formula feeding and breast feeding daily pro's n cons...

Re: formula feeding and breast feeding daily pro's n cons...

• mesr

  June 2011

  i have no experience with formula, but i can tell you about breastfeeding.  my dd nursed until she was 25 months old.
  

  first, having to nurse baby very, very often is completely normal during the first few weeks.   yes, this is a *huge* responsibility, and you get no sleep.  and any amount of breastmilk is beneficial.  i know other moms who mix formula with breastmilk if they have an under-supply.  completely okay.
  

  the pros of breastfeeding as i see them (after those first few sleepless weeks) are: no formula to prepare or purchase, food for baby instantly available, guaranteed snuggle time round the clock, excellent nutrition, and a very natural way to soothe baby.  this last part becomes especially important as your child gets older.  nursing is much more than just supplying your baby with food; it's also a very comforting act for the baby.

  the cons in my experience were: especially at first, feeling like i was constantly exposing myself, having to pump milk at work (which can be difficult logistically), having my sleep interrupted for months on end, and being baby's sole source of food (this can feel very daunting if you want to go somewhere by yourself, you always have to think about how baby will be fed).

  my take on it is that nursing is awesome, but a healthy mom is most important.  so if nursing is causing you too much stress after those first few weeks, don't feel like a bad person for using formula. 
  

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• Rachel5782 member

  June 2011

  mesr:

  i have no experience with formula, but i can tell you about breastfeeding.  my dd nursed until she was 25 months old.
  

  first, having to nurse baby very, very often is completely normal during the first few weeks.   yes, this is a *huge* responsibility, and you get no sleep.  and any amount of breastmilk is beneficial.  i know other moms who mix formula with breastmilk if they have an under-supply.  completely okay.
  

  the pros of breastfeeding as i see them (after those first few sleepless weeks) are: no formula to prepare or purchase, food for baby instantly available, guaranteed snuggle time round the clock, excellent nutrition, and a very natural way to soothe baby.  this last part becomes especially important as your child gets older.  nursing is much more than just supplying your baby with food; it's also a very comforting act for the baby.

  the cons in my experience were: especially at first, feeling like i was constantly exposing myself, having to pump milk at work (which can be difficult logistically), having my sleep interrupted for months on end, and being baby's sole source of food (this can feel very daunting if you want to go somewhere by yourself, you always have to think about how baby will be fed).

  my take on it is that nursing is awesome, but a healthy mom is most important.  so if nursing is causing you too much stress after those first few weeks, don't feel like a bad person for using formula. 
  

  I love everything the poster wrote here.  I give lots of credit to any woman nursing that long!  Personally, I went the opposite route and ended up formula feeding after 1 week.  I was totally miserable and having issues with baby blues.. I felt like nursing made it ten times worse.  I also had issues with my supply and being able to have baby latch properly since I wasn't able to sit up very well after my C/S. 

  I still have some guilty feelings for not bfing, but my baby is happy and healthy, so I'm learning to deal with it.  I'll try to bf again with my  next one.. I wouldn't let DH get rid of my pump!  If you can bf in combination with formula, that may be your best bet... like pp said, some is better than none. 

  

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• M&M227

  June 2011

  I really wanted to breastfeed but we started FF after coming home.  I would have ended up with PPD if I didn't.  Me and DD are much happier now.
  

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• ~denise~ member

  June 2011

  Could you pump a little bit during the day and supplement that and formula for the baby?

  That way you give him some breast milk but also have the ability to have the formula on hand for when you need it? 

  

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• skrichar

  June 2011

  I struggled with breast feeding right from the beginning. Nurses told me he was latching properly, but it hurt like hell and I was bleeding all the time. And he was definitely hungry even after nursing. I broke down and asked for some supplement formula in the hospital. Once we were home, he started spitting up blood and throwing up and I just couldn't take nursing anymore. It was so frustrating for both of us, and now I was making him sick.

  I'm pumping throughout the day, but still don't have enough milk to give him exclusively. He gets breastmilk in a bottle when I have it, and formula when I don't. He doesn't seem to have any problem going back and forth.

  I'm really down on myself that I couldn't stick with the nursing in the beginning, and now when I try he won't latch. I hate that we might be missing out on something special, but in the end, I have a healthy, well-fed baby and I just have to trust that that's enough. 

  Hang in there!! This is tough stuff! The baby blues don't help any.
  

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