Bottle feeding moms only please?

Question

I am unsure whether I am going to breast feed or not. I so not think I will be comforatble with it and people say the baby can sense that. What I would like to know is people out there who used formula, did you baby get sick more than breast feed babies and did you have a harder time losing the pregnancy weight?? Thanks..also what is a good brand of formula??

Answer 1

I found SMA gold very good but then my daughter became a hungry baby so i changed it to SMA white which is fine and she slept for 14 hours a night.
My daughter was hardly ever sick at all only when ill and my neice who is 4 weeks old is on SMA white and she hasnt been sick once and my sister went back to a size 10 2 weeks after birth.

Answer 2

I have done both with both my sons and the results are different. Both boys were breastfed until 3 months. My oldest never got a cold until he was 21 months and my youngest who is 5 months has had 3 bouts with antibiotics. My first child I didn't lose the baby weight as fast, but my second one I lost it a little better.
I talked to my nutritionist about the baby weight and it may or may not come off quickley when you breast feed. Depending on your body type, it may take several months or up to a year for you body to lose the weight. Depending on how much your body changed from pregnancy it may never be the same.
Advocates for breast feeding will push it and others won't. Breastmilk I believe is the best and I wish my body would have let me do it longer. What I miss most about it is the unique bonding experience I had with my boys. Plus it is alot easier in the middle of the night, because you do not have to hold the bottle.
Also, how sick you baby gets, depends on the time of year born, whether or not he will be in day care and natural immune system. My cousin breast fed her twins for a year and they had tubes by 4 months and they weren't premies.
If you are healthy, eat right and exercise regardless of your choice, the weight will come off in due time. I know it is hard, but most pregnant women have the in-between wardrobe which makes it easier to deal with the extra weight.
As far as formula goes, I use Target brand milk base. You get more in a can and its cheaper. I have had no problems. Unless your baby has unique feeding issues start out with milk base and change only if directed by you child's pediatrician. My oldest son is 22 months, and you can't tell what brand of formula he was on.
When it comes down to it, YOU have to make the right choice for your child and your family. Nobody can do it for you.
You can try breastfeeding and if it doesn't work, there is always formular, but it is hard to go from formula to breast milk. One more option, is to just pump your breast milk and give her bottles of that, my sister did for 4 months.

Answer 3

I breastfed for the first month then switched to formula. My son is almost 1 and he hasn't had a cold or gotten sick yet, which is apparently not that common. Most kids will get sick at least once in the first year. My husband and I were even sick with a cold at 2 seperate times this winter and the little guy didn't catch either cold. I didn't have a harder time losing the weight, I know a few moms that breastfeed that are still overweight a year or two later, I think it mostly depends on how motivated you are to lose the weight. I used Nestle Good Start formula, it's what my doctor recommended. Worked good for us.

You should at least try breastfeeding, you may actually find it easier and more comfortable than you think. It works great for a lot of moms and babies. Bottlefeeding also works great. Good luck! :)

Answer 4

HI,
My baby is drinking Gentlease (enfamil) formula and it has been terrific for him. He had some reflux and lots of gas and abdominal discomfort in the begining and this formula has really helped.
I suppose there must be some difference for the babies having breast milk, I mean, it has to be somewhat better considering it is all natural. My baby is perfectly fine on formula.
Trust me, your baby is going to get sick whether he is on breastmilk or formula. I work in pediatrics and they all get sick! Although I do think babies on breast milk digest the milk better from you than from the bottle. This also depens upom your diet as well.
Pregnancy weight and breast feeding, well some say it does help shed the weight, but I didn't and I lost all but 5 pounds of my weight and did'nt exercise. You own metobolic rate really plays a factor in how you will retain or lose the weight. If you have always been over weight during your life, ofcourse it will be more difficult for you. But if you have been an adequete weight during your life you will probably be fine, just stay active.
Good luck and enjoy the baby, don't worry.

Answer 5

i breastfed for 3 weeks than i quit because of my low blood supply and other stressors. i used similac. i had a hard time losing weight, in fact 4 years later i am still carrying it. i think it has more to do with my metabolism and the fact that i am not trying to lose weight.

my baby did catch a cold a few times. the most serious illness he's had is pneumonia at 2 years old and an ear infection at 3 years old. my cousin breastfeeds her 5 month old and so far her baby has had about 2 colds that i know of and the rotavirus that was going around. her baby got sick only because she has a child in school as well.

not to lecture u or anything but i would give breastfeeding a try and see how u feel before making any final decisions. your dr. might actually have a formula brand that he/she wants u to try. its overwhelming trying to decide which brand is best. there is so many out there.

Answer 6

My son was a preemie- I have combined breastfeeding with bottle feeding and am leaning more towards the bottle now that I will be going back to work. My baby did not respond well to the formula at first- he had terrible gas pains... it turned out that the formula we were using had too much iron for him, plus he just has an overly sensitive stomach (he reacts poorly to breastmilk as well, even though I am very careful with my diet). I think as long as you use a formula that works well with your child (which you can only find through experimentation) it is not a bad way to go. We started with Similac Advance, then tried Nestle Good Start Supreme, then Enfamil Lipil.... now he is on Enfamil Gentlease for his tummy problems. I like Enfamil the best, but Nestle is good too. Similac seemed to have a ton of bubbles when I mixed the formula, which in turn led to increased gas problems for my son.
As far as the pregnancy weight, it is supposed to be easier to lose the weight if you are breastfeeding, but I think if you are focused on a goal and work towards it then you will lose the weight either way. For me, the goal was to fit into a certain size by the time I returned to work so that I could treat myself and buy some new clothes.
Lastly, if you are not comfortable with breastfeeding then don't put yourself or the baby through the discomfort. Feeding time is a great bonding time between you and your child- take advantage of the time to stare into your child's eyes while he eats, whether it is from a bottle or your breast he still relies on you for nutrition: you are the most important person in your child's world.
Good luck with your decision- it's a hard one to make!

Answer 7

My baby is formula fed. I use Similac formula with iron. Not sure which brand is a good one. I guess the one that works good for your baby would the the good one. My son is 5 months old and he is as healthy and happy as can be. I was a breast-fed baby and I was a very sick child, so I am not sure if a choice to breast feed or to formula feed affects the fact of how healthy a baby will be.
I gained 35 pounds during pregnancy and lost most of my pregnancy weight. I fit in my regular jeans about a month after I gave birth. I have about 8 more pounds to lose to return to my pre pregnancy weight. Now when its warmer outside I am going for walks with my son and hopefully this will help with the rest of the weight. Whatever choice you make will be a good choice, just listen to your heart and good luck with everything!

Answer 8

A) NO my babies were super healthy on formula; in fact I would often get rather smug as my friends' breastfed babies made trip after trip to the pediatrician for ear infections, etc, while mine were happy and healthy.
B)I did not have a harder time losing the weight. I nursed my first for 6 weeks, during which time I was starving and ate so much I actually gained weight.
C) don't be sucked in by the formula companies who want you to buy their super expensive formula. The fact is, all formulas on the market have to meet the same government standards, so buy the store brand, which is usually half the price. By the way, I used "name brand" for my first baby and "store brand" for the other SIX and there was NO difference.

Answer 9

I bottle fed all three of my children. My oldest child (7) was sick three times the first year, my second (4) was never sick, and my third (6mths) has been sick once but he also got a tooth the same time. Now that they have gotten older, they only get runny noses once in a while. I lost all the weight I gained with all three, this last pregnancy I had to lose about 36 pounds. I also use Goodstart for formula. I was very uncomfortable about breast feeding, and I feel I made a good choice with bottle feeding. Best of Luck!

Answer 10

i breastfed then went onto formula, i enjoyed breastfeeding but didnt get the help i shuld have got from midwives (first time mum) so changed to formula, baby went on sma but was sick most of the time so we used apitimal its slightly more expensive but its the most like breast milk