Is Breastfeeding Worth It?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m expecting my first baby in the fall and I’m unsure if I want to breastfeed. I know there are many benefits for baby and mom but it seems very hard. Almost all of my family and friends had issues with breastfeeding from poor latch to supply issues. Most ended up having to pump or supplement with formula. I don’t see the point in breastfeeding and supplementing as it seems like double the work. Pumping seems terrible. Then there is the issue of the mom always getting up and no shared responsibility with feedings or getting any sleep in the newborn days. I’m considering formula feeding but there is some guilt around it for not even wanting to try. I’m also pro schedule and sleep training ( plan for start from birth) and worry breastfeeding will not be conducive to have a baby sleeping through the night and on a schedule. I have many people telling me I should try it first before deciding not to breastfeed. Is breastfeeding really worth it?

Yes. Breastfeeding was definitely worth it for me and my two kids. Both are and always were good sleepers and are now happy, healthy little kids. I found it easy and convenient. Pumping for one night bottle wasn’t bad.

And best of luck with your schedule!

[Anonymous]

Worth what? The only cost for me was sore nipples for two weeks the first time and a one-day bout of mastitis the second. For a year+ of easy feeding, no cleaning, no prep no turning on the light to warm a bottle in the night. It's so easy, convenient, healthy, helps you lose the weight, bonding, oxytocin inducing thing. No real cost for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hated BFing. It hurt, my supply was low, I hated being tied down all the time. Plus, my breasts are super sexual for me, and it creeped me out to have an infant sucking on them. I know I know, that’s what they’re there for in the first place, but it creeped me out.

I hope you've since worked this out in therapy.

[Anonymous]

Nothing wrong with formula, but you need to adjust your expectations with sleep training and a schedule for a newborn regardless. Yes, your life will change with baby.

[Anonymous]

I've bf both my kids for 4.5 years combined (still going with the second). The beginning is always tough, especially so with my first who had tongue tie, but it gets so much easier later when everyone is settled in. No mixing formula, warming formula/milk, washing bottles (unless you want to)...you just whip out your boob, relax for 20/30 min and put it away when done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hated BFing. It hurt, my supply was low, I hated being tied down all the time. Plus, my breasts are super sexual for me, and it creeped me out to have an infant sucking on them. I know I know, that’s what they’re there for in the first place, but it creeped me out.

I hope you've since worked this out in therapy.

Unfortunately therapy was not able to help with my low supply or chapped nipples.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've bf both my kids for 4.5 years combined (still going with the second). The beginning is always tough, especially so with my first who had tongue tie, but it gets so much easier later when everyone is settled in. No mixing formula, warming formula/milk, washing bottles (unless you want to)...you just whip out your boob, relax for 20/30 min and put it away when done.

Most women cannot just "whip out your boob" every 20-30 minutes. That's for rich women. I took off 6 weeks after my DS was born and went back to teaching. I only had a 30-minute lunch break and never pumped enough milk during the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've bf both my kids for 4.5 years combined (still going with the second). The beginning is always tough, especially so with my first who had tongue tie, but it gets so much easier later when everyone is settled in. No mixing formula, warming formula/milk, washing bottles (unless you want to)...you just whip out your boob, relax for 20/30 min and put it away when done.

Most women cannot just "whip out your boob" every 20-30 minutes. That's for rich women. I took off 6 weeks after my DS was born and went back to teaching. I only had a 30-minute lunch break and never pumped enough milk during the day.

I pumped when/what I could and supplemented with formula. NBD. I saw pumping as making it possible to BF when we were in person, and anything else that came out to put in bottles were a bonus.

Some people act like it’s so danged black and white. It’s not. If I was with my babies, they were on the boob. If not, bottle. Best of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've bf both my kids for 4.5 years combined (still going with the second). The beginning is always tough, especially so with my first who had tongue tie, but it gets so much easier later when everyone is settled in. No mixing formula, warming formula/milk, washing bottles (unless you want to)...you just whip out your boob, relax for 20/30 min and put it away when done.

Most women cannot just "whip out your boob" every 20-30 minutes. That's for rich women. I took off 6 weeks after my DS was born and went back to teaching. I only had a 30-minute lunch break and never pumped enough milk during the day.

So you didn't breastfeed then? That's not OP's question. I answered assuming OP has the time to do so, since she is asking.

Also just to be clear, I said whip it out FOR 20-30 min, not every. Big difference.

[Anonymous]

Op, I was like you. Unknowing. Worried. Unsure. I tried and ended up living it. The wonderful hospital nurses helped so much. Then the lactation consultant helped. Then I even visited a lactstion consultant after the hospital. Looking back, it was so natural after 1-2 weeks. Then painless, effortless. At that point, it felt great. Bonding with baby. No formula worries. No throw up. No spit up. Easy to go places. Loved it. Easy easy easy. ThenI read about the benefits to baby's immunity, neural development, and even intelligence. Sold.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think there is any connection between breastfeeding and baby temperament. I have 2: one was not a great sleeper and the other was really good. I breastfed both and I was lucky that it came really easily for both. It’s not a struggle for everyone; if it is, there are supports, but you could also just switch to formula.

[Anonymous]

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

[Anonymous]

My brother is 6’5 and a member of Mensa and he was never breastfed. I also wasn’t breastfed but I’m normal IQ and height. I honestly don’t think it matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m a schedule oriented person. It seems snowy breastfeed babies don’t through the night until much later than formula fed babies. The family and friends that breastfed has babies who could only fall asleep being nursed, never slept more than 2-3 hours at a time well past 1 year, never learned to self-soothe, etc. They were very clingy, high needs babies. Most were super cranky because they were never getting adequate sleep. The formula fed babies were great sleepers, on schedules, and always happy. I don’t want to breastfeed because I’m afraid that will lead my child to becoming clingy and never sleep. I’m not willing to co-sleep as my husband and I don’t think it’s safe at all.

I think it depends much more on the baby than how they are fed. I breastfed two babies. The first started sleeping through the night at 6 months and the second at 12 weeks. With my first, I stopped nursing to sleep at 6 months. Once she was sleeping through the night, I moved up her last feeding and started training her to fall asleep in the crib. She also started daycare at 4 months and was used to taking naps without nursing first. My second never really liked to nurse to sleep and was one of those unicorn babies who would just fall asleep when laying down. Breastfeeding was hard for about the first six weeks with my first. After that, her tongue tie issues were resolved and it got so much easier. I found it so much more convenient than formula/bottles, especially when we were out and about or traveling—no bottles to keep cold or warm up, nothing to wash. For me it was so much easier to get out and do things with the baby. I never coslept - always made me too nervous.

There were other small benefits. When my first caught hand, foot, and mouth at 10 months, she wouldn’t eat or bottle feed, but was fine with nursing. Might seem like a minor thing, but it felt huge at the time when it she was refusing all food and other drinks.

I’m sure you’ll be a great mom - you’re clearly trying to do your research and be prepared. I’d encourage you to give breastfeeding a try. Some people love it and some hate it, but it’s hard to know where you’ll fall before you try. I thought breastfeeding was super weird before I had a baby, but it felt totally different and natural when it was my baby. Obviously not everybody has that experience.

It also depends on the baby. My first was a very fussy baby and nursing was the one thing that could always calm her down. Nursing made things so much easier with her. My second just saw nursing as a way to get milk. He had no interest in nursing after getting shots, rarely fell asleep nursing, and pretty much self weaned when I went back to work and he realized that bottles were way more efficient for getting milk fast. By 6 months, I only nursed him in the mornings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, I was like you. Unknowing. Worried. Unsure. I tried and ended up living it. The wonderful hospital nurses helped so much. Then the lactation consultant helped. Then I even visited a lactstion consultant after the hospital. Looking back, it was so natural after 1-2 weeks. Then painless, effortless. At that point, it felt great. Bonding with baby. No formula worries. No throw up. No spit up. Easy to go places. Loved it. Easy easy easy. ThenI read about the benefits to baby's immunity, neural development, and even intelligence. Sold.

my baby threw up a TON while EBF. He only reall stopped at 6 months when he started getting solids and formula. YMMV.