Not all mothers feel comfortable with the concept of breast feeding from the start. Many mothers need time to grow into the role and to master the techniques for comfortable breast feeding. As a side note, there is nothing wrong with this, and it is important that mothers who aren’t comfortable breast feeding take their time and go at their own pace. Bottle feeding will provide a good alternative until the mother is ready to breast feed.
Undoubtedly breast feeding is more demanding physically for the mother than bottle feeding. Factor in to this that the baby may require feeding every two or three hours and for some women the physical effort can take a toll on their own well-being.
Pain. Small babies have an astonishing ability to suck with great force which can take many mothers by surprise. This can lead to sore breasts (in some cases bleeding) and a great deal of discomfort for the mother.
Because breast milk is easier to digest for the baby, it is often the case that the baby will want (or need) to eat more frequently than if they were bottle fed. In turn this can lead to more diapers.
Self-consciousness. While some mothers have absolutely no problem with breast feeding in public, or semi-public, places others are not so comfortable with the idea. The decision to breast feed will often mean that both mother and baby will have to ‘dine out’ in some less-than-ideal locations and it might take a while for some women to overcome any embarrassment or self-consciousness.
Lifestyle. For many women, getting pregnant in the first place meant a change of lifestyle and the imposition of restrictions (limited tea or coffee, no smoking, no alcohol etc.). If you decide to breast feed then these restrictions should remain in place as long as the baby is breast fed.
