I did both. I refused to pump so when I went to work they got the bottle. I did not work with my last son so I strictly breastfed for 6 months. Doc's suggest to breastfeed till 1 year but I quit when they started to teeth. I did not want to get bit! Either choice you make will be great - don't let people bully you into something you're not comfortable with. I will tell you that I do not regret breastfeeding and actually missed it when I was done. It is definately a bond like no other.

It will only be beneficial to the baby if you give it a shot. If you are considering it even a little bit I'd say at list give it a try. I nursed my son for 16 months and don't regret a second of it. It can be a little tough in the beginning though, so don't give up right away.

I would not worry as much about bonding as I would health benefits. Do some research on the matter, it is quite amazing to find out what our bodies are equipped to produce, which is the most amazing nutrition for our babies that science has been unable to duplicate. There are hundreds of unknown elements, things science has no idea what are why they are there in breastmilk and formulas try to duplicate but read the ingredients. They are full of chemicals, high fructose corn syrup (at least they use to be) and all kinds of other stuff. I breast fed solely, never a drop of formula for my kids and when I returned work I pumped for 18 months with each kid for their sippy cups, cereal etc. It was not always easy...but it was what was best.
My kids have never been on antibiotics, never had an ear infection, and their pediatricians are always amazed at their wonderful health and I really think it mostly had to do with a great start on breastmilk.
I really suggest researching before you make any decisions. Unfortunately in today's world every pediatrician and every parenting magazing makes it all about the mom and her decision and wants her to feel good about HER choices, but the moment we become parents I really believe it is no longer just about us...but that child! Good luck!

When I had my son, the nurse helped me nurse him just a couple hours after he was born, but oddly enough I didn't produce enough milk, it was more colostrum than anything so I was forced to bottle feed. I will try again with this baby, but my son never got sick for a very long time. They say to breast feed because it is better for the baby but really do what you feel comfortable with. Also they have that formula with Lipil which is supposed to help add what breast milk has. Once you have your baby you will know what works best. When I had my son on my right breast, milk would come out of my left! It was crazy, kind of funny, but it made me cry. I was so frustrated because he wasnt getting fed properly.

I breastfed both my kids. The first one i gave up after 6 months...but the second one I did a lot better. We made it the full year and 2 months. I just worried too much about my first not getting enough...and i felt like i didn't know what I was doing. But as a first time mom i guess that was a normal concern.
It just gets easier though.

The key to breastfeeding is support. Make sure to be around people that support your decision.
With my first, my MIL and other in laws were always discouraging me from breastfeeding. But I got away from all that with my second and did much better.
Do what's best for you and your baby. That's all you can do.

I chose breastfeeding for many reasons. As awful as it sounds, one of our main reasons was the fact that it is so much less expensive! I don't know if you've priced it or anything, but formula is absolutely outrageous. I'm not generally a cheap person or anything, but I don't like to spend money where it doesn't have to be spent. Also, newborns have relatively no immune system. Breast milk provides essential antibodies that help keep the baby healthy until its own immunity builds up. You also never have to worry about not having food for the baby. Not to forget, there is definitely the bonding time that I wouldn't trade for anything! To make sure my hubby and other family members got to help feed our son, I would pump a couple of times a day and freeze the milk, so don't let your family's lack of involvement be a big issue. It just takes a little effort.

I won't lie to you though. There are some downsides to breastfeeding. I know that there were some foods I had to avoid because they would give the baby gas. Breast milk doesn't keep the baby full as long as formula does. If you don't nurse or pump every 2-4 hours, you supply will go down. That's also an issue if you have a baby that doesn't like to nurse long enough. (Tip: Fenugreek is a natural herb pill you can take to replenish your supply.) The toughest thing with breastfeeding for me was how hard it was to get him latched right in the beginning. I had help from a lactation consultant, but she could only do so much. Just sticking to it was hard, but I made it. There were tears, but I made it and my son didn't starve. Sore nipples were also an issue, but a little Lansinoh cream goes a long way!

Good luck on your decision and do what you think is best for you and your family!

I think that this is one of those things that it doesn't really matter what advice people give you because everyone's body is different and everyone has slightly different experiences. For some women it's incredibly easy, for others it's equally hard. Some people have a hard time in the beginning and then get the hang of it. My advice is if your problem with it is it weirds you out, try anyway. At least while you're in the hospital. It's like any new experience. It's not going to be like anything you've done before. I say it's better to try breastfeeding and then switch to bottle knowing totally whether it's for you or not. If you start on the bottle, you'll always wonder how it might have been.