i only breastfed for 4 weeks.istopped because it was getting uncomfortable and i was having trouble expressing,which meant my husband couldnt help with feeds.switching to formula made things alot easier,so i could have a rest and hubby could feed bub.

Many people say not breastfeeding a baby deprives them of the natural immunities of the mother. Yes this is true, but the immunities are mostly contained in the colostrum - the yellowish milk first produces. If you are concerned by this aspect, ask at the hospital to help breast feed the baby your  colostrum and then you can decide whether to breastfeed or formula. The end decision is yours and yours alone. If your baby is safe and thriving... and you are comfortable with your choice, then you've made the right decision. By the way, I have 5 children and I tried breastfeeding each of them. The longest I was able to feed was 6 weeks. Therefore each was predominantly formula fed. After some trial and error to find the right formula (some companies provide sample sachets which are fantastic for this) for each they thrived, slept and progressed beautifully.

when I was pregnant even with my second the thought of a baby sucking on my breast seemed a bit ikhy but once you have had the baby and the nurses help you to BF it does seem natural. I am BF currently and the thought of BF someother child would still be ikhy but my own seems so normal. It is hard work and can be tiring but It is a self-less act to provide your child be the best start in life. I think every woman should at least try. If there are reason why you can't then there is no shame innot  BF. BF isn't always easy (ie cracked sore nipples) but  with a little perseverance all can be over come. Oh and I am sure in many ways it is easier ie in the night, when out and about and soothing an unwell child. Good luck with your choice.

There are a lot of women who choose not to BF for the wrong reasons-don't let yourself be one of them. Problems can be overcome, you can still have a life and your boobs won't sag (they'll sag if they're going to from pregnancy regardless of how you feed). Perhaps you could contact your local BF support association and chat over your concerns-they can then provide information to help you make an informed decision.

Every baby deserves to be BFor to at least recieve BM (so expressing and bottle feeding is an option)-it's the way nature intended and while there can be problems there really isn't many reasons why a mum can't BF. There are very real health risks associated with using formula not just for your baby but for you too (you reduce your risk of getting breast cancer by around 50% from BF!!!!) and BF is also better for the environment.  Check out this for 101 reasons to BF

www.promom.org/101.index.html

I hope you can look into this properly so you can make an informed decision for your family.

yes and no.

YES- your not allowing ur son to get the health benifits that come from breast feeding.

NO - its ur choice to breast feed and if u dont want to then its up to u. dont let people bully into thinking ur a bad mother cos u dont want to. there are thousands of women who didnt want to. i wanted to but was bullied so badly by the nurses that i told her where to go.

its ur choice there might be a reason behind the desicion that u wish not to tell.

all the best and remember ur the mother of YOUR child not some random mother who thinks breastfeeding is everything.

Ok, I have to give my honest opinion here - YES it is selfish if you do not WANT to breastfeed.....especially if you can!

If you don't at least try then you are a very selfish person. Breastfeeding gives your baby the best start in life and is a fantastic bonding experience. There are so many people out there that have tried and failed to breastfeed or just can't from the beginning and hate themselves for it - I really don't understand why someone would CHOOSE not to breastfeed without trying it....it is completely SELFISH!

Honestly if you don't WANT to breastfeed then don't have children!

I guess it depends on the reasons why you don't want to breastfeed.  I don't agree with mothers who don't want to because it will make their breasts look different etc.  That's just pure vanity on their part.

If you have a fear of breastfeeding, like you are worried it wouldn't work, then arm yourself with as much info as you can about breastfeeding, even asking other people about their experiences.

Personally, I do believe that breastfeeding is best, but only if it is possible to do so.  I wa'sn't terribly successful with my first 4 babies, but my 5th is a dream feeder, and I'm really enjoying it.  Its something only I can do for her and that's kind of special.  Poor dad, he misses out on feeding her a bottle, but also misses out on cleaning them too..

ultimately, you have to do what is right by you.  Realistically, the best for bubs is being fed, regardless of the method

i think that it is a personal choice however if your able to that its such a good idea, not only are the health benefits to your new bub far greater than any formula, it also helps encourage the bond you and your bub have together, if your working etc and cant expressing can still give him all the best nutrients that are great for keeping him/her healthy, i breastfed for 18months ans she didnt even have a sniffle the whole time when i stopped she started getting colds and usual sickness that kids get every now and then. it also is proven that breastfed babies benefit much later in life as well ie they tend to be less likely to be overweight etc

There are for's and against's for both ways. I did breastfeed my 5 children and loved it, however it did come with pitfalls. I never got a break as I was the only one who could feed my babies, it does tire a mother out as she has to produce the milk. There is also mastitis, leaky breasts, and privacy while feeding.

Ok despite the above I personally loved the close contact, the touch, the bonding and would just feed anywhere anytime, even in supermarket queues! but thats just me. My point is that it is purely a personal issue fo you. My mother and sister just couldnt do it, it just wasnt right for them. My niece and nephews are doing well and I certainly dont think that I have adversely suffered from not being breastfeed and I was feed on carnation milk before formulas.

There is far more to being a wonderful mother who loves and nutures her baby than just how bubs is fed. Research and find out as much as you can to make an informed decision. Most importanly do what YOU and only you feel comfortable with so you can love your baby without guilt.

To not want to then yes I think it is, to not be able to cos of illness, little milk or any medical condition that stops it then no.  Give it a try it really is a nice way of feeding even in the middle of the night!  Then you can make up your mind.

Just remember that there is no right or wrong, it is down to you to decide, no one will think any less of you if you do bottle feed.

xx

Um yes sortof.

But then breastfeeding can be seen as selfish - I dont really like the word.

If you are informed about the benefits of breastfeeding and what formula is made of, not sure anyone would want to formula feed. Doesn't make sense to me.

not at all i have a 2 yr old and are having another baby in 5 weeks and i dont breastfeed and are not planning on doing so it is your decision you need to feel comfortable with it and you are not negecting your child formula works to

As others have mentioned, what are your reasons?

Even if there are emotional issues involved, you don't know whether it will effect you until you at least try.

 Hi you say that your not selfish i had that same thoughts cause i didn't want to have them hang off me all the time  breastfeeding but it didn't end up that way and through my experience with my 2 girls i found that breastfeeding is way easier then bottle feeding I'm breast feeding now and am just about to weave her off at 9 1/2 months it has been so much easier as i didn't have to get up and make her bottles in the middle of the night so my advice is to try breastfeeding and then make up your decision because they say that you feel more close to your baby when breastfeeding because there always with you but its worth it in the end because you have given them the best which is breast milk but you are not selfish because your baby will get nutrients and be fed either way so good luck with what you decide

before i can answer yes or no, i would love to know your reasons why you feel you don't want to breastfeed.  have you had a negative experience or heard from other people about issues with breastefeeding that you may be concerned about?

i personally, would choose breast over bottle anytime.  for me, the benfits include: giving my baby the best nutrition available, assisting with weight loss post pregnancy, convenience of having the milk ready and available at any time, its free (formula and bottles can get expensive), its a wonderful bonding experience, you don't have to waste time on sterilizing bottles and water, and mixing formula, and the list goes on......

i am currently breastfeeding my 6 month old and have successfully breastfed twins.  there is so much help out there if you have issues.

i think if you don't have a really good reason to not even want to try, then yes, it probably is selfish, as you would be intentionally depriving your baby of the best food he or she could have, and there is a lot of evidence to support breast is best.- for both you and your baby.

if you at least try to breastfeed, but have a lot of problems, even with help, then you have done your best and thats all you can do as a mum. 

I guess I am kind of wondering why you want to know?  Are you feeling bad about your decision or is someone pressuring you?  It is hard to answer without knowing everything about you...and why you have made this decision. 

Breastmilk is the best choice for your baby - and, though it is not easy, it is worth persisting with and at least exploring.  There are so many benefits for you and your baby that it is well worth exploring and thinking about why  you feel this way and whether that could change.  You may be surprised to find that you like it and once established it is a lot easier (and cheaper) to maintain.

Sometimes, though, there are women for whom it is emotionally very difficult for various reasons - including things that may have happened to them in the past.  Motherhood can raise a lot of intense emotional issues and for some women breastfeeding may just compound that and make it traumatic.  Personally, I found it very healing, but i know that it is not for everyone.

That is a very different issue to someone who just finds it uncomfortable or whose partner doesn't want her sharing "his" breasts with anyone.  If it something like this, I say give it a go and see if how you feel changes.  Does that answer your question at all?  I can't really answer as I don't know your reasons....

Like it's been said before, most problems that mothers have with breastfeeding, can actually be rectified quite easily with a little bit of determination.  In some cases, it is just medically impossible to breastfeed, but since you're asking the question, there is obviously the possibility physically that you can breastfeed.  So maybe it's an emotional thing?  If coming to the conclussion that you will bottlefeed doesn't give you peace of mind, then rethink it.  And get professional help to see if, once you've got the hang of it, if it is for you or not.  But if the question of breastfeeding is just making the whole situation of having a baby WAY TOO STRESSFUL, then maybe you just can't do it and if might be in the best interest of your baby, you and the rest of your family, if you just relax and decide that bottlefeeding is best.  Personally, I always found it more stressful having to clean and steralise bottles and making up the formula while the baby cried, for me it was much more relaxing to just be able to feed then and there with no clean up required.  But that's just me.  And yes, medically, breastmilk is best, but it's not like your baby won't grow on formula.  Ultimately it is up to YOU and whether or not you can, physically or emotionally.  My advice would be to give it a proper go, with the help of a professional, and find what works best for your whole household, whether that's breastmilk or formula.  It's not like this information goes on their resume.

Your asking a very "hard" question and I can see this could turn into a argument very quickly, I think we all need to just give our honest opinions and not comment back to other ppls opinions, let them have their say and leave it at that??

heres my opinion...

I think its selfish to not even attempt to breastfeed! I have noticed a trend in formula fed babies of colic and reflux, which makes it hard on a new mum. its proven that breastfeeding gives your baby the BEST start in life, so why wouldn't you want that for your child?

It is your life, so its ultimatley your choice, but i do think its somewhat selfish.

sorry

Hey. I believe it is up to you. I have had to do both and to be honest I found I missed breast feeding when I couldn't more than my boys probably missed out. I would give it a go as I was very unsure to start out but ended up loving the ease of it and the closeness with my babies.

well i probably shouldnt answer this because alot of my friends bottlefeed but if you want my opinion then its YES

it is selfish to not want to breastfeed, if there is no medical reason not to (which often there isnt and most breastfeeding problems can be corrected with proper support and persistance).

breastfeeding will give your baby hands down the BEST start to life, there is nothing that you can give him/her that will compare, formula is always going to be second best and frankly i dont understand why a person wouldnt want to give their child the best for the sake of convenience or because you dont feel like it.

formula wasnt created so mums could choose if they wanted to feed or not its there for babies who would die if their mums had no milk or their mums were ill or a million other reasons other than "i dont want to"

vitamins are pretty close to food why dont we all feed our kids them for dinner instead of veggies if we dont feel like cooking?

I don't think so, I think it's up to you and if you don't want to breastfeed, that's your prerogative.