I still think you get more sleep breast feeding as you don’t have to walk to the kitchen organise the bottle then feed the baby. With breastfeeding you just lift your top attach the baby and snooze yourself!! Too easy!

I am a 22 year old, first time Mother and I breastfeed. And I love it! For me, breastfeeding was the only option… no reason why, it just was. I feel as though at my age, I am a small percentage of breastfeeding Mothers. It’s hard for me to see young Mothers avoid breastfeeding, whether it be because they’d rather go out drinking or because they think it will hurt. (it didn’t hurt for me when my son didn’t have teeth and now that he has his first tooth, it still doesn’t hurt!) I just wish more women my age would try it. It’s so much healthier for your baby, it’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s better for yourself… there are so many good things about it! I don’t know why women chose not to! (I’m not saying it makes you a bad Mother, I just don’t see why some women are opposed to it)

Pro: Convenience –any time, anywhere

Con: Low milk supply, despite visits for weeks to a LC, herbs/teas, round-the-clock feeding/pumping, massage, healthy diet and tons of water, and eventually Rx medication, all to no avail.

I could only persevere for 4 months with my colicky daughter, and for 1 month with my son. It was one of the most disappointing aspects of new motherhood I went through. My babies were hungry and I felt like such a failure! This was so natural and “right” to do and it wasn’t working for me. I thought with my daughter screaming for 6-7 hrs. every day due to colic, that it would be easier with my 2nd baby. Unfortunately low supply was no different with my son and I had to cut nursing short again.

I truly envy those mommies who have no problems whatsoever and their babies thrive on “cream” –mine must have gotten just drops of skim milk, lol!

Pros for me was weight loss!! I really did hate the breast pump – you are right about that!

My favorite pro for sure is the big milk filled grin that you get from them….so sweet. I also like the instant calming effect you get from a quick nurse!

Definite con would be the pumping. I pumped for a year and work to supply my daughter with milk for daycare and that was stressful! Between the pumping at work and getting the stuff ready for pumping and remembering it! It’s very time consuming!

Ah yes, I forgot: TEETHING is my least favorite part of BFing because at the moment, my son will only eat while I’m either walking or bouncing on the bed. Does not allow me much CBB time! Lol

And I really do love cosleeping, but I’ve read reports of how you shouldn’t be asleep while feeding for lack of bonding or some BS along those lines. But if I didn’t I don’t think I’d ever sleep!

I really don’t know how I forgot the goofy milk-filled grin except maybe the fact I get more screams than smiles lately. C’est la vie!

Not everybody gets all of those pros! I got my period back two months after I gave birth and I was actually unable to lose weight until I weaned. Of the pros I did experience, I’d say that being able to feed anywhere/anytime and always having food on you (pun intended!) was so handy. I also loved the bonding. One pro not listed is the ability to calm a baby down right away with a quick nurse. It always seems to make them feel better and my friends and I call it the “secret weapon” against fussiness.

Those cons are all true, though I’d say more than having your husband have to share your breasts with your baby, the breastfeeding process made me a little squeamish about having my husband touch me there. It’s kind of a strange mental shift to have to think of your breasts as sexual and as nutritional in the same day. Also, when you’re in the beginning months of nursing, the baby is on them all the time, and I just didn’t feel like having anybody else grope me there. Also, breastfeeding hormones diminish your sex drive and make you feel dry during sex.

That said, breastfeeding was very hard but totally worth it for me. After all the hard times I had adjusting, I actually cried when it was time for the last breastfeeding.

I can understand the bit about breastfeeding and sleep deprivation. After I had my twins, I was beyond exhausted. I had every intention of breastfeeding, but after 3 miserable, unsuccessful weeks of almost round-the-clock feeding attempts, a poor (VERY painful) latch, and being so tired I could fall asleep sitting in a chair (rare for me!), I gave up on bf’ing. Once I was able to get some half-decent sleeps (because hubby and my parents could do some of the feedings), I was a lot happier and better able to cope. To anyone who hassuccessfully breastfed twins (and I know it’s possible!), my hats off to you! I just couldn’t do it.

For the pros I would add to it dream feeding.

For the cons, biting.