BABY BLOG #9 A question for the LADIES ONLY!

Posted By: Cindy Simmons http://www.star94.com/cindy · 7/31/2012 11:03:00 AM

This is for the LADIES ONLY! :o)
 
Just about to enter into my last trimester, wow...how time flies! Lots of things go through your mind during this time like making sure you are all ready for child-birth.  I do have a personal question for all of you...IF you feel like sharing your thoughts.
 
Breastfeeding OR bottle-feeding? I realize this is a personal decision but I'm curious as to what the majority of you did or currently do. No judgment here either way because I feel like as Mommies AND as women we should all support each other and our choices.
 
Anyway, because of my experience with lovely Breast Cancer, let's just say, MY choice has somewhat been made for me or "limited" if you will, as I only have a "half" option when it comes to breastfeeding. lol (Get the picture?!) Soooo, while my hope is to be able to take advantage of that half option of Breastfeeding, I do plan to use bottles to supplement feedings.  If you were a breastfeeder, how long did you breastfeed for? If you were a bottle feeder, which bottles do you recommend? Lots of questions I know but that is the wonderful thing about having you guys...so we can ask each other questions and get advice so, THANK YOU!
 
Until next time!
 
Happy day!
 
xo
♥ Cindy  :o)

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  1. Tracy posted on 07/31/2012 11:15 AM
    Hi Cindy -
    I don't know why its such a hot debate, it's really such a personal decision. And sometimes you don't really have a choice unfortunately. I am planning to breastfeed - praying all goes well with me, but am going to use Earth's Best Organic formula - its pesticide/hormone free....and it makes me feel better that I would be at least giving baby more natural ingredients... I am 29 weeks right now and a FTM. Good luck to you!

    http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Best-Organic-Formula-Canisters/dp/B0032CJPOK/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1343747568&sr=1-1&keywords=earth%27s+best
  2. Kym posted on 07/31/2012 01:08 PM
    My son is 18 months old and we are still nursing once a day. I know extended breastfeeding isn't for everyone, but it has been what works for us. Any amount of milk you are able to give your baby is the perfect amount. To give yourself the best chance at success, you need support. Check out your local La Leche League. These groups are all over the world and there is bound to be someone who has been in the same boat as you. This is the website for the Atlanta area. https://lllofga.org/Atlanta_Area.html I suggest attending the meetings before you give birth so that you can get as much information as you can.
  3. WendyLee76 posted on 07/31/2012 01:24 PM
    With my son (age 10), I breastfeed for 3 months. I stopped as I was going back to work. We switched to bottles and used the Avent (mainly because I was given a ton from a friend). They worked well for my son.

    With my daughter (age 8), I breastfeed for 18 months. She never would take a bottle (that is not w/o us trying). So that ended up not being an issue.

    I hope you are able to breastfeed if that is what you want to do. Blessings!
  4. Buffy posted on 07/31/2012 01:33 PM
    Cindy
    With my son I wanted to breast feed but was unable due to the rare fact that he was allergic to my milk so I bottle fed. When my daughter came along I tried again. I was able to breast feed her for about 2 weeks full time then I had to switch to both bottle and breast due to other complications. By the time she was 2 months old we had transferred completely to bottle feeding. In my opinion and experiance, I say breast feed as much as you can because there is no other feeling like it and the suplement with a bottle as need. This will also help when you have no choice but be away from your newest little member and others will be able to handle it.
  5. Jill posted on 08/01/2012 07:31 AM
    This is one the topics that I tend to stay away from. There are so many people out there are one way and they think it is the only way and that is to breastfeed. I always thought I would be a breastfeeding mom to my two girls but it wasn't in the cards for me. My milk never came in. So my doctor thinks I was just missing that gland and I wasn't able to nurse.
    It is a personal decision and people shouldn't judge you either way. No matter what you choose you are choosing what is best for you and your baby girl.
    But I have to admit, having my husband take some of the overnight feedings was WONDERFUL!
    Best of luck.
  6. Nina P. posted on 08/01/2012 07:44 AM
    I had circumstances where with my first born he was in nicu and they had to feed him with medicine in the bottle. I did try to breast feed even after we got him home but found out he was allergic to milk and had to go on a special formula. Then with my second child I had an emergency c- section and had issues with my body, so while I was having ultra sounds and scans done she had to be fed with the bottle. Again I did try to breast feed but she was already used to the bottle so I pumped for as long as I could to at least give her all the good stuff. I will say I was upset I could not breast feed longer but then I realized it really was not that important b/c I would rather have a healthy baby then a comment to say yes I breast feed.
    I got the comments of why didn't I try harder but at least I know I tried and it did not change my relationship with them. So you never know what will happen to you. Do what is best for you and something you can live with.
  7. Jennifer Swan posted on 08/01/2012 08:37 AM
    I breastfeed all of my kids for a very short time. My older son was diagnosed as failure to thrive at 4mo of age which forced me to supplement and he gave up the breast immediately. I was heartbroken for so many reasons but later finding out that he had allergies to wheat, rye, barley and egg, I realized that my breastmilk was keeping his weight low and his body covered in a rash. With my second son, he couldn't stop eating and the allergy worry and sleep deprivation wore me down after a month. I handed him to my husband when he was a month old with a bottle of formula. My son was so much happier as a result. I breastfed my daughter for a week but had several medical issues (which I won't divulge to a pregnant woman LOL), so formula it was.

    Every time I switched to formula, I chose an organic formula which made me feel slightly better. I know breast is best but sometimes formula is best for those who cannot breastfeed even though breastfeeding mommies say otherwise.

    I know of other women who were able to breastfeed with only one breast solely but they opted to pump to avoid nipple confusion and failure in case they did have to supplement. If you choose to go for pumping, I highly recommend renting a hospital grade pump which worked so much better than even the more expensive pumps you can purchase on your own.
  8. Sarah posted on 08/01/2012 09:54 AM
    I wasn't able to breastfeed my first son due to some medical issues but have managed to breastfeed the next two. I was so glad I was able to. It was an amazing bonding experience and I loved that he was almost never sick.
  9. Penny S posted on 08/01/2012 10:06 AM
    Good Morning Cindy.. I wish you the best of luck with your choice either way. I know that it is a very touchy subject with some people and it is truely a personal choice. I currently have a 6 1/2 month old baby girl and I chose to breastfeed. I was blessed with an abundance of milk and was able to freeze more than she could eat. I am a working mother but I BF in the AM pump at work and BF in the pm. When I returned to work I had to start her on bottles (frozen breast milk) and used the tommee tippee bottles because she had reflux and colic and those bottles seem to work best. I tried the avent and NUK but I believe it all depends on the baby's choice of nipples not really the brand. I do give her formula because I wanted her to get used to it because you never know when your milk will dry up. Congratulations on your pregnancy, I know that you, your husband and Lilly are overjoyed and feeling blessed.. thank you for keeping all of us fans included in your life.. for me you make it seem like you are family.
  10. Angela posted on 08/01/2012 10:20 AM
    I say to each their own, but my personal choice was to breastfeed. My children are so strong and healthy and I attribute that to getting them off to a great start. My son has asthma and had a few issues when he was a baby and I cannot stand to think how much worse it could have been if I had bottle fed him and an allergy to something in the formula would have increased risks or caused even more issues. He is a healthy happy kid now and has no more asthma symptoms.
    I do understand that some women simply can't or have no desire to and thankfully there is another option for them, but I am a firm believer that breastmilk is the best option - Nature made us this way and if you look at other animals in nature, they don't use a bottle so why should we!
    1. Jennifer Swan posted on 08/01/2012 04:26 PM
      @Angela The risk of your child having an allergic reaction is actually higher when breastfeeding and harder to pinpoint because the protein from food that you have eaten may pass through breastmilk at a different time. So if your child reacts post feeding, it may not have been the PB&J you had for lunch, it could have been the eggs you had for breakfast. Keep in mind that my son developed food allergies while I was exclusively breastfeeding him (despite his pediatrician and the lactation consultant telling me that breast milk was hypoallergenic). Making the formula transition was easier mentally on me for him and his brother because I could track those ingredients easily. Yes, breast is best but when you have to do an elimination diet that leaves you weak and tired, it is tough to keep up with your milk supply as well as the energy to feed.
      As far as the whole animal argument goes, animals that cannot feed in the wild would be left for dead. Animals that cannot feed that are kept domestically are often bottle-fed.
  11. Rhonda posted on 08/02/2012 10:14 AM
    Hi. I didn't breastfeed either one of my children. My oldest is 18 and my youngest is 12. Both have been very healthy. I know more people prefer to breastfeed over bottle feeding. It is a personal choice. My personal choice was to bottle feed. I just wanted to let you know that both my children have been super healthy with bottle feeding. Thanks.
  12. Sarah posted on 08/08/2012 09:58 AM
    Breastfeeding was hard for me and my daughter from the start. She was three weeks early, small, and very sleepy when she was born. Nursing was just not her top priority. I was determined and we kept trying. She lost a little too much weight in the hospital, so it was recommended we supplement with formula for a few days. This broke my heart, because I'd always heard "breast is best", but I didn't want to starve my child. I was a brand new mom, sore, tired, frustrated and confused. My husband was even very hesitant about the formula, but I trusted the pediatrician and we gave her formula. When my milk came in on day 4, it got a lot easier and we got going pretty well. At times I would get really sore, but we kept going and she did really well. When she was 10 weeks old, I had to go back to work. I pumped - sometimes TWICE at work - and always had enough for the next day, and would nurse at times when I was home. Around 4 months, she went on a little nursing "strike" and it became really difficult and frustrating for us both. I kept pumping and she was at least getting breastmilk in bottles. But throughout the next two months my supply decreased and I had to start mixing breastmilk and formula. I still kept trying to nurse but it became too frustrating and made us both unhappy. Supply dwindled until it was next to nothing, so I decided to quit. I carried a LOT - I mean a LOT - of "Mommy Guilt" at that point, but the baby was happier, it freed me up from pumping (and cleaning all those darn parts) and we could just enjoy our time together without so much frustration. Eventually I was able to get over the guilt. My baby girl is a few days shy of 10 months now and is doing great and is PERFECTLY healthy and happy!

    All that to say...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It is your choice and your child will be fine with whatever you decide. DO NOT kick yourself if you go the formula route - by force or by choice. All of us as women should support each other no matter if we choose to breastfeed or formula-feed. Lord knows it is hard enough being a woman and a mother and we can use all the support we can get!

    Good luck in your last trimester!

    {Oh yeah - we use Dr. Brown's wide-neck bottles. Yes, there are many parts to the bottles, but we have been happy with them. If you get Dr. Brown's, DEFINITELY get dishwasher baskets...otherwise you'll spend all your time leaning over the kitchen sink.}
  13. Danielle posted on 08/30/2012 04:01 PM
    For breast or bottle feeding (which both are awesome options.. as long as you feed the baby :P) I reccomend the Tommee Tippee system of bottles and accesories!!! They are my absolute FAVORITE.

    http://www.tommeetippee.us/

    You can find it at Babies R Us and Target.
  14. Chris posted on 09/14/2012 08:39 AM
    Hey CIndy,
    My comment is late after this has been posted for a while but I wanted to say that I have a 9 month old that is exlusively breastfed. I plan on breastfeeding her until she self weans but that was a decision I made way before kids. I do however work with pregnant woman and new moms and when they ask me which is best my answer to them is it is a personal decision. For me breast is best but I will not pressure anyone into breastfeeding because if it is not for them then it may not be best...it could be an added stress factor to an already stresse dout mommy! My answer is always: Educate yourself, read, research and think and make an informed decision based not on what I tell you or your mom, friend, sister or aunt tells you but on YOUR OWN experience and education...
  15. Brooke posted on 09/14/2012 09:30 AM
    Cindy,
    I just wanted to share my experience with you. I have an eight month old and he is exclusively breastfed. I went back to work full time when he was 9 weeks old. I pump at work which is quite a commitment because I work mostly with men and don't have a private office to pump in BUT it is a commitment that I am glad I made and I have satisfaction knowing that I am giving my baby THE BEST!! I plan to breastfeed at least until he is a year old. We have had some hard times breastfeeding as he has gotten older because he is so aware of his surroundings and it is hard to keep him still but I will exclusively pump if needed. I have read about mothers with twins would have exclusively breastfeed both babies and I have also heard of mothers breastfeeding with only one breast. I don't know if your situation allows this but I think it is worth looking in to. I have one breast that produces MOST of my milk and only get a little from the other and my son is doing greast and has never been hungry!! I think it would be worth you finding out more if you would like to breastfeed. Get some support....I recommend La Leche League (LLL) or a lactation consultant if you feel passionately about breastfeeding. I don't think you should count it out just because you only have one breast. Your milk supply works off of demand. If you always feed your baby with one breast then that breast will make more milk. If you really want to breastfeed I think the key is getting the proper support and the will and want to do it!!
    You asked about bottles as well so I will tell you we tried the advent bottles but my son didn't like them. We ended up using Dr. Brown bottles but every baby is different. It is just trial and error. You can buy individual bottles until you find the one the works and then buy a bigger package.
    Congratulations to you and I hope I was of some help to you!!

    Best Regards,
    Brooke
  16. Nena posted on 09/26/2012 03:48 PM
    Hello! LOVE THE SHOW!!! I am just catching up on your blog and I was reading this and thought I'd share my experience: With my first child I nursed her for 8 months. As great and healthy as she is now, when I started nursing her it was not so great. She was Juandice for the first 10 weeks. The Dr's finally diagnosed her with "Breast Milk Juandice" which is not so common. (they say) She was a healthy baby, but sleep? No way! We didn't sleep for MONTHS! She had to eat every 3 hours night or day due to her Juandice. We are now expecting baby number 2 in December and the debate of nursing or bottle is a HUGE decision to us now! We will have a 2 year old and a newborn.. Sleep will be very important. We had also heard that nursing reduces the number of ear infections... Our little one has had 6 ear infections and she is only 20 months, so I am not all that sure that is true. We are still undecided about nursing, but thought I would share my thoughts!!! Have a GREAT end of pregnancy!
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