Baby Parenting Guide

What do you consider the best thing about breast feeding?

Here's one for all you breast feeding mamas out there. What prompted you to want to breastfeed? This is a personal opinion question. I'll post my #1 reason in a few minutes. OK here's mine: aside from the scores of health benefits (to us both) and just the sweetness of holding him and getting to do for him what no one else can; I get to burn at least 500 calories a day sitting on my butt & doing nothing! Now that's a sweet deal!

Public Response to What do you consider the best thing about breast feeding?

1. I haven't breastfed yet, but I plan on it when I give birth. I believe it is the best thing I can do for my child, provide her with the nutrients that were produced especially for her. I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure she gets it and I'm already prepared!
2. Bonding, quiet time, ease, cheaper, and my personal favorite: All of my kids were (are) exclusively breastfed, no formula, no expressed milk, (except when I needed a CT, then 3 days of formula), This is MINE, only mine. Other people can hold baby, bathe baby, feed baby, etc, but only I can nurse baby. It is selfish, but I don't care. This is my time with my babies, to enjoy, and love, and cuddle. No one can take it from me. **Edited: I forgot to mention the health benefits, that is huge!
3. The fact that it is healthy and free are a tie in my book. I don't have that much money and the fact that I can do what is healthiest for my child and save money is awesome!
4. I love the closeness I get with my little girl...and I know she is getting what is meant for her to keep her healthy..this is true and all the formula feeders can give me thumbs down..
5. I wasn't able to breastfeed, but I definitely plan on giving it another try with my next baby. Basically it seems healthier, less of a hassle, cheaper, and I won't have to prepare any bottles while baby is fussing. God, I can't wait lol
6. No mixing & heating formula - it's already made & the correct temperature. Less bottles to wash! Faster weight loss & poopy diapers are less messy.
7. HANDS DOWN THE BONDING, HIS LITTLE EYED FIXATED ON YOURS WHILE NURSING IS SO REWARDING, ALSO KNOWING THAT YOUR PROVIDING HIM WITH IMMUNITIES AND ANTIBODIES HE CAN ONLY GET FROM YOU!
8. Aside from breast feeding being better for the baby, good for bonding, and helps mom lose weight? They say that you save $2'500 (a year) by breast feeding!
9. I breastfed my baby exclusively for six months. I felt like I was keeping her healthy and happy. We bonded quickly and it also gave me time to sit alone with her in a quiet room and just talk to her or even read a book. If she was being fussy or crying, I would latch her on and she would immediately become content. She never used a pacifier. And of course it was natural and free ;)
10. I couldn't pick just one thing - all the health benefits to baby (and myself), the bonding, it's free, not having to wash bottles, the poopy diapers are nowhere near as bad as formula fed diapers, I could go on and on!
11. The BEST thing? Definitely the health benefits...it's what God created for our little babies to eat! It's SO good for them, they get all the natural probiotics, immunities, etc. I also LOVE the closeness and bonding it brings, and that only I can do it! Makes me feel special sometimes lol....PLUS it's free and no bottles to mess with, sterilize or buy! I want to give my baby the best and only the best! Sometimes I think how AMAZING it is that my baby has thrived off of what I supply her in the womb and still...for almost a year now.... Edit: I forgot to add the weight loss benefit as well! lol
12. So many things I love about it! The closeness with my daughter, it's easier, it's the healthiest thing for her, among so many other reasons! I just love knowing that my body is helping my baby to grow and learn by providing her the nutrition she needs. It's great! :)
13. The closeness, the bonding, the fact that I can only breastfeed her and its free! I chose to breastfeed because of the huge benefits that my baby gets. I wanted to give her a very good start but no one told me it was going to be sooo tough. I was ready to give up but I'm proud I did not. My baby loves to eat!
14. I breast fed because it's a good bonding experience and good for his health. Hes 5 months old now and can hold his own bottle, and doesn't like breast feeding as much anymore, he'd rather feed himself lol, he gets 3 bottles of formula a day and gets breast feed once a day, plus he gets 2 feedings of rice cereal everyday. So he's kinda weanin himself off of breastfeedin which is kinda sad cuz i was hopin for it to last longer in some ways, but lol now that he's gettin a couple of teeth maybe it's for the best lol.
15. Top Three: 1. Human food for my human babies 2. It's FREE! 3. It's always warm and ready (convenience!)
16. The best things I believe and many of us do and have already answered but I can't help myself. Bonding, The healthiest way of feeding our babes, cheap, convienence, and yes the mighty calorie burner.
17. I never really had to think about it. I just never thought to myself that I was going to give my baby formula. The best thing so far is how cute my son is when he's nursing and cuddling with all the time.
18. other than the nutritional benefits for baby. i like the bonding time. I also like the fact that i'm not forking out an outrageous amount of cash for formula.
19. One of my favorite benefits is the fact that baby doesn't have to wait to be fed. As soon as he's hungry, all I have to do is lift my shirt and latch him on. As for what prompted me to want to breastfeed. For me, it wasn't a choice. There was no "decision" to make. It was, to me, what should be.
20. I love this question because I am such a big supporter of breastfeeding. My favorite part is definitely the bonding time. The way my daughter looks at me with all that love in her eyes, and then gives me a smile and some milk dribbles out of the side of her mouth.....and sometimes she plays with my hair and touches my face, it's just the sweetest thing ever. It is also incredibly convenient when she wakes up in the middle of the night and all I have to do is take her out of the basinnette next to my bed and put her to my breast. I would hate to get up in the middle of the night and go into the kitchen and make her a bottle. I knew I was going to breastfeed the second I found out I was pregnant. There was just no second-guessing it. The main reason I made this decision was that I read that breastfed babies are less likely to develop allergies, asthma and skin conditions like eczema. As a person who has suffered with all three things my whole life, I was willing to do anything to try and prevent my baby from suffering the way I have, and I will continue to do so. Oh yeah, and it's free!!!!!! If it's free, it's for me!