Breastfeeding vs Formula - study question

If you are able, would you mind answering the following questions about your experiences of breastfeeding/formula as I want to capture as many opinions as possible...

Where there any influences in choosing breastfeeding over formula or vice versa?

With #1 I didn't want to breastfeed at all, however I knew that I "should" so told my midwife I'd do a couple of weeks and thats it. However when it turned out I was unable to b/f I was completely blindsided by how strongly I felt about wanting to feed him. After medication and alot of perserverance, i was able to BF him after 6 weeks, with formula top ups.

What did appeal to me was it is FREE! and it greatly aided my weightloss both times, and I found it super convenient, all of those factors and more weighed into the decision to BF #2 fully and for as long as possible.

With #2 there was absolutely no way this baby was ever ever going to have formula, so I made a plan with my lactaton consultant prior to her birth and I successfully BF her for 2 years.

I am now a trained and liscenced BF counslellor.


If you decided on formula feeding did you have information that supported your decision?

I honestly didn't hink there was much to learn? I asked a midwife who gave me some advice as to which to try and went from there. It wasn't hard to figure out bottles, teat flows etc. In support of my decision, I found if I asked, I got, in terms of information, risks etc.

Were there any particular products that influenced your decision?

No although I heard s26 was "closest" to breastmilk. However now I have studied formula during training, I know there is no way it is even close!!!

I had read alot about avent products and really liked their breast pump, so chose to use those bottles

I expressed breast milk for 6 weeks then formula fed.

Where there any influences in choosing breastfeeding over formula or vice versa?
DD refused to breast feed so i was told by the hospital that i either had to formula feed or express for her. i chose to express as i knew i breast milk would be better for her and provide the antibodies she needed. however after 6 weeks of expressing i could no longer handle having about 4 hours sleep a day so moved her onto formula.

If you decided on formula feeding did you have information that supported your decision?
kind of but i think i would have swapped to formula anyway at that point with the situation i was in.

Were there any particular products that influenced your decision?
no, sorry i can't remember what kind of formula i used either.

emz wrote: Fattarts, I think they mean closest in consistency (cos Karicare etc is quite heavy in comparison) - that's what we found anyway. Definitely not 'closest' in nutritional value as we all know formula doesn't compare with breastmilk.

Also closest in taste, its sweeter, too aparently, like breastmilk. Never had any issues with it, in terms of constipation etc, but did when I tried the karicare a few times if I got desperate and got sachets.

padthai wrote: Where there any influences in choosing breastfeeding over formula or vice versa? No I always planned to breast feed it isn't something I had to think about. If you decided on formula feeding did you have information that supported your decision? I was tempted, I wasn't expecting so much pain. If I had wanted info on FF I would have known where to look :) Were there any particular products that influenced your decision? No.

Edited by Kellie