Breast or Bottle Feeding

So the million dollar question......Are you going to breastfeed your little one when they finally arrive.

With the pressure on from the professionals and media that 'breast is best' what should you do............?

All i can say is, according to research breast is most definately best.

I have had three children and they were all so different.

Child one (9lb, 8 days late, normal delivery)......
i managed to feed from day one with ease, she latched on after birth and fed until she was 6 months old, every day was like a dream, those perfect bonding moments when we just sat and gazed into each others eyes for hours where like nothing i had ever felt in my life before.

Yes for the first 2 weeks i had to battle with sore nipples and those labour after pains but just to look at her eyes and watch her grow made it all seem worth while! And no sterilising was wonderful unless i had to express and not having to go downstairs and warm bottles in the night was probably what kept me sane!

Trying to wean her onto formula milk was a tough job but we got there after a few weeks, she was already use to suckling onto the bottle because of the expressing.

She was weaned onto solids from 16 weeks as recommended at the time (2003)

Child two (8.5lb, 12 days late, normal delivery)......
He latch on straight away after birth, i knew i would have to deal with the sore nipples and after pains so this wasn't a shock like with my first baby. I breastfed everyday and used  the feeding on demand like i did with my daughter, there is 4 years between them so the demand for attention was not as bad as it would be with a younger child, i had the time to do both which was fab.

After 6 weeks i felt like the little man was still hungry after being breastfed, he was still waking a lot during the night and obviously needed 'topping up' i was tired from 2-3 hourly feeds and opted for a bedtime bottle. After a week and half of these bedtime bottles he started sleeping from 11 until 7 and 2 weeks after that from 7 until 7. A Mummy with lots of sleep was most certainly a happy mummy!

I continued to breastfeed until 11 weeks during the day and eventually changed over to formula milk with ease as he was used to the teat already. Back to washing, sterlising and making bottles!! Luckily i did not need to get up in the night to make and warm these bottles!

He was weaned onto solids at 16 weeks but did not take to it, i left it for another 2 weeks and was more than happy with food at 18 weeks. (2007 - recommended weaning age was 6 months)

Child 3 (7.5lb, 1 day early, induced)
Once again breastfeeding from day one was perfect and once again looking into those eyes can not be described in words.

Those after pains with baby number 3 were far worse than the first two.

She fed with ease for the first 16 weeks, she fed quickly and was satisfied, no sleepless nights from 7 weeks. Weaning started at 16 weeks because of the interest she showed in food even though this was against the health visitors advice (2010). I continued to feed until 6 months along with her meals and this suited us as a family, no sterlising and making bottles. I never did much expressing because trying to find the time when two other kids are running around the house was not possible.

When it came to switching to formula it was very hard, baby didn't know what to do with a bottle, nor did she know what was in this bottle. I trawled the internet for advice, i spoke to the health visitor and the midwife and found no quick fix.

I then went on a forum and found one lady who explained that she had this problem and she kept trying, every feed time she made the bottle, checked it, and offered it to her baby, after 2 weeks the baby just latched on drank the whole bottle, she was feeding in the morning and at night time and offering bottles during the day with no breast milk.

After trying many things, spoon feeding formula, adding it to breakfast and foods, nothing worked, i also opted for the above.

I shed many tears during this process, but she was right, eventually this did work!

If i had have had the time i would have expressed milk and fed this from a bottle, but life takes over and this is not always possible, but this would have made the transition from breast to bottle so much easier.

I do not regret breastfeeding but every baby is different and i came to the conclusion that maybe it is just the difference between boys and girls? I cried for a number of nights feeling like i had failed when giving my son bottles, if you read the research even if you only feed for a number of days there are still health benefits for your baby, along with that flatter tum you will notice every day! But saying that, in 2003 i was back in my jeans in 2 weeks, after baby number 3 i have decided that it is more than likely that i will never fit back in those jeans again!

What works for one baby is not always best for another and what works for you is not always right for another mum. I would tell everyone i know, to try to breastfeed after birth, it is the most amazing feeling and a vital part of bonding!

And not having to wash those bottles and make them before going out was great to. Breastfeeding is the most convenient way to feed, that is for sure!

Have a look at my review on the review pages of the Faye and Lou Breastfeeding Butterfly.... perfect for those of you who are shy, like me, i envied these women who walk down the street feeding!