Should I breastfeed or bottle feed my son?

Question

Should I breastfeed or bottle feed my son?

Answer 1

My daughter is just weaning at 18 months old.



I lost all of my weight within 5 weeks and my pants fit 17 days after she was born. I got the IUD since I don't plan on having kids for 3 more years. You should look into this, also there are pills if you want to go that method.



Formula is not close to breast milk nor can it match the closeness and bonding you will have with the baby. I would breast feed for as long as possible and if that's 6 months then it 6 months but I would definitely do it in the beginning, whipping out a boob is a whole helluva a lot easier then making a bottle at 2 am.

Answer 2

Breast is Best! There are so many reasons for this a few you have already mentioned. I am very passionate about this as I believe it is the most natural, healthy, bonding thing to give your child, it will build there immune system greatly and your breast milk actually changes to meet your babies needs. There is very little waste as most of the milk is used within your babies body. Whereas formula fed babies may suffer constipation as there is alot of waste that doesn't get used. Breast fed babies need to feed more often for that reason. Formula fed babies are fuller for longer because they have a whole heap of unused matter sitting in their bellies.

Look the choice is yours but there is no denying breastmilk is best for your baby. Even if you breast feed for a few weeks your baby will benefit, give it a go and then decide.

Answer 3

On the other hand, formula these days are supposed to be so much better for babies that it is close to the same as breast milk.???

LOL NOT true at all. I'm blown away that someone would think that

If you do have to go back to work and don't wanna pump then at least breastfeed the first 6-8 weeks like you said then switch.

pumping is not that hard and it does benefit your baby more than formula.

Answer 4

i'm going through the same thing. well the baby won't be staying at anyone's house for days at a time right away right? so this is what i'm going to do it may work for u also.



u can bottle feed breast milk! i'm going to start pumping my milk from day 1 and also in between feedings just to get my milk supply going. it's going to be a lot of work, but this way daddy and big brother can feed her too. eventually u will be making enough milk to pre-make your bottles for the day! then even for 2 days! i mean u won't be able to send baby off to grandma's for a good while, but once ur ready to let him go for a day or 2, ur supply should be so up that u can pre-pump enough milk for the trip. ur milk is made by supply and demand, so the more u pump (which will be tiring in the begining) the more u can make.



good luck with everything, hope i helped!



*edit* i forgot to mention when u breast feed/pump u lose the baby weight A LOT FASTER!!!!

Answer 5

I breastfeed and also supplement with some formula. This is because I have low milk supply and my baby always falls asleep after 5 minutes on my breast. The final decision is yours but you could do both like me.



Also, people always say that breastfeeding will help you lose weight. Well, it's not necessarily true as I actually gained 6 lbs in 4 weeks. My doctor said that because breastfeeding makes you hungrier, you tend to eat more. So make sure you watch what and how much you eat if you want to lose weight.

Answer 6

Breast milk is and always has been the best for babies. Formula will not hurt your baby but it is not as good.

You can always breastfeed and supplement with formula. On the weekends that you pump, you will have enough saved up for the next weekend he is gone.

Breastfeeding does give you a really close bond with your baby. And it is very comforting for both mom & baby.

Answer 7

breastfeed him see how it goes, pump as well, I doubt you will get much milk at first it takes a few weeks for your milk supply to work it self out. You can go on some pill while breastfeeding and if you give him formula you will have alot more problems.

Answer 8

Breastmilk is way, way, way better. It's cheaper, it's easier, and it's much healthier. Breastfed babies may have more diapers, but formula is really much more expensive than a few more diapers. And pumping isn't hard once you get used to it. Your employer should provide a place for you to pump. As for losing weight, you will lose it MUCH more quickly if you breastfeed. And yes, you can definitely go back on the pill if you are breastfeeding.



Of course it's up to you which you choose. But even if you do decide to use formula, your son will be better off if you breastfeed first, as long and as much as you can. And if you decide to supplement with formula when your son is with Grandma, you can still breastfeed when you are with him. It's not as good, and your milk supply will suffer, but any little bit of breastmilk is better than none.



Good luck.

Answer 9

formula is better than it was when we were kids... but it is still no where near what breastmilk is... there are over 100 components of breastmilk that have gone unnamed still! they're not sure what they're for or what to call them!



here's 101 reasons to breastfeed your baby:

http://www.promom.org/101/



pros for formula:

easier to leave baby behind. though if you invest in a good pump and learn how to use it right, this is not really such a pro.



AND, what is with the grandmothers wanting to take babies for whole weekends??? Be prepared to not want to be away from your baby for a whole weekend!!!!! It's not a natural thing! after a couple of months, a few hours for a date night is fine, but a whole weekend away from your baby? bottle/breast doesn't matter to me, sounds insane!



and as far as working... there are a ton of women who work full time from 6 weeks and their babies never get formula! I babysit a boy who's now 15 months, he's never had formula and his mother has worked since he was 7 months old. what you need is to read up more on breastmilk, breastfeeding and buy a good pump (Ameda Purely Yours is my suggestion, Medela and Lansinoh double electrics are good too)

Answer 10

If you are wanting to do what's best for your son, breastfeed him and pump for his weekends away and when you go back to work. You will probably have much more milk than you think, so don't worry yet about your supply. Formula is not close to breastmilk, nor will it ever be. Yes, breastfed babies do tend to go more often, but that's a good thing! Their tummies are so much more happier than on formula! It just means their digestion is right on track. It is definitely a lot cheaper to breastfeed.



However, if convenience is more important to you (it is to some people, I'm not saying they are bad mothers) then you would be best bottle-feeding, as it is more convenient, being that baby can be fed by someone else. But really, if you pump milk, anyone can feed baby with your breastmilk. The only other benefit to this would be once you go to work.



You should think long and hard about this because trust me, it's a bigger decision than many women think. Did you know that formula-fed babies have a higher risk of obesity later in life? Many formula-fed babies have weight issues later. It's just something to think about.



What does your husband think?

Answer 11

Breastfeeding really is best for the health of your child.

Breastfeeding reduces babies' risk of these diseases by:



Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): 36%

Type 1 Diabetes: 19-27%

Type 2 Diabetes: 39%

Leukemia (acute lymphocytic) : 19%

Leukemia (acute myelogenous): 15%

Asthma: 27%

Gastrointestinal infections: 64%

Lower respiratory tract diseases: 72%

Atopic dermatitis: 42%

Acute otitis media: 50%

And breastfeeding reduces mothers' risk of these diseases by:

Type 2 Diabetes: 4-12%

Ovarian cancer: 21%

Breast cancer: 28%

http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2007/04/how_much_does_b.html



Don't listen to all of these people who say they "couldn't" breastfeed --- the truth is that more than 95% of all women are capable of breastfeeding. Many just give up bc it is hard in the first couple of weeks or they just don't get educated enough. And then there are some who just lie, like my sister in law, who told me many times that she "couldn't" because she "did not produce enough milk." Then, after my baby was born, she admitted to me that she never even tried. People just feel guilty about doing formula for selfish reasons (like they think it will make their breasts sag, which is NOT true http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101170723.htm) when they know breastfeeding is better for the baby. If you read, get educated, and are dedicated to doing the best for your baby, the chances are that you will be able to successfully breastfeed. But you have to get educated and don't fall victim to any breastfeeding myths http://pediatrics.about.com/library/breastfeeding/blbreastfeedingm.htm

Good luck and congrats on the baby.



Edit -- What I am trying to say is that in general, except for a very small percentage of women, "where there's a will, there's a way" with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is hard for almost everyone at first, but it you are really dedicated to it, then you will probably succeed (and it gets much easier after the first few weeks if you stock with it). I only bring it up because I am so tired of people who gave up on breastfeeding or just chose not to breastfeed posting answers saying that breastfeeding was so hard and discouraging others from trying. My in-laws were like that before my baby was born -- they were saying things like "Oh, it's so difficult and painful and you'll never succeed" "So many women just don't produce enough milk", etc. But I was really dedicated to breastfeeding, since it is proven to be so much better for the health of the child, and because of my dedication I was able to persevere and get through the hardest part. I really did not mean to make anyone feel bad because they made the choice to formula feed. I just wanted to point out that most of the time, it is a CHOICE not to breastfeed and regardless of the choices of others, if you make the choice that you do want to breastfeed, chances are that you can succeed.

Answer 12

Formula is not at all better - that's just marketing crap. Ask your doctor.



Breast feeding strengthens his immune system drastically. It reduces your risk of cancer. It saves tons of money. There are about 10 other advantages.

Try the book "So that's what they're for". My wife read lots of passages from it out loud. After you read it, you can't imagine who wouldn't breast feed. (The book has 111 5-star reviews at Amazon).



Get a good breast pump - like the Ameda for about $200. Breast milk will keep for quite a while when refrigerated (2 weeks, I think) and several months when frozen. Plus - he can still have formula from time to time.

Answer 13

This is a very much personal decision. I could only breastfeed for 1 week, I found it very hard and much to much pressure..little bit of the baby blues too. But either way, if you do choose to breastfeed my doctor told me it is best to atleast get the baby used to formula just incase you get sick or something. If you choose to breastfeed and the baby goes to its grandparents maybe pump enough for the day and then formula at night?

But do be careful my ped. also told me that if you get the baby too used to bottles he/she can get very fussy at the breast because it is slower and can't eat as fast. :o)Good luck and enjoy you new bundle of happiness :o)



Edit: I was reading some of the answers and didn't realize that you were looking for scientific reasons you should breastfeed!sheesh, I thought you were just looking for some opions of other moms who have been through it, lol. Don't let everyone who breastfeeds try to brainwash you that you'd be a horrible mom for formula feeding, my little man is 6 month old and couldn't be healthier. The collostrum is the best part for them and for he/she to get all of it is only a couple days, I made sure my breasts were dry of collostrum(before the milk came in) and thats when I started to bottle feed. I couldn't handle it all and that didn't make me a horrible mother and won't make you one either.

*And for the girl below me, she has no idea what she is talking about, every woman is DIFFERENT not ALL can breastfeed, On some people it is too emotionally draining, and VERY painful. So maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself and give your "advice".

Answer 14

Breastfeeding is just so much better for the baby than bottle feeding. This is how the baby builds some of its immune system. For example, my mother fed me breast milk more than she did my sister and my sister sometimes gets outbreaks of eczema and I don't. My dad was a bottle baby as well and he still sometimes suffers from it, so I say, breastfeeding is the way to go.

Answer 15

This is a personal decision that you have to make for yourself and your child. Read articles and talk to your OB and Pediatrician (or a lactation consultant) about both breast and bottle feeding and then make the decision that you feel most comfortable with. Don't allow anyone to pressure you one way or another.



Good luck!

Answer 16

Please don't let these "Breastfeed you baby or burn in hell" mothers bully you into a decision. Yes, breastfeeding is better for baby, but they have other options for a reason. I have been in your position and I know its a hard decision to make. I personally chose to breastfeed my son but after 2 weeks started him on formula due to health reason. It really is YOUR decision. Please take the time to talk to your doctor and family to make a decision that is best for you.

Answer 17

"On the other hand, formula these days are supposed to be so much better for babies that it is close to the same as breast milk"



That is absolute rubbish.



PLEASE do some research, and make sure your information isn't coming from formula company ad men.



"Is formula almost the same as breastmilk?



No, and not by a long shot. Just because every few years the formula manufacturers add something to their formulas that we knew was in breastmilk for years, but the manufacturers denied were of any importance, doesn’t mean that the “new and improved” formula is just like breastmilk. In some cases, the formula is improved, but remember, they were telling us that the formula before the “new and improved” version was also “almost like breastmilk”. This is true, for example, of the long chained polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and AA) that are supposed to make your baby smarter (one company even calls their formula A+, but it deserves a C- at best). We’ve known how important these fats are for many years, but for many years (before they were added to formula, of course), the manufacturers, echoed by many health professionals, just kept saying that it didn’t matter, and that there was no proof that these fats were of any importance at all (this is still in the Canadian Paediatric Society’s 1995 statement on the nutrient needs of premature babies). This cycle of “our milk is just like breastmilk” followed by “we have now added x to our milk so that it is even more like breastmilk” has been going on since the 19th century.

The truth of the matter is this:



Just adding something to formula, even if it is in the same amounts as in breastmilk, does not mean that the baby will get the amount or the best sort he needs of this particular something. The example of iron helps us understand this. Breastmilk contains enough iron (with the stores the baby has during pregnancy), to keep the baby iron sufficient for at least 6 months. To maintain iron sufficiency in formula fed babies, formula needs to contain at least 6 times more iron than breastmilk, just because iron does not get absorbed from the baby’s gut as well from formula as it does from breastmilk. There are still hundreds of components of breastmilk that are still not added to formulas.



Breastmilk varies in what it contains, from morning to evening, from day to day, from beginning of the feeding to the end, from day 1 to day 4 to day 10 to day 100, so there is no way we can know what breastmilk really contains. This means that there is no way to duplicate breastmilk because there is no such thing as a standard breastmilk. In fact, since every woman produces somewhat different breastmilk, the notion of a standard breastmilk becomes an absurdity. Breastmilk is a living, dynamic fluid. Formula is a chemical soup."



http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=85



"I would like to try to lose the baby weight as soon as I can and be able to get back on the pill, which Im sure will be impossible if I am breastfeeding."



Not true; see



http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/birthcontrol.html

http://www.waba.org.my/specialpages/lam/lam.htm



Bottle-feeding will certainly not help you lose weight; nursing might.



"And I was thinking I would save money with formula but I also heard that breastfeed babies also go through many more diapers so Im sure I will pay either way."



How on earth would you SAVE money with formula...? And you still have to change formula-fed babies' diapers; they just smell far worse.



Cost should not be a factor when it comes to something this important, too.



Those are very strange reasons to consider artificial feeding. Why on earth would you want to leave your young baby for entire weekends, too? I suspect you might find you do not want to do that once you actually have your son...

Answer 18

look up this painting by alex grey called Nursing... there is an spiritual outpouring from mother to child, a neurochemical bond, the love that initially brought them together...the quote in the sacred mirrors book went something like that.



colustrum.

oxytocin.

purity.

filtered by the powers of your own body.

perfect and specifically made just for the exact needs of your baby. nothing else can do that.

no chance of contamination of anything.

you're connected beyond birth, your love outpouring from your body.

what formula can make a baby's eyes roll back and make their body go limp in total relaxation and ecstasy?? only the perfect amount of oxytocin from your body can do that.

if you can do it, do it.

breastmilk gives off a smell and tastes different with all the different foods you eat. just like what they are used to in the womb.

it's amazing to see your baby after their birth, and beyond, and say that every pound is somethign that you have given them from your body. the best gift you could give to them.



formula is not so good now that it's close to breastmilk...it may be able to supplement, but it does not equal the amount of power that breastmilk has. i would never use formula to heal sunburn, or to prevent infection on a cut, or in a tiny ear to help with earache, or when my baby is sick, knowing that breastmilk would be the best thing to help them fight.



pumping is silly, but it's not that bad... it's a small price to pay for the emotional. there is NOTHHING IN THE WORLD THAT IS 'JUST AS GOOD' AS BREASTFEEDING. nothing but birth and pregnancy alone can compare.

because it's not just 'good'

it takes one second to pop out your boob for your baby, you can make bottles too when they go to the grandparents...even give them goats milk - closest milk to human milk way easier to digest than formula...

when you go back to work, worry about what you are going to do then, and know that you've experienced somethign in life that you will never be able to do again with your son...he's gonna eb out and about someday flirting with other women, dricing a car, in college, and this is your time to be close, to bond and to give him as much of your power as you can.

another plus is that you can nap all the time with baby, just have them nurse layign down right next to you and you two can just fall asleep together. the colustrum has twice the amount of endorphins that you have after birth, if baby was in any type of stress from birth, the colustrum is like gold morphine for your baby.



i really hope you are able to enjoy the joy of nursing.

Answer 19

It is really up to you to make the decision that will best fit you and your husband... just so you know - breastfeeding helps you loose weight quicker then bottle feeding. :) congrats on the baby..

Answer 20

It is a personal decision, you seem to know all the good things about breastfeeding. I was in the same situation as you when i had my baby 5months ago, he is five month and i plan on stopping at six month and switch to formula.

Answer 21

Ok. You don't really know what you're talking about.



Formula doesn't even get close to breastmilk.



If you're gonna make a choice, it should be an informed one at least.



Do you think natural apples are the same as lab processed artificial apples with added vitamins?



Shame, I guess it's all about convenience nowadays....If you can make it without your baby weekend after weekend, you might as well bottlefeed (wait until the baby is born to see if you're gonna be comfortable with that).

Answer 22

i think that its best to have your child breastfed, even for a short period of time, i have a 6 month old son, and still do breastfed him , i do have work all day so if i have the time i spent it giving him the best milk possible.

Answer 23

breastfeeding is best, so maybe u should aim for that.



its a personal decision, so u need to do what u want. u don't want to end up hating anybody because u took or didn't take their advice.

Answer 24

it is best to breastfeed at least a few weeks so the baby can get the colostrum from your breast milk, i wanted to breast feed but didn't produce any milk, so your plans might change. having my daughter on formula was a huge convenience, especially when she got old enough to hold her own bottle.

Answer 25

breast feed

Answer 26

Don't let the "Breast is Best" gang guilt you into breastfeeding...While I do breatfeed my baby, I understand (unlike some people) that it isn't for everyone! Your baby will be perfectly healthy if you choose formula!



Good luck!

Answer 27

First, ditch the idea that formula is "so much better for babies that it is close to the same as breast milk." That's hogwash.



Second, breastfeeding HELPS you lose weight. Geez, you obviously haven't done any research on this.



"Formula is an artificial substance that is made to replicate mother's milk. It is NOT a duplicate of mother's milk. Pick up a can of formula and read the ingredients to see that it is quite inferior to breastmilk. It is mainly made up of sugar and oils and a protein such as cow's milk, soy or whey. It does not contain antibodies, digestive enzymes, or immunoglobulin. Babies that are fed formula are 14 times more likely to be hospitalized in their first year. These babies are more prone to respiratory illnesses, ear infections and diarrhea. Babies that are fed formula instead of breastmilk miss out on the intense physical bond that allows them to develop a sense of trust in the world. Giving your baby formula is not the same as breastfeeding. Formula is not an equal substitute for breastmilk. It can keep alive a baby that has no access to breastmilk but is actually fourth on the list of best food choices for baby. The first three being breastmilk from the mother's breast, breastmilk pumped and given in a bottle and then another mother's milk from a milk bank."

http://www.lactivist.com/dangform.html



"What Breastmilk Has That Formulas Don't

Why breastmilk will always be better than formula.



Formula feeding is the longest lasting uncontrolled experiment lacking

informed consent in the history of medicine."



— Frank Oski, MD

retired editor, Journal of Pediatrics



Protection against infection



Children who are formula fed are at significant risk for infection. We have just come to accept that infants get RSV, rotavirus and ear infections. They are not supposed to be diseases of infants, but in the USA, the largest consumer of formulas world wide, we hospitalize many, many, many infants each winter with those diseases. The great majority of those infants are formula fed.



In fact, the number one risk factor for kids getting ear infections is bottle feeding: not day care, not smoke exposure, but formulas. Think about the loss of work, the exposure to antibiotics, the midnight purchases of medicine for fever and rehydration solutions, and visits to me that could be avoided if more families chose to breastfeed their infants.



You see, infection fighting cells of the body are present in abundance in breastmilk and are not found at all in formula. So children who are formula fed are not just at risk for ear infections but diarrhea (from rotavirus, E .Coli, cholera, Giardia), and respiratory infections (like RSV, influenza, H. flu, pneumococcus). Plus, formula fed kids get more meningitis (From H.flu, pneumococcus, herpes, and group B strep).



Protection against inflammation



The factors in breastmilk protect premature infants from a potentially fatal gut complication called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Children born at 30 weeks of gestation have a 6-10 fold increase in their risk for NEC if they are formula fed.



Protection against Cancer



A study done inn 2002 showed that for every 12 months a mom breastfeeds, her risk of breast cancer decreases 4.3% as compared to women who never nursed. Another showed a 54% reduction for women who breastfed for greater than 24 months.



A study in 1999 looked at the risk of leukemia for kids who had never been breastfed versus those who were. Children who were breastfed had a 21% reduction in risk of childhood leukemia. Said another way, children who are never breastfed are at greater risk for leukemia than their breastfed counterparts.



Protection against lifetime illnesses



Breastfed kids have less obesity as they enter kindergarten. They are 26 times less likely to develop insulin dependent diabetes. Formula fed kids are at higher risk of developing eczema.



A consistent recipe



Breastmilk has had the same recipe for many, many, many years. It hasn't needed a fan fare of advertising for every new ingredient change, because the ingredients haven't needed to change. The celebrating that formula companies do about the improvements in their product are really what happens when a deficit is fixed. Formula companies realized that their product needed to be fortified with vitamin D when kids started having seizures from low calcium levels. They tried to help combat adult high blood pressure problems with a type of formula low in sodium until kids started having seizures from low sodium levels. When there wasn't enough iron in their product, they found out after many kids became anemic, and that iron-deficiency anemia, as we have learned, has had developmental consequences. Plus, formulas in powder form have the potential to be contaminated with bacteria. The ready-to-feed and concentrate are sterilized, but powders aren't. The great majority of formula recalls have been because powdered forms were contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria.



Other ingredients, found in breastmilk, are still missing...in the future, we may see other additions to formula like infection- fighting oligosaccharides, insulin, and prebiotics. That means that they are not in the recipe now.



So what if all the ingredients in breastmilk got in formula some day..



So let's say they get all the ingredients in breastmilk (all the white blood cells, antibodies, anti-inflammatory cells, and biologically active compounds that are so important to our children's' health in formula... would breastmilk still be better? Yes. Of course. The milk a mom makes for her baby is perfect for her child. Nobody else can ever make a more perfect food. The antibodies in a mom's milk are specific to the viruses and bacteria that mom and baby came into during that day. The composition of the milk varies from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, the beginning of the feeding to its end, changes to meet a growing baby's needs and is flavored with foods that mom ate, making every mouthful of food different, and perfect for that baby. No formula company can ever make a more perfect food for your baby than you can as that baby's mother"

http://www.drjen4kids.com/soap%20box/what%27s%20missing%20in%20formula.htm



http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/articles/312-formula-report-2.htm

Answer 28

bottle feed even though its more expensive, your boobs will get saggy and he may become too attached and want your breastmilk longer than he needs it. my friend got breastfed until she was 5 because she became soo attached.

good luck :]