View Full Version : Bottle-feeding versus breastfeeding.
Which method of feeding won over in your home as the favoured choice? Maybe you were like me and did both.
Breastfeeding was one thing I was absolutely positively sure I was going to do (full-time) once the babies started coming, but as it was I chose bottle-feeding instead. (Breastfed for a short while with each child after they were born but gave it up early on).
Both. I pumped breastmilk for DD to have at daycare, or for Dad to give her. She started getting cow's milk at about 12 months, and kept up morning and night nursings until about 14 months.
I, personally, never fed DD a bottle, on the theory that it was better for her to understand that Mom always feeds one way and Dad always feeds the other way.
poetry_writer
5-18-11, 12:55pm
My first child absolutely refused to breastfeed. I tried everything. I had gone to breastfeeding mothers classes, read books etc. She simply wouldnt latch on. It was miserable and I bottle fed her so she would not starve. My second one nursed like a little pig from birth to 9 months. I think its a personal decision, based on baby and mothers comfort.
catherine
5-18-11, 12:55pm
Baby #1: Breast fed for a year.
Baby #2: Breast fed for about 6 months
Baby #3: Breast fed for 3 weeks but then I had to go back to work, so tried to do half/half BM/formula--and then learned through experience that the contraceptive benefits of breast-feeding don't work if you're only doing it part time; hence:
Baby #4: Breast fed for about 6 months.
DS - breastfed 1 yr. and some change
DD - breastfed 1 yr. and some change
Challenged getting both going - very grateful that hospital had excellent lactation counselor.
I have ridiculous size boobs so I think it was alot for the little ones to get ahold of :|(
If there are any expecting moms reading this - take your breast pump to the hospital with you when you have baby and have lactation counselor walk you through putting it together/using it. I did this with Baby 2 as a refresher and was very happy I did.
DS - I supplemented a few formula bottles here and there as needed on a few occasions. I never really 'stockpiled' the mommy milk like I had envisioned. He was in a daycare at my worksite which made walking over to feed him a couple of times a day a breeze. What a blessing!
DD - UBER picky - at first would NOT take the boob, so I had to pump and bottle feed for several weeks - then once she did take the boob, it was ONLY the LEFT boob - and she would have NOTHING to do with a bottle, which made the whole occasional babysitting stint a real drag.
On both kids - was able to go out of town for a couple of days and MIL kept them to wean.
Bastelmutti
5-18-11, 4:05pm
Baby #1 - breastfed 18 mos.
Baby #2 - breastfed 24 mos.
No supplementation at all. Fortunately, I worked at home during baby #2's time. Pumping at work was a drag w/ baby #1. With both babies I went back to work at 3 mos., so it is do-able, although not always easy.
Baby #1 Wouldn't latch. Tried desperately to make it work, but it didn't
Baby #2 Breast fed for four months, then went on medication that was not good for breastfeeding
Baby #3 Breastfed for a couple of weeks, then he went into the hospital for a respiratory infection and it all fell apart
Baby #4 Mostly Breastfed. He gets a bottle about once a day. He is 6 weeks old, but I am hoping to continue this until he is a year old.
Baby #1 breastfed for one year
Baby #2 breastfed for 4+ years
Baby #3 breastfed for 4+ years
No supplementation. I actually "tandem" nursed #2 and #3. Would not recommend it:-).
Isn't it wild that some babies won't latch? I don't get it. Do you think there's just not enough milk to give them positive feedback?
My first, DD, did fine. I breast fed her for about 5 months, and then she started biting me. I did pump for an occasional bottle if I wasn't home.
I don't know what happened to my son. Maybe I was just too stressed, but he wouldn't latch on no matter what. I even rented a pump and tried and tried, but couldn't make milk. It was a real bummer. You feel like a failure.
When my DD was first born, she wouldn't latch on, but a nurse helped alot. She put a bottle nipple over mine, so that DD would have a bigger target, and would get milk and get reinforced to do it without the bottle nipple. I found out this nurse was really chastized for some of her methods........which was crazy, 'cause I thought she was great!
I was so frustrated when my DS wouldn't breast feed. They knew he wasn't latching on at the hospital, and they didn't help. When I got home, I found out they even had a lactation specialist, that they didn't bother to tell me about.
So if you ever have trouble in the hospital, find out if they have one of those.
I always felt bad that my son didn't get the immunity stuff.
The sort-of good thing about DS not breast-feeding, was that DH got to help with the bottle through the nights! YAY!
Gardenarian
5-18-11, 5:37pm
Just have the one, and she breastfed for 4 years. I can't remember why I didn't wean earlier.
I used the pump when at work, but she never would really take a bottle. I hated that pump.
My first child is due in August. I hope to breastfeed. I think once she hits around 6-8 weeks, I might pump some so that DH can help with feedings.
Bastelmutti
5-18-11, 10:54pm
I might pump some so that DH can help with feedings.
Definitely! I started around 4 wks. & neither DD had trouble with switching between me and the bottle, but some babies do. Good luck!!
I recently heard a program on public radio about 2 women who couldn't breastfeed. They were so pressured to keep trying by the medical staff at the hospital that the babies were beginning to starve. A paedetrician finally got them on formula and all was okay. But they trusted the staff to guide them well and felt a huge bias for breastfeeding only.
It was an interesting story, but sad because one of the moms felt so guilty.
I recently heard a program on public radio about 2 women who couldn't breastfeed. They were so pressured to keep trying by the medical staff at the hospital that the babies were beginning to starve. A paedetrician finally got them on formula and all was okay. But they trusted the staff to guide them well and felt a huge bias for breastfeeding only.
It was an interesting story, but sad because one of the moms felt so guilty.
That story may be a true, but also may be skewed. I'm actually working on a market research study now with neonatologists, dieticians and nurses on the topic of feedings for premature babies. The medical community does start with the assumption, and the scientific knowledge that mother's milk is superior to any formula feeding, as good as the formulas might be. Mother's milk has a unique blend of nutrients and immune-boosting properties that formula cannot replicate. So, they do encourage mothers to go that route.
They recognize that it's the mother's choice, and they will certainly support them either with a lactation consultant, or by giving them formula. When you say "a pediatrician finally got them on formula" it was probably more like a day or so of the nursing staff trying to encourage the breastfeeding, and then consulting with the pediatrician to provide the formula. I don't know--I personally don't believe that in a hospital setting a medical staff would let a baby starve.
Perhaps those particular nurses/dieticians/lactation consultants were biased towards breast milk, and it's a shame the mom was made to feel guilty, but I think the bias is there just in the interest of seeing if the mom can overcome physical or emotional barriers in order to provide the optimum nutrition. If they can't, of course, no shame in formula.
gardenlover
5-19-11, 6:28am
I just have the one. Fed her for 4 years. I went back to work for 2 days a week, when she was 2 years. Hubby used to bring her in to feed. Loved that time in my life. So glad it worked for all of us.
jennipurrr
5-19-11, 10:25am
Wow, I have never seen a thread on breast vs bottle on any forum go for this long and not get ugly. Yay Simple Living Forum! :)
I breast fed my DD for about 4 weeks, then gave it up. I was the motherload of all milk producers. I could have fed all the starving babies of the world. I had to wear maxi thins in my bra to go grocery shopping and heaven knows it wasn't because I wasn't well endowed enough. I'd stand in the shower and two streams of milk would hit the shower wall. I'd wake up soaking wet every morning and actually slept on several layers of towels to keep the bed dry. It sucked...pardon the pun.
poetry_writer
5-19-11, 10:40am
Isn't it wild that some babies won't latch? I don't get it. Do you think there's just not enough milk to give them positive feedback?
My first, DD, did fine. I breast fed her for about 5 months, and then she started biting me. I did pump for an occasional bottle if I wasn't home.
I don't know what happened to my son. Maybe I was just too stressed, but he wouldn't latch on no matter what. I even rented a pump and tried and tried, but couldn't make milk. It was a real bummer. You feel like a failure.
When my DD was first born, she wouldn't latch on, but a nurse helped alot. She put a bottle nipple over mine, so that DD would have a bigger target, and would get milk and get reinforced to do it without the bottle nipple. I found out this nurse was really chastized for some of her methods........which was crazy, 'cause I thought she was great!
I was so frustrated when my DS wouldn't breast feed. They knew he wasn't latching on at the hospital, and they didn't help. When I got home, I found out they even had a lactation specialist, that they didn't bother to tell me about.
So if you ever have trouble in the hospital, find out if they have one of those.
I always felt bad that my son didn't get the immunity stuff.
The sort-of good thing about DS not breast-feeding, was that DH got to help with the bottle through the nights! YAY!
Some of them just wont do it. They just kept telling me "just keep trying"..."she is getting more milk than you think"....She was getting nothing, she didnt even have it in her mouth! I'd work and work and work (while she screamed or just slept) to get her to latch on. Do NOT feel bad. It happens sometimes and is not the mothers fault.
poetry_writer
5-19-11, 10:45am
Mothers seem to ooze guilt (and milk) when their babies wont nurse. Back when I had kids (the early 80s) you also had guilt if you didnt choose natural childbirth. Evidently experiencing severe pain was somehow able to elevate your motherhood status to that of a saint! I had two without anesthesia and it was utterly horrible, the worst choice I ever made in my life! I remember as a young mom sitting there with a screaming baby, boobs dripping milk and having no idea why it wasnt working. I now look back on that and smile. On down the road it didnt matter a bit that this child was fed formula. She grew up healthy and happy.
All three boys were breast fed until about 9 months when they started biting me. Went directly to a cup with no problems.
DD #1 - 18 mo.
DD #2 - 3 yr.(and my family is still talking about that->8):~)
Bastelmutti
5-19-11, 1:01pm
I recently heard a program on public radio about 2 women who couldn't breastfeed. They were so pressured to keep trying by the medical staff at the hospital that the babies were beginning to starve. A paedetrician finally got them on formula and all was okay. But they trusted the staff to guide them well and felt a huge bias for breastfeeding only.
It was an interesting story, but sad because one of the moms felt so guilty.
That's a very sad story, obviously, but usually it's the other way around in my experience (giving BF babies formula in the hospital, putting BF babies on formula schedules, etc.). There was a story on recently on our local NPR station about Chicago hospitals - their record on encouraging breastfeeding is pretty abysmal. And this is often in areas where a free source of baby food instead of $$ formula would go long way in helping low-income families.
Bastelmutti
5-19-11, 1:08pm
DD #2 - 3 yr.(and my family is still talking about that->8):~)
:~) I hear ya!
Our hospital was very up front before the birth: feeding was our choice, but the default was a commitment to breastfeeding.
In practice, that meant there were lactation consultants in the room every hour of the day and night, all with conflicting advice, and none of them ever communicated with each other. DD was a sleepy nurser and lost weight more quickly than the doctor would have liked, and there was so much confusion about whether to start formula supplementation or not, and what other nursing tricks to try, in what order. One elderly Indian woman just forcefully shoved DD onto my breast and said, "Look! She is doing it! She is doing it!" And then she left.
We ended up supplementing with pumped breastmilk in the early weeks, until DD started to nurse better. But I still took those formula samples home and kept them at the ready until they expired.
I breastfed DD until she was about 2 years + 2 months. For the last 8 months or so of that, it was just naptime and bedtime and then just bedtime. She never did take a bottle, which ended up making life easier in the end because we didn't have to take away the bottle - just went straight to a sippy cup. She never used pacifiers, either. It was so convenient to breastfeed - especially when traveling, and such a close nurturing experience.
Breast feeding, as there was no need for bottles.
My son also had a latch issue, and a lactation consultant helped us solve it in the week. I feel very blessed that we were able to get to a lactation consultant. Had he not latched, I would have pumped and used bottles.
I have strong opinions about formula. I consider it a medical last resort, not a choice. And, I believe that the current medical establishment seeks to thwart the breastfeeding relationship from the moment of birth.
oh, and I'm still BFing DS once a day (at bedtime), unless I happen to be out at bedtime (about once a month). He'll be 3 in August.
Bastelmutti
5-19-11, 5:37pm
I just wish the medical personnel had more knowledge about breastfeeding and maybe some of the problems could be prevented. A relative was told to feed her baby 10 min. every 4 hrs. - if you've ever breastfed, you know how ridiculous that is, especially for a newborn. Stuff like that.
Yes, it is frustrating.
My nephew was given sugar water and then formula at the hospital, which created a latch issue. My sister tried to get a latch, and ultimately did, but by then, her supply was affected (about 10 days post birth). Her pediatrician said "just pump every hour, feed him whatever is pumped and formula, then latch him on." obviously, that wasn't going to work (nipple confusion, no proper stimulation of the breast). Then, when she did that for a week (only getting 1-2 oz at a time), her doctor said "just pump once a day." So, then she dried up within a week.
During this time, I recommend that she: 1. put the baby to breast first, using a lactation aid for her milk and then formula if needed; 2. drink nursing tea (this sent my supply through the roof! my doctor "prescribed" it to me first week of DS's life -- he was an excellent natural doctor, trained in the US and Germany); 3. pump after the feeding and in between (giving yourself at 2 - 3 hr rest if possible). Not only would she have had a supply, but she would have trained nephew to nurse properly.
But, she listened to her pediatrician instead, who apparently knows very little about breastfeeding. More ironic? one of my sister's best friends is a lactation consultant, but my sister *refused* to talk to her because her doctor said "she'll only just confuse you. i'm the trained medical professional here!" *truly frustrating*
Wow! So great hearing from everybody! Really enjoying reading through everyone's posts to see how you all did things in your home and how things went. Thanks everybody.
From a minimalist perspective, breastfeeding exclusively equals no bottles to clean, no food to prep for the baby, and nothing extra to carry around. And it was seriously part of my consideration.
But, none of what I say above is an inditement of women, bottles, or (to an extent) formula use. Sometimes, it's just what is right. After my sister's milk dried up, I suggested milk sharing, but she didn't feel comfortable. What was most important to me was that the baby got fed, so formula it was. What's the problem there? Nothing really.
The only problem is that my sister didn't have the real, factual information that she required from a source she trusted. That just breaks my heart.
domestic goddess
5-19-11, 11:45pm
Nursed dd for a year. Afther that time she was just too busy to stop and nurse, and liked carrying a sippy cup around with her. She still likes food "to go", When I had to follow her around to nurse it began to dawn on me that she was done. and she never asked to nurse. Didn't get much help of info while in the hosp, but we made it. We are not always so patient with each other now...
Bastelmutti
5-20-11, 9:03am
I agree with you on all of your points, Zoebird.
And +1 on minimalism! Sleep w/ the baby, too, and you don't even have to get up at night! My DH and I jokingly called breastfeeding the "lazy parenting" style. To me, it took less effort than bottles.
Lots of great info! So much valuable insight too!
we also called out parenting style "lazy" -- i fully admit that whatever was easiest was what we did. LOL
I breastfed my son for 13.5 months. I went back to work at 3+ months, so he got a mixture of pumped breastmilk and straight from the source. Never needed formula.
i breast fed all 3 kids for about 2 years each. one of them liked to chew on the bottle, but none of them ever really drank anything from it. when we were gone, i would pump milk for them in the bottle, but they didn't really like it that way. i was lucky in that i was a full time mom during those years.
Zoebird. Love your adage- "whatever was easiest was what we did". I did the same.
Mm1970. What a wonderful thing! P.S. Love your blog!!! I'm going to make a point of sitting down and going through it in the next few days.
Tammy. I count my blessings all the time over always having been able to enjoy being a full-time stay-at-home mom.
it's the only parenting advice I give. "nearly every decision is pretty meaningless in the end, so do what it easiest." :D
I've lived by the old adage of- "keep it simple" for as long as I can remember! There simply is no substitute. :)
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