BF, FF, or Both?

jparrish1 · April 2012

Are you formula feeding, breast feeding, or both? What helped you decide?

caeraRose · April 2012

I'm planning to EBF for the first year, partially due to the health advantages, but also partially because of money. I won't be working for a year so that I can finish school, and so we'll be short on money as it is... we just can't afford to FF.

Eddy1 · April 2012

Mostly BF but I won't hesitate to give formula in certain circumstances.

With my son I don't know if I could ever say he was EBF but I did nurse for 4 months. My husband would give the occassional bottle. Sometimes BM sometimes formula. It worked out really well for us and allowed me some balance.

I plan to do that again and hopefully make it 6 months. We shall see.

HuskerBabyB · April 2012

My plan is to EBF this one until she weans herself. My first 2 were FF, and #3 was BF until 4 months then FF.

FutureNichols · April 2012

I am going to breast feed until I go back to work. Then I will bottle feed until my milk runs outs. Work stresses me out enough that I know I will dry up before she is even 7 months. I will be introducing formula to her as my breast milks starts to dissipate. We are going by what happened when I was pregnant with DS. She may be different. We shall see.

FutureMr&MrsK · April 2012

I will be EBF for the first 4 months & then possibly BF & FF unless I have been able to store up enough milk, then it will be BM in bottles so that DH or the older girls can feed him. Then at 6 months go to FF. This all depends on how my supply is & what works for him. This is the approximate schedule I followed for my other 3 that I will tentatively this time too depending on this LO & my supply.

Oem617 · April 2012

shmeell25:
I plan to EBF for the first 6 months but that's real easy for me to say as a FTM. Hopefully I will be able to.

This is my plan as well. FX it works.

JessieCupcake · April 2012

I plan to EBF but am realistic in knowing this might not work out. But it is really important to me to try. We'll see what happens.

Sawyerplus1 · April 2012

I'm definitely planning to nurse exclusively, and hopefully for a long time.

I had problems nursing both DS and DD. DS straight up refused to latch. Despite help from my MWs, nurses, a nipple shield, etc the first few weeks were incredibly difficult. I was so beyond stressed about it and DS wasn't really getting better at it, so we switched to formula. Boy was I thankful for it! DD latched much much better! I actually never had any pain from nursing her and she was exclusively nursed for 6 months, but then I found out she had LOST weight between 4 and 6 months, and at 6 months old was still only 12 lbs (often the weight of a 2-3 month old). Apparently I was having supply issues, but she never complained. After going on meds and renting a mega-pump to increase my supply, we eventually switched to formula, as these measures weren't making much difference, and I hated the thought of my DD going hungry.

So I definitely plan to nurse, and I really hope it goes well, as I'd love to do it for at least the first year. But that said, if we need to use formula again we will. I'm thankful its an option, and the important thing is that baby gets fed!

venussapphire · April 2012

EBF. My first goal is to make it to 6 months. I'm hoping I can make it until a year.

Heartcease · April 2012

JessieCupcake:
I plan to EBF but am realistic in knowing this might not work out. But it is really important to me to try. We'll see what happens.

These are my thoughts as well.

LoveyFNR · April 2012

I BF my son for the first year. At 2-3 months I tried pumping and bottle feeding but it started to destroy my milk supply and he began formula since I wasn't producing enough to keep up with him. I tossed my pump aside and went straight to exclusive nursing and within a week my supply came back up and I was able to nurse without any problems until he was 13 months. We were very lucky though that his latch was great from the start, no milk complications and my supply was great as long as I continued to nurse exclusively.

With my daughter I would like to nurse for a year but I know with my work and taking care of a toddler it may not be possible so I won't beat myself up if I can't do it. I'd like to for at least the first 6-8 months minimum though.

And maybe it's a little selfish but a huge reason I want to nurse is the weight loss. I was back to my pre pregnancy weight (maybe not my figure) within 5 months of my son being born and within 9 months I was slimmer and more toned than before I even got pregnant.

I see nothing wrong with someone choosing to FF though, I think everyone should at least TRY to nurse if they are able to just because of the health benefits but I don't judge anyone on their choice not to.

nikkks84 · April 2012

i will breast feed .. but will formula feed when in public.

kjem182 · April 2012

I'm hoping to BF, but I won't be devastated if we have to go formula. My office just made one of our conference rooms in to a pumping room, so I'm hopeful I can continue with that when I got back to work. I'll admit the fact that it might help me loose weight will be a huge motivating factor in keeping with it if it's tough. That, and all the wonderful health benefits. And the money saved.

sassafras007 · April 2012

I plan to BF.

I planned to BF with DD but she was early and my boobs did not work... so I eventually formula fed.

strawberrytree · April 2012

I plan to EBF for the first 6 months and then continue to BF until baby is about a year old. Not sure about after that, since we will be going for 2u2 and I'm not sure how my body will handle nursing while pregnant. Not sure about tandem nursing either, so this LO might be fully weaned by a year old. I'd like to BF (before bed or something, not all the time when he's a toddler) until at least 2, but we will see how it goes.

My mother EBF her three babies, and when I was 5 she BF my younger sister until about 15 months, so I grew up thinking that BF until at least a year was totally normal and natural. I don't remember ever seeing my little sister take a bottle. I completely understand that not everybody grew up with this level of comfort, though.

Samiantha101 · April 2012

I really don't want to bf, but I will for the health benefits. I have not a lot of doubt I will eventually go to formula.

jamiah18 · April 2012

I really hope to ebf for at least a year. There are so many great benefits to it so I really hope it works out:)

girlsonly · April 2012

FF I am too busy to bf

zinkyn14 · April 2012

I want to BF, but I have some concerns about how pumping and going to work will work. I guess we'll see.

cchill01 · April 2012

I BFd DD for 27 months, until she stopped asking. I will do the same for this LO.

The first year is a lot of work with all the pumping, but we survived. The second year is easy once BM is a supplement to real food.

mkflower3000 · April 2012

If I can do it (and I REALLY hope that I can), I'd like to EBF for at least a year (well, with solids in there as well, once it's time). I go to La Leche Group meetings, and there are so many benefits to BFing - many of which I think are not very widely known - that formula simply can't provide. I know that sometimes there's no choice, of course, but if I can help it I will not be relying on formula.

kaceandpoint · April 2012

I want to breast feed for as long as possible. I wanted to be as natural as can be with my baby, I don't fully trust big manufacturing plants and production lines ( i work at wendys so i see the product coming from big plants and i hate it) so i want to raise her as naturally and start with breast feeding.

Still free to be me · April 2012

I plan (and expect) to BF our new LO. DD has been nursing since birth, although she is down to just a couple minutes most days, at this point. I expect that her nursing will pick up a bit when the new baby is born.

I have great breastfeeding support and feel confident that we can solve any problems that may come up.

I loved the convenience of BFing DD and am not interested in paying for formula at all. Breastmilk is always available, always the right temperature, and I never need to worry about forgetting to bring enough when I go out. I also don't feel like dealing with washing/sterilizing bottles or mixing bottles in the middle of the night.

JuneBugBaby2012 · April 2012

My first EBF until about 9-10 months and self-weaned when I got pregnant with My second EBF until 20 months and also quit on his own. I'm looking forward to starting again with this LO.

The PP points were pretty much the same reasons we had.

notfrancie · April 2012

kjem182:
I'm hoping to BF, but I won't be devastated if we have to go formula. My office just made one of our conference rooms in to a pumping room, so I'm hopeful I can continue with that when I got back to work. I'll admit the fact that it might help me loose weight will be a huge motivating factor in keeping with it if it's tough. That, and all the wonderful health benefits. And the money saved.

This, for sure. My rule for this baby thing is whatever keeps us all healthy and sane.

Houstonmom · April 2012

FF.

I have an incredible BM supply naturally (I used to nurse DS and immediately pump 16 oz of good, fatty milk afterward...crazy good supply) but I also have excess prolactin in my blood when I'm not pg or nursing, which causes other health problems and nursing increases prolactin even more so I've made the decision to exclusively FF #3.

Completely looking forward to it from a practical standpoint but will surely miss those sweet moments of nursing this LO.

Gismo123 · April 2012

I plan to EBF with the occasional bottle session with pumped breast milk so DH can get some quality feeding time in too. The bottle's won't come into play until after 6 weeks though and it will only be 1-2 times a day....like when DH gets up for work he will do one feeding and maybe one when he comes home from work.

SugarhillHnA · April 2012

I hope to EBF this baby until he/she self weans just like I did with DD. I nursed her for 19 months and she never had a drop of formula. Here's hoping my boobs work just as well this time around and this baby is also a good nurser.

claudiaudia · April 2012

Breast feed because I am too damned lazy to make bottles of formula and wash them all the time. That is my honest and serious reasoning.

naflmj · April 2012

I plan to BF and then pump when I return to work but am being realistic in that I may have to supplement with twins. I was able to BF my son for a year and truly feel it is the best for our family given the nutritional and health benefits and the bonding experience.

Mt2G1012 · April 2012

I'll be BF #2. No formula and I won't have to pump this time since I'm SAH, which I am so happy about. I'll pump a little to have a stash so I can leave LO if I need to but that's it. I BF DD1 for 14.5 months and hopefully things work out just fine this time and I can nurse #2 successfully as well.

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