parents - how quick did you introduce the bottle?

[edro]

Good! You'll save thousands of dollars.
And your wife's boobs will stay big longer.
WIN!

Wrong, FAIL!
He doesn't have access the entire time!

 

[RelaxTheMind]

i have 2 under 3y. the last was born on st pattys. Our first kid did the bottle earlier and eventually preferred the bottle to the boob. our second gets more boob time but we still use bottle for like every 4 feedings and can still doesnt have a preference between the two.

end goal is your kid has to get it in him somehow. if he/she just isnt liking the boob just use the bottle. there is nothing wrong with that.

i know a lot of people that use formula not by choice, but because they either cant or dont produce enough milk.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Congrats!

For my son - my wife breast fed as much as possible until he was six months old. He probably fed 50% of the time from her, 50% from pumped milk. After 6 months his apetite outpaced her ability to produce so we eventually switched to formula.

For my daughter - she had a pretty severe heart defect at birth and was unable to breastfeed. We fed her pumped milk through a nasal gastric (NG) tube until she was two months old. After her surgery she was much stronger and my wife reintroduced her to breastfeeding. She took right to it but, just like my son, she outpaced my wife's ability to produce only a few months later.

Both kids are perfectly fine now. Do what feels best for you and your situation. And don't let anyone make you feel bad about your choices in this regard.

Good luck and have fun! Having a kid is like pushing the fast forward button on life. Everything goes by FAST.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Having a kid is like pushing the fast forward button on life. Everything goes by FAST.

This is so true. Our daughter is only 7 months, so we still have a lot of learning to do, but it feels like she was born yesterday, and she's already pulling herself to a standing position. A baby is like a time machine that moves time forward at 10 times normal speed. Since I started writing this comment, she's sprouted six more teeth and enrolled at a local community college. Whoever said "time is an illusion" was definitely a parent.

 

[bbhaag]

I asked my wife about it and she said it's really painful to breast feed. She said it makes your nipples sore and the swelling is uncomfortable. She breast fed both our boys for around six months but it was something we both believed in so we worked together to make it happen.

I mean you and your wife are so new to this less than a week right? If this is something you both want to do try to encourage her to keep trying. Don't give up so easily. The three key things about being a parent are it takes time and patience....so much patience.

EDIT:I forgot the third. Perseverance.
Being a parent takes time, patience, and perseverance.

 

[drebo]

My daughter ate through a feeding tube for the first week of her life, but she's transitioned to bottle and breast without issue.

Honestly, while it is "better" to breast feed, it's mostly just because breast milk is superior to formula for a variety of reasons. If your wife is pumping and you're bottle-feeding breast milk, that's basically just as good.

 

[sdifox]

yeah that's our plan for now, she will still try to get him on the breast though sometimes.

and on another note, we got a mamaroo yesterday and he loves that thing to crash in after eating lol.

our one year old twins were formula fed from the beginning. I swear Enfamil A+ is more expensive than gas!

 

[Blanky]

My kid didn't breast feed. She's 7 and normal.
So going to a bottle is no big deal in my opinion.

Bottle is not the same as not drinking breast milk.

As I am sure people said above and the science is unequivocal about breast fed babies on the whole have superior outcomes--even years down the line--to formula babies.

 

[Reynod]

I think that every mother will do the best they can ... some can't breastfeed at all or only can for a short while. Infant formulas are now much better than they were 20 years ago ... so data comparisons in term of longitudinal studies are a bit unfair (beyond 20 years, and hard to separate definitively with the last 10 years).

Mine were mowing into wheetbix, bananas, rice and custard within a few months ... now they have all my best computing gear and I'm stuck with an old dog and the spare room ... and an empty fridge.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

our one year old twins were formula fed from the beginning. I swear Enfamil A+ is more expensive than gas!

Compare it to generic formula, exact same nutrition, kid didnt mind and i wouldnt be surprised if they were made in the same facility. I hate walmart, but thank you sams club!

 

[Redfraggle]

Read OP and nothing more. Qualifications: nursed two kids

It really depends on the kid. A nipple shield can ultimately cause more problems than it solves, but can prevent some painful damage while you work on latch.

Finding out if kid has a lip or tongue tie can be hard in areas with inept people. Even lactation consultants sometimes give bad advice or miss a simple tongue tie.

If she has very large breasts or very flat nipples, this can make for challenges as well.


Basically, nursing is just really damn hard for about the first few weeks for pretty much everyone. It's not necessarily an instinctual thing that just comes naturally.

Introducing a bottle too soon makes baby take in a bit much bc it comes out easier and then they sometimes begin to refuse the breast bc it takes longer for the same amount. (Think eating with chopsticks versus a spoon)

My advice is to keep at the nursing and leave the bottle alone for a few weeks unless there is very urgent need to push the issue.

Lastly congrats and get a good baby carrier!

Try your local La Leche League. Most of those groups are great and very helpful. Work at this together, and don't give up on your worst day.

 

[Redfraggle]

how did that healing process go? the penis healing from circumcision seems rough, i can't imagine a newborn having to have surgery under their tongue

The mouth heals up in like two days. It isn't exactly surgery. It is literally a quick snip. There is only a couple drops of blood, and nursing can occur immediately.

We nursed in the room before leaving to soothe kiddo who was more pissed off that somebody was messing with his mouth than anything and was fine as soon as he got a boob.

Except for better nursing, you couldn't tell anything had happened by the next day.

My sons are intact, but it heals much much faster than a circ. Mouths just heal faster. And newborns heal at incredible rates anyway.

 

[pauldun170]

 

[SearchMaster]

Try your local La Leche League. Most of those groups are great and very helpful.

My wife went to a couple of meetings...it was the hairy pitted patchouli crowd. YMMV.

 

[purbeast0]

that nearly happened to me when i was skin-to-skin with my son.

 

[NutBucket]

So you're saying you're fat?

 

[purbeast0]

So you're saying you're fat?

damnit you're on to me!

 

[sdifox]

Compare it to generic formula, exact same nutrition, kid didnt mind and i wouldnt be surprised if they were made in the same facility. I hate walmart, but thank you sams club!

you are obvious not married

 

[highland145]

So you're saying you're fat?

Maybe not yet but the kid will contribute to it unless he's careful.

Garts again.

And you should dance around the house, holding the boy, and yell, "I am God. Look what I created."

Your wife will love you for it.

 

[rudeguy]

you are obvious not married

Not even married...if mom thinks it's what the kid should have, well it's what the kid gets.

Do NOT poke mama bear!