Ultimately it's up to her. It's her body, her breasts.

However I'm afraid that as a grandmother of 2 breastfed kids and as a mother who breastfed, I have little patience with mothers who won't even give it a shot. I'll resist that rant because you don't need to hear it.

Breastfeeding is undoubtedly one of the best things a mother can give to her child to ensure improved health and even intelligence.

Even a few weeks will greatly improve the child's chances to thrive. It's always better to at least try. Most mothers succeed with no problems. The La Leche League is a great resource for help with nursing and also for information on the benefits of breastfeeding. They extend even beyond the baby's health to the mothers health.

Added: I worked for a number of years with a woman who was breastfeeding her son when she started work. She pumped twice a day during work, and even pumped ahead when she had to travel for work. She later had another child and continued to work and pump as needed for more than a year. My sister-in-law, a working nurse, breast fed her 3 kids until they were each over 2 years old. There is no reason that a mother who wants to shouldn't at least try to breastfeed while working.

I generally consider myself an old-school feminist, but kids health is something that I don't compromise on. This really isn't a women's right* issue, but a child health issue. If you decide to have a kid, you owe them the best start possible. Obviously I ranted after all. Let the flames begin.

*unless an employer or other entity is trying to mess with a woman's right to breast feed.

If you post this on the mommy blogs, they'll be all supportive no matter what option you choose. And that's all fine, but I'm going to be a bit of a jerk here. I don't mean to be, but there are things that are ideal for the health of baby (mom's milk) and things that are worse (everything else). Granted it may be hard to schedule or do, especially if she has a full time job. But that doesn't change what's the best thing for the baby. Sometimes you just have to inconvenience yourself to set the baby up for later.

My wife did 100% breast milk with a full time job for 6 months. Now we do breast milk plus solids; never did any formula. It can be done, it's just not as easy as whipping up some formula.

Rather than worrying that she won't produce enough, give it a try and see if what happens first. If it turns out there's not enough, then check out Chris Kresser's Health Baby Code, it has some recipes for formula.

Also, egg yolk is totally fine, all the allergens are in the white. That was our first food, and what Chris Kresser recommends too.

As far as milk supply goes... its all about supply and demand. The more she feeds/pumps, the more she will make. I successfully breastfed twins while active duty in the Marine Corps. I did have to supplement a bit, but its not hard. You do HAVE to want to do it, its easy to quit if you aren't 100% committed. Donated breast milk is fine... however, you can't just walk into the store and buy it. I have never seen milk banks provide it to anyone who was not extremely ill or premature. Why in the world would you give it cows milk? That's like a calf getting dog milk or something. Breast milk is meant to be an infant food for HUMAN babies. I SO do not won't to be rude... but it sounds like your wife needs to do a lot more in educating herself. Egg yolks are not a high allergen which is why they are commonly used as a first food. Any allergic reaction is generally caused by the egg white.

Buy Gut and Psychology Syndrome for her and let her read the chapter on pre-natal care, post-natal care and breastfeeding. It's sort of a tough love no sugarcoating guide to nursing mothers who need to realize that baby formulas are chemical-laden crap and breast milk is the only food on this planet specifically designed for humans.

http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits-of-breastfeeding

Ryan, as another poster said, formula is not poison (and breastmilk is not a cure-all). Yes, breast milk is the best thing for a baby, but it doesn't trump the mother's health and/or well-being.

I breastfed my first baby and became pregnant 9months postpartum, breastfed through my pregnancy and then tandem nursed for a year before my oldest weaned. I continued for another 9 months until my youngest weaned. That's a lot of breastfeeding. I'm only saying this to let you know that I'm a huge advocate of breastfeeding, but only for a mother who is interested in doing it.

There is so much pressure on moms to do things perfectly. Issues with breastfeeding (including reluctance to BF) are often contributors to postpartum depression (no fun). Go easy on her and just give her support. Formula might not be ideal, but it isn't the end of the world either. If she can BF in the first few days without supplementing, that's great. If she can BF beyond a year, even better, but don't pressure her. With enough support, she might find that pumping isn't as hard as she thought it would be.

If you need good breastfeeding resources, check out le leche league's website or www.kellymom.com. I think the best way to be successful at breastfeeding is to have all the information you need before the baby is born.

And FWIW, with all the breastfeeding I did, I still had babies with allergies and ear infections and I struggled with my own issues due to breastfeeding. It isn't all roses.

Good luck.

I'm sure mothers, well, females in general, will be better able to comment on this matter, so may I suggest listening to the podcasts in which Sarah Fragoso & Co. talk about pregnancy, breast-feeding, etc.

Have her read the ingredients on the label. If that doesn't convince her, I don't know what will.

I recall a Robb Wolf podcast in which a father to be was inquiring about paleo baby formula since his wife would have to go through operation one month after giving birth which would make it impossible to breast feed her child.

Here is the link: http://robbwolf.com/2011/11/08/the-paleo-solution-episode-105/

If you don't want to listen to the podcast you can also read the transcript.

Another resource could be Chris Kresser's The Healthy Baby Code

Many of the problems babies face from formula are because they are exclusively formula fed. If she is nursing while at home, and supplementing whenever she falls short pumping with formula, that child is going to be much better off than an exclusively formula fed baby. If you want to take the initiative, you can make your own higher quality formula with directions from the Weston A. Price Foundation, but if your wife is squeamish about partially cooked egg yolk, raw milk or raw liver probably aren't going to get the green light. Whatever you do, do not use soy based formula, it has been known to cause intestinal bleeding and hormone problems in babies.

Breastfeeding isn't an all or nothing endeavor, it is about supply and demand. Formula isn't poison, it is just a less than perfect substitute. Her breasts are going to be doing all the work, and her career and reputation are on the line (even if there isn't outright discrimination, many workplaces suffer from soft discrimination against mothers who take the time to pump), so unless she can stay home for an extended period of time to establish a full time breastfeeding regimen, and pump a lot during that time to store up milk, back off dude.

I'd only go the donor milk route if she isn't able to produce any milk. You can sometimes find another mother you can trust, I've been a milk donor directly to a family who wasn't able to produce, and it was an amazing experience. I however wouldn't make myself anyone's wet nurse just because they had made other choices, so I doubt you'll get many volunteers (and never hire anyone to provide milk directly for pay, it can change the dynamic in dangerous ways). The medically prescribed donor milk costs $3/ounce, and has been pasteurized, so certainly not an ideal option.

About the egg yolk as a first food, there are slight but real concerns about salmonella, and she has the right to refuse to take that risk. I am skeptical about the need to tread so carefully into first foods anyway, it is kind of a weird modern thing. Just puree or chew up small amounts of what you are having for dinner. If the baby is still nursing even part time at that point they will already be familiar with the flavors. I'm pretty sure we do kids a disservice by giving them only bland foods to start, when they have the capacity to enjoy a whole palate of flavors, just like we do. I do believe it is important to wait until teeth are coming in, and the baby is actively trying to grab food off your plate before starting solids because they lack the necessary enzymes to break down solid food before that.

I think that first & foremost, it's about support. Support is lacking in most of the Western world.

Anyway, some others have said it much better than I can. But just to let you know that my 3.5 year old son is snuggled next to me right now. Bed sharing & still Breastfeeding.

I'm a SAHM and we get better maternity rights than the USA, so I can't really compare.

Here's some more reading for you and her to do: http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/10/ask-armadillo-whats-in-breastmilk-but.html?m=1

I think it's important to understand the difference between breastmilk and formula! And to understand the implications of formula feeding an infant. Gut flora being the main issue.

I worked on Wall St. for 15 years, during which time I saw many ambitious women think they'd drop the kid, hire a nanny, take 2 weeks off work, and go back to the boardroom. What happened instead 70% of the time was that once she first suckled the baby in the hospital, it was all over: they were arranging for 6 month leaves and experienced a deep emotional need to breastfeed the baby and be a full-time mom. 3 of the women I knew never came back - they ditched their Wall St. salaries to stay at home. Everything changes the first time the child nuzzles your breast after birth. That moment may completely change your wife's attitude, esp. if they have great support at the hospital for the first contact. So make sure your wife has that and then sit back while millions of years of evolution take their course and Mommy Mania sets in.

I worked full time and breast fed until my milk dried up at 7 months. It was definitely difficult, but I managed and survived. It is so much better for the baby to drink breast milk than it is some powder concocted in a lab. Unless he was awake before I left for work, I pumped and left a fresh bottle in the fridge. I pumped several times during the day and saved it in storage bags in the freezer. When I got home at night and was able to actually nurse, it was a bonding moment for both of us and helped the stress of my day melt away.

Nothing about kids is a convenience, but they are definitely blessings. Unless there is a medical/physical reason to avoid breast feeding, I really encourage your wife to give baby the best start in life possible. There are several resources Karen mentioned that should be explored. This is a decision that both you and your wife should reach together. "Her breasts, her decision" is bullshit.

You can start here:

WAPF - Children's health

If you scroll down, you'll see an overwhelming # of links, not all of which are relevant here. When you and/or your wife have a chance, I'd take a look at 39, 45, 49, & 19. (Yikes...sorry there are so many, but they're all good stuff.) There are a bunch of links for info on homemade formula too, if you do end up "needing" to go that route.

It's not the end of the world if you have to use formula. It's a less-than-perfect substitute, but there are times when it is necessary. My wife wanted to breastfeed, but due to an illness (both for herself and the baby), it didn't happen. Formula has its place and shouldn't be bashed to extreme.

There are other benefits to formula feeding that make it worth considering: as a father, I was thrilled to be able to participate in the feeding, I felt a closer bond to my child (although, surely my wife felt less of a bond than she would have with breastfeeding), and it took a lot of the stress away as we could easily have meals ready for my daughter any place any time. Look closely at the different brands out there--do your research on the 'organic' brands, as they sometimes aren't as good as they claim to be--and consider all of your options.

Nutritionally and biologically, breastfeeding makes the most sense and should definitely be done whenever possible. But emotional and physical issues should not be immediately overruled in this consideration.

As for egg yolk, we started with that, and this was before we knew anything about the Primal/Paleo movement. It just seemed to make sense. Every food is a risk for a baby, but there's no reason they can't eat the same stuff you do if you prepare it for them. Be aware of possible allergies and watch for reactions. Again, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with canned baby foods--they're just less nutritious and more expensive, but they are convenient and offer good variety. Look for ones without pasta/rice/sugar when the time comes for those. I always made a point to taste anything I was going to feed my daughter--if I wouldn't eat it, neither should she.

I breastfed my son for the first year, but was also blessed to work in an environment where pumping was part of my scheduled day. When I did have trouble with supply, I supplemented with goat's milk as needed (yes even the powdered or canned goat's milk is better than formula IMHO. Being able to relax knowing he was getting the best I could give him made it easier to up my supply. But it is also a huge committment, and a personal choice. My husband and I decided I would breast feed prior to our son's birth, but it was always ultimately MY decision.

Much better than commercial formula is this home-made one: http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula