Well I'm not a breast feeder. Nobody in my family ever did and I wouldn't. I have been pregnant twice, lost them both and our non-biological children were WAAAYY past the breast feed or not decision. Thank God. While pregnant both times, I DID not plan to breast feed. Not at all. I'M not comfortable with it and do not feel the need to when we have formula these days that's full of everything the baby could need and then some.

If I absolutely HAD to breast feed (for whatever reason) I would use a pump only and put it in a bottle. I don't want a baby putting its chompers or mouth on my privates--no matter what they were designed to do, my breasts. It's not a necessity in my opinion.

Sure the weight loss is something you think about, but when you're about to have a baby, (or for me at least) that was the top concern of mine when it came to making the breast feeding or not decision. I planned to workout and that is what I did, although I didn't carry to full term, but I was able to get back into shape quickly.

And there actually are some concerns with breast feeding. YOUR NIPPLES CRACK, scab AND BLEED! The baby drinks that. Are you at that stage yet? Mine still tend to crack easily after being pregnant. I did not enjoy that and I don't like the idea of my blood and scabs in my child's milk.

Like I said, nobody in my family breastfed and we're all perfectly fine. Just as intelligent and healthy as someone who was breastfed. And our kids were not breast fed when they were that age and they're perfectly healthy and sane and intelligent as kids who were. In fact, the oldest is actually very, very intelligent and has a higher IQ than the others in his school, which is a middle school from grades 6-8! Not that I'm saying he's better, but this kind of gives me the impression that breast feeding isn't a MUST. Not for me personally. It's just a personal thing just like an opinion. I just do not like the idea. less

I'm glad you are planning to.

Pain and bleeding nipples are NOT supposed to happen. They happen from several reasons; an improper latch (often precipitated by the baby being given bottles, which causes a suck disorder and when they try to nurse, they suck the way they do on a bottle and it doesn't work) or the occasional oral anomaly in the baby. These anomalies are rare and can be remedied. Working with a Private Practice Board Certified Lactation Consultant and following her directions to the letter are the key, here. NOT a hospital LC, they are too swamped to give you enough time, and most are burned out (half my friends are hospital LCs) but a Private Practice LC who can take at least TWO hours each visit with you and RESOLVE the problem. When I work with a client, I don't leave until we have some resolution. My clients have a 97% success rate, and most came to me because of problems their doctors told them were unresolvable (they don't teach Lactation in Medical School, so DO NOT go to a doctor for a Lactation Problem!), most PP LCs have similar or even better numbers.

Being a lactation consultant and having studied lactation for many many years, I can assure you formula may be "adequate" but it does NOT have "all the stuff" human milk has in it not by a long shot. Babies usually survive on formula, but the biological imperative related to human milk directly from the breast (as there are more antibodies when the baby in ON the breast rather than taking the milk from a container) are completely PROVEN over and over again by science.

I'm not going to give a run down of my nearly 20 years of study in the field of lactation, but only a few of myriad benefits include stronger immune systems, higher IQs, fewer respiratory, GI and other infections, protection from at least 25 cancers, all the way into adulthood, better smelling diapers, less incidence of breast cancer in both breastfeeding mothers and their daughters, and lower infant death rates, less post partum depression and more. These are all proven. There is simply NO argument.

"Fine" isn't "Optimal." And when I had kids, "fine" wasn't good enough for my babies. I wanted ONLY the best. I worked my ass off to nurse my first and my third babies (number 2 baby was pretty easy) and it was worth every day of work, pain (my youngest had a tight labial frenulum and it hurt like hell) and hard work. My preterm baby may not have survived without it, so I did what I needed to do, pain, meds or not. My children have thanked me for breastfeeding them, both as toddlers and as older kids. NOTHING can replace that. Except maybe children who have been given the optimal shot at health and development.

I understand on rare occasion it doesn't work out but we're talking about 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 2,000 mother/infant dyads cannot physiologically breastfeed. The chances of your being that one in two thousand is pretty rare. Those women are usually those on chemotherapy, women who have Post Partum Psychosis and are too sick and too dangerous to be around their babies and the rare case of lack of ductal tissue, which in nearly 20 years, I have seen lack of ductal tissue TWICE. Many of my LC friends have NEVER seen a woman without ductal tissue, so "I can't make enough milk" CAN be remedied with the right treatment.

For virtually every woman who had a reason "not to breastfeed" I have worked with at least a dozen women with the same issues who managed it. Save being on Chemotherapy (most other drugs are not dangerous during lactation, even if small amounts do get into milk, (and often it DOESN'T even if the PDR says it does) or Post Partum Psychosis or lack of ductal tissue. I was treated for severe migraines, depression and several infections while breastfeeding my children, the American Academy of Pediatricians OKed all the meds I was on, and so did my ped, my OBGYN, and my Neurologist, and all stated that "formula would be a greater danger to these babies."

I know some people can't manage it, but that doesn't mean there isn't a difference.

Breastfeeding is always the optimal choice. less

I'm glad you are planning to.

Pain and bleeding nipples are NOT supposed to happen. They happen from several reasons; an improper latch (often precipitated by the baby being given bottles, which causes a suck disorder and when they try to nurse, they suck the way they do on a bottle and it doesn't work) or the occasional oral anomaly in the baby. These anomalies are rare and can be remedied. Working with a Private Practice Board Certified Lactation Consultant and following her directions to the letter are the key, here. NOT a hospital LC, they are too swamped to give you enough time, and most are burned out (half my friends are hospital LCs) but a Private Practice LC who can take at least TWO hours each visit with you and RESOLVE the problem. When I work with a client, I don't leave until we have some resolution. My clients have a 97% success rate, and most came to me because of problems their doctors told them were unresolvable (they don't teach Lactation in Medical School, so DO NOT go to a doctor for a Lactation Problem!), most PP LCs have similar or even better numbers.

Being a lactation consultant and having studied lactation for many many years, I can assure you formula may be "adequate" but it does NOT have "all the stuff" human milk has in it not by a long shot. Babies usually survive on formula, but the biological imperative related to human milk directly from the breast (as there are more antibodies when the baby in ON the breast rather than taking the milk from a container) are completely PROVEN over and over again by science.

I'm not going to give a run down of my nearly 20 years of study in the field of lactation, but only a few of myriad benefits include stronger immune systems, higher IQs, fewer respiratory, GI and other infections, protection from at least 25 cancers, all the way into adulthood, better smelling diapers, less incidence of breast cancer in both breastfeeding mothers and their daughters, and lower infant death rates, less post partum depression and more. These are all proven. There is simply NO argument.

"Fine" isn't "Optimal." And when I had kids, "fine" wasn't good enough for my babies. I wanted ONLY the best. I worked my ass off to nurse my first and my third babies (number 2 baby was pretty easy) and it was worth every day of work, pain (my youngest had a tight labial frenulum and it hurt like hell) and hard work. My preterm baby may not have survived without it, so I did what I needed to do, pain, meds or not. My children have thanked me for breastfeeding them, both as toddlers and as older kids. NOTHING can replace that. Except maybe children who have been given the optimal shot at health and development.

I understand on rare occasion it doesn't work out but we're talking about 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 2,000 mother/infant dyads cannot physiologically breastfeed. The chances of your being that one in two thousand is pretty rare. Those women are usually those on chemotherapy, women who have Post Partum Psychosis and are too sick and too dangerous to be around their babies and the rare case of lack of ductal tissue, which in nearly 20 years, I have seen lack of ductal tissue TWICE. Many of my LC friends have NEVER seen a woman without ductal tissue, so "I can't make enough milk" CAN be remedied with the right treatment.

For virtually every woman who had a reason "not to breastfeed" I have worked with at least a dozen women with the same issues who managed it. Save being on Chemotherapy (most other drugs are not dangerous during lactation, even if small amounts do get into milk, (and often it DOESN'T even if the PDR says it does) or Post Partum Psychosis or lack of ductal tissue. I was treated for severe migraines, depression and several infections while breastfeeding my children, the American Academy of Pediatricians OKed all the meds I was on, and so did my ped, my OBGYN, and my Neurologist, and all stated that "formula would be a greater danger to these babies."

I know some people can't manage it, but that doesn't mean there isn't a difference.

Breastfeeding is always the optimal choice. less

This category seemed the closest to the my topic.
I am currently pregnant with my 1st child which was a huge surprise but I am very excited. I plan on breast feeding but most, if not all of my family and friends, formula feed. I love the thought of the bonding aspect as well as saving money, not worrying of contaminated formulas and supposedly if you breast feed you are more likely to lose the baby weight quicker(?).

*My question is how many of you Eden Woman breast feed (if you HAVE children)? Thoughts?
How many of you PLAN to have children down the road and PLAN to breast feed? Thoughts?

PS** I do not plan of breastfeeding till the child is able to walk and speak full sentences . That, to me, is over doing it. Most likely till its 1 maybe 2, but even that old and the milk will be pumped out and given by bottle or cup. less