Why did you choose breastfeeding over bottles or vise verse?

Did anyone breastfeed with one child and bottles with another other? Looking back now, would you have changed it? Any tips or comments would be great!

I chose breastfeeding for 6 months because I wanted her to have all of the benefits of breastfeeding (I won't go into them, we all know what they are) and the emotional bonding with me. The only thing I hope to change for the next one is to breastfeed longer. I had to stop due to illness. I would like to do it for one year.
My only tip - offer your baby a bottle of pumped breastmilk at least twice a week. This will allow your husband to feed her and bond with her, and will also help if you are ever not available for any reason. I realize I am going to get thumbs down for that, and that there are lots of other ways for dad to bond, but this worked well for us.

While I was pg I read up on it an knew I wanted to breastfeed. I even made my husband read everything on breastfeeding as well so that I knew he would be supportive. I wound up with a c-section and my milk took alot longer than normal to come in but I never gave in and gave my daughter formula. She nursed around the clock sometimes every hour for the first several weeks. I gave away all the formula samples I was given by the doc and in the mail. Everytime I even considered giving in and giving her a bottle I just pictured my sweet little baby suckling on a big dirty cow and the temptation passed.

Another thing that really concerned me was what if she was allergic to regular formula and had to be put on soy. I read about a study a few years ago that said that soy causes our bodies to make estrogen and babies on soy formula have more estrogen in their little bodies than an adult pre-menopausal woman. That just terrified me.

I didn't even consider formula feeding. Breastfeeding seemed like and is the most natural thing.

With my daughter, the first few days were hard, she wouldn't latch on and i thought i was going to have to just keep expressing and giving her a bottle...but i perservered and when we got home and i relaxed a little, she started feeding wonderfully.

With my son, he latched on right after i gave birth, but i didn't have him on correctly, which ended in very sore nipples...it was agony for the first week or so, but i knew it would get better, and it did, and he feeds wonderfully.

I would like at least 2 more kids and i would be devastated if for some reason i wasn't able to breastfeed...formula really is a last resort/emergency situation for me. I would never choose to give my baby artificial milk when i have to best thing for them right here.

I did breastfeed both mine, but I switched to formula much earlier with my second. He never latched on well, and never seemed satisfied - he'd suck literally all evening, and before you say that's to stimulate milk production, this went on for weeks and weeks. I really did try - but both of us were much happier when I gave up at about 10 weeks.

I wouldn't have changed anything I did - but I do wish it had worked better. Breastfeeding my first was the best feeling in the world, and I regret not having been able to have it again second time around.

Equally, I'd recommend anyone to try breastfeeding, no matter how bad an experience you or others may have had with it. With my first it worked instantly, and it was pure joy. I simply couldn't understand how anyone could not want to do it. Now I know - for them it was like it was for me with my second.

with my first child I tried to breastfeed, however I had to go back to work when she was 3 weeks old cause i didnt get paid maternity and the job I was at I couldnt really pump. so she ended up for the first three months having a combination of both, then when she was 4 months i had to have surgery and was on some heavy pain meds so I just gave up the breastfeeding and went to bottles. With my son who is 5 months old he has only had formula with his ceral because I am now a stay at home mom and can nurse anytime. I got a great pump this time where as last time I had a manual pump and it has made it alot easier if I ever need a baby sitter so that he doesnt have to have formula. It is all a personal choice.
I chose with both kids to breastfeed because alot of studies say it is the best, and I wanted to give my kids the best. However, I know first hand that if you cant breastfeed for whatever reason formula is ok, but one of the positives to breastfeeding is you do save alot of money because you go through alot of formula and it is expensive.

I chose to breastfeed because I knew that it was, by far, the best way to feed a baby. Breastmilk is a perfect food. Formula is an adequate substitute and most babies do ok on it ... but that's all. I couldn't see giving my baby a merely 'adequate' food when it was possible for me to give her an ideal food. I had no medical or practical reasons to NOT breastfeed -- so that's what I did.

The only thing I would have changed would have been to have nursed a little longer. I weaned at 14 months. If I was to have another child I would probably try to go at least 18 months.

I didn't choose to not breastfeed..my daughter was in the NICU and I did pump breastmilk into a bottle for them to feed her when she was there by the time she got out 9 weeks later she was already used to the bottle and I didn't bother switching it on her..around 3 months I switched her to formula as my milk seemed to dry out and I would try to pump but nothing came out..so if the next one is born on time and doesn't go to the NICU I will try to breastfeed this one..if I cannot do it theres nothing wrong with bottle feeding babies.

I breastfed my 1st child *daughter* for 1month and then had to stop due to surgery..and she went on formula..it was probably one of the best things that could have happened..she was up all nite gassy colic..and as soon as she got on formula that all changed..she did much better on the formula..


I formula fed my 2nd daughter becuz I was in severe pain from a tumor in my kidney...and was taking lots of meds.


i formula fed my 3rd *son* becuz I thought it was best at the time, i had a section and was working..


i breastfed my 4th daughter for her first month till I got a infection and had to stop the meds I took dried my milk up..
shes still bottle fed at 6months old....

my kids have always been healthy rarely sick...

I think its truely a choice of the mothers. and if she wants to breast and suceeds....YAY but if she chooses to botle then YAY too....

i breast fed for 7 months. it was just more convenient for me, more natural, and a whole lot cheaper. i liked that i didn't have to carry formula around and water and bottles. i had trouble breast feeding because my nipples kept tearing and it was very painful and i didn't have insurance to go to the doctor. so the last time it happened i just couldn't do it anymore. pumping hurt too. anything that touched my nipples hurt. i thougt i was going to pass out feeding him sometimes.it stung like when you cut the side of you mouth and it hurts everytime you open it. it ws like that but lasted for a minute or two. i wish i could have kept breast feeding. and i would do it again.

I tried to breast feed my daughter and after 2 weeks stopped because i had very little very weak milk and she was starving, i also had mastitis and PND....next time i will give it a longer go and am dissappointed i gave up so quickly but i was a wreck and a crying starving baby was not helping anyone...not her, me, her dad so i gave her a bottle and never looked back. I dont think it was the wrong decision i just think next time i will give it a bit longer.

I have not had any children yet but I have heard that breastfeeding makes the baby smarter. Not sure if that is true or not. I know a lady who was breastfeeding her daughter until she was almost 3 years old and that child is pretty smart. I think you should breastfeed until you feel comfortable to stop. Good Luck!

i only have the one, shes 7 weeks and i choose to breastfeed from the word go and have suffered through cracked nipples and mastitis and now and successfully doing it and loving it, wouldnt change a thing, im going back to work and still plan to breastfeed and pump while im at work and i have found some excellent bottles that are shaped like the nipple

My sister bottle fed her kids. At first, it was just an inconvenience. She had to wash bottles, sterilize, mix formula, refrigerate, warm, etc, etc. It was a pain. I got tired just watching her. Plus, she was always running out at night to buy more formula or water (our parents have a well, so when she visited she needed bottled water). Exhausting.

Now it's more than just an inconvenience for her because her son has asthma, chronic bronchitis and he's often tied to his nebulizer. No fun for a two year old. I'm not saying formula caused this, but it sure didn't help.

Personally, I didn't worry about that mess. When I worked full time, pumping was a pain, but I couldn't stand the thought of using a bottle for EVERY feeding. Yuck. I didn't even have to wake up to feed my baby. When she woke the first time, I brought her into my bed and she nursed on and off all night. SO easy!

Cathrl69, My first did that too. Once my supply regulated she stopped, but it was at least 6 weeks of constant nursing. That's not common, but some babies need that. I'm not bashing, just pointing out that it happens. At that point, the formula bottle was very tempting, but we had no money at the time.

I tried nursing but it seemed like she was always hungry, i didnt wait long enough for a stable milk supply to set in so i just started formula and it was just easier to do. I nursed i believe three weeks or so.

I wasn't something I even thought about, I breastfed because that's what you're supposed to do, it's the normal course of events.

I bottle fed all 3 of my children.