Breastfeeding!

MsWhiteParks

Ok so this is dead random! But about 12 of my friends have given birth over this last year, and my daughter is 9weeks old. But it seems I am the ONLY person to have breast fed! It seems odd to me! I have nothing against bottle feeding at all but I didn't realise the difference between bottle and breast was so high!

Anyone tell me why they chose to bottle or breast? (I don't want a debate or to cause tension neither is better than the other for this thread!!)

I love my little boobie monster but sometimes I feel it would have been much easier to bottle feed! Less embarrassing leaks and more sleep at night to start!!

X

LauriesTrying2BeFit

i have breastfed all 3 of my kids and people found it strange that i choose to breastfeed as i was 22 when i had my first i fed him for 6months second i was 24 and fed him for 9months and i had my third at 25 6months ago and im still breastfeeding her, i choose to because its free, its the best thing for a human baby and its easy! i loved the close bond and they cant say it prevents them sleeping through the night etc has my daughther slept through from 8weeks and still does now. also my SIL has a son 6weeks older that my second son and my son has alway done everything before her son not that its a competition but it just shows that it does make them more intelligent

CMmrsfloyd

I chose breastfeeding for several reasons. And I felt very fortunate that things worked out really well so that I was able to continue. Some moms really want to breastfeed but find the the obstacles are too great for them to continue. Other moms do not have support encouraging them to breastfeed - if all of your friends/parents/etc used formula or had a bad experience with breastfeeding, they may not be giving an impression that it's a good idea to try it at all. That can be really hard and discouraging for some moms.

It's free (other than a few added calories in my diet) and it's convenient (no having to mix up bottles in the middle of the night, just put the boob in the baby's mouth LOL). I don't think that bottle feeding really leads to getting more sleep at night - if baby is going to wake up hungry, baby is going to wake up hungry. I like that I can put my kiddo in the bed with me, start him nursing and then nap while he has his late night snack. And I don't have to go downstairs to get him a bottle while he cries, just pick him up and give him what he wants/needs. :-)

I had already planned to be a SAHM so I did not have any concerns about it not working out well b/c of separations from baby. My mom did it with me and my brother, which was encouraging.

I felt that it would be beneficial to give my baby the antibodies that my body makes to *hopefully* help them fend off illnesses more easily. (not saying breastfed babies don't get sick, b/c clearly it does happen, just saying I was hoping it would help out or at least help any illnesses be a bit less severe than they might have been otherwise :-) ).

It's good for breast health - there is a history of breast cancer in my family and I knew that breastfeeding would help decrease my odds of developing it, which was a big motivator for me personally with my family history. So far I'm up to a total of a little over 3 years worth of breastfeeding between my 2 kids, plan for it to go higher b/c I plan to have at least 1 more baby. The more breastfeeding, the better, where my breast health is concerned. I know that's only 1 kind of cancer out of a bunch of different ones that could strike in my lifetime, but I like that I can feel like I'm doing something to decrease my chances of that one from affecting me.

It helps a lot of women delay their menstrual cycle from returning - added bonus! LOL Sadly for me it didn't keep it away as long as I'd hoped (back by 4 months with both kiddos) but I know some ladies who got a year or even longer without a period b/c they were breastfeeding. I'm totally jealous of those women. LOL

There are lots of reasons that moms choose whatever they choose. Sometimes it truly is a choice, and that's fine b/c it's their right to decide what works best for their families, and sometimes it's not a choice at all but just what they have to do to make things work. Everyone is just doing what they feel is best for them and their family's situation. :-)

MsWhiteParks

I do get the strangest looks when I feed her, I never really thought it was down to my age until now! Even my family (including my mum!!) keep encouraging me to switch to formula!! It just confuses me is all! (go you for raining boobie monsters though!) I love the calories it burns too :-) my excuse for extra toast when I first had her :-) x

mleoni092708

As you know, breastfeeding is not easy. Takes a lot of work, willpower, and stubborness to stick with it. The people that don't try at all and have no medical reason not to are probably doing it because it's easier. I tried my hardest and made it 8 weeks. She wasn't getting enough milk and I had to supplement, then I went back to work, so all formula after that. '

rockerbabyy

i choose to breastfeed both my girls. the first was actually half breastmilk, half formula .. she had issues latching properly and so i pumped what i could and mixed it with formula for about 6 months (milk production dropped to nothing when i got pregnant with #2). baby #2 had very little forumla, and had no issues latching so for 6 months she got breastmilk. i dont really remember why we switched with her...i also plan on nursing baby #3 if that happens next year. also hoping to nurse for at least a year..
its soooo much easier for me - no fussing around with bottles in the middle of the night, just plop it out, and go back to sleep while they eat. my girls also both started sleeping through the night at about 8 weeks and they are both soooo healthy! i can count on one hand the number of times theyve been to the dr (other than for well child checkups) - and he tells me all the time that they are two of the healthiest kids he sees. my 5 year old started school this year with no preschool and her teacher was very surprised that she hadnt had any school experience, she was ahead of all the other kids. my 4 year old is already reading and doing more math than my 5 year old!

Karasene

I breastfed both of my children The number one reason at first was it was FREE LOL! I'm sure you know all the pro's to breastfeeding. I love how my children still have never had any ear infections. I always pumped and bottle fed in public. i wasn't a fan of whipping out my huge boobs in public. When I did use a bottle ( filled with boob milk) My husband could be included in the feedings. It's better for moms and babies to breast feed. It was hard with my son because i worked in a factory and the first day back to work i leaked all over the place. soooo embarrassing. I also had to run and beat everyone to get a bathroom stall to pump while everyone could here me. I then had to race to the cafeteria to put my boobie milk bag in the refrigerator and only had 5 minutes left to scarf down my sandwhich and get back to work. It was very stressful. I did however start a trend in our workplace and they then opened a room just for breats feeding and the woman could go when ever the wanted to pump. i wish i had the nerve to ask for that. It would of made going to work alot easier. I think every woman should breast feed. Yes the cracked bleedding nipples at first stunk but that goes away, being the only one getting up at night stunk, but to me it was all worth it

swoglom

Don't listen to your family.... hang in there as long as you can!
The reasons I chose to breastfeed: to be honest, my first impulse was to do it because I had heard it helps get rid of "baby weight" faster. But the reasons I kept doing it (for two years with my first baby!) were: it's better for the baby, it's better for me, it's free, and it's way easier than dealing with bottles. Screw the people who give you weird looks (or even worse, rude comments). As far as I'm concerned anyone who thinks I'm "weird" when I'm just feeding my infant has a screw loose themselves.

leynak

I breastfed my 2 kids. I felt like I was the weird one because I was 19 when I had my first daughter. Most other girls that I knew I got the feeling that they thought it was kind of gross. My second daughter I had to start supplementing because she wasn't gaining & slowly she started breast feeding less and less so about 5 months and she didn't want to anymore.

It was never something I had to think about. I always knew I would breast feed. It's best for baby so there was no question. I want to have one more & I plan on breast feeding that one too.I'm hoping that if I have another the breastfeeding will go smoother.

Nharley

I chose breastfeeding and although like you said, leaky breast can be embarrassing and there are times (gasp) that can be awkward, I never regretted the choice to breastfeed both of my children. My daughter who is now 18 years old and my son who is 16 years old, I believe, have been healthier and my relationships with them better because of it. The time spent breastfeeding was once described to me in this term: Take a cloth ruler, you know, one that you would use to measure your waist with. Roll that sucker out to your age in inches. So if you are 25 years old, roll it out to 25 inches and pinch it with one hand. Take your other hand and pinch off how long you think you might breast feed your baby. Six months? A year? Then look at the difference. Six months is only a half inch in the life of 25 years! Sometimes a visual representation will make you think beyond today, the embarrassing moment or whatever discomfort you have that you are the only mom in a group of 12 that chose to breastfeed. {{Hugs}} to you and your precious, beautiful baby!

chicagocubsfan23

I'm 12 weeks pregnant and planning to breastfeed. I am doing it for a couple of reasons. First, well, it's free and right now hubby and I are still trying to find jobs within our degree. The jobs we have now pay ok enough but having to purchase formula on top of diapers and everything else will put a strain on our finances for sure. Second, it's healthy for baby. I want to have as healthy a baby as I can, so I will sacrifice any hesitations I have to do so. I have always said I'll never breastfeed because I am a VERY self-conscious person and I know I couldn't do it in front of people, so I will make sure and pump so I can have bottles of it when we go out if need be. I've also heard it's painful and I'm a pretty big wimp, but I'll get used to it.

CMmrsfloyd

I just wanted to add, if any family, friend, or random stranger ever makes a negative comment about you breastfeeding or suggests that you switch to formula and you want to shut them up, tell them your dr. strongly advises that you continue breastfeeding and you are going to follow their recommendations. There's not a lot of ways that someone can argue with 'dr's orders' w/o sounding silly.

If leaky nipples are becoming troublesome, invest in some absorbant breastpads. My favorites are made by Lansinoh and sold in a purple box, they are REALLY absorbant so you don't ever get leaks coming through your clothing, plus they are very thin and do not show when you're wearing them.

AND, if you happen to be in a situation where you qualify for WIC food assistance (U.S. social services program which helps supplement nutritional needs for Women, Infants, and Children - I believe there are income requirements but you can look that up online) - they will actually give you a larger amount of certain foods if you are breastfeeding, to help account for the extra nutrition you need to sustain it. If you CAN'T or decide NOT to breastfeed, they will give you vouchers to help out with formula costs. (beware, though, b/c many moms find that the amount they will give you is less than what their baby actually consumes, leaving you still having to purchase some formula yourself each month) But I think it's truly awesome that they will give extra foods for a breastfeeding mom. :-)

The biggest thing to be successful in breastfeeding (if you want to) is to educate yourself and surround yourself with support. For some women and their babies, it seems to come so naturally, but for others it's a learning process with quite a few bumps in the road. Read up ahead of time on proper positioning techniques, join a mommy group (online or in person) and talk with others about their experiences and suggestions (www.themommieshetwork.org has a LOT of groups that are based in various geographical locations around the U.S. so that you can try to connect with moms in your area - and it's free), maybe even check out a breastfeeding class or LaLecheLeague meeting so you can see nursing moms in action and ask questions in person. If you're going to deliver in a hospital, most of them have Lactation Consultants that you can request to come to your room after baby is born and help you out with any concerns. But preparing a big ahead of time can be really, really helpful, especially finding some other moms that have either breastfed before or are currently breastfeeding.

Yes it can be kind of painful in the beginning, sometimes that's due to baby not latching well or due to positioning, sometimes it's just b/c your nipples aren't used to that kind of action. LOL There are some products that can help ease the discomfort in those early weeks - if you want to go 'natural' consider keeping some olive oil on hand, it's soothing. If you're not worried about natural-ness LOL there are creams and gel patches that can help soothe things for you. Check out the breastfeeding section of the baby feeding aisle and consider picking up some nifty packs that can either be chilled in the fridge or warmed in the microwave - they can be really helpful during the early days when your milk is coming in (you might get engorged for a few days and the warm/cool packs can help soothe until it calms down).