Bonding

[jellybean88]

Do u think you bond as well bottle feeding as you do breastfeeding, I can't help but feel like my.baby and I are missing out and I'm not as bonded with him as I could be.

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[onthefly]

hold him close, skin to skin, look into his eyes, breathe deep - that's a big part of it. It takes time sometimes

[sloane]

i agree with MadB. you can do all those things no matter how you feed him & not all bonding is simultaneous - it takes different amounts of time for different people

[Lolpigs]

I snuggle my baby right up against me so she is looking into my eyes when I feed her, always hold her close and we just quietly watch each other. It is lovley time. Just take it slow, and dont worry about comparisons. He will love you because you are always there for him.

[starangelk]

It doesn't matter what we think hun, it just matters what you think. Bonding takes time, each experience is different. With DD I was still a bit "off" with her until she was a couple of months old, with DS it was almost instantaneous. You might not be getting the BFing experience, but you are getting the bottlefeeding experience which means you can solely focus on your bub while feeding him without having to worry about yourself or your position or attachment etc. So in some ways, you are probably able to be more bonded with him because you can focus solely on him. Xx

[~Hestia~]

Darl I breastfed Moo and it took quite some time to feel bonded to him. Please don't feel as though you're missing out, you're doing a fantastic job

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

The truth is that it is harder to bond when you are not breastfeeding your baby. Lots of people (thankfully not here) will tell you it doesn't matter. But as you have already worked out it is harder, and it's normal, when breastfeeding doesn't work out, to grieve for the relationship you lost, and to feel like you have missed out. It's a tougher gig, being a mother, without that fabulous ****tail of hormones that help you relax and bond with your baby. But none of this means you won't bond as well. As others have said, it takes time. You can still get those mothering hormones by holding your baby skin to skin, making sure you are the one to feed him, looking at him, cuddling him. For a baby feeding is really important. When you are feeding, give him a "spell" half way through, and turn him around. (ie swap sides) You sound like a sensitive mum and you will forge the strongest bond with your baby - be gentle on yourself