I am Tracy, owner of Tracy Main Photography, and I have been wanting to try and help some of you new-mums or mums-to-be-deal with the issue and dilemma of Breast or Bottle. You may have seen my other blog post giving 6 reasons why bottle feeding isn’t bad. I just wanted to share why bottle feeding can be helpful.
It can very daunting to have a new baby and at times overwhelming – especially when you are exhausted, emotional, flooded with hormones and people are thrusting your new-born straight on to your breast when you all you want is to get some rest. By no means am I trying to sway anyone’s decision on not breast feeding I just wanted to give some useful advice and show why bottle feeding isn’t the terrible decision that some people would have you believe.
I have looked after, and had the experience of, hundreds and hundreds of babies in my life. Bottle feeding, combination feeding or breast-feeding and I can see a definite pattern. I have three grown-up children and five grandchildren. I was also a childminder as well as previously working in a nursery for over 20 years looking after babies.
Observations of breast and bottle feeding babies
Now, in my new-born photography, I handle new-borns on a daily basis and I love to be able to share some of my wisdom to first-time mums that sometimes are clearly struggling.
I have noticed that new-born photoshoots last so much longer if it is a breast-fed baby I am shooting. The bottle fed babies seem to sleep so much more soundly and last much much longer between feeds.
The breast-fed babies also seem to be constantly pooing very runny poo whereas the bottle feeding babies seemingly tend to only go once a day. I’ve also noted that the breast-fed babies, once awake, tend to suckle on mum for comfort and are not so keen on a dummy. What I have also noticed is that the babies of breast-feeding mums who express and feed from a bottle tend to settle better. They also tend to be more likely to take a dummy which can prevent suckling on mum all day as a comfort. Some of my mums have said they literally sit up all night feeding the baby whereas the bottle-fed babies take their feed and go straight back to sleep.
Some of the breastfeeding mums say that the baby will not take a bottle so mum is the only person able to feed it. These mums and dads know they will not be able to go out anywhere and leave the baby with anyone in these circumstances.
I understand ‘breast is best’ is always what you are meant to do and I take my hat off to those that choose this. I tried it with my own kids but it did not work out. Just maybe take one piece of advice if you are adamant on only feeding breastmilk – express some milk each day and get dad or nan or grand-dad or auntie or uncle to give the baby one feed a day. You will be so grateful that you did this as the baby will then take bottle and breast and you will be able to get a break when you need to.
If you decide to leave this weeks after baby is born it will be too late baby won’t take the bottle it needs to be introduced in the very early stages. Ideally on the first day give one bottle either of expressed milk or formula top up.
Sometimes baby feeds and feeds but is losing weight. Naturally if this happening please seek medical advice straight away! I have had several breast-fed babies that this has happened to. Mum was just not producing enough milk for baby. They have in fact been starving to death and have ended up in intensive care and been put on formula milk straight away in hospital.
This is definitely where breast is not best, and no mother should be made to feel a failure for not always choosing breast-feeding. Sometimes it is in baby’s best interest not to breast feed as in these circumstances. You can also think about combination feeding.
How ever you choose to feed your little one, they are no doubt the light of your life. Capture their beauty and youth with a photoshoot with me. Get in touch!
