Now, this decision did not just happen overnight, I was pretty sure since high school that I was not going to breastfeed. At the time I was planning on formula because I did not know breast pumps existed, but now that I do know about breast pumps, I would like to try pumping.
Why do I not want to breastfeed? For me, it is just inconvenient as it forces all the work on the mother, which does not sound pleasant, and it just, overall, does not appeal to me.
I love the idea of my husband being able to feed the child so he can bond with the baby and he likes that idea too. From what I have heard and read from others, it is pretty hard for a dad to bond with the baby when it is either sleeping or attached to mom's bosom. By using a bottle, they get a chance to hold and feed the baby. I also do not want to deal with the pain and sore, cracked, bleeding nipples. I do not want to have a baby stuck to me 24/7.
After reading "Babyproofing Your Marriage" it seems breastfeeding would be problematic. The book mentions splitting up the chores fairly, taking turns sleeping instead of both being up, etc, all of which is hard if the woman is stuck with being the sole milk provider.
I hate the idea of not getting eight hours of sleep. I need my sleep in order to be a sane person. By bottle feeding, my husband and I can split up baby watching and sleep, at least while he is on paternity leave. He gets the night and I plan on splitting mine, so four hours before he goes to bed and then when he wakes up, I get four more hours (since I plan on pumping, I can't really sleep eight hours straight anyway because I would have to get up in the middle of the night to pump). This way when he goes back to work, his sleep schedule isn't completely out of whack and we both get a decent amount of sleep for a few weeks.
Now, this is assuming I am able to produce a decent supply of breast milk and that pumping works for us, if not, we will use formula and I will not feel guilty. I was a formula fed baby, my sister was a formula fed baby, and we both turned out just fine (my mother couldn't produce enough breast milk, so she had to use formula).
Breastfeeding is great and all, but it angers me how many women out there who breastfeed judge women who use formula or think it is the end of the world when they find out they can not breastfeed, like all of a sudden they are the worst mother on planet earth, when that is not the case!
Breastfeeding is not for everyone and not everyone can breastfeed. Some babies are born with tongue ties and other issues and can not be breastfed. Some women have medical conditions, like breast cancer, and can not breastfeed. Some women do not produce enough milk, and some women just do not want to breastfeed and that is their decision.
Sure breast milk has all sorts of great benefits and I will not deny that it is better than formula, but if formula was so bad, wouldn't a lot of those babies be dead by now? If formula is so bad, why am I still alive and well? Formula may not be better, but it is the next best thing, and I am living proof that you can still be healthy even if you were formula fed.
Breast is best ONLY when it works for the mom and the baby. The most important thing is that your baby gets fed, which is why I believe fed is best.
Attribution: Image used in blog post photo does not belong to me and was found on Pixabay.
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