What to Expect the First Year Read Online Free PDF Page A

formula-feeding parent can tell at a glance how many ounces have been consumed, a breastfeeding parent can gauge a baby’s intake only from output (counting dirty and wet diapers) and weight gain. The upside of easy-to-track intake: less stress over whether a baby’s taking too little or too much at feeds. The potential downside: Parents may push those last ounces in the bottle, even after baby’s had enough.
    â€¢ More freedom. To breastfeed, mom and baby must be in the same place at the same time—not so when feeds come from a bottle. A formula-feeding mom can work for the day, meet friends in the afternoon, take a business trip, or grab a weekend getaway without worrying about where baby’s next meal will come from. Of course, the same holds true for a breastfeeding mom who chooses to pump or opts to supplement with formula.
    â€¢ More rest for the weary. New moms are tired moms … make that, exhausted moms. While bottle-feeding mamas can buy themselves a nap or a good night’s sleep by handing off some feeds to daddy or another secure set of warm arms, breastfeeding moms can’t. And although breastfeeding is far more convenient than formula feeding, especially at 3 a.m., it’s also more physically draining.
    â€¢ More daddy time. Dads of nursing newborns clearly don’t have what it takes to feed their little ones—that is, unless they’re giving supplementary bottles of formula or breast milk. Bottle-fed babies, on the other hand, will happily let their fathers do the feeding.
    â€¢ No fashion don’ts. Breastfeeding moms learn early to put function (easy, discreet access to breasts) over form (read: no one-piece dresses that don’t button down the front). When you’re bottle-feeding, anything in your closet that fits is fair game.
    â€¢ More contraception options. For formula-feeders, most types of hormonal birth control are usable—not so for breastfeeders. Still open to breastfeeders: the progestin-only “mini-pill.”
    â€¢ More menu options. Eating well while breastfeeding definitely comes with fewer restrictions than eating well during pregnancy (the sushi bar is open once again, and hamburgers no longer have to be served up gray), but a formula-feeder still has more freedom of eats (and drinks). She can say yes to that second round or that third coffee, eat garlic with abandon (some, though definitely not all, breastfed babies object to certain pungent flavors in mom’s milk), and never worry about whether the meds she takes will be shared with her baby. She can also fast-track her weight loss—within the scope of what’s sensible for a tired new mom—while a breastfeeding mom should take it somewhat slower (but may end up losing weight more easily, since milk production burns so many calories).
    â€¢ Fewer awkward moments for modest mamas. While public breastfeeding is protected by law in more andmore states, it isn’t always protected by public opinion—which means, unfortunately, that a mom nursing her baby still can attract some uncomfortable stares or even glares, especially when she chooses not to feed under cover (as is increasingly her right). Bottle-feeders, on the other hand, can be buttoned up about feeding—literally. No unfastening, untucking, or redressing required—and no worries about baby kicking off that napkin midmeal. Of course, hang-ups about public breastfeeding usually get hung up pretty quickly—as they should be. After all, there’s never anything inappropriate about feeding a hungry baby … ever. And nursing cover-ups have come a long way, baby.
    â€¢ Potentially, more fun in bed. Breastfeeding hormones can keep your vagina dry and sore, making postpartum sex a pain (plenty of foreplay and even more Astroglide can ease reentry). Bottle-feeding may speed a return to lovemaking as usual—that is, if you can rise above the spit-up stained sheets and