Bittie

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by Rally
Bittie

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LOL! I knew someone would say that...

It's down to personal choice at the end of the day. Breastfeeding is supposed to promote better health in the newborn as the mother passes on her own antibodies through the milk. It also encourages close bonding with the child etc etc...

I bottle fed both my kids... with Hannah is was a combination of both as because she was so premature, she needed those antibodies. So once she could tolerate milk, for the first six weeks or so of her life she was on half low weight formula and half expressed breast milk. But once she came home from hospital she was bottle fed. And she took to it straight away... it wasn't so tying, it also meant that hubs could be involved with night feeds especially.

If your friend doesn't want to breast feed then she shouldn't have to, or be made to feel as if she has to. I also didn't like the thought of mastitis, cracked nipples and the stress of baby not latching on properly.. i was exhausted enough taking care of a newborn both times- for me personally the bottle was a better choice...My two both thrived on the bottle, and both of them are disgustingly healthy apart from the occasional pollen allergy that either make them sneeze or come out in a rash and they're both huge for their ages too (height, not width)...



(Edited by Keenangel 16/07/2005 00:06)

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by Keenangel
I also didn't like the thought of mastitis, cracked nipples

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That bloody killed...........

I breast fed Georgia for about two weeks. She was such a hungry baby I simply wasn't able to keep up to her demand and it made me more tired in trying to do so. So she lasted two weeks on the boobie, then I expressed the milk into a bottle and bottle fed her that way until she got used to formula milk (which wasn't long).

I have to agree with Keeny though - bottle feeding Georgia did no harm at all. In fact it formed a closer bond between her and Len as he helped with the feeds - that's probably why she's such a Daddy's girl now

At the end of the day it is personal choice and no-one should feel pressurised into doing something they don't feel comfortable with.

I breastfed all my babies, and really enjoyed it I spose though I was just lucky , had loads of milk and never had any problems with it at all.

But I agree no one should ever try to make someone do something they dont want to.

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by Jola
(quotes)

I have to agree with Keeny though - bottle feeding Georgia did no harm at all. In fact it formed a closer bond between her and Len as he helped with the feeds - that's probably why she's such a Daddy's girl now

At the end of the day it is personal choice and no-one should feel pressurised into doing something they don't feel comfortable with.

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The thing is, she is a single parent, aged 18 and so basically she knows bugger all about what to do. I don't have a particular opinion on breast feeding just what I've been told. I was breastfed as a child (as was my sister) and I'm pretty healthy, but my sister is really sickly. Always getting ill and has recently developed ME.

Thanks for all the advice guys!

If she was interested then she would get plenty of advice, from a health visitor, midwife etc.. they would show her what to do and how to do it successfully. She wouldn't be left to struggle on her own.

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by lizzieslayer
Also breastfeeding has been related to stopping your child developing asthma and you develop a bond with your child.

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Well neither of mine have asthma and we bonded fine

I bottle fed both of mine. I tried with B but he wouldn't latch on so I swopped to bottle despite the midwife nagging me to keep trying. It makes me cross when people say that breast fed babies have the best start in life, grow into more intelligent children etc. My two are perfectly fine and ahead of most of their peers development wise.

I came across this article from the BBC Health site a few weeks back and found it quite interesting.

It has tips on breast, bottle and mixed feeding and the benefits and problems with all methods. Your friend might find it useful to read

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by Teresa
(quotes)

Well neither of mine have asthma and we bonded fine

I bottle fed both of mine. I tried with B but he wouldn't latch on so I swopped to bottle despite the midwife nagging me to keep trying. It makes me cross when people say that breast fed babies have the best start in life, grow into more intelligent children etc. My two are perfectly fine and ahead of most of their peers development wise.

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I think that's one of my problems with midwives, they encourage you like mad to breastfeed. I know it's their job but they do nag.

One of my friends is heavily into homeopathic medicine and completely rejects Western Medicine. She told me that is has been proven that it prevents children developing asthma.

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by lizzieslayer
(quotes)

I think that's one of my problems with midwives, they encourage you like mad to breastfeed. I know it's their job but they do nag.

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I had many a run in with my midwife when I had Georgia. She kept telling me I had to do this and that. When I actually asked her if she had kids the answer was no.....

I went with my own instincts in the end and advice from friends/family that had kids.

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by lizzieslayer
One of my friends is heavily into homeopathic medicine and completely rejects Western Medicine. She told me that is has been proven that it prevents children developing asthma.

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Well I can say that using a bottle to feed my two has prevented them from developing asthma too. Proven. Just out of interest how do they prove it?

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by Teresa
(quotes)

Well I can say that using a bottle to feed my two has prevented them from developing asthma too. Proven. Just out of interest how do they prove it?

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No idea, will have to ask her

Breastfeeding is undoubtably better for the health of baby and mother - it is not at all a controversial medical statement. There's piles and piles of information backed up by research out there for anyone who spends a few minutes researching the subject. The BBC website is a good general place to start.

"I bottle-fed and my children don't experience x" is akin to saying "I smoked for 40 years and I don't have lung cancer". It still doesn't make it a good idea. Of course it isn't a 100% cause-and-effect your-child-will-get-asthma relation, but you give your child the best chance by breastfeeding. One, two or ten exceptions do not disprove statistical data showing that breastfed babies have fewer health problems than those that are not fed on breast milk.

Some relevant/interesting links:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?TopicID=74&AreaID=5709&LinkID=4784
www.who.int/nut/db_bfd.htm
society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,7890,1481227,00.html

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by Demona
"I bottle-fed and my children don't experience x" is akin to saying "I smoked for 40 years and I don't have lung cancer". It still doesn't make it a good idea.

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Well you try telling a hungry screaming 2 day old baby who won't latch on that he must persist otherwise there's a slight risk he may develop an illness. Sorry but when my child wanted food he was gonna get it whatever way was easier and I didn't give a damn what anyone else said.


(Edited by Teresa 19/07/2005 17:02)

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by Jola
I had many a run in with my midwife when I had Georgia. She kept telling me I had to do this and that. When I actually asked her if she had kids the answer was no.....

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I can't stand it when people spout off on a subject they have had no experience in (except for textbook experience). Have a kid and then see if you still feel the same way

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by Teresa
(quotes)

Well you try telling a hungry screaming 2 day old baby who won't latch on that he must persist otherwise there's a slight risk he may develop an illness. Sorry but when my child wanted food he was gonna get it whatever way

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Yup I had that in the hospital when I had Georgia - the lady over the other side of the ward had a screaming baby because of latching on problems. In the end I just shouted over - give it a bloody bottle or words to that effect . Oh how I was given a telling off by the midwives. But the lady listened as I think she was getting frustrated and voila, one quite and calm and happy fed baby!

My brother and I were both bottle fed because my Mum didn't like the thought of breast feeding, and we both turned out fine.

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by Teresa
(quotes)

Well you try telling a hungry screaming 2 day old baby who won't latch on that he must persist otherwise there's a slight risk he may develop an illness. Sorry but when my child wanted food he was gonna get it whatever way was easier and I didn't give a damn what anyone else said.


(Edited by Teresa 19/07/2005 17:02)

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Absolutely amen to that.

New mothers or mums to be should never be made to feel pressurised because supposedly "breast is best"... her hormones are all over the place to begin with after the stresses of giving birth.

My children don't have asthma, but they do have issues with pollen as i've already mentioned. My husband was breast-fed and he has asthma... i put my kids allergy issues down to hereditary facts and not the fact that they weren't breast fed exclusively.

To even attempt to breast feed, in my experience anyhow (even though i was expressing milk and not actually feeding Hannah myself) is nerve racking because sometimes maybe the intention is there but the supply isn't.

Any new mum will try anything to get their child to feed, whether it's via the breast or the bottle. It doesn't make them any less of a good parent. And they shouldn't be made to feel guilty because they choose to bottle feed.

My midwife and health visitor tried to get me to breast feed Hannah... but i was exhausted, i'd been through a traumatic experience of almost losing her and she adapted very well to the bottle. I just explained to them both that i was going on instinct, that we both preferred this way of feeding and they left me alone. They both knew that i was the type of person that wouldn't be persuaded once my mind was set... and the more they tried, the more set i became. I trust my instincts and they've been right both times... to bottle feed and i've refused to feel guilty about it...