The Harmony Lounge

pheinbaugh2

I have a freind who had a child around the same time i did. I insisted on breast feeding. We had a rough start. He was 3 weeks early and couldn't latch on. I pumped for a month until he was able to. I was determined to follow through on my wishes. My freind says it is grose. I get so upset. I think it is very selfish.

Louise31

I dont think it is gross I just think it should be a choice and not forced upon you.

matty39

I used to think it was gross too but that was before I informed myself on breastfeeding. Its natural and its what breasts were designed to do. I always hate to hear people say things like that. But your friend may learn a little by what you are doing with your son.

BrownEyedGirl

I breastfed both of my children. My oldest child only breastfed for the first 3 1/2 months and he suddenly stopped. I don't think my milk supply ever really got established. So I tried even harder with my second child. He breastfed for 10 1/2 months. I am very thankful that I had that opportunity with my children. However, I have friends that found it to be very frustrating and difficult. So I agree that it has to be the mother's choice. It is not easy and takes a lot of determination.

pheinbaugh2

I was determined to do the best thing for my son. He was 3 weeks early and couldn't latch on. I pumped for 5 weeks before he could nurse. Then 5 weeks later I dried up as well. I was heart broken. I wanted that so badly for him. In that time though I dropped 34 of the 40 pounds I gained.

matty39

For me, the second, third, and foruth time around was so different than the first. I found the first time hard and I had no support and very little information to go on. With my second, the situation was different and my stress levels were much lower....I knew more about it and can't believe the difference. My supply was much higher and breastfeeding was MUCH easier. I think the hardest part was the first week with engorgement and sore nipples. Once I got past that, it was a breeze. I've known people who have had to deal with thrush, poor latch, plugged ducts, etc... If I had had to deal with that, I don't know that I would have continued so long. I have a lot of respect for women who deal with those kinds of issues and keep going and also going to work and pumping.

CathieJade

I totally agree with this. While i am all for breastfeeding i know a lot of mothers who just can't do it no matter how hard they have tried and they always get guilted into feeling like a bad mother because of it. Which is totally NOT true

I have bottle fed and breastfed , and heres what i like the best about it

easy ! no bottles, no warming , no sterilzing and whoot its perfect for those night time feeds

cheap, nothing to buy but food for you lol

easier diaper changes ! my formula fed babies diapers were thicker nastier etc

less spit up it seems to me anyway

the " alone" bonding time , as a mom of many its hard to get that special moment time

some cons however are

being out in public
having to watch what i eat to make sure my milk supply is up , that its nutritious and i dont eat anything to disagree with baby which had been known to happen like brocoli to much caffeine etc

being the sole provider, course if i pumped that wouldn't have been an issue ,, but , then pumping would be because i never had the patience for it

BrokenAngel

I think the hardest thing for me was what I drank while I was breastfeeding my son. I love Soda. I had totaly quit while I was preg with him but after I had him I couldn't keep my blood sugar up where it should have been so the nurses gave me my choice between soda or orange juice because that is what they had. I am allergic to orange juice so soda it was. Good or bad when I drank a coke it transfered to him who didn't sleep anyway so he was even more hiped up.

With Destiny who is 9 now she had more formula and she is just fine. Really with both of mine the diperbag was packed the same. Some formula was always in there and when we traveled I always took formula because we did get pulled over one day because the hubby was driving to fast and I was hooked up to the breast pump in the back of the van. I was lucky that the policeman was on the other side of the road when he passed us and had to turn around and come the other way to catch us. It gave me a little time to get the girls all put away before he walked passed the window. So I pretty much didn't travel without formula after that. LOL Either way I agree it is a womans choice. I don't believe in forcing either way on anyone.

Louise31

Thanks for the honest answer so many mums who breast feed wont even think about why mothers dont, I knew I wouldnt have been comfortable doing it so I didnt even try.

pheinbaugh2

I agree with Broken Angel on that one. Geeze! Unfortunetly I dried up a little while ago. Going back to work was hard on me and I think the stress played a roll. But I know people who had to was bottles constantly. That is a big plus. Fortunetley my son doesn't eat in the middle of the night anymore so I wiggled out of that one