I chose to discuss breastfeeding because I am currently debating whether or not to do so with my expectant baby. I did not breastfeed with my son and he had stomach issues for the first six months of his life. I am wondering if he wouldn't have had those issues if I had breastfed. So now that I am pregnant again I am considering breastfeeding this baby. I know all the benefits there are to breastfeeding, but for me it is a matter of having time. I work full time and have a toddler as well, not to mention the housework that still needs to be done. It seems that breastfeeding (or pumping) would be time consuming and am worried about having that time. Having never done it, I really do not know how long it takes or how often it would be done. I am still learning. But for no other reason than to not have a crying baby most of the day, I am highly considering breastfeeding this time around. I have heard that formula is just as nourishing as breastmilk (and please do not bombard me with negativity on this comment, I know breastfeeding "activists" can get really bent out of shape about that lol.) and I have to say that my son who was fed formula, grew just as healthily as a breastfed baby. He just had stomach cramps whenever he ate and would cry afterwards, but he never refused to eat. It took him awhile to adjust to formula. I know that by breastfeeding there would not be an "adjustment" period. I read in The Developing Person that the composistion of the breastmilk adjusts to the needs and age of the baby and is more digestable than formulas. It also mentioned that it helps with the bonding process, which as I have mentioned before was an issue with my son due to the c-section and ppd. But what about when I return to work? I can't go pump breastmilk every couple hours so I would have to wean the baby to formula, so would it even be worth it to do it at all? Like I said, I am still debating. Any helpful advice would be appreciated.
According to the World Health Organization, the problem of having time to breastfeed is common around the world. In Asia, breastfeeding is declining for this reason. Since more women are working, it is hard to strictly breastfeed for the first six months. This is common in other areas too according to the statistics found from WHO.
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