Is Breastfeeding Worth It?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Seriously?

Yes, seriously.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t read any of the replies, but breastfeeding wasn’t for us. DH got to experience the pleasure of feeding the baby, we could split the nights, I could leave the house for long stretches and even go away overnight early on. I don’t know that sleep is much different between breastfed and bottlefed babies, but I do know that our three were STTN 7-7 by 4 months or so.

Trying to breastfeed wasn’t enjoyable or easy for me. So far my kids seem indistinguishable from those of my friends who breastfed, not that I can even remember who did what 8 years out. Good luck with whatever you choose!

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned immunity from covid and what looks to be a bad flu season if the mother is vaccinated. I would have breastfed my second anyway since it was so easy with my first but the potential immunity definitely would have swayed me if I were on the fence about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Nanny again - I know that all of dcum is going to pile on me now, but in my 20 years of experience this has also been my experience. Nannies love formula babies. I want to also repeat what I said earlier, that for working moms it’s good to do a combo of formula and breast, for your bond. When I’m with your child 10-12hrs a day, it’s nice that you can come home and have a bonding experience with your baby that is only your own.

ugh, I never found breastfeeding bonding when I got home. Just one more thing I had to do on top of working and pumping and everything else. I get that it looks that way, but don’t assume.

And I loved every second of it. Don’t assume. -np

I was really happy when the nanny started giving a bottle right before I picked up. That way I could take my time getting situated back at home and baby was happy and full when I picked him up.

I was really happy when I got to snuggle and reconnect for focused time with my baby after a day at work when I picked her up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP - I’m also an early schedule/sleep training mom (in fact we do Babywise, which everyone in this board is NOT okay with) and I found breastfeeding to be much easier than formula feeding (I did both, as I weaned at six months for fertility reasons). I am definitely “fed is best” - I was not going to contort myself into all kind of knots trying to make nursing work, but I would give it the ole college try. For me it came easily. If it hadn’t, I would have given up within a few weeks and switched to formula.

Advantages of breastfeeding :
1) there are some small health benefits for babies
2) it’s “free” at least as far as hard costs. Formula cost us $100+ a month
3) it’s so easy to go places. From vacations to day trips to the local park. With formula, you’re mixing and carrying a cooler, and a bottle warmer (mine would not take room temp formula!) and that was a pain. When he was EBF, I just needed the baby and the diaper bag.
4) zero prep time. No mixing and warming. Baby’s hungry, here’s a boob. Done.
5) eat more calories guilt free (I love eating!) and for me at least, the baby weight fell off.

Advantages of formula feeding:
1) easy to be apart from your baby. Pumping sucks. I did it for work for a couple months, and it was annoying
2) ease of dad doing MOTN feedings. I pumped a bit during my maternity leave to build up a little stash before going back to work, but I didn’t have a ton of extra supply. So my husband was only doing one MOTN feeding a week. That became tough when I went back to work, cause he was still getting up once or twice a night, for a very short time.

Our son did take a bit longer to stretch out night feeds than most babywise babies, but that was due to silent reflux, not nursing. We had no problem getting on a schedule, he’s been on a schedule since two weeks old, and he was fully night weaned at four months despite being EBF, no problems at all.

I think it’s worth a shot, assuming you’ve got a decent maternity leave. The convenience alone was really worth it.

Gee, I wonder why DCUM is anti-Babywise?
http://www.ezzo.info/resources/timeline/81-timeline/107-babywise-advice-linked-to-dehydration-failure-to-thrive

[Anonymous]

I nursed DC1 for three months and DC2 for one month due to a medication I had to resume taking. Nursing was easy for me and I had a huge supply. I definitely needed the medication more than my kids needed the breast milk but we had a hell of a time finding formulas for both kids that didn’t upset their stomachs or make them uncomfortable and fussy. We finally settled on Nutramigen which is expensive, about $35 every three days (and it stinks!) and the ready to feed was around $2 per four ounce bottle.

Breastfeeding was definitely easier for me and pumping was no problem. I usually got six to eight ounces a pumping session.

I wish I could have continued nursing.

PS Both my kids are crap sleepers. Even now at 7 and 3.

[Anonymous]

Pumped for first, bf second. Pumping not bad if it’s older child, but would be hard otherwise. Bf baby has slept through night since four months when we did cry it out. She has fed on a general schedule throughout, have to adjust it a lot the first few months but that’s for any feeding method regardless. Bf was on and off hard for four months, but easy since. Thankful she is getting some Covid antibodies. Love the snuggles.

[Anonymous]

It is absolutely worth it *for me* but no two mother and baby duos has the same cost benefit inputs, so you can’t expect the same outputs. For Me:

-Baby was born on the small side and with a high arched palate— she hates pacifiers and has from day one. It was much easier to give her a boob than a bottle (as we learned when we started teaching her to take a bottle at six weeks)
- I had a rough recovery and was ultimately sent back on bed rest. Nursing my baby was the only baby care I was doing, so I felt like I was doing a good job as her mama when I was nursing, even though I wasn’t changing diapers or carrying her anywhere in the first couple weeks.
- I hate doing dishes and honestly bottles are worse. We have four bottles so she can go to daycare and I detest washing them.
- I like to be spontaneous and carrying a bottle of formula with me everywhere in case I decided I wanted to stop by the pool or get a coffee wouldn’t work for me.
- We traveled constantly pre-Covid and needing to pack formula would not have suited me.
- I’m vaccinated and my daughter is in daycare, our pediatrician says the vaccine passes in breastmilk to some degree and there are anecdotal cases in my circle of breastfed babies not getting the virus from infected classmates.
- Breastfeeding reduces a mother’s lifetime risk of breast cancer, so that’s nice.
- All my weight came off without trying (this one is hugely idiosyncratic though)

[Anonymous]

Haven’t read the comments but OP you should know that this site is extremely slanted in being anti-breastfeeding. Anyone who encourages a woman to just try it is putting mental health at risk and endangering the mother. BTW I BF with one and didn’t with another, and I couldn’t care less what another woman does - it’s a personal choice. Just saying I would take any and all opinions with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read the comments but OP you should know that this site is extremely slanted in being anti-breastfeeding. Anyone who encourages a woman to just try it is putting mental health at risk and endangering the mother. BTW I BF with one and didn’t with another, and I couldn’t care less what another woman does - it’s a personal choice. Just saying I would take any and all opinions with a grain of salt.

You think this sight is anti-breastfeeding? And you’re opposed to women trying to nurse? I don’t understand your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My two very successful kids were not breastfed. It was my choice. I did not want to be tied down so much and had to return to work. You have to decide for yourself. It was something I had zero interest in. No regrets.

I think everyone woman should make the choice that is best for them and their family. But, I do want to comment on the bolded. I understand some work circumstances might make pumping at work impossible, but working women can maintain breastfeeding. When I went back to work, full time out of the house, I continued breastfeeding at home, and in daycare my baby took bottles of pumped breastmilk until he was 1 yo. I also know some women who switched to formula when they returned to work and keep breastfeeding at home. I just don't want anyone thinking it has to be one or the other, doing both is possible.

Actually, I think pumping at work is a pretty heavy burden on mothers and should not in any way be considered the default. It's probably better all in all to just go to formula. Pumping at work really is a burden and an interruption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Nanny again - I know that all of dcum is going to pile on me now, but in my 20 years of experience this has also been my experience. Nannies love formula babies. I want to also repeat what I said earlier, that for working moms it’s good to do a combo of formula and breast, for your bond. When I’m with your child 10-12hrs a day, it’s nice that you can come home and have a bonding experience with your baby that is only your own.

ugh, I never found breastfeeding bonding when I got home. Just one more thing I had to do on top of working and pumping and everything else. I get that it looks that way, but don’t assume.

And I loved every second of it. Don’t assume. -np

I was really happy when the nanny started giving a bottle right before I picked up. That way I could take my time getting situated back at home and baby was happy and full when I picked him up.

I was really happy when I got to snuggle and reconnect for focused time with my baby after a day at work when I picked her up.

I also got to snuggle and reconnect - I just didn't have to do it with my boob out and a screaming hungry baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read the comments but OP you should know that this site is extremely slanted in being anti-breastfeeding. Anyone who encourages a woman to just try it is putting mental health at risk and endangering the mother. BTW I BF with one and didn’t with another, and I couldn’t care less what another woman does - it’s a personal choice. Just saying I would take any and all opinions with a grain of salt.

Is it anti-breastfeeding to point out the costs are underestimated and the benefits are overestimated? To give anecdotes where breastfeeding wasn't worth it?

[Anonymous]

I personally found that once you get it started, it's easier. You don't have to worry about prepping things or carrying bottles, you just lift your shirt and pop the baby on. I did have a couple sessions with a lactation consultant to help me get started.

However I had some things in my favor. My daycare was in building so I didn't have to pump as much (I hated pumping).

However, I've read the science and even as someone who breastfed exclusively, I'm going to say that, if it's not working for you, don't stress it. The biggest benefit is cancer reduction to you. A lot of those crazy benefits people touted were from poorly conducted studies where they failed to correct for socioeconomic factors. Good controlled studies show on average slightly fewer colds. There's some evidence preemies and babies with gut issues may benefit in the very beginning.

A friend of mine has narcolepsy, for instance, and she felt guilt about not nursing, but when you compare the benefits of breastfeeding to the risks of a mom not taking her narcolepsy meds, it doesn’t even come close.

So as someone who breastfed, I'm going to say, if you want to try ot, you might actually find it easier. But if you don't like it or it's burdensome, feel no guilt in quitting.

[Anonymous]

Something that should be brought up - OP keeps talking about sleep training a newborn, to be clear "newborn" generally means under 3 months, and no, you can't sleep train under 3 months. Even the earlier books don't say to sleep train until 4 months.

FwIW, I breastfed and sleep trained at 5ish months and never coslept (I mean in the same bed, we did keep the bassinet in our room in the beginning). Breastfeeding doesn't have to mean cosleeping and not sleep training by any means.