Whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed, the question seems simple enough. Yet it involves so many feelings, beliefs and injunctions, that most mothers-to-be long for an unequivocal answer that will ease their questions. Breast or bottle? Away from the pressure, Élhée offers you a kindly perspective adapted to each situation.
CONTENTS :
- Breast or bottle feeding, different ways to feed your child
- Breastfeeding your baby: 4 key points to consider
- Choosing a feeding bottle: 4 interesting criteria
- Feeding bottles and infant milk: our expert advice
- What if you mixed breastfeeding and bottle-feeding?
- To make the right choice, it's important to listen to your feelings
- Feeding baby differently: alternatives to discover
Breast or bottle feeding, different ways to feed your child
Whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed your child is above all an intimate and personal decision. Whether it's because breastfeeding is a real commitment or because bottle-feeding offers more freedom, whether it's because you're uncomfortable with the idea of breastfeeding or because your conviction in favor of bottle-feeding goes back a long way, is entirely up to you. In both cases, it's all about feeding your child and meeting his or her needs, in terms of both cuddles and nutrients.
Breastfeeding for your health
TheWHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for babies up to at least 6 months, because breast milk contains everything a baby needs to grow up properly:
- antibodies, immunoglobulins, for its immune system,
- white blood cells, of which colostrum is particularly rich, against infection,
- enzymes, such as lipases and amylases, which contribute to the proper functioning of the digestive system, lactoferrin deprives pathogenic bacteria of the iron essential to their development, and lysozyme destroys the walls of harmful bacteria,
- polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA, docosahexaenoic acid and ARA, arachidonic acid) beneficial to the nervous system, brain and immune system,
- hormones that help regulate baby's appetite and sleep,
- Vitamins (A, C, D, E, K) and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc) perfectly assimilated from birth...
What makes breast milk truly unique, moreover, is its ability to evolve through a composition that varies over the months to meet the baby's specific needs.
Breastfeeding also has practical advantages. Breast milk is always ready and at the right temperature,so you can travel light and enjoy impromptu outings, although breastfeeding mothers admit that breastfeeding in public is not always easy.
However, while endorsing and confirming the overall benefits of breastfeeding, the American Academyof Pediatrics(AAP) stresses the importance of respecting the mother's choice, and points out that her psychological well-being is a crucial factor in the baby's development. Various links have been discovered between prenatal stress, maternal depression and their consequences on the child's development.
Feeding to share
Bottle-feeding, on the other hand, is a nourishing and reassuring option that also offers many advantages for parents and baby.
As the Frenchfood safety agency, Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation (ANSES), points out, infant formula is a high-quality alternative to breast milk, as it is rich in essential nutrients and complies with strict composition, nature and labeling standards:
- enriched with DHA/ARA (essential fatty acids) for babies,
- formulas specially designed for prematurity, reflux or allergies,
- with a stable, controlled composition, for a constant nutritional intake.
But beyond the crucial nutritional aspects for the baby, using a bottle also brings significant benefits for the mother:
- better sleep thanks to the possibility of sharing night feeds,
- reduced stress linked to milk production and the constraints of breastfeeding,
- greater autonomy in family and professional organization.
It's true, bottle-feeding allows dad, grandma, brothers and sisters or the nursery to take over by choice, when breastfeeding is difficult or simply to enjoy a moment of cuddling and complicity with baby. Comfortably ensconced in your arms, he enjoys your tenderness, just as essential for him as the milk he drinks to thrive.
The bottle also makes it possible to precisely quantify baby's meals. No more wondering how much milk your baby has drunk: the graduations tell you everything. This is especially reassuring if your baby is premature or has difficulty gaining weight.
Finally, baby bottles are also an opportunity to indulge yourself with trendy colors, original designs and innovative materials... Here, Élhée is an innovative brand that redefines the curves of baby care with bottles that are as beautiful as they are practical.
Breast or bottle: the essentials, a satiated baby
Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, the advantages are many and may not help you decide. In reality, the best way to find out is to ask yourself what you want and how you feel, and observe your daily routine.
Are you comfortable with breastfeeding? At home, in the family, in public? Does bottle-feeding naturally suit you better? What are your plans for returning to work and looking after your baby? What are your expectations in terms of your own comfort? Do you want your partner to be able to accompany you during feeds? These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself to help you decide between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
Breastfeeding your baby: 4 key points to consider
Your breastfeeding project: sound out your desires and motivations
The key is to explore your personal motivations, without pressure or judgment, and ask yourself what you want to experience through breastfeeding. Perhaps you see breastfeeding as an experience of sharing and closeness. Perhaps you have doubts or apprehensions? Take the time to recognize and respect your emotions, whether positive or tinged with uncertainty.
Your personal situation: adapting breastfeeding to your daily routine
Every family has its own rhythm and daily routine. Your choice should therefore also take your reality into account. If you're going back to work soon, if you have a busy schedule, if you're often on the move... consider expressing your milk to combine breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
Essential support: from those around you and your partner
Breastfeeding is more serene for mothers who are surrounded and supported. A spouse who cares for you offers invaluable moral support. Your family and friends can also help by freeing you from certain tasks and respecting your choices. And don't hesitate to ask the help of professional midwives or lactation consultants: they're there to support you with kindness.
Your health and your baby's: finding the right balance
From this point of view, breastfeeding offers recognized advantages: it helps post-partum recovery and contributes to the development of your baby's immune system and growth. However, you may have to make a few concessions to preserve your energy or meet some of your baby's specific needs. Sometimes giving up or compromising is the best commitment you can make.
Breastfeeding: a personal decision based on multiple expectations
Mothers who bottle-feed from birth are sometimes subjected to additional comments and recommendations. Subjected to media discourse and cultural norms, they are reluctant to assume this role with confidence.
On the other hand, in certain public places or on social networks, it's not uncommon for breastfeeding mothers to be singled out or asked to be more discreet.
Finally, in France, post-delivery maternity leave is only 10 weeks, and 18 weeks from the 3rd child onwards. Insufficient for 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, unless you pump your milk or take advantage of a company crèche (in France, employees have one hour a day during working hours to breastfeed or pump their milk, until their child's first birthday).
Choosing a bottle: 4 criteria to consider
Sharing bottles
For dads who want to get involved from day one, or for grandparents who dream of a nurturing cuddle, bottle-feeding is the perfect opportunity to forge their own relationship with the newborn. It's the perfect way to ease the burden on young mothers and promote balanced, fulfilling parenthood.
Reconciling breastfeeding and a working life with peace of mind
Whether you have to go back to work, undergo medical treatment or your baby is hospitalized after a premature birth, the bottle is there to take over when you can't breastfeed. It makes it easier to reconcile your baby's needs, wishes and requirements. A welcome breath of fresh air in a sometimes hectic daily routine.
Saying goodbye to difficult breastfeeding without guilt
Cracks, engorgement, intense fatigue... Sometimes breastfeeding can turn into a nightmare. At such times, bottle-feeding can be a lifesaver - without the guilt. A calm baby needs a calm mother!
Benefit from the latest innovations in baby bottles
Today's baby bottles take into account infant physiology and are adapted to the needs of toddlers. Physiological teats, anti-colic systems, medical-grade silicone... all make it easier to adopt a bottle for baby's comfort during and after feeds.
Feeding bottles and infant milk: our expert advice
-
What's a good bottle?
At Élhée, we've developed a range of bottles made from 100% soft, round medical silicone, as gentle as a mother's breast. Suitable for use from birth, they offer your child the perfect milky meal.
In terms of capacity, start with 6 bottles of 150 ml, then increase to 240 ml and 330 ml as your baby grows. And don't forget to choose the right teat: made from extra-flexible medical silicone, physiologically shaped and featuring a patented anti-colic valve, Élhée teats offer a flow rate adapted to your child's age, from XS to L.
-
Quality infant milk
Infant formulas are formulated to support infant growth. So, if you can't or don't want to breastfeed, opt for a first-age powdered milk until baby is 6 months old, then move on to 2nd-age or follow-on milk, and finally to growing-up milk.
There are also special formulas, such as anti-regurgitation, hypoallergenic, iron-rich, palm-oil free... Don't hesitate to ask your pediatrician for advice, especially if your baby is prone to colic or allergies.
-
The right bottle at the right time
A baby drinks on average 8 times a day in the first few weeks, then 6 times up to 3 months and 4 or 5 times thereafter. But every child has his own rhythm: observe your child and, if you can, don't hesitate to offer him a drink on demand. If he falls asleep or turns his head away, even if there's still milk in the bottle, there's no need to insist - he's probably no longer hungry.
And for a bottle at the ideal temperature (37°C), consider the TooGo nomad bottle warmer. Easy to adjust and with no risk of overheating, you can take it with you wherever you go for a bottle that's always ready when you need it.
What if you mixed breastfeeding and bottle-feeding?
One way of reconciling the quality of breast milk with the convenience of a bottle ismixed breastfeeding. What does this involve? Quite simply, you express all or part of your milk and give it to your baby by bottle, in addition to or in gradual replacement of breastfeeding.
Once again, choose your bottle and nipple carefully to avoid any confusion. Did you know? The Élhée bottle is perfectly suited to relay or parallel breastfeeding.
💡 If you can, delegate the first feeds and encourage the person giving them to keep a position close to yours during feedings for a more serene transition.
The breast pump: an ally for greater flexibility
-
Manual breast pump
Suitable for occasional use, as a starter breast pump or to anticipate bottle-feeding during occasional absences, these models are generally compact and quiet, so they can go anywhere with you. Moreover, Élhée has developed adapter rings that enable you to use your Bib-Ronds directly with your Avent, Spectra S-1, Medela or Ardo breast pump.
-
The simple electric breast pump
For regular use, electric models offer a good compromise between efficiency and practicality. You'll have to plug it in and set up, but they're more efficient and less tiring than manual models.
-
The double electric pump
Particularly well-suited to mothers with twins or working mothers, by enablingmilk to be expressed from both breasts at thesame time, it offers a triple advantage: considerable time-saving, more effective stimulation of milk production and greater extraction with each session.
3 practical tips for using your breast pump properly
- Express your milk every 3 to 4 hours.
- Plan sessions of 15 to 20 minutes.
- Follow the 4 - 4 - 4 rule for conservation :
- 4 hours at room temperature,
- 4 days in the refrigerator,
- 4 months in the freezer.
To make the right choice, it's important to listen to your feelings
The key is undoubtedly tolisten to your inner voice and always respect your feelings and emotions. Without medical imperatives, there is no "right" or "wrong" choice, just the one that's right for you and your baby.
As a mom, trust yourself and your natural intuition. Even if your idea goes against all the advice and "they say", you're in the best position to know what's right for you.
Yes, breastfeeding is a special time with baby. But it can also be painful, tiring and frustrating. If you find that breastfeeding brings you more stress than well-being, it could be your sign that it's time to pass the baton. Your serenity is precious, and baby feels it. Because love and tenderness come from looking, caressing, touching and the softness of your voice, with or without a breast, these cuddly moments will be your very own bubble, round as the BibRond, everything you need to forge a unique bond with your baby. And remember, when it comes to parenthood, there's no such thing as failure, only a time of adaptation.
Being kind to yourself is essential if you are to enjoy your baby to the full. Accept your own convictions - you're doing the best you can, and that's already a big deal! So take a deep breath and give yourself the right to make your own choices.
Remember: the choice of breastfeeding or bottle-feeding is yours alone , and she will always be the best one for your baby. Breast or bottle, the important thing is to feed your baby with love.
Feeding baby differently: alternatives to discover
In addition to breast and bottle feeding, there are other, often little-known ways of feeding babies. For medical reasons, by choice or necessity, these alternatives are invaluable allies in helping parents to adapt and best meet their child's needs.
Among these, breast milk donation is a little-known option. Collected from volunteer mothers, the milk is analyzed, pasteurized and frozen in approved lactariums, before being distributed on medical prescription. It is particularly suitable for premature babies, babies with allergies or those whose mothers are unable to breastfeed.
Made from almonds, rice or oats, vegetable milks are suitable for babies intolerant to lactose or cow's milk proteins. But be sure to ask your doctor, pharmacist or paediatrician.
At Élhée, we're convinced that there are many ways to feed a child, all unique and personal. With this in mind, we've developed a range of healthy, innovative childcare accessories for all babies. So that their little world runs smoothly, and you can find harmony in your own way.
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
Découvrir notre gamme
