The Breastfeeding Debate

Breastfeeding. One of the biggest debates out there for mothers!  Do I? Don't I?  Am I a bad mum if I don't?  Will I be able to do it?
These are all questions I asked myself when I sat down to decide if breastfeeding is something I want to try or not

Now I have made a decision and I am pretty much sticking to it as I feel its the best thing for me and for my baby, however I do not want my opinion to affect any other ladies in making their decision and I think everybody has their own personal preference, and that's perfectly fine!


I have decided that I won't be breastfeeding our baby.  There are a few reasons why not..


Commitment - Not only have you just carried a baby in your belly for 9 months and gone through childbirth but you're also expected to breastfeed and go through the sometimes agonising pain of that for another good few months or even a year.  For me it just feels like a massive added pressure that could be avoided.  You also need to spend time expressing and that's another thing I am not keen on

The Feeling of Failure - I know a few mums who have attempted to breastfeed and either really disliked the feeling or the baby just would not latch on.  I know how upsetting that can be and its not something I want to put myself or my baby through, if for some reason I couldn't do it.. I hate failing at anything!!!

Sore Boobs - Breastfeeding is likely to make your boobs and nipples so sore.. ouchie.

Less Help - Mr H wouldn't be able to be so involved in feeding time with Harry as obviously he does not have breasts!!  I know this is something he wants to be able to do and it would take a little bit of the pressure off of me.  Friends and Family also love giving feeds to new babies and it will be good again to get some help from them, which you may not be able to accept whilst breastfeeding

Less Convenient - Lets face it its totally not convenient to have to stop off on a car journey to whip your boob out for a quick feed and even less so in a restaurant or a trip at the park

Formula is a Great Substitute -  I have done so much research and found that formula these days is such a great substitute for breast milk so it doesn't really worry me that Harry won't be getting those vital nutrients that his body craves.  I have also found that Aptimil seems to be the best brand amongst bottle feeding mothers and is recommended by midwives and doctors (only if you get a nice one) so this is what I am going to try Harry on to start with

Now obviously there are some down sides of me not breastfeeding and I did take them into serious consideration..



Not Best For Baby - Obviously the main concern was that breast milk is no doubt the best thing you can give your baby in terms of nutrition.  Its also said to help their immune systems whilst growing up and also cure any skin problems they may suffer

Won't Lose Baby Weight - Breastfeeding mothers tend to shed their baby weight almost immediately and this is a down side for me as I would love to get my figure back as soon as possible!!

Can Be More Convenient - On the other side of convenience, it can sometimes be more convenient to breast feed as bottle warming/making facilities are not always available in every location you may be in or you may run out of milk on your adventures!!

Breastfeeding is Free - Baby formula comes with a hefty price tag at almost £10 a tub and you can rarely find it cheaper than that.  Breast milk won't cost you a penny!

Contraception - Breastfeeding is said to be a natural contraceptive!

I Might Regret It - I may really regret not trying to breastfeed Harry.. but I figure I will most likely have another baby in the future and the option is there for then!

What are your thoughts on breastfeeding/bottle feeding??  What will you choose?