Obviously I am not a woman.

But my wife and I took a breastfeeding class last week that answered most of your questions and I found it very helpful. 

A licensed lactation consultant taught the class at the hospital my wife will deliver at and gave us the tips to getting her to latch easier, when to start pumping, how to store it at what temps and how long, etc.

Maybe try to see if you can find some kind of breastfeeding class to attend if it is something you are really interested in doing?  

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Your life will be much easier if you can go straight from the boob. I exclusively pumped for a year and it was really freaking hard. That and a baby is much more effective at emptying a breast (and, this, increasing/maintaining supply) than a pump

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Don't breastfeed when you're drunk. You might find that certain foods have an effect on your baby, you might not. I didn't have any problems with that but I do have friends who ended up cutting out dairy or other food groups.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? I don't think this is necessarily the case. I don't think my breastmilk baby woke up any more often than a FF baby.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Yes, I worked full-time. What about it wouldn't be safe? 8 hours at room temp, 8 days in the fridge, 8 months in the freezer (or something like that)

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?  The general consensus in the medical community is yes. Sure, there have been technological advances, but nothing can replace the food that is 100% designed perfectly for human babies. It can come close, but it's not a one-to-one replacement. If I didn't believe that it was best for my baby there's no way I would have suffered through a year on the pump. I'm prepared to do it all over again if I have to.

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

 

Thanks so much i will look into classes but i would also like to hear from fellow Moms to get some personal opinions, preferences, experiences, and ideas.

I'd hold off on pumping for the first few weeks if you can. It's not nearly as efficient as a baby sucking, and way more inconvenient. I don't think my breastfed babies woke up any more then formula fed ones. Some babies just sleep more then others regardless of what they are eating. 

I definitely recommend taking a class and talking to a lactation consultant when you have the baby.  

jerseygirl81:

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Your life will be much easier if you can go straight from the boob. I exclusively pumped for a year and it was really freaking hard. That and a baby is much more effective at emptying a breast (and, this, increasing/maintaining supply) than a pump

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Don't breastfeed when you're drunk. You might find that certain foods have an effect on your baby, you might not. I didn't have any problems with that but I do have friends who ended up cutting out dairy or other food groups.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? I don't think this is necessarily the case. I don't think my breastmilk baby woke up any more often than a FF baby.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Yes, I worked full-time. What about it wouldn't be safe? 8 hours at room temp, 8 days in the fridge, 8 months in the freezer (or something like that)

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?  The general consensus in the medical community is yes. Sure, there have been technological advances, but nothing can replace the food that is 100% designed perfectly for human babies. It can come close, but it's not a one-to-one replacement. If I didn't believe that it was best for my baby there's no way I would have suffered through a year on the pump. I'm prepared to do it all over again if I have to.

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

 

Wonderful!!! Thank you so much for that. Now you said you pumped, What kind of pump do you have or did you use during that year? Would you recommend the same pump to a close friend? 

I primarly bf'ed DS and pumped while at work. I didn't do anything special with my diet, but some babies are sensitive to certain foods so some adjustments to the mom's diet might be needed. Some babies have a hard time digesting dairy or certain foods like onions might make them gassy. Most babies don't have issues, but there is no way to tell until after they arrive. DS was a good sleeper early on. He bf'ed a lot during the day so at night he could go long stretches without eating. I stored bm during the day in a little cooler with ice packs that came with my pump. As long as it stays cool it's safe. I used Lansinoh storage bags for extra milk and labeled and froze it for later use. I usually pumped 2-3x per day at work. As for formula, a major difference is that bm changes over time to adjust to the needs of a baby because of their age. Also bm has antibodies that the mother produces when exposed to illnesses which helps to protect the baby. There is also information pointing to bf'ing decreasing risk of allergies.

Nowuseeme324:

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Boobs at first, then pump if you have to work. I can't imagine EPing from the beginning.

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Healthy diet, I kept the same restrictions as pregnancy, but enjoyed my margarita every now and then!

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? We co-slept/bedshared, so it was easier for me.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Bring a cooler for storage. It will keep the milk at a safe temp until you can get home.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? Yes. it's easier to digest, offers true immune support, etc. Not to mention the benefits for you.

Definitely give it another shot. It never hurts to try!

Nowuseeme324:

Wonderful!!! Thank you so much for that. Now you said you pumped, What kind of pump do you have or did you use during that year? Would you recommend the same pump to a close friend? 

I used the Medela PISA and I'll be buying the same one for this baby. I recommend it to everyone I know. He had EBM for just over a year thanks to that pump. This time I will try much harder to actually get the kid on the breast.

jerseygirl81:

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Your life will be much easier if you can go straight from the boob. I exclusively pumped for a year and it was really freaking hard. That and a baby is much more effective at emptying a breast (and, this, increasing/maintaining supply) than a pump

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Don't breastfeed when you're drunk. You might find that certain foods have an effect on your baby, you might not. I didn't have any problems with that but I do have friends who ended up cutting out dairy or other food groups.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? I don't think this is necessarily the case. I don't think my breastmilk baby woke up any more often than a FF baby.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Yes, I worked full-time. What about it wouldn't be safe? 8 hours at room temp, 8 days in the fridge, 8 months in the freezer (or something like that)

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?  The general consensus in the medical community is yes. Sure, there have been technological advances, but nothing can replace the food that is 100% designed perfectly for human babies. It can come close, but it's not a one-to-one replacement. If I didn't believe that it was best for my baby there's no way I would have suffered through a year on the pump. I'm prepared to do it all over again if I have to.

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

I second all of this. Formula will never give your baby everything it needs (and in my opinion there are a lot of questionable ingredients in most formulas). I personally would never choose formula over breastmilk if you have a choice. Your breastmilk passes antibodies, etc to your baby and there are also a lot of health benefits for moms who breastfeed. 

I like this graphic as a quick comparison... http://www.lucieslist.com/breastfeeding-in-america/ 

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

You might be surprised by how it goes this time. I was for sure. One thing I did the 2nd time was I saw an LC right away outside of the hospital. I had one ready to go. She came to visit at 2 weeks and kind of gave me a "what am I here for?" look because it was going so well. I had trouble from day 1 with dd1 and it was really horrible. I did not enjoy it. I mean, it wasn't a super bonding experience for me because of production and latching issues. 2nd time felt more natural and I was more relaxed about it all. Get a good LC for outside of the hospital, one that will come to you is even better, and use them right away if needed. It could make all the difference in the world.

Nowuseeme324:

Breast pump or straight from Boob?

From the boob is easiest by far. I was actually surprised by how easy it was having a toddler around and feeding the newborn. I was able to walk around while nursing sometimes too.

Nowuseeme324:

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules?

For my 1st DD I noticed that tomato and dairy were issues for her. For my 2nd DD I could drink acid and it didn't bother her at all. 

Nowuseeme324:

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?

I didn't think it was harder. I think the second time around for me felt easier. I felt more sure of what I was doing and how to do it. My 2nd DD actually slept a bit better and night nursing wasn't so much of an issue for us. (Like she nursed and went back to sleep fairly easily within a normal time frame outside of the immediate first weeks.

Nowuseeme324:

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?

As long as you are using proper breast milk storage methods and containers there is nothing wrong or unsafe about storing BM.

Nowuseeme324:

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?

My opinion is a fed baby is a fed baby. Do it however you like. I mostly EBFed my 2nd DD but she got some formula too. She drank either one interchangeably for the most part. My 1st DD had allergies and we had to go from EBF to hypoallergenic formula at 4ish months. That crap was expensive. The best thing about BM is that it is mostly free and you can usually make more when you need to. 

Good luck!! 

For *Me* here was my expierence..

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Boob, pumping too much will cause over supply, and can cause hind/foremilk inbalance

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Certains meds are off, I don't drink at all but I have heard of pump and dump but that is not at all up my ally. I have heard of bf mom having a glass of wine, I know nothing about how that works though. Some people have babies with intolerances to certain foods, I continued on with my normal diet.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?I am not sure if it is more since I have never ff, but I think it would be way easier. I roll over, grab the baby from the bassinet, nurse then go back to bed. I think it would be harder to get up and mix a bottle. I lay down and nurse too, so I am relaxing a little more.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?

I have never been a working mom, but many pump and do it safetly.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?

Yes in many ways, google and you will find many reasons. The milk is talored to baby, to what they need that exact age, day, moment. You can't replicate that. If you can't breastfeed I wouldn't feel bad, but breast milk is far superior. A fed baby, and a happy mom is priceless, so if formula feeding gets you to that place then it is better. If you can happily breastfeed it is the better option.

-I can't bold any of my answers anymore.. oh well!

MrsCarroll I appreciate you! Thank you for all the helpful information I looked it up and there are no LC in my area at all, but that is not unusual for the sticks. I will hopefully take advantage of the one at the hospital when the baby is born. 

Breast pump or straight from Boob? The only time I ever pumped was when I couldn't physically be with baby to feed her. The pump doesn't extract milk as effectively as a baby.

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Kind of... obviously don't breastfeed if you're drunk. You may want to limit caffeine because it passes to the milk. Other foods depend on if your baby has a sensitivity to them.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? I have no experience bottle feeding at night, but I didn't find night feedings to be difficult. I would nurse in the side lying position in our bed and then move baby back to the bassinet/co-sleeper.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Yes. You just have to follow the guidelines. I pumped and stored milk for the first year with both girls.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? IMO, yes. Formula can't produce the antibodies found in breastmilk. Your milk is tailored to your baby. There's so much research, but to me what it boils down to is that formula is attempting to reproduce what our bodies create naturally. Science can do a decent job, but it will never be better.

Breast pump or straight from Boob? I mostly did from the boob, but I pumped occasionally

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? I don't drink alcohol any way, so I didn't have to change anything..... oh except peppermint. Avoid peppermint! I didn't know it can dry up milk and had to go on a pumping fest for 2 days straight to fix it.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? DS started STTN at 6 weeks. That is 8 hours for us. I truly think it depends on the kid, not on what you feed them. He was always easy at night even though he had breastmilk exclusively.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? Definately. We still have frozen BM from DS. I pull it out when he is sick and give it to him.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? I really don't know and am not really anti-formula, but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper! Plus my least favorite chore as a mom is washing bottles. I HATE washing bottles. Breastfeeding = no bottles! Yay!

Breast pump or straight from Boob? I only pumped if I couldn't be there to feed DS. According to the Le Leche League advice I received, stay away from the pump at first. The baby sucking will help your milk come in. They tried to have me pump in the hospital but I refused and just BFed until my milk fully came in at about 3 days PP

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Alcohol is an obvious no no. I couldn't drink milk (but could have a other dairy if I watched how much I ate) because DS would have a reaction.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? No way! First off, BF'ed babies don't wake up more often. DS slept through the night (meaning 12 hours straight) at 6 weeks and was exclusively BF'ed. And second, it was so nice not having to get up and mix bottles in the middle of the night. Just whip out the boob and that's it!

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? I am a SAHM but of course storing pumped milk is safe. Just be sure to refrigerate or freeze it according to standards.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? That's your own opinion. I feel breast milk is always best according to my research. That doesn't mean formula is bad by any means. But a huge positive is the SAVINGS!! Breast milk is free and formula is ridiculously expensive!

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob? It will be much easier to go straight from the boob. The baby gets much more from the boob themselves than a pump can do. And baby can completely empty the breast where as a pump can't. And since breastfeeding is a supply/demand thing, you could have issues with supply if the breast doesn't empty completely (I did).

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Definitely alcohol can be problematic. Though some women do it because it makes baby sleep longer. I definitely wouldn't do it. Also, I had problems with certain foods causing lots of gas on DS's tummy and he would end up VERY fussy. I couldn't eat most beans, and some veggies because they gave him too much gas.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? I actually found it easier to sleep, because I would bring DS into bed with me and nurse him while laying on my side. I would get to snooze more this way. Plus I didn't have to get all the way up to prepare a bottle so I think breastfeeding at night is way easier.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? The storage bags are made so that they are safe for the milk. The only problem I had was having a safe/clean place to store the pumped milk while I was at work (I was a teacher). I had it in my lunch bag in the staff fridge and another teacher squashed my bag one day and poked a whole in the breastmilk bag So from then on I stored it in the nurse's office fridge.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? The doctor's and the pros always say yes. Not only the health benefits but also the benefits of the skin to skin contact and it's a great opportunity for bonding with the baby.

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

 

Answers according to my own experience: 

Breast pump or straight from Boob?  Both.

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? It depends on your baby.  I didn't change jack squat about my diet, but my girls never had issues.  Some babies have sensitivities and if that is the case for your LO then it will be a matter of trial and error.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?  Yes.  At least, it was for me.  Just being honest.  Though, I think this also depends on babies as individuals.  Some are marathon nursers and don't need to feed as often, and some babies just snack all day and night.  DD2 was a snacker.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?  Yes.  I can't give you exact data, but a little research should get you the answers you need about keeping things sanitary and temperature controlled.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?  Yes.  Again, some research will go a long way, but there are many differences between breastmilk and formula and long-term studies have shown some interesting results.  Still, formula will certainly not kill or poison your baby, so moms who don't BF shouldn't feel guilty.

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob? this is a personal choice but I think you will produce more if an actual baby is nursing as opposed to pumping. eventually your body knows its a pump not a baby.

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? some ppl have to give up dairy b/c their LO has stomach/gas issues. I didn't have to but I couldn't eat spicy things or veggies that normally give you gas such as broccoli. And you have to eat a good bit while you are nursing to keep your milk supply up.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often? if you are nursing long enough and the baby is getting "hind" milk then he/she will sleep as long as a formula fed baby. this is a myth. children sleep through the night when they are ready.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do? storage is absolutely safe, but it is a huge commitment that you have to be ready for. Your baby is worth the hassle!

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? the only thing I can say here is that my son was breast fed until 6 months and didn't get his first ear infection until 10 months old. Not sure if I'd given just formula.

stick with it and good luck!! it is definitely a great choice for your baby!!

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

jerseygirl81:

Nowuseeme324:

Wonderful!!! Thank you so much for that. Now you said you pumped, What kind of pump do you have or did you use during that year? Would you recommend the same pump to a close friend? 

I used the Medela PISA and I'll be buying the same one for this baby. I recommend it to everyone I know. He had EBM for just over a year thanks to that pump. This time I will try much harder to actually get the kid on the breast.

Everything jerseygirl posted on her PP above about your questions! I EP for just over 7 months, and EPing is HARD. I used the Medela Freestyle though. I used the PISA originally and ended up upgrading and for me there was no comparison between the two, the Freestyle was amazing for me.  

Everyone has posted alot of good information. Breatfeeding was a struggle with DD for the first two months. We had alot of issues that I won't go into. That being said I'm so glad I stuck with it. First it is better for her. Second was easier to just find somewhere private or just cover up and feed her then have to worry about the bottle/formula. Third I lost weight like crazy and ate what ever the heck I wanted! I got in trouble when she weaned, I guess I got to use to the crazy metabolism and I gained 10 pounds.

I only pumped when I was at work. I would typically eat when I pumped or read a magazine. I'm a nurse so it was nice that it made me take my breaks. I would bring a little cooler with ice and store it in there.

 I didn't really change my deit to much. We eat spicy and alot of garlic and DD never had a problem. I did watch my caffine intake. Once she started sleeping threw the night I would have a beer or glass of wine after she went down. You do need to be careful about what medications you take. I allways consulted with a docter first. In general I avoided medication unless neccesarey because I'm paranoid.

Good Luck. I live in a rural area and I found our local hospital had a few nurses that were very helpful and also check out the breastfeeding board on here. Very supportive and knowledgeable ladies over there.

Nowuseeme324:

I did not breast feed with my DD mainly because the girls just didnt produce like they should have. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am really considering giving this another shot in hopes that the cha cha's work this time! But I have my questions....

Breast pump or straight from Boob?  It was easier for me to nurse than to pump and then bottle feed (although my son took that decision away from me at 5 weeks when he started refusing bottles).  If you were to pump and then feed from a bottle, feeding time would take twice as long, plus you then also have to clean bottles, store the milk, etc.

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules?  I didn't follow any specific rules.  As a rule of thumb for me, if I needed to ingest something that I wouldn't ingest when pregnant, I would look into whether it was safe before ingesting it.  If your baby seems to be having trouble digesting something, look further into it.  My son only had trouble with one thing, and it was the naproxen the doctors prescribed for me after labor.  Otherwise, he was ok with all other foods.  

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?  Yes and no for me.  On one hand, I had to do all of the night feedings for a child who would cry and cry and cry every time I finished a feed (he'd be sleeping and then wake up screaming when he stopped nursing).  That was really hard for the first 6 weeks.  After 6 weeks, he went right back to sleep after nursing.  He woke up once a night to nurse for 15 minutes from 4 months on (after I went back to work), but I got used to it and it wasn't so bad.  The good part about it was that nursing was the only way to calm this child down when he was upset, so it made it so much easier to nurse him back to sleep when he woke up than it would have otherwise.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?  Yes.  I did it for 8 months (although he didn't drink most of that milk, he didn't get sick from any of the expressed milk he did ingest).

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?  I don't know the answer to this, but I can tell you that my son was a very alert baby and is very smart now.  It could be genetics, it could just who he is, or it could be enhanced by the breast milk.  The number one advantage I see to having breast fed my child is the comfort it provided him.  He has grown from being a very insecure newborn who cried all day and all night to being a very secure toddler, and that in and of itself is worth every minute of extra trouble breastfeeding caused me when he was a baby.

Just looking for some help from other moms who have BTDT. Thanks Ladies 

 

I breastfed exclusively (no pumping)

Some people will avoid certain foods while breastfeeding (broccoli, beans, spicy foods, etc) but I didn't find them to be a problem so I ate as normal

The baby will wake up the same amount of times - whether you're breast feeding or formula feeding. The newborn stage is hard on everyone because they're waking up every couple of hours (or less sometimes) but after awhile they sleep longer stretches and you'll get more sleep too. I was lucky - DD slept 8 hours when she was only a month old. She's always been a great sleeper. 

Yes, milk storage/breastfeeding is still safe when you go back to work. What are your concerns about that?

Oh boy. :) I believe there are advantages to breast milk (mainly the antibodies and stuff that baby gets from mama; you can't reproduce that in formula), but it's not like formula is bad for your kid. Either option is fine.

Breast pump or straight from Boob?   Boob

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules?   Other than timing alcohol consumption and possibly limiting caffeine if your baby is sensitive to it, not really.

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?   Baby slept in my room so I just had to pop her on the boob and she went back to sleep. No getting up to make bottles.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?   I never had to deal with pumping at work, but I have stored breastmilk and yes, it's safe.

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby?   In my opinion (and the opinion of the AAP, WHO, etc), yes. Enough so that's it's worth it to me to make the extra effort it takes in the beginning to get things going.

Breast pump or straight from Boob? Boob is so easy, especially when you're away from home.  No need to haul around bottles, formula, etc.  However, having a pump and having a few bottles ready in the fridge is nice so your DH/SO can take a feeding and give you a break.  Pumping full-time is quite a bit of work from what I've read from other posters. 

Diet and food consumption while Breast feeding are there rules? Like PP said, don't feed/pump while drunk.  Obviously, you want to keep up healthy eating but you'll have to see how your baby reacts to certain foods.  Broccoli makes my LO super gassy so I try to avoid it. 

Night time feedings/ is it harder to sleep bc the baby wakes up more often?  I've never heard of BF babies waking up more often that FF babies.  Regardless, you're going to have your fair share of sleepness nights/multiple wakings either way.

Going back to work while still breast feeding/ Is storage really a safe thing to do?  Storage, done properly, is completely safe.  Breast milk is really great because it keeps for so long (longer than a bottle of formula, I believe.).  Pumping at work is pretty easy and make sure you check out your state laws regarding pumping at work.  My state (CT) requires employers to provide a private room/office for pumping/breastfeeding.  I get to kick my boss out of her office twice a day because there isn't a designated room in our building. 

With the advances in formula these days is mothers milk truly that much better for baby? YES!  Of course babies who are FF get everything they need to thrive, but BFing has so many "bonuses" on top of formula, not to mention the awesome bonding.

HTH!

mrsannie:

Formula will never give your baby everything it needs (and in my opinion there are a lot of questionable ingredients in most formulas). 

How has no one caught this BS yet?! Formula is perfectly fine, safe and nutritious for your baby if, for whatever reason, BF doesn't work out. It is completely inaccurate to say that it is somehow "not enough" to nourish your baby. I completely disagree with this statement.

Breast is great. I want to try to breast feed with this new baby, but if it doesn't work out then there is no shame in FF. Absolutely none. My pediatrician, midwife, and other medical professionals have all said so. Please do not make it sound like formula is poison because it is not. This type of language is what plays into he guilt that some mothers feel when BF doesn't work out for them.

DD is formula fed. She was BF for 2 months before my supply tanked and I couldn't get it back no matter what I tried. I cried and cried when I couldn't BF anymore because I was convinced that somehow I was inadequate. Switching to formula felt like defeat because somehow I believed this type of language.

I'm not saying breastfeeding is not a wonderful choice, but so is FF. Please please stop it with this type of stuff! 

I tried to breastfeed DD but she just wouldn't latch and it was super stressful for all involved. She wasn't gaining weight and I wasn't sleeping b/c she was always hungry. I made the decision after 2 weeks of struggling with this to switch to exclusively pumping. It solved all my problems. DD still got the breastmilk that I wanted her to get and I could measure how much she was eating. She slept through the night finally b/c she wasn't hungry all the time

I will say that I will try to BF again and I am hoping LO is a better latcher. It was a huge struggle for me to fit in pumping while taking care of a baby by myself. I would have to feed DD by bottle and pump while she napped and therefore I couldn't nap. I felt like my life was revolving around my pumping schedule and it was really hard. I continued pumping until she was 6 months and then I stopped. If your baby latches well I recommend BFing directly and pump only later on when you go back to work and can't feed your baby directly. 

candlequeen:

Nowuseeme324:

the only thing I can say here is that my son was breast fed until 6 months and didn't get his first ear infection until 10 months old. Not sure if I'd given just formula.

stick with it and good luck!! it is definitely a great choice for your baby!!

I don't know if ear infections have any correlation with breastfeeding, but it would seem so. DS was breastfed until 14months and he's never had an ear infection.

AFBTB:

candlequeen:

Nowuseeme324:

the only thing I can say here is that my son was breast fed until 6 months and didn't get his first ear infection until 10 months old. Not sure if I'd given just formula.

stick with it and good luck!! it is definitely a great choice for your baby!!

I don't know if ear infections have any correlation with breastfeeding, but it would seem so. DS was breastfed until 14months and he's never had an ear infection.

A few anecdotes and personal stories don't make a fact. My daughter was breastfed for a year and has had 5 ear infections in 6 months and will probably need to get tubes.

homebird:

A few anecdotes and personal stories don't make a fact. My daughter was breastfed for a year and has had 5 ear infections in 6 months and will probably need to get tubes.

Yeah, the immunity buildup is for things caused by external germs. My EBF baby narrowly avoided tubes, too.