A positive thread on formula feeding

[bumblebeexo]

Glad I found this thread, I've decided to FF and I always have people ask me 'why?' I know breastfeeding is the 'best' but my baby is still being fed! I was FF and so was my OH and we've both turned out fine. My friend BF and seeing how shattered she was all the time put me off even more. I fully respect those who BF, it must be tough going, so well done for managing it! But FF fits in better for me and my family.

 

[vintage67]

Despite the circumstances, (me in bed several feet away, home from an 11 day hospitalization with a post partum staph infection and still attached to a drainage bag) this is a pretty cute photo!

To me that is one of best parts. I enjoy watching my son, my husband, and my 75 year old mother, feed the baby.

 

[Lady_Bee]

Aww that's such a sweet pic Vintage :]

 

[HellBunny]

Vintage, what a beautiful photo! Two happy boys you have there! xx

 

[ff01]

I loved reading this thread and for us the benefits were that both my partner and I work freelance and i couldn't really afford to take maternity leave so we both took on equal parenting roles and formula fed our son. He's 14 weeks now; bright, adorable and sleeps through the night and his mum and dad are both rested, happy and love him to bits. (Plus I'm back in my skinny jeans and can have a glass of wine!)
I get random spam mails from Bounty and other parenting sites banging on about little tips to get Dad to bond with baby if he is feeling left out. Which actually make me more sad to think of than the so called 'guilt' of not breastfeeding.
What I DO think is criminal is the lack of positive information about FF - or any information TBH. When we were researching it the NHS info you get was pretty much written in the 1950s and makes out you need a Science degree to prepare formula (when in fact it is easy peasy)
I also think the whole BF/FF debate is made worse by crazy pregnancy and post partem hormones - god, I said some evil stuff whilst pregnant (World, I apologise!) - but we are our own worst enemies sometimes and reading some threads you can see that the debate just gets more and more heated because tired mothers want to defend their parenting style ie their kids. At some point in their life your child will eat something you didn't create and that's not the end of the world; but look - you've all been through a big pregnancy journey and the feeding part should just be up to you, no judging...
Whilst we're being positive, I'd like to big up the Aptimel helpline, who gave me amazing advice and took my calls 24/7 - and told me what they clearly aren't allowed to advertise which is all the great brain and eye development ingredients and the friendly bacteria in their formula.
As per the start of this thread, I'm not against BF but it is so nice to hear praise for the other side...

 

[Linzi_x]

I decided to formula feed after a week of breast feeding and it is by far the best decision I've made for my little girl. she's so much happier and so am i! I decided to switch to formula for personal reasons which at first I was really guilty about. for one, I was crying every single day because of complete exhaustion and sometimes she would take a long time to latch, making me stressed and baby stress causing more
latching issues - such a vicious cycle! another reason was the sleep deprivation. she was going through a growth spurt when I decided to swap to formula so I was cluster feeding for 4 hours straight at one point which is when I completely decided that breast feeding wasn't for me. I know that it's the best nutrition for baby but people make formula out to be poison?! and there's far too much pressure to BF.

 

[Arisa]

View attachment 445485


Despite the circumstances, (me in bed several feet away, home from an 11 day hospitalization with a post partum staph infection and still attached to a drainage bag) this is a pretty cute photo!

To me that is one of best parts. I enjoy watching my son, my husband, and my 75 year old mother, feed the baby.

Vintage Same here, My 67 yr old father feeding our little summer is precious and i love how my husband is so devoted to feeding her

I am so glad I started this thread because there is NO need to feel guilty and if you do feel bad about not being able to BF look at the positives on this thread

We all know breast is best, I know that but due to medications and mental health it is just not possible and our little girl is very alert, bright eyed and smart, she observes and takes in everything so I do not agree that FF babies are not as smart IQ wise than BF babies, I think its down to the way they are brought up and the stimulation they are given and love off course

it does not matter how you feed your baby like I wrote before
AS LONG AS THEY ARE LOVED

XOXOOXXOXO

 

[babyfromgod]

Love this thread! I just switched to formula and he is alot more settled, he was constantly pulling on and off during feeds. Sleeps slightly longer at night. I am also looking forward to starting my diet tomorrow and getting my body back as selfish as it sounds. I also love that i can give him to OH to feed

 

[Aliciaxo]

This is an awesome thread! FF was the best decision I have made. I'm happy, baby is happy. Just seems like the best thing for both of us

 

[HellBunny]

Also another positive for me is (i know some bfers will look down upon me for this) but i can put my youngest in his bouncy chair for 5 minutes whilst i get ready/put a comb through my hair! Having a shower daily makes me feel new! I couldn't do that before, it was a case of handing him to o/h their dad whilst i had a 2 minute wash panicking him crying so having to rush like crazy! Also i'm ill once again stupid t1 diabetes urgh with norovirus bug so my mum said she will watch them both for me tomorrow afternoon for a couple of hours, mummy gets chill out time to recover lol

 

[lysh]

I might be transitioning from BF and FF combo to just FF soon. We are seeing our pediatrician today. The stress is getting to me and it is affecting DH and I am sure our DD. My supply is low and the stress of trying to BF, FF, and then pump is too much. I feel like that is all I am worried about rather than enjoying this time with our DD. She latches well and is a strong sucker, but the supply just is not coming in. I let her nurse constantly between FF, but she is still screaming, fussy, and hungry. When I finally gave her a bottle she drank 4 ounces!!! She is only 7lns 6oz. I am going through guilt/grief as we try to make a decision on which way to go, but yesterday and this morning I am leading toward FF. Thanks for the thread!

 

[lauraemily17]

I might be transitioning from BF and FF combo to just FF soon. We are seeing our pediatrician today. The stress is getting to me and it is affecting DH and I am sure our DD. My supply is low and the stress of trying to BF, FF, and then pump is too much. I feel like that is all I am worried about rather than enjoying this time with our DD. She latches well and is a strong sucker, but the supply just is not coming in. I let her nurse constantly between FF, but she is still screaming, fussy, and hungry. When I finally gave her a bottle she drank 4 ounces!!! She is only 7lns 6oz. I am going through guilt/grief as we try to make a decision on which way to go, but yesterday and this morning I am leading toward FF. Thanks for the thread!

I'm in a similar boat in that my supply isn't great after I couldn't breast feed for a few days due to having a radioactive scan. Although I pumped as much as I could during that time there is a noticeable difference in what I can now produce. My lo seemed to live his formula during those days do we've decided to combi feed. The way I do it is he gets about 10 mins from each booby then is topped up with a bottle. That way my supply although less is kept up for a little longer, he gets the hydrating foremilk & antibodies but has the quantity & fatty bit he needs to grow from the formula. We also then get more play time as he's not what seems like permanently attached to me feeding which makes me far happier & less worried im starving him. It's working really well for us although I think it's only a short term thing. I've got no probs with going fully to formula now but if I can give him breast milk a little longer I'm going to try. I'm also in less pain doing it this way as well making it easier to carry on.

 

[lysh]

Yes, I am going to talk to her doctor about doing the combo thing for as long as I can...might cut down on the stress of constantly trying to go to exclusive breastfeeding (seems like an uphill battle).