Is Breastfeeding Really Worth It?
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Anonymous
Are you supplementing with formula? You should be. |
Anonymous
OP here. No. We have been able to get his weight up with feeding him a bottle of pumped milk after I nurse. |
Anonymous
No formula that I know of is made completely in the US so they’re essentially all imported. You’re saying you don’t want a European formula. That’s fine. There lots of good formulas out there. |
Anonymous
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my first baby had every single problem there can be--tongue tie, lip tie, reflux to the point where he kept nothing down, leading to horrible weight problems so had to feed every 90 mins, couldn't transfer well so my production was only 24 oz/day if I was lucky, taking an insane amount of weirdo supplements and drinking tea to try to stimulate more milk, etc. etc. etc. and the breastfeeding crazy train compelled me to feed him, pump to empty my breasts, then bottle feed it to him. Eventually after months of this we eventually transferred over to mostly formula but not before I drove myself and my husband insane for months. It was not worth it whatsoever.
I am currently breastfeeding my second son, 3 weeks old. He is the complete opposite baby with the complete opposite experience. I still hate it and think I will quit either when I can no longer produce enough to satiate him or ~3 months, whichever happens first. Why am I doing it at all? because it seems to be working and it's free, basically. But the important takeaway here is that if someone has only had a baby like my second son, they have absolutely no idea what it's like to have a baby like my first son, and so they will drone on and on about LCs and power pumping and skin to skin weekends etc. etc. etc. but they just will never, ever, ever get it, and it will only make you feel more and more terrible about it all because it's not working. But formula works just fine, dont let anyone convince you otherwise. |
Anonymous
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Yes, I do think it’s worth it. It was really hard for me in the first month and I did supplement with some formula and then it got so much easier and so enjoyable for both of us. And so easy. Second baby has been a dream. No pain nursing and an oversupply!
But if you’re truly miserable, of course stop. |
Anonymous
Bobbie is made in Vermont. I would go with something that you can get off the shelf instead of something that needs to be mailed to you. Enfamil NeuroPro is good and comes in powder and RTF. If you want organic, I would go with Happy Baby Organics. |
Anonymous
| You have my permission -- nay, encouragement! -- to quit. Pumping is awful, and it sounds like you are only doing it because you're concerned about nutrition. Don't be. I personally enjoy nursing and really appreciate that I don't have to remember to prep or pack anything, but if formula came out of my breasts I'd feed my baby that. We fed our kids Enfamil Neuropro when they got formula. My husband liked it because of the choline, but I think now other companies have started adding that too. |
Anonymous
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Here’s the truth, OP: no one can or will ever say that formula is better than breastfeeding. And I say this as a mother of two who could only breastfeed each child for one month before I had to stop to go back on medication. My kids are brilliant, healthy, and beautiful at 8 and 3. Would breastfeeding have been better than formula? Probably a little -yes. But I’m the mother they got and I have a serious medical condition that requires medication. I can live with slightly second best in this case.
My point is that this is not the last time you’re going to face issues like this. Would the perfect Mary Poppins nanny have been better than daycare? Probably but we could not afford Mary and chose the best possible daycare. Would Sidwell have been better for DC than the school he’s attending? Probably. We couldn’t afford it. We’re doing the absolute best we can. And, in the end, that has to be good enough. |
Anonymous
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I agree with others that if it's stressing you out, it's not worth it. We are fortunate enough to live in a time where you can have a healthy baby without breast-feeding.
BUT I made a deal with myself before my first was born that I would breast feed for 6 weeks and, if I really hated it, I gave myself permission to quit. I really hated it for four weeks and by, 6 weeks, I was tolerating it. At that point, I decided to stick it out, and I'm so glad I did. It became much easier, and with the 2d and 3rd, it was easier from the start. I loved being able to eat anything I wanted without gaining weight, and I loved the delayed return of my period (more than a year after #3). The first time I got a mammogram, the technician asked how long I had breast fed and when I told her 4 years (total, not each kid!), she said that the mammogram would be "easier than going to the dentist," and she was right. Those are just the benefits for me, not the baby. Good luck! Your baby will be fine whatever you decide. |
Anonymous
+1 In no other area do we beat moms up so much for not doing the slightly better thing. That said, I think BF is really important - in developing countries where the water is dangerous and they are so poor they are likely to water down the formula. Neither is the case here since formula is given as part of WIC to those who cannot afford it. It may not being “exactly as good” but it is only slightly less good for a US baby not dramatically so. Just like tons of other slightly less good choices we all make alll the time about our kids. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks everyone. I don’t really think I can make it to 6 weeks. That seems so far away. I think I might switch to formula. The price is not an issue.
Question - Should we use the RTF or is powder formula fine? I read that RTF is recommended for newborns because it’s more sterile. |
Anonymous
Use RTG for the first 6 months or so then you can switch to powder. Powder is fine but some babies have a harder time taking it. Get a bunch of different brands/kids and see which one baby likes. If you call Similac, Enfamil, Gerber and Parent's Choice (walmart) often they will send out free samples or coupons to try it. Baby will be fine on formula. Don't worry. |
Anonymous
I was recommended RTF for newborns, since there's less chance of contamination with unclean water or powder that grows bacteria. But after 1-2 months, this is less of a concern. And even for the first couple of months, proper formula handling can avoid any issues. (BTW, read up on proper formula handling. Wash your hands before mixing it. Make sure stuff is sterile. Learn how to get proportions right. Measure water first, than add formula...don't top off to the number of ounces.) You definitely don't need RTF for six months! It's also bitter, compared to formula, since it's "pre-digested"...so some babies don't like it. |
Anonymous
| It wasn’t worth it for my DD. She hated nursing and would get so upset. At 8 weeks, I decided to bottle feed and even then she wasn’t happy. We switched to formula and she downed a bottle like it was her favorite thing ever. We switched cold turkey that day. She is 10 now and is healthy and how long she was breastfed for hasn’t come up in any conversation in about 9 years. Your goal is happy mom, happy/fed baby. Let go of everything else. |
Anonymous
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All that’s been proven scientifically is that breastfeeding results in a very small (like eight percent) reduction in colds and diarrhea episodes. That’s it.
The benefits are WAY overblown. Do what’s best for you. |