This post is not speaking negatively about formula feeding. We understand that every mum makes the right decision for their baby when it comes to which feeding route that they decide to take. This, however, is a bit of a personal post.
This post is not speaking negatively about formula feeding. We understand that every mum makes the right decision for their baby when it comes to which feeding route that they decide to take. This, however, is a bit of a personal post. As a former breastfeeding mum (he’s four now and our breastfeeding journey came to an end two years ago) I experienced both bottle feeding and breastfeeding and I discovered that breastfeeding, in the long run, really is the easier option.
Many people, including me, have a bit of a rocky start when it comes to breastfeeding. Everything about having a newborn is, well, new. If this is your first baby everything about breastfeeding is new also. Up until now, you may have viewed your breasts in a completely different light, never really knowing just how amazing they really are. If you were stuck on a desert island with your baby you could keep them alive and sustain them with just your breast milk – pretty amazing huh? (we would like to think that someone would find a way to get pasta and cake to you too).
Some of us experience issues like a tongue tie or latch problems which can make the beginning of our journey very challenging. Every breastfeeding challenge has a breastfeeding solution though. I heard someone recently say that bottle feeding is easier for the first six weeks but then challenging forever more and that breastfeeding is the very opposite – a little challenging (for some people) in the beginning but a walk in the park after that.
When my son was born we had latch issues. Due to me having flat nipples (who knew?) he could not latch well enough for him to feed effectively. The truth is that I was not armed with enough research or support and the minute formula was suggested I accepted it as the right suggestion. As it turned out there was a breastfeeding solution and after five days, and with the help of nipple shields, we were exclusively breastfeeding.
I learned a lot about bottle feeding during those first five days and looking back now I realize that it was so much more difficult.
Here are 10 reasons why, in my opinion, breastfeeding is the easier way to feed your baby. That is absolutely not to say that some women do not struggle immensely or that all women should breastfeed.
- You don’t have to think about temperature. When we were bottle feeding my baby only liked it at a very specific temperature. Breast milk is always at the optimum temperature for your baby.
- You don’t have to worry about specific amounts of milk and timing feeds according to a schedule. Feeding on demand means that baby feeds as much as it needs to as often as it needs to. You simply follow their lead.
- It’s free. Have you seen the price of formula? We worked out how much money we would save in a year and it kind of equates to a holiday. That blew my mind.
- You need less stuff. No steriliser, bottle or cleaning equipment. A couple of nursing bras and you are ready to rock.
- That feel-good hormone is everything. Rather than seeing feeding as a chore that I had to do, I grew to adore the feeling that it washed over me. Breastfeeding releases oxytocin which makes you feel super calm and relaxed. It’s amazing.
- Night feeds are way easier. You don’t even have to leave to leave the bed.
- Once you get passed the earlier cluster feeding weeks it’s super quick and easy. Baby feeds much quicker and it’s often a five minute round trip. Babies can be really fussy with their bottle as they get older and it can seem like an eternity trying to get to them to drink enough at their feed time.
- It’s constant skin to skin with your baby and there really is no feeling quite like that,
- You can feed anytime, any place and anywhere. If you get delayed or end up somewhere unexpected you can always feed your baby without giving it a seconds thought.
- When your baby is sick they will more than likely tolerate breast milk really well. It will keep them nourished, hydrated and will aid their recovery. It’s like medicine.
Written by Tracey Quinn staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.loveofliving.ie.
