Breastfeeding

I couldn't physically breastfeed and I don't think bottle feeding is bad. It provides all the nutrition that babies need and in some cases can be healthier than breast milk anyway (depending on mothers diet)

Same here and now have a happy, healthy, strong 9 year old

Breastfeeding is better than using formula. Yes, babies survive on formula, but they are no longer recommending it. Think about this, You have Maple syrup, and Imitation Maple syrup. One is natural, the sap from trees, the other is from corn starch. Real Maple syrup is rich and full of flavor, yet thin, Imitation, has less flavor and is far thicker. Yet they both do what they are suppose to.

Formula is not 'bad' per say, But we've since discovered there are far more benefits of breastfeeding that can't be accomplished though formula. For instance, breastfeeding gives the babies the mothers immune system, antibodies are passed though it. We can not yet lab crate those antibodies though formula. Babies on formula, may have more allergies, and be more sickly than those who have been breastfed. Formula, is also not nearly as refined as breast milk. Breast milk is very simple to digest for the baby, While formula can not achieve that level of simplicity, babies that are breast fed tend to have fewer stomach aches.

The problem is our society pushed (at least in the U.S.) women to use formula as being 'better' for the baby. Now, we are trying to switch it back, because science is not as developed as human biology.
Its perfectly fine to use formula, it is just not recommended as being the 'best' anymore. They really encourage women to at least breastfeed for the first few months now, to give the babies those much needed antibodies.

~ Pregnant with baby #1 and recently did research, on the topic. I have decided to solely breastfed.

Breastfeeding is better than using formula. Yes, babies survive on formula, but they are no longer recommending it. Think about this, You have Maple syrup, and Imitation Maple syrup. One is natural, the sap from trees, the other is from corn starch. Real Maple syrup is rich and full of flavor, yet thin, Imitation, has less flavor and is far thicker. Yet they both do what they are suppose to.

Formula is not 'bad' per say, But we've since discovered there are far more benefits of breastfeeding that can't be accomplished though formula. For instance, breastfeeding gives the babies the mothers immune system, antibodies are passed though it. We can not yet lab crate those antibodies though formula. Babies on formula, may have more allergies, and be more sickly than those who have been breastfed. Formula, is also not nearly as refined as breast milk. Breast milk is very simple to digest for the baby, While formula can not achieve that level of simplicity, babies that are breast fed tend to have fewer stomach aches.

The problem is our society pushed (at least in the U.S.) women to use formula as being 'better' for the baby. Now, we are trying to switch it back, because science is not as developed as human biology.
Its perfectly fine to use formula, it is just not recommended as being the 'best' anymore. They really encourage women to at least breastfeed for the first few months now, to give the babies those much needed antibodies.

~ Pregnant with baby #1 and recently did research, on the topic. I have decided to solely breastfed.

I think it's fairly obvious that formula isn't the 'best' option for a baby's nutrition, I mean, we produce milk for one reason only. But formula IS the next best option.

Congrats on your pregnancy, your decision to breastfeed only is a good one.

Breastfeeding is better than using formula. Yes, babies survive on formula, but they are no longer recommending it. Think about this, You have Maple syrup, and Imitation Maple syrup. One is natural, the sap from trees, the other is from corn starch. Real Maple syrup is rich and full of flavor, yet thin, Imitation, has less flavor and is far thicker. Yet they both do what they are suppose to.

Formula is not 'bad' per say, But we've since discovered there are far more benefits of breastfeeding that can't be accomplished though formula. For instance, breastfeeding gives the babies the mothers immune system, antibodies are passed though it. We can not yet lab crate those antibodies though formula. Babies on formula, may have more allergies, and be more sickly than those who have been breastfed. Formula, is also not nearly as refined as breast milk. Breast milk is very simple to digest for the baby, While formula can not achieve that level of simplicity, babies that are breast fed tend to have fewer stomach aches.

The problem is our society pushed (at least in the U.S.) women to use formula as being 'better' for the baby. Now, we are trying to switch it back, because science is not as developed as human biology.
Its perfectly fine to use formula, it is just not recommended as being the 'best' anymore. They really encourage women to at least breastfeed for the first few months now, to give the babies those much needed antibodies.

~ Pregnant with baby #1 and recently did research, on the topic. I have decided to solely breastfed.

^^^This. Well said.

Just remember - just because you WANT to breast feed doesn't mean you will be able to! With my first baby I had plenty of milk etc etc BUT we just couldn't get the breast feeding working. So I had the amazingly fun task of expressing then feeding. (Not fun at all honestly) I think that lasted 3 months. Then formula fed him and he's doing great! Now my second baby loves to breast feed - so lucky, he got it straight away.

So yes breast feeding is best BUT if you cannot - do NOT feel bad that you need to use formula. =D

in for use of the word "breast"

not a mother. but i have eyes and ears and a mind and i am aware that we've had generations of ppl grow up having been bottle-fed babies that have turned out just fine. i've got nothing against promoting breastfeeding in general but i really don't think it's that big of a deal...

I was thankfully able to breastfeed my daughter. She was 1yr old when I stopped. She was a very healthy baby and is still fairly healthy 14yr old.

I know it's not something everyone can do, but if you can you should. I'm terminally lazy so breastfeeding was perfect for me. And thankfully she took to it immediately. She had formula for her first feeding and I was afraid she would latch on the first time I fed her. Lucky for us both she did.

I would have loved an incentive for me to breastfeed! Maybe more women would try it that way. That to me would be a win-win situation.

Just my opinion.

My intention with my kidlet was to breastfeed but I was not able to produce enough milk (despite being well-endowed - size has nothing to do with production) and no one could get my kidlet to latch on properly either. We did the finger-feeding thing (fed formula through a tube attached to my finger so she wouldn't lose the idea of the breast) while trying to express as much milk as I could /and/ still try and put her on the breast several times a day. It was a 24/7 production until basically I broke down after 6 weeks and decided to go to the bottle and formula. First bottle she settled in happily on my lap and we fed without incident and I finally got to enjoy my kidlet without going nuts.

Today she's a happy, healthy teenager at the top of her class.

I'm all for breastfeeding and I think everyone should try it with the right support (because it often doesn't just happen contrary to what we're led to believe) but I don't think women should be made to feel guilty or like they're harming their baby if they cannot do it.

In the UK, according to the article I read, they were doing this in a very poor area where only one in four women breastfed and they were hoping to increase that by offering 200 pounds in food incentives with it being top loaded (120 in the first six weeks to try and get that base and that 6 weeks that is supposedly most important).

*in for having this on my wall*

I didn't breast feed. I didn't even try, as I decided I didn't want to do it before he was born.

Next one will be bottle fed too.

I wasn't breastfed and I turned out alright.

I couldn't give a crap what anyone thinks, each to their own.

My sentiments as well. I just can't get over how weird I think it is... Stigma attached to it, I guess.

o_-

I don't know much about the UK, but maybe the financial incentive is to just encourage mothers to *try* breastfeeding, maybe to just get some mothers to do it who might have otherwise been in the "I just don't want to do it because it's inconvenient for me." I highly doubt it's about medical issues that may prevent nursing.

How about n incentive to get pregnant women to quit smoking first?? I will admit that I smoked with my first at 19 years old, thankfully he turned out fine but next time I will be older and wiser.

Seems like it has become the norm among poverty stricken mothers to be smokers.

Breastfeeding is better than using formula. Yes, babies survive on formula, but they are no longer recommending it. Think about this, You have Maple syrup, and Imitation Maple syrup. One is natural, the sap from trees, the other is from corn starch. Real Maple syrup is rich and full of flavor, yet thin, Imitation, has less flavor and is far thicker. Yet they both do what they are suppose to.

Formula is not 'bad' per say, But we've since discovered there are far more benefits of breastfeeding that can't be accomplished though formula. For instance, breastfeeding gives the babies the mothers immune system, antibodies are passed though it. We can not yet lab crate those antibodies though formula. Babies on formula, may have more allergies, and be more sickly than those who have been breastfed. Formula, is also not nearly as refined as breast milk. Breast milk is very simple to digest for the baby, While formula can not achieve that level of simplicity, babies that are breast fed tend to have fewer stomach aches.

The problem is our society pushed (at least in the U.S.) women to use formula as being 'better' for the baby. Now, we are trying to switch it back, because science is not as developed as human biology.
Its perfectly fine to use formula, it is just not recommended as being the 'best' anymore. They really encourage women to at least breastfeed for the first few months now, to give the babies those much needed antibodies.

~ Pregnant with baby #1 and recently did research, on the topic. I have decided to solely breastfed.

This.

However, I do want to stress that no mother should feel pressured to breastfeed or continue to breastfeed if it is not possible. I would have loved to nurse my children longer than I was able (8wks for my 1st and 14wks for my 2nd); I put myself through hell both times trying to continue, and I'll admit, there is a part of me that feels inadequate for not being able to continue. While I'm adamantly pro-nursing, there are a variety of reasons why a woman may not be able to breastfeed her child, and as such there is nothing wrong with formula.

Also, there is nothing wrong with using formula as a supplement; though it's not advisable by LLLI until your milk is established. However, if you happen to be one of those fortunate women who produces milk like a mofo, it can be a great way for daddy to take part in the feeding/bonding process. A very good friend of mine went this route with all three of her children- she breastfed throughout the day, but her husband fed formula via bottle before bed. Worked fine for her, but she was blessed to be a milk machine!

And to the stigma comment, I'm a young mother and I felt the same way when I was pregnant. It all changes when your child is born, it no longer feels weird at all!