Forum Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding or bottle feeding?

29 replies · page 1 of 2

sietske
You won't get any comment from me :-) but I'd like to try breastfeeding myself.

Replies

Page 1 of 2

  1. Dani #2

    Hi Gerda,

    Just one more time here: let the comments slide!
    A child doesn't benefit from a stressed-out mom, you know.
    Just do what feels right to you and what seems best for your family!

    Best, Dani

  2. gerda #3

    Hey Dani,

    That's exactly why I'm going to bottle-feed. If I breastfeed, I'll become such a stressed-out mom, and that's the last thing I want.
    I want to enjoy this pregnancy and my baby like I couldn't with Maya and Julian due to circumstances, and bottle-feeding is part of that!

  3. * #4

    @Gerda,
    As you already mention in your story, you should just do what feels best for you and you don’t need to justify yourself to anyone. As I wrote earlier, people sometimes really want their opinion to be pushed on others and to make it their own. But we are humans with the ability to think for ourselves, not sheep, so you’re free to decide what you do.
    Go ahead and give bottle feeding, girl, and don’t let anyone pressure you.

    Love, Ju
    ps I will breastfeed anyway.

  4. * #5

    @Gerda, the first bottle of formula and the second breastfeeding went super well. But if it turns into a drama, I'll just switch to the bottle anyway, regardless of what people say. Blah blah blah, I think that's what you're saying, and like you mentioned, the composition of formula has really improved enormously over the years.

    Love, Ju

  5. Tineke #6

    I’ve decided to breastfeed. But if it doesn’t work out or I just don’t feel right about it, I’ll switch to bottle-feeding, no problem.

  6. Dani #7

    With my first, I held out for 5 days to breastfeed. I barely got out of bed those days, breastfeeding didn't get going and I was stressing......
    Decided to go with the bottle and the MIL agreed immediately, no fuss or anything.

    With my friend's ex, they kept nagging that she had to keep trying to breastfeed even though it wasn't going so well anyway.
    My friend was like "look, it's fine", went to get some formula and the little guy did great on the bottle.

    So I want to try it but I'm absolutely not making a big deal out of it, if it doesn't work, too bad.
    And I remind myself that I'm making the decisions this time and no one else, even if the whole world turns upside down.

    So nice to have those hormones for a bit haha!!

  7. Olivia-Anna Beekman #8

    Don't stress, Gerda!!
    You tried!!! And in your case, you clearly feel better with bottle-feeding.
    So what's the problem then?
    I would just try pumping though!!
    Your baby gets the best nutrition and you can enjoy looking at each other.. Lovely!

    Personally, I chose to do everything I could to breastfeed!!
    But my husband wants me to pump so I don't have to get out of bed every night.
    Sweet, right!...

  8. wientje #9

    I'm going to try breastfeeding. You pass a lot of antibodies to your baby that way, and it's said that it takes a little while for the baby to build up their own immunity. Plus, you always have formula on hand, and it's much cheaper.
    But if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. It could also be that I just find it really unpleasant; I think I'd stop then and switch to bottle feeding.
    By the way, one advantage of bottle feeding is that you can monitor much better whether they're getting enough to drink. Formula also has more calories, so they need less of it.
    If it doesn't work because of the sucking reflex and stuff, I think I'll try pumping and giving the expressed milk via a bottle. A friend of mine does that. She has a very good milk supply, but her daughter doesn't get the hang of the breast. I think this is a nice and good solution. The baby gets lots of antibodies, and they can easily monitor whether they're drinking enough. Perfect combo!

  9. Cin #10

    I tried breastfeeding with my son, he drank pretty well... but I just didn't have the patience for it, had to use a nipple shield etc. I just felt stressed about it.
    Switched to bottle feeding and that went super!
    With my daughter, I didn't even try and went straight to bottle feeding..
    As you already said, here we have 2 healthy kids
    Now pregnant with #3 and this time I'm going straight to bottle feeding again

  10. liena #11

    what's actually better now?
    breastfeeding is good because it has lots of antibodies.
    but....
    you're not allowed to put expressed milk in the microwave because it heats up too fast and the antibodies get killed :s
    also if you're breastfeeding you have to give extra vitamin K.
    i give breastfeeding and the expressed milk in a bottle and have to give him that nasty olive vitamin every time on a teaspoon. he's really not happy about that
    with formula the vitamins are included.
    i've now given nutrilon formula for the first time today which you can combine with breastfeeding. seems like i suddenly have a completely different baby. less crying/screaming. and he falls asleep quickly again. if he keeps reacting so well to it then i'll switch to formula soon too.

  11. Shana #12

    I'd breastfeed, of course everyone's their own choice what they do. My guy has already asked to pump so he can give the bottle at night once for my rest, so that all comes together nicely. Pumping is so easy and you're actually giving the bottle anyway hehe. She's always done it like this and she had no complaints about it

  12. jessie #13

    I am too

  13. Diana #14

    Just both. Can't hurt.

  14. katrien #15

    Is it also recommended to combine both? For example, 'I'd like to breastfeed in the morning and as often as possible during the day, and maybe give a bottle in between. 'In the evening, back to the breast again, or is this not recommended?'

  15. elsie Guest #16

    Just keep in mind that if you skip feedings, your production can drop unless you pump at that time. Usually, your production isn't stable enough for a few months to combine breastfeeding and formula without a drop in supply.

  16. karin Guest #17

    I myself consciously chose breastfeeding. My 3 brothers and I were also raised on breast milk.
    For me, it's a logical choice. I believe that something natural is better than formula; there's no need to even debate it. Something that comes purely from nature, from Mother Nature, is always better and more attuned to your baby. But well, if you don't have breast milk, then what can you do? It's nice that formula exists, but I feel it's a completely different story if you have breast milk but choose formula because you find breastfeeding tiring. I find that a bit selfish.
    And also quite unfair to your child.
    You can never get back that short period. Your baby's health is in your hands, and if you then choose formula because you find it too much hassle to breastfeed, I think that comes across as very selfish towards your child.
    I have twins and I breastfeed them. It's very exhausting and heavy, especially the nights, but it's good for their health and also important for the bond with your child.
    I have to put myself aside during these first few months for my babies; that's what you're a mother for.
    I don't put anyone down, this is just my opinion regarding breastfeeding.
    Love, Karin

  17. Relaxte borstvoedende moeder Guest #18

    I really enjoy breastfeeding! I think it's actually very relaxed and not stressful at all. Just easy and not difficult...

    Read this, it's funny!

  18. Luna Guest #19

    Bottle feeding is perfectly fine.
    You really can't tell from a baby or child whether they've had the breast or bottle. The hormones make us feel guilty. It's also a shame that breastfeeding is so heavily promoted because it's very frustrating for women who can't or don't want to breastfeed. Your child isn't happy if you're a stressed-out, frustrated mom.
    Bottle feeding is also nice for dad, other family members can help, relax, have fun, you know exactly how much the baby is getting, it saves time and is healthy.
    So just go ahead with the bottle feeding!

  19. Anonymous Guest #20

    A happy mom means a happy baby, whether you're bottle-feeding or breastfeeding. I'm breastfeeding myself, but I've found that good support right from the start is really important. For me, it didn't get going quickly enough at first. On the midwife's advice, my little one had some formula after every feed, and I had to pump after each feed that day to stimulate my supply. I could then subtract what I pumped from the formula amount, and within a day, my supply was well established enough that we could stop the formula because my baby was gaining weight again instead of losing it. It did make me a bit unsure at first about her weight and whether she was getting enough to eat, since you can't really tell if she's gaining. But with good support, that anxiety faded. Luckily, she's growing well, so I'm happy. If it had to be bottle-feeding, I'd still be happy—as long as my little one is doing okay. But I'm glad the breastfeeding is working out; it saves on costs .

Add your reply

Share what helped you, or ask a question.

Sign in to join the conversation.

Continue with Google

Takes a moment. You’ll come straight back here to reply.