Why I've Decided to Bottle Feed Baby #2

Sponsored with love by Ashland Health

I breastfed Ava for two years. Two whole years. My milk came in a good two weeks before she was born (I could literally squeeze it out while she was still inside of me), she latched from the start, I went through a couple weeks of a whole lot of pain because of the constant sucking and engorgement due to a major over-supply (I know, I’m so lucky for this), I had the start of mastitis four times which luckily never made it to the antibiotic stage (because of at-home mastitis remedies) and Ava continued to use my boobs as her pacifier and bottle for the duration of those two whole years.

Two whole years.

No bottles, no pacifiers — just my boobs.

Weaning from breastfeeding was hard. [click here to read how I weaned Ava] I was sad. Ava was sad and she probably would still be breastfeeding to this day if I hadn’t weaned her. We loved that bonding time, I loved the convenience of not having to prep her food or carry around (or wash) bottles, but I’ve decided that this time around, I’m doing it differently. Well, at least that’s my plan.

This is why I plan to bottle feed (with a mix of breastfeeding) baby Franky:

1. Bonding

I’m not talking about bonding with him myself, but I’m talking about allowing Ava and daddy to bond with him. I loved that breastfeeding time Ava and I had together and I’d love for my husband and Ava to get to experience it too. I know it’s not exactly the same, but I just know Ava is going to love feeding her little brother (and I’ve love seeing those precious moments too). And late night daddy feedings will be pretty cool, too ;)

2. I Need A Break

Although breastfeeding was so convenient, I want to give my boobs and myself a break this time around. Rushing to come home from a date night with my husband or heck, not planning many date nights because my baby cannot be fed by anyone besides me is something I don’t want to experience this time around. I just want a little more freedom for myself and some alone time with my husband and bottle feeding is the only way we’re going to get some of this.

With the help of Ashland Health, I was able to snag this Spectra Breast Pump at no cost — I took a quiz to determine which pump would be best for my lifestyle, they contacted my doctor to get a “pump prescription” and then contacted my insurance for me to get it covered at no cost, ordered it for me and then it showed up on my door step, ready for me to start using in plenty of time for baby boy to get here. I didn’t have to do a thing!

And Ashland Health’s services are COMPLETELY FREE. So if your insurance is telling you they won’t provide you with a pump (or won’t provide you with the pump you want, let Ashland Health advocate for you to get the free breast pump you want and the pump that you need. Click here to read more about Ashland Health and to contact them to get started!

Ashland Health is also a great place to find resources for moms. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to bottle feeding (or pumping, for that matter) so I’ve found so many informative articles on “When to Introduce Baby to A Bottle,” “Breast Milk Storage Guidelines” and “How to Boost Your Milk Production” (which I may or may not need this time around but I linked it just in case you or I need it!). These are all resources I will absolutely be referencing throughout this new journey I am about to embark on and I cannot thank Ashland Health for helping me along the way!

And if you need help from a free lactation consultant in your area, they’ve got that for us too!