Alot of Pros... Cons?

[lindz612]

The more and more I research breastfeeding, all I see are benefits. Besides maybe feeling a little exposed if I were breastfeeding somewhere public, can anyone experienced let me in on anything negative attributed to breast feeding?
I mean something that I may not already know..
=]

[Zack_Jenn]

Breastfeeding benefits far outweigh the negatives I have heard about or experienced, but these are a couple I've heard
Sore, dry, cracked nipples (breastfeeding can be really painful for some)
It is hard to lose weight during (it comes off a lot easier after)
It can make your breasts extra saggy afterward (milk glands grow and it depletes the natural fat stores. mine shrunk 2 cups after finishing with my second)
Some kids will experience allergies to certain foods and you have to cut them out of your diet (not fun for them to be allergic, but it really sucks to have to cut things like milk out of your own diet)
Leaking sucks, especially when you are out in public and someone else's kid cries and you soak your shirt before you can make it to a bathroom or sometimes before you even notice
Some women develop infections like mastitis (sp?) that can be really painful

Those are all the ones I can think of, but I still plan on breastfeeding my next baby!

[Bec caV]

A lot of breast fed babies end up rejecting the pacifier. That can be a pro and a con. Mine won't take one so when he needs comfort sucking.... he won't take an artificial nipple. :( But at least I can ween and break the comfort sucking all at once... I never have to go through the pacifier drama :)

The cons are really minor. Formula feeding may seem to have less cons, but in my opinion no... they're about equal.

[easyasbreathing]

As I see it, the baby gets nothing but pros, except in very special cases involving medical conditions. Mom gets some too, like bonding, but most of the cons are on that end.

If you are planning on breastfeeding, you'll want to toughen up your nipples the last month or so of pregnancy by briskly rubbing with a towel or washcloth. I didn't, because no one said it would help, and I had horrible cracks for the first 2 weeks, and caught mastitis because of it. NOT FUN.

On the pacifier thing- my son never really got into them, and his 'comfort suck' is rare; he's turning into a thumb sucker, actually, which I may have to worry about later (he's 5mnths).

Formula-fed babies are sick more. For that alone I think BFing is way better.

[lismom2]

Cons FAR outweight pros in my humble opinion ;) Umm cons...for me I really can't think of many. Maybe that my son won't take a bottle? All that really means is that I can't be away from him for more than 5 hours. Leaks are rarely problematic (in so far as you can buy breast pads, or nurse your loved one on demand). I don't think you're supposed to 'toughen up' your nipples anymore and that if you're going to have cracked/sore nipples, it's genetic (ladies with pale skin and pink areola are more prone to cracking/bleeding). Put breastmilk on you sore breast and this will help (seriously, bm is a cure all ;) ). I don't think I've really answered your question after all this rambling. Best of Luck!

[freckles]

Good for you for doing your research and wanting to BF.

It hurts, even when you start correctly and latch on properly. It hurts a little when you first start because your nipples need to toughen, like easybreathing suggested.

You wake alot more during the night to BF. You will be a little more exhausted.

The baby depends more on you than anyone else so BF is a HUGE commitment.

Now this is for your mental health....... You really need support. You need to take a class and learn. BF is hard, only at first. Dont give up. If you decide to stop BF, please please please do not feel guilty or like you are a failure. Your hormones are all over the place and can interfere with making you depressed.

I felt this way when I first started and I truly believe that alot of mommies felt this way too. I had someone tell me "you are a quitter." NOT what I needed. I cannot tell you how upsetting this was and I will never forget until the day I die.

Happily I can say that I BF all three of my pip squeeks and am currently weaning my lil 14 month old. Hang in there and best wishes Linndz.

[Jill_at_StorkRadio]

So, I am totally committed to BF but am a bit freaked out by the fact that everyone I know keeps telling me how hard it is and how I am going to hate it at first, etc. So, I think that it is also good to stay focused on the positives -which are huge, both health wise for you AND your baby.

I do, however, find the commitment part totally overwhelming because it means that you, not your husband, family, friends etc are solely responsible for feeding the baby - all day, in the middle of the night, and making sure you pump etc if you are gone. For me, this feels like the biggest con, especially since I will have to go back to school part time really soon after the baby is born. If you plan to be stay at home, that is MUCH less of an issue.

[lismom2]

http://www.kellymom.com/

Best place to go for breastfeeding questions and advice :) (besides here of course;) )

[craftyashley]

You are pretty much the only one who can feed baby- especially at night... every two hours. Unless you pump, but pumping and feeding is so exhausting! I let my husband feed them formula once in a while so I could get some much-needed rest!
Also- you need to keep an eye out on your own nutrition and hydration or else your milk won't have many nutrients, etc.
Mastitis is pretty common as well, keep an eye on your breasts and make sure you get any sort of red swollen masses checked out.
Be prepared for babies that have a hard time latching on. I had to go to formula because the girls were losing too much weight and weren't getting enough. It was fine. Just don't beat yourself up at all if it doesn't work out for you! :)
Taking care of yourself is very important whether you're breastfeeding or not.

[H.Starr]

I didn't breastfeed. In my opinion, the cons outweigh the pros. Its a personal decision.
But my friend did breastfeed, and she HATED it. She said it hurt all the time, her baby had a hard time ever latching on, he liked to chew(even before he had teeth she said it still hurt), and she ended up getting some sort of infection and spent three days in the hospital. Plus she had a job, and said she had to go outside three times per shift just to pump because otherwise her boobs were sore and leaky.
Needless to say, she only did it for about a month.

I know another girl who breastfed, and her only complaint was that she couldn't ever get a babysitter because she said pumping hurt her, so she wouldn't do it. She also wasn't willing to change her diet at all, so her milk had basically no nutrients. (She only ate fast food, potato chips, pop, and alcohol) She breastfed for two and a half months, and at that point her daughter was the size of my son at two weeks. Even though she was born bigger than he was. She really isn't the best example, but those two are the only two people I know personally that breastfed and have talked about it with me.

[wright1212]

I have had 2 that I bf for 4 and 8 weeks. My goal with #3 is 6 months or more! With that said yes it HURTS, but after 2 weeks it should be getting much easier. You have to tough it for 2 weeks. Also for at least 4 weeks its suggested no bottles or passy. That is alot of demand on you with NO BREAKS. So exhaustion is another biggie. But by 4 weeks you can pump bottles or the occasional formula bottle just to give you a break. Another con no one mentioned is you dont know how much they eat. So if your pedi ask you answer in time and duration (difficult). So in my case my dd didnt gain weight and we had no idea how much she was eating so I had to start formula. But at least I got 8 solid weeks in and about 3 weeks before she stopped. (i never stopped, they did).

Also no one talks about birth control. Birth control can hurt your milk supply, no one told me until it was too late which is probably why they quit. Now with #3 I know I will not go on birth control until I am done BF. So that is something to remember!
Some say a pump hurts, it just means you need a better pump for you.
Good luck, remember its worth the 4 week try!

[Zack_Jenn]

Not everyone has a horrible time breastfeeding. My kids were champs and latched on just fine and I never had to deal with cracked or sore nipples. I breastfed my 1st for 9 months (she stopped when my milk changed because of pregnancy) and my 2nd for 11 months. A lot has to do with each woman's body. If it is difficult at first I would work with a lactation consultant and make sure that you/your baby are doing it right, if you are push through it for a couple weeks, and if it doesn't get better there is no shame in giving up.

[lindz612]

Wow. Thanks for all the support and information, everyone!

[The Loud]

It is hard to lose weight during (it comes off a lot easier after)

I don't have this problem. For me and I think for most people, it can be hard keeping your weight on. I now weigh 4 pounds less than I did before I got pregnant. All those calories are leaving your body through your breastmilk, so you have to eat more if you don't want to lose weight.


It can make your breasts extra saggy afterward

I've heard this, but I've never seen any studies that address it. Do you have any references? Time and gravity make all breasts sag, breastfeeding or not. And, it's well-documented that breastfeeding offers some protection some breast cancer. I'd rather have saggy breasts than none.


Some kids will experience allergies to certain foods and you have to cut them out of your diet (not fun for them to be allergic, but it really sucks to have to cut things like milk out of your own diet)

If your kid is that allergy-prone, they'll probably be allergic to some brands of formula too, so you'll have to keep trying different ones. Is that easier?


Leaking sucks
This is what pads are for.

One disadvantage: breastfeeding will delay the return of your period and your fertility, so if you want to have another baby right away, breastfeeding will delay that.

One big disadvantage for me was that I got a lot of plugged ducts until I learned that I had to prevent them with lecithin supplements.

[H.Starr]

Wow. Was it in any way necessary to pick apart every single thing Zack_Jenn said?
I definitely think not.

The original poster asked for any disadvantages people knew of, experienced, whatever.
Good for you on not having the ones Zack_Jenn listed. Just because you don't mind them doesn't mean no one else does.

Zack_Jenn - Thank you for sharing your point of view.

[The Loud]

I'm sorry if my post came across as nitpicking. If I caused any offense to Zack_Jenn, I hope she lets me know.

I am in no way denying the truth of Zack_Jenn's experience, I'm just saying that I've had different experiences. In the matter of weight, my experiences are more common, as shown by these studies and others:
Kramer, F., "Breastfeeding reduces maternal lower body fat." J. Am Diet Assoc 1993; 93(4):429-33
Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommwen LA. "Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation. "Am J Clin Nutr 1993;58:162-166

I believe what she writes about changes in her breasts, but I haven't seen any studies showing that these changes have anything to do with breastfeeding rather than simply age. If there are any such studies, I would like to read them.

The original poster asked:

can anyone experienced let me in on anything negative attributed to breast feeding?=]
I think most of the people who answered her have breastfeeding experience, so all of our shared experiences can be helpful to her. Posts by those who have no breastfeeding experience, but can only relate a few anecdotes of what they've heard about others' experiences, would not be.