To breast feed or not to breast feed

[jojo_bean]

Me and my boyfriend aren't on the same page about breast feeding, I've never wanted to do it because I want to go back to work as soon as possible, but he days no my first child was breast fed and is healthy as a dog ( his ex-girls kid) and he wants me to breast feed, everyone in my family and my parents were bottle fed, what am I to do??? I just need opinions so I can think over it myself...

[First_time_mom15]

Its up to you but remember one thing if you breast feed for at least the first three months it is healthy for your babies development and better for the brain

[First_time_mom15]

Its up to you but remember one thing if you breast feed for at least the first three months it is healthy for your babies development and better for the brain

[sweetpea03]

This is your decision to make. If you don't feel comfortable breast feeding or don't want to breast, then you don't have to. Today's formula is a lot better than in the past and is pretty similar to that of breast milk. Both of my older brothers were breast fed and I was only bottle fed, and there is no difference health wise, weight wise, or anything else between us. You have to do what you are comfortable with.

[Linzola1]

It's a personal choice that no one can make you do. I chose not to breast feed my first because my husband at the time was notsupportive and I didn't really want to trywith no support. I tried really hard with my second but he was a biter and it was so painful and he lost so much weight that I stopped a couple weeks in and now he is a chunk. I am pregnant again and I do not yet know what I want to do.

[Lesley27]

its up to you and what you want to do, most of the antibodies are past on to the baby through the placenta (so your baby has a healthy dose of your antibodies till about 4-5months when they start to wear off)
you could even try both formula feeding and nursing if you would feel more comfortable, as long as you have a routine so your body knows when to have more milk ready, for me when i was doing both i nursed in the am, pumped once in the afternoon, and nursed at night so my body knew 3 times a day i needed to "feed" then i either suplimented or gave the breast milk when she was hungry... slowly she did start to not want to nurse and wanted a bottle but itdecreased at a nice pace and by 5.5 months i was done nursing... she is 15 months and has never had the flu, she has had 2 colds and 2 ear/throat infections... so i think sicknes based on the child, the environment, how many other children you have around, ect.. not if you nursed or not, and not nursing doesnt make you a bad mom, you need to stay sane too! lol and added pressure might make you not enjoy it... but who know until you are in the situation maybe you will prefer it... ya never know! so my advice is to not decide for sure yet, try it out, see how it goes... like i said maybe you'll enjoy it,  but when it comes down to it its all up to you... and if you dont nurse i hope ho understands and supports you on it... talk it through! and congrats and good luck!!

[PetiteWonder]

it is your decision.   you have time to think about it maybe do some reading on both of them. the thing with breastfeeding is that it a huge huge commitment in time and just thinking about your own diet as well, so if your heart and determination is not in it, chances are you may not be successful at it because it can be a frustrating process while you and the baby learn what works..

You also have the option of pumping and bottle feeding..  this is a huge time commitment but you can store breastmilk in the freezer and fridge.  This would allow you to return to work easily..   But you have to pump frequently in order to keep your supply up..

There are benefits to both but breast feeding creates bonds, is cheaper, and is natural....  But there is definitely more flexibility with formula...  formula fed babies tend to eat less frequently because the formula is more difficult to digest.