I am gun-ho about breast feeding, but I know there are obstacles. Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated...

Ladies who have breast fed-do you think your child is healthier/smarter?

Ladies who have bottle fed, what do you think?

All I know is that I can't wait to have this baby, and then a few beers. I guess I will pump and dump...

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The Sweetest of ALL Peaks...

A beer or a glass of wine won't hurt you or the baby. What do you think they do in the rest of the world? They aren't nearly as uptight about all of this as we are as a country.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY

"Censorship is free advertising by the government"--Federico Fellini

"Do you mind if I smoke while you eat?"

I have no kids. But, my best friend just gave birth and was going to try breastfeeding. She was so annoyed and confused by the nurses at the hospital, that she gave it up right away. Plus, she had to return to work in 6 weeks, and didn't any interest in pumping. She figures she came out okay with a bottle, so will her kids.

Seriously, it makes no difference. The only thing you'll get out of everyone is anecdotal evidence about why their feeding method is better than the other. You'll hear about breastfed babies who get sick all the time, and formula fed babies who are fit as a fiddle. And trust me - Mommy Wars are ugly. You do not want to go there, because you'll hear it soon enough on the playground and in mommy groups.

Just do what YOU decide is best for your family, be it breastfeeding, co-sleeping, vaccinating, whatever.

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You know, the homeless make desperate, passionate lovers. But they will rob you blind.

I'm actually a dad who has a 10 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. My wife initially started out breast feeding, but ran into some trouble, had some pain, etc. Both of my kids were bottle fed and both have (so far) grown up healthy and smart. Just make your own informed decision and don't be influenced by people who tell you what they think is "right".

I think this is a personal decision. There is clear evidence that breastfeeding often provides great benefits but it is not for everyone. Parenting ios all about making these decisions and like another poster said the wars can get ugly- do what your best but dont try to over achieve or you'll kill yourself
For my first child I was at Penn and got great lactation assistance. despite being very eager to breast feed I almost gave up but stuck it out for a week and it got easier. It is great because it eliminates all the sterlising, you can do it anywhere, and it saves a lot of money. I breast fed my first until he was over two. My second child I breast fed until he was 8 months and weaned himself. Both of my children have always been healthy.
I think I would not breast feed as long on the first if I had it over. i think it made him dependent on me and perhaps not as bonded to his dad but that is just a theory. It is also hard being the sole "provider"- if baby cries you are usually assumed to be the one it wants which can be tough- Getting them to take a bottle is hard. My eldest rarely did though my second one took it easier.
I returned to work with both after 3 months and pumped (heavy duty Medela 2 breast $400 apparatus- dont waste money on anything less)- I pumped before I returned and obviously when I returned.
I am due to have my third tomorrow and hopefully I will breast feed him/her too.

PS the odd glass of wine is fine- you can pump and dump but quite frankly pumping is a pain- you feel like you constantly have something attached to you!
Good luck!

oh and of course my kids are the brightest ones around!

You have to do what is best for you & your baby. I breastfed and bottle fed both of my children. I started them on the breast, then added formula when I needed to, and then stopped the breast completely as they grew. It worked for me & them.

When I had my son, my life circumstances were such that breast feeding was a pretty easy choice for me. My son took to it easily, I experienced very little pain and I had planned to stay home for a year (I only worked 1 day/week starting when he was 3 months old). I am really happy that I did it and my son wasn't sick once during his first year (could be due to his genes, the fact that he wasn't in daycare, breastfeeding, a combination...who really knows?) but if I returned to work full-time when my son was 6 weeks old or experienced the pain, frustration and anxiety that some of my friends and family members did, I'm not entirely convinced I would have stuck with it.

Anyway, bottom line is that you have to do what makes sense for you and your baby. I'm pretty sure you'll think your kid is the best kid ever regardless of what you work out!

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"If you think you're too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito."

--Bette Reese

I prefer both. I tend to drink from the bottle then go for my wife's breasts when I come home from the bar.

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Peter Cetera:
Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying

I can't imagine you're going to get much useful info from the Phillyblog crowd.

If you are interested in giving breastfeeding a real go, please educate yourself AND your partner beforehand - books, classes. I really like the Dr. Sears BFing book, but there are tons out there. The hospital you are delivering at almost certainly has classes (Pennsy does) and Pennsy also has a weekly breastfeeding support group (you don't have to have had delivered there, and it's free). Get support before you begin so you know where to turn if you do have issues or just questions.

Kellymom.com is a very useful site of info. According to them, there is NO need to pump and dump. Either way, you can't be tipsy and breastfeed, so pumping doesn't clear anything out faster. Once it's out of your bloodstream, it's gone. An occasional beer can even help your milk supply.