This is nothing to do with breastmilk being better than formula, I am just interested in peoples reasons for choosing (if they have a choice) how they feed their children.
I have probably missed out loads of reasons but I am trying to keep them neutral, so that they could apply to both breastmilk and formula. I have not included ‘do you breastfeed or formula feed’ as a question as that is not the point of this poll.
If you can think of any other things that might make you choose breastmilk or formula please let me know and I’ll add it to the list.
You can vote on as many things as you like, you don’t need to choose just one answer.
Lisa
i always say im too lazy toi bottle feed… cant be bothered with all that washing up, sterilising etc lol
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I know breastfeeding is better for me and my baby and am mature enough now. I had my son young and didn’t bother to breastfeed but have grown up a lot since. To me, bottles in general are a pain in the butt lol Since I can, why not give my child the best out there?
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i also wanted the closeness that breast feeding would create between me and my children. The thought of others feedign my babies just seemed ailen to me. I felt very close to my first child whilst i was pregnant and i wanted the closeness to continue, i saw breast feedign as the best way to maintain that connection that noone else could interfer with. hope i make sense!
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Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer and with a family history it’s good to stack the odds in my favour!
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I exclusively bottle-feed expressed breastmilk.. I don’t really fit into breastfeeding or formula feeding.. but hope it was okay to still vote.
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of course it is ok to vote
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i couldn’t find a catagory that fitted me- i opted to FF because of a general lack of support, lack of information and lack of understanding about the alternative option. I thought that i ‘couldn’t’ breastfeed and that i had no other option when in reality i was just struggling because my milk hadn’t come in yet. And once i ‘gave up’ i felt there was no going back. Had i known then what i know now i wouldn’t have chosen that option. so what catagory does that come under?
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I’ll add that, thanks
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I breastfed because I thought it was what I should do! I struggled a lot to begin with. Very sore nipples, crying at every feed (me not baby!) but I just thought I don’t want to be faffed with sterilising, making up bottles in the middle of night and I also had a lot of support from family just helping me getting to the end of each week and before I knew it I was at 6 weeks, then 8 weeks then 12 weeks and I thought wow! Im breastfeeding, its really easy, I love it, my baby loves it. Don’t want to stop!
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I breastfeed because it is easier, cheaper, more convenient, and the best choice for my son and I.
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I don’t think I ever considered formula as an option. I grew up knowing boobies are for feeding babies, and assuming that was what mine would be used for too!
Having said that I am FAR too lazy to be pratting about with bottles, and have been flashing my boobs at the world long before I was someone’s mum, so I’ve never had any reason to give my following of the status quo a second thought. Asside from the fact that I am giving my daughter an immune system and whatnot.
My daughter is 18 months now and we are on morning and bedtime feeds, plus an occasional day-time one if she is asking for one.
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I totally agree with Laura- I just set out to breastfeed for 6 weeks, then 12 weeks, then 4, 5, 6 months and here I am at nearly 8 months with no plans to stop. I guess I would add ‘It came naturally to us’ to the list, since I’m not sure I would have kept it up so long if it had been a perpetual struggle. I know that part of that is effort in the early days, but part of it is luck and I hope I’m lucky again next time
I’m also another who is too lazy to bottle feed, and I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who expresses as that takes a lot of dedication indeed.
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Totally agree with Ladybird… was a no brainer for me, I never gave it a second thought, I always knew I would breastfeed and was determined to suceed. am lucky, i guess, my mum is a midwife and was very supportive from the start…
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Like Bryony I EP my milk and have done so since day 10, now at just over 18 months still going.
We fall into the in betweeners…..not bf but not formula, I often felt like putting labels on my bottles that it was my milk not formula I was feeding my baby as everyone assumes its formula in the bottle…I know formula looks different to EBM and wouldn’t make an assumption.
Oh and most of the benefits of bf cannot be attributed to the act of breastfeeding, its the act of lactation which results in these therefore applies to mums that pump full time also….ditto goes for benefits to baby most come from the breastmilk regardless of how it is given (presuming its been freshly expressed of course)…..
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hmm I’m not sure what option I should choose, I breastfeed my son because it is natural to do so and because I KNOW it is the best thing for all concerned but also because I have a few great friends that armed me with their peer supporter knowledge while I was pregnant which empowered me with the strength to keep going in the early days when I was up all night in tears praying for my milk to come in!
I switched to formula within days with my first son because I was clueless about the reality of BFing a baby, was too shy to visit the local BF group and received conflicting advice from various different midwives
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I combination feed so really dont fit into either category because the HV said LO wasn’t putting on enough weight with just BF so she has one FF per day. Would love to just BF as I feel really guilty at times. May be – “told to” could be another category?
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I breastfeed my 21 month old son. He was prem, I was encouraged to express from the start til he worked out how to feed from me and I got so much support.
But I’d have breastfed anyway…I can’t be dealing with the faff of making up bottles and so forth, what’s the point when you’ve got a supply right there and ready.
Oh, and the more I learn about the benefits of breastfeeding the more amazed I am. It’s lead me to becoming a supporter to other mums and I look forward to the day when breastfeeding becomes the normal and natrual thing to do. If I can be part of that coming about then that’s me content for life!
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I breastfeed because I refused to consider the alternatives. We had a tricky start, as do many mums, but I had a lot of support from my family and husband who agreed that unless medically necessary, formula would never be an option. When I was crying through every feed no one ever said ‘give her formula’, they just said ‘where can we get you the help you need’, or ‘how can we fix this problem’. That is what makes all the difference. Luckily I found a really great breastfeeding support group locally and we have got through all the problems. I get upset when I see mums say ‘I have to switch to formula because I’m going back to work’. With the right support around it’s not necessary.
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On top of all the other benefits I breastfed because of the closeness it gave me and my babies.
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I clicked several reasons and then “I didn’t think about it”, which may be a contradiction, but for me it was never a choice, I didn’t consciously weigh up the pros and cons of breast or formula. I knew the facts and it was a no brainer. It never even occurred to me to formula feed.
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I breastfeed and formula feed – the reasons I do this is that I believe it gives me and baby the best of both worlds. We get the benefits of breastfeeding (closeness, antibodies for baby, being able to feed anywhere at anytime etc) and the benefits of bottlefeeding (dad being able to feed, being able to leave baby with her dad or grandma and have a break, not worrying about how baby will cope with feeding when I go back to work etc).
I would really like to see more mothers supported in combining – too many new mums are told that it is either all or nothing, and they end up giving up breastfeeding completely because of that! Any mum struggling with exclusive breastfeeding should be supported to continue breastfeeding alongside forumla feeding.
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Never considered formula to be an option, breastfeeding is better for both of us, I love it na dreally value the bond I have with Penny because of it. I struggled to strt with but with lots of support from my family got through- there’s no looking back and I now want to go on to try extended feeding
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Never even bought formular ‘Just in case’ so breast was all that was available! Luckily my son was interested and we got it right in the end! now he is 20 months and I can’t stop him! I don’t mind gives me excuse to eat nommy cakes!
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I chose to FF all of my children.
I made the choice and had to fight quite a battle with midwives inlaws etc.
Over the years I have taken alot of negative comments about my choice & I have lost count of the number of people who have felt it their place to comment!
I think there is a big divide between those who bf & ff, bottle feeding dosen’t make me a bad mummy the same as breast feeding dosen’t make someone a good one.
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