If you want to try a bottle it is absolutely fine sweety!"So i bottle fed…..i can say i tried!Yeah i am sure breast is best but i have had a perfectly happy+healthy 2 yr old so i don't regret it……what bothers me more is that i had to have emergency c-section after 54hours labour+an hours pushing!I think more pressure comes from other mothers rather than health professionals……i never found midwives or hv's put pressure on me at all they suggested it but never pushed it on me!My mum breastfed me+i suffer with severe asthma since birth,hayfever+eczema…..neither of my sisters were breastfed+have none of these problems!It really should be down to the individual+nobody should be judged for they're choice or pressured!
Great subject btw!:)
I too believe, Carrie- that more pressure comes from mothers who already breastfeed. They find it easy and get on with it very well- some women though dont and actually try REALLY damn hard to be told they didnt try hard enough, i think there is more in the world to worry about than how our children are fed
I didn't breastfeed my son and will not be breastfeeding this one when he is born either. I never even attempted to breastfeed as it was not something I was interested in doing as I didn't feel comfortable with the thought of it. I know it's natural but I decided early on in my pregnancy that it wasn't for me. I refuse to be made to feel guilty about it and don't agree with people saying 'every mum should give it a try' at the end of the day it's personal choice and my choice was that I didn't want to do it.
My son has never been poorly, never had sickness or diarrhoea and has only had a cold a couple of times and he is now 21months old and a perfectly happy boy even though he was 'artificially' fed!!!!!
I stand on the fence as regards this subject. I tried to breastfeed my daughter but was unsuccessful. She was born with partial facial paralysis and nerve damage affecting her face, a severe tongue tie, she couldn’t latch properly at all, my milk didn’t come through as a result (the drs tell me) of a traumatic labour and birth, and from birth she had to be topped up with formula, as a result of my diabetes she was born severely hypoglycaemic which caused hypothermia. Having a baby feeding for 45 minutes every time with only half an hour break in between feeds is very difficult, but she was worth it. After 5 days in hospital we were released, things didn’t get any easier, she was constantly attached to me and the top ups were getting larger as she wasn’t being satisfied. It got to the point that I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating, and I started to resent her. To top it all off, she was losing a lot of weight. For me and Annie, the best thing I ever did was give her a bottle of formula. I was trying to express my milk as I thought if she just had a drop a day I’d still be helping her. Then one morning a text came through about breast support group. I gave up, was my reply. The next message through made me break down: so our help is wasted. I felt like a failure, I was failing my daughter, I couldn’t do the most natural thing on the planet. At weigh in the following week, at 3 weeks old, she had finally surpassed her birth weight. It was that moment that i stopped seeing myself as a failure.
Unfortunately, that experience has made me very warey of breastfeeding my next child, but I’ll still try
x
my son was bottle fed i tried once to breastfeed him but every time i tried on my own he would never take lucky he didnt as at 1 month old we fount out he has lactose intolerance so my breast milk would of been like poison to him with the amount of milk and cheese i consume and yes im mean enough not to give them up!! he very rearly gets ill when he does it passes fast and he done plenty of "milestones" faster then most of his little friends!!
i dont mean to cause offence and i hope i dont but people that say what if baby is to demanding .. my son for the first 2 weeks of his life fed for 15 minutes every hour day and night it is hard at first but he is now on 20 minute feeds every four hours and sleep 6/7 hours at night ,, so its easier to bottle feed !! im not saying people should feed for a long time but the most important part is the first week so even if people done it for one week it would benefit there baby xx
I agree with everything you have said. I am in the position of I so wanted to breastfeed as I do believe that it is natural and also in some ways easier (in some ways harder too I guess..) but due to having Crohn's and being on important medication I couldn't as the medication is detected in breast milk and I wasn't allowed to come off it at the time.
I think the major problem is the amount of guilt you are made to feel over not breastfeeding, I always felt like I needed to justify myself and really I shouldn't have had to. Now I have a son with multiple food allergies (my first has none at all) and people have asked me if I think had I breastfed would he have been ok, which is tough. I don't actually think it would have made any difference, multiple allergies are in my husbands side of the family and having spoken to other mothers who did breastfeed and being told that they found out their child was allergic to milk because they were getting it through their breast milk it makes me think there is nothing I could have done. But I do still wonder because the media and health "people" drum it into you that breastmilk helps prevent against allergies.
People who choose to breastfeed will say its best. People who bottle feed will say thats best. If it is causing you pain or your child is not getting enough from you then bottlefeeding is the best thing for your child. Breast milk is healthier but I dont think ‘best’ is a word to be used for the entire world of mums. Its whats best for each child. X
ps (god it said my reply was too long!) haha
I can't change that choice now obviously but I do think things would be much easier for mothers if the breastfeeding "militants" laid off us a bit. Being a mother is tough enough! sorry rambled on a bit!
I am so for boobie feeding its unreal!
Its the most natural thing to do, thats what boobs are for!
Im a natural 30J cup so thought id be fine at producing milk & feeding my now 12 month old.
But no.
I asked for help in the hospital on how to get my lo to latch on, but the midwife literally squoze my boob & shoved it in my lo’s mouth.
Feeding in hospital was fine, but as soon as i got home my lo latched on fine, then let go & just had the nipple in her mouth, and no areola.
I dreaded feeding time, id sit there crying in agony but i WANTED to give my girl what i thought was best.
Then at 2 weeks old i broke down, i couldnt even allow her to attempt to latch on.
I sent my oh to get some SMA and then broke my heart crying everytime i fed her formula
Shes now a very healthy 12month old, bang on target & extremely happy.
I will perservere with any other babies i may have, i fet such a let down for giving her formula!
x
at last! how nice to see a two sided point of view. my eldest is 2 and I wanted to breastfeed but my milk never came in. my youngest is almost 5 months and I decided not to breastfeed. someone above said we chose to have children so we should feed them ourselves! that is a ridiculous statement. my children are both extremely healthy bottle fed babies and no egotistical ‘earth mother’ is goin to make me feel bad for MY choices in feeding MY children. so thank you emma this post gets my thumbs up!
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I didnt breast feed and i'm so glad i didn't…We all grow up the same we dont no who was bottle feed or breast feed unless you ask. It shouldnt be drummed into people that breast is best if we have a choice of bottle or breast. I am sometimes mad to feel that I did the worst thing ever but not allowing my daughter to be breast feed but isnt just food at the end of the day and no matter which way its given that it shouldnt matter to anyone else?
My many people are influenced by what the government say!
I Breastfed with my son Tyler the 2 health visitors i had failed to recognise i had mastitis even thou i mentioned more then once the pain i was in… it wasn't until my nipple nearly came off they realised it was more painful then child birth and ruined the whole experience i wont be breastfeeding if i have any more children !
don’t let one experience knock you down. chances are you will have a better midwife/health visitor next time you have a child and also you will know the signs of what to look for.
I take my hat of to you for breastfeeding through that pain x
I’ve 4 children and have breastfed all of them for at least 12 weeks, although I have tended to top them up at the ‘dream feed’ with formula in an attempt to get the max number of hours of sleep out of them (didnt actually work) and to ensure that they could actually take a bottle/formula just in case I for some reason couldn’t feed them.
So, I’m in the ‘do what’s best for the whole family’ camp and so am including this link just to be argumentative !! http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/1059827/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin
Right from the start of pregnancy i wanted to breastfeed, it never even bought bottles or formula before the birth because i was determined. i went to a breastfeeding support group during pregnancy as i was concerned about having inverted nipples, they assured me it wouldn’t be a problem. When he was born latching was a problem but at the right angle i could do it, i spent 3 days constant feeding, he didnt sleep, i didnt sleep he just didnt seem like he was getting anything, on day 3 i gave him 2oz sma and we both had a couple of hrs rest. i then combined bottle and breast but by the time i got to 3 weeks we were both so stressed with the breast i decided to stop. i dried up instantly … no leaking … no pain … I am still sure i wasnt producing the milk he needed BUT i tried and im really happy i did, at least he had 3 weeks worth x
ive breast feed 1 of 4 of my kids i wanted to bf my lo girl be with her born prem i didnt get to i was gutted and felt guilty and a failier to her i would recommend bf’ing to any mum or new mum 100%
I think that it should be up to the Mum in question. I wanted to breast feed Chick but it just didn’t work out and I decided not to beat myself up about it, however a lot of the Mums in my group were made to feel terrible about it and some ended up with PND because of the pressure they were put under. So, yes, breast probably is best but it isn’t the end of the world if it doesn’t work out and Mums already have enough pressure put on them to be perfect!!!
Hi ladies, I breastfed my eldest lo for 7months despite a tongue tie. It made us so much closer and was sooooo much easier on a night. No bottle making or heating,just pop them on the boob lol. My lo does feed alot but either way,id be sat there with a bottle if it wasnt my boob and id constantly making bottles so i dont agree with bottle feeding being easier.
My lo is nearly 3months and i love breastfeeding her and i plan to do so for as long as we both want to but 6months is the minimum time i personally would breastfeed for.
I also beleive that our milk is made to giv e our babys exactly what they,how much they need and when they need it. Its amazing stuff and shouldnt be wasted. Even expressing the milk is better than wasting it.
I think all mums should try it before dismissing the idea,you dont know what your missing!!
xxxxx
What is best is a healthy and happy Mummy and baby. I agree that everyone should try breastfeeding, but it doesn’t work out for everyone and the current level of pro-breastfeeding propaganda in the media and the NHS results in a lot of unhappy Mums who feel like failures because they can’t feed their baby themselves.
I personally don’t believe breastfeeding makes as much of a difference as the pro-breastfeeding lobby groups would like us to believe. Any of us who are Mums now come from a generation who were bottlefed as babies. Look around a room filled with your friends. Could you tell who was breastfed and who was bottlefed?
If you can breastfeed then great! If you can’t, then reassure yourself that you are doing the best for your baby by feeding them formula, and try not to beat yourself up about it.
I am very passionate about breastfeeding. I breastfed 2 of my 3 children, my youngest for 28months. I personally notice the difference between my formula fed child and my breastfed children. My eldest who was artificially fed has many allergies and illnesses, including asthma and eczema, and always catches every bug going. My breastfed children have no allergies, no illnesses, and very rarely get ill. I also have a much stronger bond with my youngest son who I extended nursed. I have researched extensively into formulas, and personally would never use it, and will breastfeed any future children I may have.
I work with breastfeeding mothers, and do alot of work with health professionals to improve the support available for breastfeeding mothers, as the current support is poor is many areas, and if the right support was available then many more mothers would continue to nurse and not give up due to lack of support and lack of understanding the mechanics of breastfeeding.
I believe every new mother should try breastfeeding for the sake of their baby, and if it doesnt work out then at least baby gets the goodness of the colostrum- the first milk.
It gives you such as amazing bond, and there is no feeling like knowing that you’re giving your baby just what nature intended, and that they’re thriving from you alone.
I would love to look into becoming a support worker. I am very passionate about breastfeeding and there is no support in our area. How did you go about it? x
i say – who cares what milk your child is getting, breast or bottle at least they are happy, healthy and gaining weight – you are dong what is best for YOU and YOUR CHILD!
Stuff those who look down on you, who tut and look at you with disgust when you say no. (which is what a midwife did to me when i said no – thanks for the support lady)
i have breast fed, combine fed and bottle fed and i was just not producing enough milk, which i am hearing alot about -
DO NOT feel guilty if you cannot or choose not to breastfeed
I breastfed for 4 weeks before being forced to use a bottle I was taken into hospital with an infection and my oh had to bottle feed Alex because I really wasn’t well enough to attempt expressing from my hospital bed. When I came out of hospital and saw how happy my little not was and how much he thrived on the formula I realised it didn’t matter he was happy and my oh got to build a great bond with our son. It’s a mothers choice but as long as you’re not starving them then what does it matter
Oh this breast is best thing does my head in breast is best? no a healthy child and a happy mum is best.
i breastfed until i went on antibiotics and it dried up and i can honestly say i think my daughter is thriving. No she wasnt breastfed but has that made any difference to the special little girl she is?
no one will ever know there is such a pressure on women these days and i dont like it!
Some people wonder why women feel like a failure because they cant breast feed ANY WONDER WITH THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE!?!?!
all that matters is your child is thriving and doing well breast milk or or bottle as long as they are healthy.
if people judge me because i found bottle easier than breast then shame on them not me
i am currently 35+5 and i also ahve a son who is two, like my first son this baby will be bottle fed. i went back to work at 8weeks with my first and im going to be going back to work at 10weeks with this baby. shurely it wouldnt be healthy for mummy to be tierd and expressing so she has enuff breast milk so little one can have thier bottle during the day. i will be leaving for work at 6:45am and getting home at 6pm.
call me selfish but the last thing on my mind would be coming home and having a breast pump attatched to my boob..! everybody have totally differant reasons for not breast feading and mums shouldnt be judged on weather the do or dont.
well i have had 3 kids and tryed after each to breast feed unfortunatly i have very very very flat nipples so is even harder as baby has litrally nothin to latch onto .even with nipple shilds it was difficult and i gave up . with my last she was 4 weeks prem and had hight palate and couldnt suck so had to use squezzy bottles so went to formula soon after born . i am no expectin my 4th and i wish to try again but NOW dont want this taken wrong way i have 6 kids i cant afford or have the time to have a baby stuck to my boob possible 20 mins of each hour just isnt possible .i am however trying to set things up before hand so i can be firm with my midwifes and state what i wish to happen this is it.
1. for the 1st 24 48 hours i am in hospital after the c section i will try to breast feed direct to the baby.
2. before my sischarge i wish to be aloud to start expressing my milk.. as i plan to express and bottle feed from the moment my milk comes in there for i can bottle and boob feed (baby and bood premitig) there for freeing up my time a bit more.
this is not the authodox way of doing it and if frowned apon in my hospital but i plan to stick buy my guard as i see this being the ONLY way i can even contemplate doing it .
It is not just personal choice!! As quite a few mums have said on here, it is not always possible to breastfeed. We have a habit in my family of having extremely tiny babies, who cannnot latch on. And the tongue tie also is hereditary, which also means our babies find it impossible to suckly effectively. I personally did not produce any breastmilk! How can you feed a baby if you have no milk? I know that other women in my direct family line also have had this problem. It wasn’t as if I didn’t want to breastfeed my baby – and for many many years other mums made me feel guilty, a failure and downright negligent. Which is tripe, pure and simple. Bottlefeeding didn’t prevent my girl growing into a healthy happy adult, who was an A student right through school. It hasn’t affected her little one, who is years beyond all the developmental milestones for her age. As long as you Feed your baby, what does it matter HOW you feed your baby? xx
Is breast best? I seriously dont know yet!
I had my son 13.5mnths ago and I knew from the beginning I wasn’t even going to attempt breasfeeding as I, along with my consultant and midwife, was worried that because I have always suffered from depression since a mental breakdown at the age of 12.
I didn’t feel a failure, and people would ask, mainly other mummys, what I planned on feeding my son. I was bottle-fed though and have turned out healthy and was a very content child, and never have suffered obesity so I knew that my son would be just fine.
I did find flaws with bottle feeding though. the constant sterilizing, cooling water and making feeds, especially in the presence of a screaming child, was difficult, I had a very hungry boy who wanted 9oz ever 2-3 hrs at 3 weeks old!
I would often get fustrated at trying to find a cafe where I could heat my childs formula up. My husband and I loved going for walks and days out, and this is a problem when your child wants a feed and your miles away from a cafe and sometimes babies can be picky and would rather hot milk than luke warm or even cool. I did find a solution, which was to take a flask of hot formula out with us, which would make 3 bottles with a little extra and we would use that on trips out.
I am planning on trying for another baby in June and have the intention of breastfeeding. Not because I feel like I must, or that I somehow need a ‘deeper’ bond with my child (in my view carrying my child and giving birth to him bonded us well enough) but rather because I want to be able to go out for the day with my family and rather than worrying where the nearest cafe is, I can be the walking milk supply. No carrying flasks, no paying for unwanted coffees just to get hot water, instead I just get my boob out and feed! Although Im sure that will carry its own set of problems.
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bottle feeding my son was best for him and for me, i agree ^ does it really matter how i fed him as long as i did feed him?
also i would like to know, some people say “even if you express and give from a bottle its still better” surely its the milk that matters? not whether it came out of a bottle or a breast? x x
I was so determined to breast feed but no matter what I tried my milk dried up after two weeks. I was hearrbroken because of the pressures the midwives put on me. I was still overcoming a bad labour and a neo natal baby. I put my son on the closest thing the health visitor said was on the market. At 9 months old he has never had colic or reflux or even constipation he has never had more than a small sniffle and is a perfect weight. I have an amazing bond with my son and we are in sync with one another.
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I wanted to breastfeed my son, however I knew that due to my health it may not be possible. I managed four feeds on the breast before I was advised (by my obs consultant, mw and medical consultant) due to myself becoming weak and dehydrated. I had expected it to happen, but I was still upset. However I knew that to continue would only cause problems for both myself and the baby.
My son took well to the bottle and I had no worries that he wasn’t getting all the goodness he needed. My only problem was the judgement I received from the community midwives and my first health visitor – each one assumed that I hadn’t even tried breastfeeding and one even made the comment “you do know breast is best?”
Whether a woman chooses to breast or bottle feed is her decision, and to pressured into a particular choice, or then being judged by then choice is wrong. Yes I wanted and tried to breastfeed, and yes I had to stop very quickly – but my son is a healthy, happy 8month old – and that is what matters to me, not the way in which he is fed x
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Personally the option of bottle was best for me. I wanted my oh to bond with our son, and i knew that feeding was one of the biggest ways for it to be so, yes i could have expressed, but it was not a good option for me. I know they say that you give your baby all the immunities, but about when you are ill or run down? I know a mother who got a common cold and becasue it made her run down her baby was affected, and subsequently had to be switched to bottle to continue to gain weight. I applaud mothers who do breastfeed, and i also applaud those who bottle feed. But to me breast is not best, they are as good as each other just in other ways. My son is now 2 and is a picture of health, he will get the odd cold because he is interacting with other children and the outside world. I think a lot which contributes to how easily children get ill is not whether they are breast or bottle fed, but whether they are introduced to germs or sheilded away. After all it is only from exposure to bacterias that we can build an immunity, isnt that how immunisations are created? With part of the virus itself?
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I dont believe breast is best. I believe breast is optimal. Its natural and what our bodies were designed to do, aswell as what our babies bodies are designed to take. Anything else is just unnatural. Fact. I’m not judging anyone for how they choose to feed their baby, but it is a shame that so many mothers turn to formula before even trying to breastfeed first. I personally do notice a huge difference between my own children. My eldest son is now 6 and was artificially fed from birth. The reasons being for my own selfishness. I hadnt thought twice about how I was going to feed him, and nobody not even a midwife mentioned breastfeeding to me during my pregnancy. Its a massive regret that will stay with me forever. He has many health problems. Hes asthmatic, has severe eczema, his immune system is low as he catches every bug goin, he always has colds, has respiratory problems aswell as many allergies. My younger two sons, aged 4 and 2 are extremely healthy. My 4 yr old was exclusively breastfed until 6months, I had to stop after the 4th wave of mastitis got so severe that I ended up in hospital. My youngest was breastfed for 28months, exclusively for 8months. The difference between my breastfed children and my artificially fed child is unreal. I personally will never artificially feed any future children I may have. If ever I am unable to nurse, I will look into donated breastmilk for my child.
I think breast is best for me and my children. Its hard but rewarding too. I enjoyed the bond I had with my daughter and still have. That’s not to say bottle fed babies dont have a bond, of course they do. But I dont have any illusions that breastfeeding does all these magical things. I do it for convenience and financial reasons and cos it feels normal to me. But my daughter has had so many colds in her 29 months of life so dont see that breastfeeding gives automatic immunity to disease. I will breastfeed my son in 5 weeks time and hope to be successful at it as o was with my first. Breastfed til 27 months
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I think mothers who say that ‘their breasts are theirs’ are rather selfish, breasts were made for feeding children. I think everyone who can should at least try, even if it’s only a day so the baby can get the colostrum- that’s the most important bit. It’s knackering in the first few weeks but if you stick with it, it gets so much easier! Be patient!
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I have breatfed both of my children which I prefer as I find it so much easier than making bottles etc. But I think what ever works for you is best, there is so much pressure to breastfeed and it can be a big cause of pnd if you can’t/don’t feed as people make you feel a failure. If mummy is happy then baby is happy whether breastfed or bottlefed
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In my opinion yes breast is best for my babies i was lucky enough to be able to breast feed both my boys. My eldest was born six weeks permature and had to be tube fed by expressing my milk i gave him the anti bodies to fight off any germs or infections and i was able to feed him myself till he was 1 and with my second baby breast feeding seemed the only way to go he was fed until he was 16mths forme i found it quite easy but i know it doesnt always happen like that.i certainly perferred to breast feed instead of having to make up bottles.
everyone is entitled to feed their child how they feel best but i do think that there isnt enough support out there for mums to be able to try and too many people think so little of breast feeding which in turn puts mothers off trying it xxx
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i tried breastfeeding my daughter for the 1st 6 days of her life but had to give it up and switch to formula as she was unable to latch on. i believe this is down to the fact she was born with Hypotonia (low muscle tone). she could not support herr head untill she was about 6 months old. breast feeding was a very painful experience for me. i used to dread feeding times. i would cry because of the pain. needless to say, this completely put me off breast feeding my son. i bottle feed him formula milk. he is a perfectly healthy little boy. he is gaining weight at a steady pace. breast feeding is not always best in my opinion. if i have any more children i will be bottle feeding. part of me does feel guilty for not breast feeding, but i just cannot put myself through that again. x
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Breastfeeding releases the happy hormone called oxytocin so whoever is saying that breastfeeding causes you to be depressed is lying. I breastfed my 3rd child for 2 years. I was a happy mummy………… until I stopped that is. My first child I could only get 5 weeks and guess what.. pnd hit just after stopping, my 2nd was fed for 6 months and :O yes guess what I got hit with pnd again. OMG why do people not get the facts right before they open their traps honestly sheesh RANT OVER
i have been reading the post of people who have tried to BF given up then bottle fed or just not wanted to BF been trying to put BF down, if they have friends with BF babies or have BF one and bottle fed another for example saying that the BF baby has had allergies or has been poorly etc im sure people that BF then give up and bottle fed would not be in a rush to post that when BF baby was fine then as soon as bottle fed developed the allergies.. another is how BF is suppose to HELP prevent against allergies and illness..! (NOT PREVENT!!! this bit they forget to add!!) some people just get allergies! and some poorly every now and again its one of those things!! Some mothers decide to bottle feed and some decide to BF what has it got to do with anyone else as long as they are doing it for the right reasons had all the information about it and are not just doing it to copying what others around them do!!Some mothers choose to bottle feed before they even give birth.. but the question you need to ask yourself if you dont want to even try to breastfeed your baby.. * is it because you dont really see babies BF just bottle all the time and bottle feeding feels like what everyone else is doing..?? *all the feeding is not on you and you can have help with the feeds? *is the reason because you dont want a baby sucking on your breast? (which you have never experienced and thats the purpose or breasts milk produced is exactly what your baby needs as it changes with your baby as your baby grows and is always at the right temp plus is sterile etc..) *you or your partner doesnt like the thought of the baby having something which you or he sees as ‘his’ or other people seeing what you or he classes as ‘his’!! *you dont want people seeing you with your breast out in public? (have you ever see a woman out in public breastfeeding.. if so what can you see of her breast..? the answer is no more than when a woman wearing a two piece swimm suit at a swimming baths or beach to be honest you can see more of a woman in a swimm suit but thats ok..!) *what about you dont want people to see you as a failure if you find breastfeeding too hard and go onto bottle feeding.. so you dont even give it ago..? (at least you gave it ago!!) just a few things to think about.. but i personally think its nothing to do with anyone else the way you finally decide to feed your baby but i would always say to try it even if it is the first feed after delivery..! breastfeeding is not discusting or not normal like some people see it as its the best most natural thing in the world!! i know my children have had what i see as the best start which is breast milk, i had my first daughter in 2007 when i was 18.. when i was pergnant the thought of having a baby sucking on my breast in front of people i wasnt to fond of if i am honest but i was determind to give her expressed milk in a bottle there was no-one around me apart from my mum who was all for breastfeeding, i never saw anyone breastfeeding there baby when out it was all bottle feeding if i had seen mothers breastfeeding this would maybe have made me feel so much dif about breastfeeding when i was pregnant. But all this changed when my tiny little angel was placed straight after birth just under my breast big sparkling blue eyes opening slightly, mouth wide open ready, hands grabbing my breast trying to find the the nipple to get it to her mouth.. thats was it everything changed in a split second as she latched onto my breast tiny little hand wrapped around my finger snuggled up so close to me and those beautiful eyes opening looking into mine there was no way i was going to be expressing or thinking of bottle feeding..!! yes my nipples got sore after a week or so and cracked but it was just something i put up with it hurt like mad to feed but a bit of nipple cream after evey feed soon sorted that out.. nothing was going to stop me from breastfeeding. even a kidney infection which i ended up in hospital with when my daughter just turned 4weeks wasnt going to stop me i would not go in unless i could take her. i wouldnt breastfeed in public for about a week if not less then i thought about it nobody can see anymore than someone in a swimm suit so why the hell should i let my daughter be hungry or have to be fed in a toilet.. no way was i feeding my baby in a toilet. i have had many of people giving out the dirty looks or comments (under there breath) which i then tell them if they catch me in a good mood.. ‘IF THEY DO NOT LIKE WHAT THEY SEE DONT LOOK END OF!!’.. ‘WHY DONT YOU GO SIT IN THE TOILET AND EAT YOUR DINNER IF YOU DONT LIKE IT.. BECAUSE MY BABY IS NOT MOVING OR STOPPING HAVING FEEDING UNTILL SHE HAS FINISHED!!!’if they catch me in a bad mood get it full on!! never seem to get an answer tho.. BF in public needs to be more accepted as bottle feeding in public is accepted.. right!! I was feeding my daughter whenever and wherever upto feb of 2010 when my son was born up to 3days after his birth as my daughter was taking too much of my sons milk up so i sadly had to stop her from breastfeeding and expressing some when i could for her. my son is growing up fast and still i am breastfeeding when my he wants the milk no matter where we are and will be BF upto when i have another!! BF is the best for my children and it should get lots more support and it should be accepted.. the same with people who decide to bottle feeding its there choice and has nothing to do with other people. as long as the baby and mother is happy and healthy with the choice whats the problem as long as your baby is getting what you feel is the best what has it got to do with anyone else!!!!!`
i bottle fed my son whos now 3 i dont regret one bit bottle feeding him, HES MY SON!!! apart from nt lactating at all apart from 1 hour after having ronan i have other personal resons for not doing so. apart from my son havin eczema, poor speech and the fact hes moderatly deaf you wouldnt know how he was fe. yeah he catches bugs like any other child his age but thats all part of life. everyone weather breast fed or fromula fed will get ill at some point in their life. so people need to remeber before passing judgement on mums for how THEY CHOOSE to feed THEIR CHILD think to yourself, maybe they have a god damned good reason for not doing it. the bond me and my son is so strong nothing will break it. so its not just breast feeding mums who have strong bonds with their children all mums do
they make formula milk so good nowadays i dont see what the big argument is with breast v bottle. ok breast may be more natural but not everyone can breast feed nor do some people like the idea. if u did it in public u will get stared at and spoken about so until its accepted more publicly not everyone who are able to will breast feed or even try to.
i wouldnt get my boob out in public. i expressed and done it out of a bottle xx
If breast was always best then my girls would not be fed! Bottle was best for us because my milk didn’t come in!x
I would have loved to have breastfed my child, but I wasn’t able to produce enough due to a complication in birth & therefor had to combine feed expressed milk & formula..she had 8 weeks of this before my milk dried up completely! I was heartbroken, but do you know what..she has no allergies & has only had about 5 colds in 2 years..she’s hardly ever ill & is perfect in everyway! Now my goddaughter, breastfed for 5 months, has asthma, eczema, dairy allergies & is always ill with 1 thing or another! So I personally don’t believe that just because of a type of milk it will decide how their immune systems are, some people just draw the short straw when it comes to illness! My next baby I hope to breastfed, mostly for the bonding experience..but I won’t have any problems giving baby formula if that what it comes down to again xx
I bottle fed, i dont see any difference either, both have nutrients in it, both stop baby being hungry and surel if baby is happy and healthy there are no issues. I know breast milk does have more nutrients but i thik its such a minor thing to be judged upon. Everyone parents in different ways and this is just another example, this is a great post!
x
breast is only best IF the mother wants to, can do and it works for her and her baby. but how can breast be best if the mother cant produce the milk, the baby cant latch, or there are bonding issues, their for baby not getting what they need, and then being grumpy and upset, causing an unhappy cycle.
Personally I am still unsure about where I stand on the debate, I can see both points of view. I was absolutely adamant that I was going to breastfeed and I did for a total of three days. The midwives were next to no help, my daughter wasn’t latching on correctly and the only time I had a pain free feed was the time I managed to get her latched on by myself and was the consequently shouted at by the midwives for not getting them to help. As I was so sore from the feedings I decided to try expressing and it worked, but the thought of putting my daughter back on the breast after all of it brought me to tears and I dreaded feeding her. Stopping breastfeeding was the best thing and worst thing I did, it was the best thing at the time for me but led to depression as i felt like a failure for not being able to. I fed my daughter by expressing my milk for a further three weeks but my supply dwindled and stopped altogether a week later and then she was formula fed. I would advise all mummys to at least try breastfeeding as that one painfree feeding I had with my daughter was just glorious and still makes me feel all warm.
I feel really lucky that I have been able to breastfeed both of my boys, I exclusively breastfed my first for 9 weeks and then combine fed until he was 8 months, and now I am exclusively breastfeeding my 10 week old. I love it, its great for bonding, and I am proud that I am able to give him everything he needs. It isnt for everyone though and I respect that, also I know some people physically can’t do it. I am just happy that I can x
i beast fed my eldest whos 5 for 2wks and i tried with my other 2 but they just wouldnt latch on. the way i see it is if they take to it then do it if not u cant force em to x
I do think breast is best, BUT i also agree with what emma has said in this article, i for one know how hard it is with afterpains, i had my head in a bucket while my son was latched on after he was born my coz the pain was so bad, (baby number 2) people have different pain thresholds and tolerances. it is hard. I cant imagine what the pain was like after numbers 5 and 6, i dont like bottle feeding personally but i did have to after three months with my daughter due to my meds. So i cant slate it, at the end of the day it kept my child alive! I think every individual has their own reasons for how they feed and the right to make their own decisions based on whats comfortable for them and baby i dont think anyone can be forced or pressured to breastfeed, if its not for you then its not for you but i will always be one for promoting it and suggesting to give it a go at least
xxx
well i fed my first lo by bottle, was going to try combine feeding with 2nd lo. having my baby suckling on something which has such a sexual background did NOT appeal to me, she didnt take but it kind of felt nice.. so deffo gunna try next time (she took to the left boob but didnt get shown how to do it and after they threw her on first time it hurt everytime)
Breastmilk is the best food for babies. God made a baby along with his food. Why do we have to look for other foods, even though God already provide?
i tried to breastfeed with my first, i had always wanted to breastfeed but i found it so difficult and painful, i spoke to my hv about it and she told me that my daughter was attached proply but why did it still hurt so much? i found prosions hard to get comfy i was stressing out about having to get my boob out in public NOT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG with feeding in public!!! it just wasnt for me i decided to put her on a bottle best decision i made she was alot happier and i was less stressed…. when it to going to my hv she tried telling me that I MUST breast feed!!!!! i asked her does she have kids to which she answerd no so i told her then do not tell me what is best by my child…. my daughter has had like 2 colds in her 2years of being here…. when it came to my 2nd child i decided bottle is best for us both
I breastfed all of mine because i believed i was doing what was best. I do not however think bad of anyone bottle feeding x
I breastfed my l.O exclusively for the first 4 months, for my own sanity I had to introduce 1 bottle before bed after this. I continued breastfeeding to 6 and a half months, until her appetite out did me. I’m proud that I breastfed for that long. I did my best for my little girl. My cousin drives me spare because she regularly tells me how awesome she is because she breastfed for 18 months as if belittling me. I did what my body could do. I also had not being able to express as a factor in stopping when I did. as I returned to work and I couldn’t express for toffee.
Everyone is different though, and you should do what is right for you. Despite what other people tell you.
My own personal opinion is i dont always believe breast is best. Of course breast milk is better for the baby as its made for them and its the most natural thing in the world but from personal experience breast feeding isnt right for me. And they do say happy mummies make happy babies! After realising breast feeding wasnt for me i decided that i would express my milk and bottle feed my little girl. This worked well for me and she was breast fed until she was 2 months old and i did the same for my little boy x
I breastfed both of my children. The first for a week, then second for 9 weeks and 2 days and both times I wanted to go for longer than I did. I think that all mothers should try just the once, but if its not for someone, then I would much rather see a happy mother and baby than a stressed out, embarrassed mother with a not so happy baby! x
breast milk probably is the best for baby but many people cant do it either becoz their partner dosnt like the idea or they dont like the idea or they have a medical problem which prevents breast feeding when i had my son my ex and his family desperatly wanted me to breastfeed but i just didnt want to i didnt even want to try (im very stubborn like that with new fings if i dnt like i wont try lol wish i wernt like that but hey ho lol) his brother rang up from pakistan to check how baby was doing and said are you breast feeding ? so i said no im bottle feeding he was really shocked and said to me that i should start breast feeding evry child deserves the right to be breast fed and he also said that children who arnt breast fed hav lower concentration and are not as clever as those who are breast fed etc i just said i didnt want to an passed the fone to my ex in actual fact the reason i didnt want to breast feed was that during sex with ur partner they are attracted to ur boobs and play with them sum suck them wen there is no milk etc and so i see my breasts as a part of my sexual life and a sexual part of my body in which i recieve pleasure by my partner playing with them so i didnt believe it was then right to show this part of my body to my son and i also thought what if i am arroused by my baby sucking my nipples then i would feel awful and dirty so i didnt want this so i didnt breast feed now go on call me stupid daft or weird lol i dnt mind this is just the way i see things on this matter my son is now a happy healthy 4 yr old that once upon a time was bottle fed xxx
Personally i’d say whats best for your baby is what they can get enough of. i only managed to breastfeed my first for 6 weeksa and my second for 2 weeks. I didnt have enough milk to do more. At theend of the day as long as baby is eating does it matter if its breast milk or formula? xx
Having done both i don’t think any is best ! It’s what suites each child .. Stuart didn’t like breast milk and i didn’t really like doing it to be fair ! i fed for 5 weeks as i believe unless medical reasons prevent you every mother should have a go .. i think there is far to much pressure put onto mums these days .. Do what you feel is best not what others tell you to do x
It is up to each mother on whether they decide to breastfeed or bottle feed & I feel that it is wrong that so much pressure is put onto Mams-to-be about breastfeeding & in a way how it is the only choice. In my anti-natal classes bottle feeding was never mentioned as they were pro breast…so when my LO was born I felt as though I had to breastfeed, I managed for six days but my LO had trouble latching on & could be on for a very long time (once it was over an hour). I felt such a failure when I rang my midwife & asked if they could recommend a formula…the reply got was ‘is that the choice, are you sure?’ it made me feel worse!!! my Little Man took to the bottle no problem & was far more content drinking from the bottle & as a plus side I knew how much he was getting!!! So no as far as I am concerned breast is not always best as my LO prefers the bottle to breast!!! =]
xXxXx
if im really honest yes breast is probably best but i breastfed for a week then my son got rshed to hospital as he stopped breathing, then all the time he was in hospital he was bottle fed and that was that… this time round i will breastfeed for at least a week but im not overly bothered about doing it relegiously x
No one can judge or say what best for anyone else only the mother I’ve bottle fed all three of mine only because I am afraid of getting my boobs out in public and the stares u get breast is best but for some bottle is just as good I can’t see the problem as long as the baby is getting the nutrient their need
i breastfed my daughter untill she was 21 months old and refused to bottle feed her because i was stubborn lol but i would never judge anyone whos bottle feeding all my friends bottle fed their babys every mum has a right to choice and although i stick to breast is best there is alsorts of things that can prevent people from breastfeeding in which case bottle is best for them xx
Breast feeding has alot of benefits… i would never judge anyone on there choices. i myself bottlefed both of my children they are both bright healthy and happy children x
Ibreastfed my first for three months before going onto bottle – only due to medication i was taking but i have only just finishied breastfeeding my son of 13 and a half months old. Despite bottle feeding i will always stand by breast being best! Breastmilk is specifically designed by each mum for each individual chil;ds needs – as saphire said – about the weight gain – this happened to both ofmine! there was no loss whatsoever, only gain! Breastmilk is amazing stuff and nothing can ever be chemically designed to even come close to match it!. Formula to me – next best thing… if you cant have the best, formula does the job – never as good but it does what its made to do in some form! Ill never slate it – my daughter had it from three months onwards and shes happy healthy etc but if id of had the option to carry on breastfeeding her – i would! x
I personally dont believe that breast is best. I bottle feed my daughter and shes never had any weight, feeding problems and aside from the odd cold shes never been ill, not even been sick! Its a personal choice and i think that there IS too much pressure put on women to breastfeed and when they dont they are guilted about it. When i have another child i will be bottle feeding them as well.
I personally made the choice to bottle feed with all three of my children. Some tried to make me believe that if you don’t breast feed then you weren’t a good mother. I beg to differ with them. My kids were then and are now perfectly healthy. The first who is now 12, started learning how to read and tell time by the age of 3. By kindergarten, he was the only one that knew how to read and was often put into the first grade in the afternoons because he was well advanced. By first grade, he was put in the gifted program and has been in it every since, and by 5th grade was inducted into the National Honor Society. He was always in the 50 percentile in weight and length. My b/g twin 10 year olds were never breast feed either. They were pretty big to be twins and born prematurely (6 lb 1 oz and 4 lb 12 oz). The only thing is, is the girl twin is smaller for her age right now. She is short (but, hey, I’m not a giant), and thin and her twin brother is almost the same height as the 12 year old. The twins are doing well in school. A’s and B’s mostly with an occasional C every now and then. Being bottle feed did not affect them in anyway, actually, I think it helped them. Some mothers I’ve ran into that bottle feed ended up giving some formula to supplement because their babies weren’t getting enough milk from breastfeeding.
I think however a mother chooses to feed her child shouldnt matter and nobody should be judged or made to feel bad about their decision!! I pesonally never tried to breastfeed my lg, it wasnt right for me and i was uncomfortable with the thought of doing it. Formula is a breastmilk substitute and i think just as good
I have a very healthy and happy 26m old who apart from the odd cold has never been ill, im not saying this is because i bottle fed but theres so much stigma about formula fed babies, ie their more prone to illness, they can be overweight etc… If i have children in the future i will again only bottle feed, i think each to their own and whatever method you choose you are just as good a mother as those who choose other methods xx
I tried to breastfeed my son for 2 days and he couldnt feed properly – He had a tounge tie and so feeding was difficult for him. I do believe that breastmilk IS better than formula in a nutritional sence – Its natural and homemade nothing extra added – BUT i do think for some people bottle feeding is a healthier option – if breastfeeding makes them uncomfortable or they simply cannot do it – they stress out and i even had depression, your new baby picks up on it therefore being unhealthy for them – so each to their own – if breastfeeding works for you then great – if it doesnt then there is always formula which is also great! x
I think what ever makes mum and baby happiest is best sure breast milk is best nutritionally but if mummy is stressing and hating it that’s not good for her and wont be good for baby.
Both my sins were bottle fed and I’m happy with it does it matter how u feed your child as long as they are happy :/
I tried hard to breast fed my youngest, nothing came out…I never used breast pads to absorb the milk..it was hard
Each to their own I say if people want too judge let them, its often because they find issues in themselves!!!!!!!!!!
I think far too much pressure is put on women to breastfeed. If a women chooses to do it, then I think that’s wonderful for her. But the pressure can become life-threatening. One of my very best friends in the world is in the hospital right now with postpartum psychosis. She has Bipolar I, and while she did very well off of her meds during her pregnancy, she rapidly deteriorated after her daughter was born, to the point of needing to go in-patient for her own safety. This is her first baby, and she has already expressed to me that with subsequent children she will formula feed from the start so that she can get back on medication.
I really think if there wasn’t such a strong message that “breast is best”, and that women who don’t at least attempt to breastfeed are somehow not good mothers, she (and her doctors) might have looked at her history more seriously, and she would not have ended up where she is now. Yes, she is getting better, but she is missing out on the first precious weeks of her daughter’s life – not to mention she has gone through so much unnecessary agony.
Thanks for putting this information out there, and for hopefully opening some minds.
When i walked into my midwife her first question was breast or bottle….. i said bottle… she instantly said she had 5 children… bottle fed everyone of them and that she is not the breast feeding police lol…. As my pregnancy went along i changed my mind and thought i would breast feed… only thing was when i had Kiera i lost so much blood and became highly anaemic so my milk didnt come through and was unable to breast feed so i had to bottle feed… Kiera has had no problems due to not being breast fed so personally im not fussed either way as long as mum and baby are happy and healthy!!
I chose to bottle feed as I knew that it was right for me at the time. Next time I might give breast feeding a go but it all comes down to the circumstances at the time x
i think its all down to personal choice not whats best as both methods have there pros and cons i bottle fed my eldest neer even gave breast feeding a second look with my 2nd i tried breastfeeding but it really hurt and didnt feel like she was getting anything if im honest i didnt know what i was doing i didnt know how to latch her properly so after 2 days she was on the bottle aswell biut with my 3rd i really wanted to give it a try so i learned all i needed to why pregnant and after he was born i fed thru the pain and started to enjoy the quality time we had why feeding and the fact that i knew at least every 2-3 hrs i would get a rest from what ever i was doing lol but had to stop when he was 6 weeks old as he was allergic to cows milk protein and got reflux and it was entering him thru my milk so he went on to the bottle with special milk i think when i have my next child iw ill defo try breast feeding again but its mummys choice x
think its wrong so much out there about breast being best and people get slated for not breast feeding its really dis heartning to those mums who physically cant xx
I never breast fed was personal choice at the time but I regret it now I wish I had …….. xx
i never breastfed either of my kids and yeh i do believe theres alot of pressure to breast feed which i feel is wrong as some woman just dont feel comfortable with it or struggle as long as baby gets fed it doesnt matter if its breast or bottle
there is too much pressure on women to breastfeed. some women are made to feel rubbish if they dont or even if they cant do it. i tried with both my kiddies but it just didnt happen. they were then bottle fed are both happy healthy babies.
to be honest i would of gave it a try if i had any boobs lol x
with my first i was too embarrassed to try breast feeding, with my 2nd i thought i would give it a go, but my daughter couldnt latch on as she had tongue tie. i was told she would have to start feeding or i couldnt go home – so i gave her the bottle. i dont regret it. It was what i wanted to do for my baby. Just because i wasnt able to breastfeed her doesnt mean that she didnt have everything that she would need. i tried, thats all i could do, and i wasnt prepared to beat myself up about it. Too many women feel pressure to do the ‘best’ thing, what is best is what is best for you, not one anyone else says xx
i didnt breast feed i didnt even try and yes people did make me feel guilty as i was young but it wasnt something i wanted to do i just felt so uncomfortable with the idea i think its amazing if people do choose to but people should let people decide on what they want to do without trying to push they arnt paying for the milk so why get involved? i bottle fed and i am proud of my little boy xx
with ellie i was 100% sure i wasnt breastfeeding and i didnt though at 4 weeks old she got very poorly the milk she was on made her very bunged up which made her very poorly, she was taken to a&e and the whole thing was a nightmare they took bloods and ckecked for meningits and i heard her crying from down the hall, she was rushed to the ward and given anti biotics a week later she was a happy baby again. i had follow up appointment at the drs and she sed well if she was breastfed this wudnt of happend! i left the drs delfated and feeling guilty igothome and looked at my oh and told him what the drs sed he was mad and sed it had nothing to do with me breastfeeding or not i changed drs that day.
then with Holly i was sure id atleast try breastfeeding i did well in the hospital but on the 1st night home she screamed for 5 hrs none stop i just cudnt get her to latch on,i was on my own cos oh wasat work she wud settle then 5mins later wake screaming it was a nightmare i contiuned to try for a mnth and it was she wud latch on for 5 mins then fall off crying i wasnt sure if she as even getting anything it never seemed like she was. i had hv n breastfeeding people there to help but nothing was working then a lady came in to see me and she sat down and sed her mouth is 2 small and ur nipple is quite large so she myt be finding it hard to latch on properly. i felt to happy tht i founda reason ofwhy i cudnt feeed my baby. i put her on formula milk tht day and she drank it so faast and she ended up with badwind but i was happy to deal with a windy baby then a hunrgy crying one that night she slept for 4hrs and it was great
so i dont know i hope to one day to try to breastfeed and it works -but for right now for me bottle was best
well i was determined to breast feed jessica from the min i found out i was pregnant everything went to plan and i breast fed her for 8 weeks until my boobs where that sore i couldn’t feed her no more not even for 2 seconds i drew me to tears even thinking about the next feed my boobs couldn’t take no more and so i had to go to the bottle i wouldn’t say people have to breast feed or bottle feed and everyone have there own reason’s as to how they feed there baby it shouldn’t matter how the baby is fed as long as the baby is being fed there is no right or wrong when feeding a baby but what the mother can actually do if i ever have another child i will again try and breast feed if i don’t succeed then i will turn to the bottle but as long as my baby is healthy then that is all that matters xxx
I think feeding baby is best, and its up to mummy how they choose to do that.x
this made me giggle, but damn it’s true
I had no support with my first, in hospital the slammed a bottle of formula down at my partner, with my second he was straved for a week as my milk was making him really sick he didnt gain and he lost 25 percent so whats good for one is not always good for the other xxxxxxx
i would of loved to of breastfed but my milk didnt come in til a while after coel was born and i tried and she didnt take to it, guess she was already used to the bottle, i think it has its good and bad points, i am very prone to colds and coughs etc and the thought of passing it on to my lo isnt the best but it also helps build up their immune system, powder milk has so many nutrients in it now aswell, i think its each to their own and no mum should bne judged as its not always their choice xx
Breast is not always best, nor is bottle the ‘easy option’. When my eldest was born she took to my breast fine with no problems for me or her, I was so happy cause this is what I wanted to do
But after that she couldn’t latch properly, she had a short tongue. I stayed in hospital for 2 days trying to establish the breast feeding but I couldn’t and I could tell she was hungry. I caved and gave her a bottle. My god it hurt me to give in, but I couldn’t let her starve could I even though the hospital midwives were saying she was fine, I don’t get how when she’d had only one ‘feed’ since being born. She took the bottle fine and we were allowed home 
I was determined to breast feed, I kept trying with her but no luck so she had her beloved bottle. I tried expressing using a pump, it was tiring and I wanted to be with my baby not being milked like a cow (sorry but thats just how I felt). I remember crying and crying for days about failing my baby cause I couldn’t breastfeed and others could. I felt like a bad mum! Eventually I accepted it, she was happy an healthy and that was the main thing. When I had my second I tried again, this time my baby couldn’t latch at all that first time 
I was able to hand express some for her though and she took that fine. But she wasn’t very well and wasn’t getting enough from me so we were adviced to try bottle feeding her til my supply came through properly so we did. My supply never came through properly even though I kept trying. I tried hand expressing and using a pump but nothing worked. Again I had failed. I felt so bad. I wasn’t able to do the ‘most natural thing in the world’ for my children. I felt so low and cr*p. I actually got suicidal as I felt I was never going to be good enough if I couldn’t even do this. That pressure was put their by all these do gooders and ‘health proffessionals’ telling me that ‘breast is best’. Well guess what NO, BREAST IS NOT ALWAYS BEST! Breastfeeding made me feel like i was being milked then when I couldnt do it it made me feel like a failure. Both my children have done well considering they were bottle fed on formula. No real illnesses and they are happy, healthy an clever. So sod anyone who tries to tell you ‘breast is bes’t and dont let them push you into it, you do whats best for you and your baby xx
i personally prefer to breastfeed. but i do think there is too much pressure on mums to breastfeed. and that there are feelings of failure that can come with this for those that fail too. thus increasing the risk of PND. at the end of the day as long as the baby is thriving either way. whose business is it?
personally i just didnt take to breast feeding. god knows i tried i got myself so worked up when i couldnt do it properly id sit in floods of tears for hours. so i bottle fed my first born and then with my second i tried again this time my lg didnt seem to ever want to latch on. so i gave in again. IF i ever have another baby and thats a big if lol i will attempt to breast feed xx
ok so my view on this
i was a student midwife so had to tell everyone it was the best thing to bf but i just couldnt do it with my children i tried with my first but for me it felt totally unnatural and wrong… then i was under pressure because i was told it was th right thing… i would dread her waking up for a feed and spent most of the time in tears this lead to some nasty pnd…. the same happened with my second …. i didnt even try with my 3rd or 4th and no pnd
so it is most easy to digest for a baby but i feel the term BEST isnt always true
each to their own if u ask me, some mums cant breast feed due to health problems ect , its going to b the biggest baby debate to the end of time tbh , everyone is right in their own minds xx
up the the mother of the child if she bottle feeds or breast the baby as long as the baby gets the milk
i think far to much pressure is put onto women to breastfeed but i honestly can say i dont thxxink it matters how a baby is fed i bottle fed both of my sons and breast and bottle fed my daughter and there is no difference between them x
i think its each to there own. My OH didnt want me to Breastfeed as he thought he wouldnt bond with our son as much as he wud bottle feeding. i regret not trying and my LB is a healthy toddler, i have said when we do have another child i will try breastfeeding. xx
I’ve not long had my 3rd baby. I was told that if I breastfed the first time my supply would come through and I would be able to express and I didn’t want to direct breastfeed. I now believe the midwife told me this with the intention to get me breastfeeding directly as she then changed her mind to “you’ve done it once so do it again” which i thought was a bit rude, i explained i wasnt comfy with it to which i had my head bitten off for. it’s not the most natural thing for some and sure as hell wasnt for me
wish it was but it wasnt. in the end it turned out i was too aneamic for my supply to come through properly anyway so i would have struggled. my baby is now nearly a month old and on formula. she’s thriving and doing so well so i dont think that breast is always best as if i had chosen to breastfeed she wouldnt have gotten enough 
xxx
I breasfed my 1st for 4 weeks but then my milk started to dry up as she couldnt latch properly due to tongue tie.. my son i breasfed for 12 weeks but again he was tongue tied so he kept making me bleed and i was crying everytime i fed him so i gave up. feel guilty now but i was getting depressed at the thought of feeding him so it was the right choice at the time. xx