Formula Vs. Breastfeeding

BREAST IS BEST! Trust me, when that baby is born you'll want what is BEST for him which is you and your milk especially your colastrum which he/she will NOT get in formula and is essential for building a strong immune system in your little one. SAVE YOUR MONEY and breastfeed. I'm still nursing my 11 mnth old and it's been great. I haven't had to buy one ounce of formula, worry about bottles when we go somewhere, sterilizing bottles, buying formula, etc!
With formula you also have to worry about which kind to use for your baby....if your baby will be allergic to this kind or that kind and it takes time to really figure out what works for your child.

I think it's GREAT that hospitals have caring lactation nurses that want to see a mother at least try to do what we all know is wonderful for our child. They are not there to make your decision for you but only to encourage and help you with breastfeeding because it's so important for your baby to get a healthy start in life.
Start your little one's life out the healthiest you can for him/her.
Your baby will be less sick from a stronger immune system and have fewer to no allergies at all!
Yes formula will supply your child with vitamins and help them grow but it's NOTHING compared to what your breast milk has to give to your child.
It's also been proven recently to help in treating certain cancers!! You can't get much better than that! : )
Good luck with everything and congratulations on your precious new baby! : )

1 mom found this helpful

Congratulations on your new baby!!

EDIT: I knew I would get blasted.

First of all...YES it is great that hospitals have lactation consultants and provide valuable information to new moms WHO WANT the information. It is the PUSHING of information that insulted me.

Secondly....How dare someone say I am not caring because I chose to bottle feed vs breast feed. You know who you are.... Yes my daughter is very healthy, more so than some breast fed babies I know. My choice was personal as is YOURS. Everyone is different.

If we were all the same....this forum would really be boring.

Oriningal post.............My daughter is 14 now. I think it is important to do what is right for you. I did not want to breastfeed because it just was not right for me personally. My daughter is a picture of great health.....rarely sick, no illness issues, healthy eater, etc.

I was offended at the hospital when I stated that I preferred to formula feed my baby and the lactation consultants would not leave me alone. I had to get rude to get formula for my baby but we did and I have no regrets. I used Nutrigium (sp) from the can and it was easy. I dont remember what it costs but I do recall getting lots of coupons for it.

Also.....I STILL get mailers often for Toys R Us for $10 off a purchase. I would use those at the time to save a little money.

Best wishes with your choice and new baby.

hi
i did both with my first child i b/f and bottle feed is much easy if you have a busy life with my twins i jus b/f for 1 month because i have a low milk supply and noe they are in formula the baby boy is using similac advance and the baby gir similac sensitive because of reflux problem is much better if you breastfeed because they don't get sick much ofter if you can do it nly one month is better than nothing.

you can keep the formula in the refrigerator for 24 hours
i don't have any problems with constipation with my babys and the formula cost about 21.50 at walmart for the big can i think it last about a week in a half or two .

I breastfed my daughter until she was 13 months and it was the best thing in the world and still something that I really miss. I feel that breastfeeding is the best present you can ever give your child. I did also supplement with formula though, mainly when we would be going somewhere where I knew I wouldn't have the opportunity to sit down and breastfeed her. When I did, I used the Target brand formula as it was much less expensive and the exact same thing as Enfamil. I still use the Target brand Next Stage formula in place of milk.
Congatulations on the impending arrival of your little one and just know that whatever decision you make will be the best one for your baby.

Do what makes you happy. Your baby will be fine. Buy the store brand. It has the same ingredients as the more expensive. Make the bottles as you go. Use warm water to make each bottle. Tap water is fine as long as you live in an area with good water quality. I never had a baby constipated by formula, but for gas, I used Mylicon or the store brand equivalent in every bottle. The cost depends on your child. A large can of powder formula from Walmart would probably last a newborn a couple of weeks and it costs around $10. Congratulations!

I am all about the breastfeeding! I breastfed for 5 months and then supplemented due to low milk supply after going back to work I am not sure about the difference in health but I will say that the bond you have during breastfeeding is amazing. It takes a little time getting it down, but once you do it great. Just stick with it. You can also take Fenugreek to up your milk production if needed. You just buy it at GNC and it is all herbal. Once we switched to formula we just used the store brand, it is exactly like Enfamil, but my son didn't have any sensitivities, I will say the difference between a breastfed diaper and formula diaper is insane! Formula diapers are like goo and explosive! Breastfed diapers are usually pretty easy to clean and not has gooey.
If you can breast feed I would just for the bond, I can't wait to do it with our next child!

M.,
I encourage you to breastfeed. I really do think it's the best for your little one. I have had three kids, nurse them all, two of them were breastfeed/formula. My last one I breastfed only. I really regret not breastfeeding my older two longer, I went back to work, was in my early 20's and thought it was easier on everyone. Both of my kids that were on formula did have constipation problems, I didn't have that with my last child. Most doctors will tell you not to feed your baby water, especially not at the beginning anyway. My pediatrician with my first two, had my daughter go on a diet with her formula, where it was watered down. My niece was strictly breastfeed for the first year and she was a little over-weight too, but her pediatrician said to give her water in a bottle, my niece is 12 now and loves water, but most cases I've heard the doctor will not have you give your baby water.
Again, really consider breastfeeding for the first 6 months at least.
God bless, and congrats in advance for your precious little one!

Before my daughter was born, I committed to nursing her for a year or until she weaned herself, knowing the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful at nursing. Instead, I pumped breast milk for 14 months until my daughter was able to keep down solids. Despite her health issue, I felt assured that my daughter was getting the nutrients she needed and was encouraged by the doctors who told me I had done the best thing for her.

OK, so I am sure you know "breast is best" and all that so I won't give you that speech :) Instead I'll tell you what I did. I breastfed my daughter exclusively for 7 months, then 7-12 months we went to 1 bottle of formula per day with the rest breastfeeding. At 9 months I started letting her play with a sippy cup and water. At 12 months we weaned to a sippy cup and whole milk. This worked very well for me and she adapted perfectly. During the first few months I did pump so she got used to the bottle. She never had any nipple confusion issues. She didn't get sick at all (aside from a slightly stuffy nose), something I attribute totally to breastfeeding her. I used Similac Advance and regular filtered tap water. I had started her with Enfamil, but she didn't do well with that. Similac seemed better for her, but I am sure it depends on the baby. Formula is supposed to be used as soon as it is mixed. I believe the longest you should keep it refrigerated is 24 hours, and it shouldn't be left out at room temp longer than 1 hour. As for cost, Similac costs $21-24 per tub, which makes 28 8 oz bottles. If you formula feed, be sure to sign up on their website to get coupons... and don't worry when they expire. You can usually still use them - not sure if it is policy or just lazy cashiers, but I used a $5 coupon absolutely every time I purchased formula, and many of those were expired! Finally, don't give your newborn any water unless it is approved by your pedi.