health

"I'm still pregnant, but I think bottle feeding is the way to go for me."

All the advantages that everyone is too scared to say out loud.

You may or may not know, I’m pregnant. This week I clock up 22 weeks. According to my high school maths (and my calculator), that means 18 weeks to go.

I’ve been so focused on what the hell is happening during pregnancy, that I have kind of forgotten about what happens post birth.

You know, with a baby.

I really should’ve thought this one through.

But no fear, I’ve been doing my research here and there and really dived in deep this week. I’ve started asking my mum friends a million questions (poor friends), reading books and Googling things. Plus, it helps working at a parenting website reading all of the experiences of our mum writers and contributors.

While there are a lot of decisions to make about looking after my baby, the more research I do, the more pro bottle-feeding I am becoming.

Bottle feeding...happy baby...right? Image via iStock.
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Now, before I go on, I have to say the usual. Breastfeeding is awesome. Lots of nutrients. You should always aim to breastfeed. Yadda yadda yadda.

Look, if you want to know about how amazing breastfeeding is, this isn't the post for you (click here for that). I'm not dissing breastfeeding. I'm not anti-the-boob.

I'm pro-feeding-the-baby. Which is usually a message that gets lost in the breastfeeding vs bottle-feeding war. So, what I'm about to say next does not, in any way, shape or form, equal that breastfeeding is bad.

But...

Bottle-feeding sounds f*cking awesome.

This is what I've gathered from my reading and question asking.

1. There are less feeds. Because you know how much your baby is getting each time. Which means...

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2. There is less stress. When your baby cries, you know it isn't because they're hungry - they just finished the bottle. Boobs don't have mls written on the side of them.

3. It's organised. I love organisation. I love measuring. I love schedules. I love knowing what the hell I'm doing.

4. There is no expressing. There is only buying of the formula.

5. There is less effort. Yes, I know, sterilising the bottles, washing the bottles...but I can do that. Stressing about my boob producing enough milk and stroking it before attaching it to a machine to express sounds like a lot of effort.

"I can wash the bottles. I find that easier than the thought of expressing." Image via iStock
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6. There is no pain. No cracked nipples. No biting later on.

7. My husband can feed the baby (great bonding time for them). So can my mum (prefect for me to catch up on some sleep).

8. No leaking boobs while waiting in line at the baker, or in the middle of sex.

9. My boobs remain mine (I know, very vain, but after losing my entire body to my pregnancy, and I'm sure everyone will get a look during the birth, I would love to keep something to just me).

"If there is spilled milk, it's not from my boobs." Image via iStock.
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10. I'm not attached to the baby (physically). Which means...

11. I can go out to see my friends for dinner and leave bub with dad...

12. I can eat whatever I want without worrying if it will affect my baby...

13. I can drink champers. Huzzah.

14. And finally, no one is going to shame me for feeding my baby in public (honestly, I would prefer this advantage didn't exist).

Okay, mums, now it's your turn...what are the benefits of the baby feeding method you chose?

CLICK THROUGH the gallery for everything happening from Week 1 to Week 18 in your pregnancy.

Want more? Try:

A mum shamed for bottle feeding her baby.

Team Breast or Team Bottle? I’m team Feed The Hungry Baby.