Bottled or Draught ?

[Moby-Dick]

how did yours have his (or hers) ? do you feel you missed out in either way ?


Ours has been on bottles since the word go - no reflection on Angeleyes at all , the little one just didn't seem to be interested in anything boob shaped at the time. That and a bit of a reaction to the breastfeeding Nazi's at the antenatal clinic....

I don't feel we missed out at all , the fact that its meant that I can get involved in the feeding without hooking anyone up to some form of milking contraption and when she wasn't sleeping through the night we could take turns in that 3am wakeup!

[angeleyes]

I feel i missed out cos she wouldn't latch on. I know it was easier with her on the bottles and i was less tired, but i really wanted to breastfeed my baby. And it was nothing to do with pressure from anywhere I've wanted to breastfeed for as long as i can remember.

I don't feel it's damaged her in anyway, just feel i missed out on something.

[matty-hodgson]

i WAS NOT expecting that!

[Moby-Dick]

I post corrected

[Mike Fishcake]

I feel i missed out cos she wouldn't latch on. I know it was easier with her on the bottles and i was less tired, but i really wanted to breastfeed my baby. And it was nothing to do with pressure from anywhere I've wanted to breastfeed for as long as i can remember.

I don't feel it's damaged her in anyway, just feel i missed out on something.

You know something - out of all the comments I've ever read about breast feeding (Ok, admittedly not many - that would be a bit weird if I went out looking for them), that's the first one I've seen which totally represents what happened with ours when he was a babba. The awkward little sod just wouldn't do that, and all the posters and literature saying 'Breast is best', whilst good intentioned, made my wife feel like absolute crap, and the judgemental comments from people when they realised he was formula-fed were even worse. I think we'd have got a better reception from some people if we told them we fed him on Gregg's pasties and vodka!

[jim]

My girlfriend was brought up on bottled as a baby - her parents appreciated that it would've been inappropriate to take her to the pub.

I'm not even joking, beer was the doctor's recommendation when she refused to drink milk

[angeleyes]

The midwife who did our ante-natal classes (who was a bloke that looked like Data from Star Trek), said that babies don't tend to want to eat too much in the first 3 days and that is perfectly normal, but they wouldn't release me from hospital until i had proved that i could feed the baby. In the end because i'd been in hospital for 3 days before she was born and i was sick of it i said just give her a bottle so that i can get home and never really bothered trying after that as the nurses at the hospital made me feel like i had failed in some way.

It was their fault not mine the baby just wasn't hungry and therefore didn't want to latch on to somthing that she didn't want.

[Mrs Dak]

Those midwives failed you angeleyes

I also had to stay in hospital for 8 days after the birth of our first as she lost too much weight. The midwives were lovely and tried their hardest to support my feeding efforts, but I had to supplement her feeds with bottles before they would allow me home. Same thing happened second time, I was more accepting then that I had to bottle feed (after my inital hormonal sob-fest).

Both times the medical staff in both hospital and surgery were great, one of my sisters on the other hand ......

[angeleyes]

I couldn't fault the care i got before the baby was born. The staff were really nice, although we went through a massive saga of them not being able to make their mind up about whether to give me a c-section or not, but afterwards the care was rubbish. I was shoved in a side room with 3 other women and didn't see a nurse unless i went to find one (also had no TV in there at all, but i did have a portable DVD player which was a lifesaver!) When she did feed and latched on for a good 20 mins they didn't believe me because they hadn't seen it. I was asked if i was just saying it so they would release me.

I know i was a first time mum, but i really believe that i knew what was right for my baby and given more time and support i probably could've managed to breastfeed her a little (but not in that environment as it was too stressful). Although possibly would've had to supplement her feeds as well as all the women in my family seem to have problems with producing enough milk.

Even though it was possibly the midwives fault (or possibly the hospitals/PCT's for them being understaffed), i still felt it was mine for just giving in so i could go home.

[GoNz0]

due to Lucy being 8 weeks early she was fed through a tube for the 1st 6 weeks, Kirstie did express and i did buy the electric philips avent kit for her to use at home, but it turns out she could not keep up with Lucys demands once we went to breast only, she was being given top ups of formula in the hope the boobies would increase there flow, but we were told no mouth to nipple in the 1st 2 weeks and you don't stand a chance.

Kirstie was gutted when she realised she was fighing a losing battle but at least i can help out now!

[Teamsreth]

Little Finley had breast for a nearly a week, but he was a bit if a biter.

Mrs Teamsreth was unable to continue, or express enough. But he if perfectly fine on the bottle. put 2lb on in just under 4 weeks.

[Phage]

Breast to begin with, but very quickly graduated to bottles. Mum couldn't keep up with the demand, especially from the boys. ( 12lb babies) It meanet that i got to spend a few quality hours with them too.
NB there's nothing like having a cleaned, changed, fed and burped baby sleeping on your chest to put you to sleep as well !

[0iD]

1st Two (First wife) were 100% bottle fed, she didn't like the idea of breast feeding so didn't. 2nd two (second wife) were breast fed. Got a breast pump & she expressed & we froze it in batches in special pouches for when she was too tired or not able to.

[shelley bda]

Both my boys were bottle fed. I was so tired after giving birth to Michael, I just didn't have the energy, the Midwives gave him a bottle, and I just carried on with the bottle feeding. The Midwives were great and respected my decision, a friend of mine was made to feel like the worst Mum on earth by her Midwife for bottle feeding it's personal choice which should be respected.

[Tumble]

The missus is still breast feeding Faye to supplement her proper food intake - she was actually sick when we gave her formula - either that or she gets a nasty rash which takes forever to shift. It's very dependant on mood though - if mum's stressed or upset about anything, she doesn't make enough milk and nothing comes down, but most of the time it goes quite nicely

[schmunk]

Schmunk Jr. was breast fed until his second birthday - that was his least favourite birthday present...!

It became a comfort thing by the end - I'm not sure he was actually getting any milk out (although, that said, Mrs. Schmunk was still lactating - she's building up to Schmunk 2.2 now, mind...!)