As a mother who formula feeds..

[lisaf]

I had supply issues a few weeks ago and took fenugreek which worked a treat! Worth suggesting to your friend x

Thanks, I will pass that on to her but she's also only on her 3rd or 4th week so its still just establishing itself. I want to give her any support I can... because I do believe that with proper support more women can be succesful at breastfeeding.
I told her my dilemma with my medication and she confessed she'd love to have an excuse not to do it right now because its just so HARD. I know she's just tired and going through that beginning adjustment period etc. Kind of made me laugh how I'm beating myself up, trying to find a way that I can justify or safely breastfeed and she'd love to switch shoes.

 

[Dopeyjopey]

It gets SO much better after 6 weeks. Sounds like such a long time but once you're through the other side it doesn't seem so bad. I almost gave up so i know exactly what she's going through. The ladies on the breastfeeding section here are very supportive so she might be able to get some PMA and advice there too. Also www.kellymom.com is amazing x

 

[redpoppy]

I breastfed for 3 months (10 weeks before introducing formula and 14 weeks till I totally stopped) and I had a LOT of heartache, difficulty, endless worries and stress of being told my baby was "failing to thrive" the scarred nipples, the endless fenugreek, blessed thistle, milk thistle, homeopathy, every herb under the sun, herb nursing tea, potential risk of falling into PND, SO SO SO much crying.

After introducing formula I finally had a healthy baby who is gaining weight a little more than she should, but still better than a baby losing weight and falling off the percentile chart.

Having said all that, it actually REALLY annoys me when FFing mums try and make out that they are not CHOOSING the less healthy option for their baby. It's not an opinion. It's a fact. Its not poison. It is a GOD SEND as many years ago you wouldn't have the option BUT it is the LESS healthy option. You may have VERY GOOD reasons for choosing the less healthy option. You may have tried and failed for the MORE healthy option. You may have the most superficial and dumb reason for the less healthy option. but the FACT is breast milk is better.

And if you want ot have a debate about this NOT being true or that it is an OPINION as opposed to a FACT then just supply some credible evidence.

As for making it law. I think it's just a passing comment and most mums who CHOOSE the healthier option find it very difficult to understand why someone would CHOOSE the less healthy one when most mums feel the most important thing in their whole universe is their baby.

 

[BlackBerry25]

But why try and understand it, its none of your business. I still feel like my baby is the most important thing on the planet. Like someone else said, OK, is your kid not the most important thing on the planet, or is it just baby stage? Are you ALWAYS feeding your kid THE HEALTHIEST OPTIONS? No, I bet most parents are not.

 

[Dragonfly]

But why try and understand it, its none of your business. I still feel like my baby is the most important thing on the planet. Like someone else said, OK, is your kid not the most important thing on the planet, or is it just baby stage? Are you ALWAYS feeding your kid THE HEALTHIEST OPTIONS? No, I bet most parents are not.

I think thats very rude.

Some parents want their kids to have the best and do try, sometimes i cant understand why some dont want that either as a child cant speak for itself. I would want the best health to but didnt get a say when I was a child. All a parent can do is try, no one is perfect but not trying at all is what some dont understand.

 

[BlackBerry25]

But why is it up to you to understand?

I don't get why people even sit there and think about it.

I think it's very rude to say something that sounds like women who use formula, don't think of their babies as the #1 thing in their lives.

 

[Dragonfly]

so whats the point on a debate thread if you wont let anyone debate as you think its none of their business?

you want your baby the healthiest it can be, so why not give it? or is that not allowed to be asked because you think its none of anyone business. If so then why are you in a debate thread about it?

 

[OmarsMum]

Now I'm confused. The title says "As a mother who formula feeds.." so I guess the OP was looking at opinions from FFing mothers. Sorry I dont want to sound rude, but some BFing moms r always around FFing threads were moms r seeking advise or opinions from those who r FFing, & I dont think they want their threads to turn into FF vs BF thread when they started them. xx

 

[cherryglitter]

Def didn't want this to be a BF vs FF thread. I just found the woman's attitude disgusting. I get fed up of hearing about breast milk. I DON'T want to talk about it.

I can't be bothered lol! I formula feed and breastfeeding doesn't interest me. So why swamp the thread with all the POSITIVES etc? Jake was able to still latch on at say 8 weeks old but i'd completely dried up. I think that was the only time I regretted NOT breastfeeding, because I had felt like i'd missed out on something. But I will never feel guilty for FF Jake. He's thriving and beautiful.

Can I just add that typing in capitals doesn't actually EMPHASISE what you're trying to say?

 

[redpoppy]

Now I'm confused. The title says "As a mother who formula feeds.." so I guess the OP was looking at opinions from FFing mothers. Sorry I dont want to sound rude, but some BFing moms r always around FFing threads were moms r seeking advise or opinions from those who r FFing, & I dont think they want their threads to turn into FF vs BF thread when they started them. xx

I am a FF mum and I'm very pro BFing.

But why is it up to you to understand?

It isn't up to anyone to understand. I just don't. As to why I think about it. I think about a lot of things. I don't try and limit my thinking of things that go on in the world so as to prevent some people form getting upset about my opinion on them.

 

[Tiff]

so whats the point on a debate thread if you wont let anyone debate as you think its none of their business?

you want your baby the healthiest it can be, so why not give it? or is that not allowed to be asked because you think its none of anyone business. If so then why are you in a debate thread about it?

I agree, although that works both ways. It isn't much of a debate either when "breast is best, its proven" is the only thing really said.

People know "breast is best". As mentioned in the other thread, I don't know of anyone who states that formula is superior to breast milk. However circumstances sometimes dictate otherwise.

I get what BB is trying to say though. Everyone is very focused on a baby's health, but as babies turn into toddlers, children, pre-teens, etc it seems to matter less and less. I see on FB so many pictures of parents documenting their child's first trip to McDonalds to eat a Happy Meal, or laughing because of the mess the chocolate pudding made.

Nothing is wrong with either of those things at all, and I get that in the early stages a child's immune system is forming, but where's the 100% organic, free range cooked from scratch all meals, every meals for kids later on? I'm not saying that everyone is like that, but like BB, I don't get why it only seems important at the baby stage. Shouldn't it matter later on too?

I just haven't come across too many debates about a child's diet.


BB - Please correct me if I misinterpreted what your post was about.

 

[IvyBaby]

But why is it up to you to understand?

I don't get why people even sit there and think about it.

I think it's very rude to say something that sounds like women who use formula, don't think of their babies as the #1 thing in their lives.

They do of course think their babies are #1 (most do, some don't and thatš also a fact), but, sadly, some have not taken the time to educate themselves and choose to believe that formula is as good as breastmilk. Some have other reasons why they don't even try but I don't see it as putting your baby first (and it is only for 6 months- the minimum time for BF that can be sufficient)..and again I am not talking about those who really did try and couldn't for one reason or the other.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Well, I feel like we are a group of mothers who are being discriminated against and judged. Formula is an ok option for food for a baby, yet people feed their older kids complete crap and no one bats an eye, and no one sits there thinking oh that mom fed their kid a sugar filled pudding for lunch, or a sugar coated cereal and makes a debate thread about it.

You thought I was rude, well I simply was applying someones logic to an older child vs. a baby.

 

[Dragonfly]

You are assuming most people feed their kids crap, perhaps you seen it we all have but not everyone does it. My son does not get sugar coated crap for breakfast lunch or dinner and I think so many can say that here to. He has never been in mcdonalds either and since we dont go there it will be a long time till he does. I think as a debate that would be good though.

 

[Tiff]

You are assuming most people feed their kids crap, perhaps you seen it we all have but not everyone does it. My son does not get sugar coated crap for breakfast lunch or dinner and I think so many can say that here to. He has never been in mcdonalds either and since we dont go there it will be a long time till he does. I think as a debate that would be good though.

I don't personally assume that most people feed their children crap. But the comparison can go on forever.

Parents feeding their children toast from bread bought at a grocery store, instead of the better alternative of baking your own bread from scratch for example. The bread from the grocery store isn't bad by any means, but fresh home baked is definitely preferable, no?

I agree, I think its a good debate as well. Why are people so focused on babies and toddlers but after that its all good. I actually had an argument with my Mom as to why Claire (at 12 months) didn't need to eat french fries. I told her that there wasn't anything nutritious about it and she's got the rest of her life to have fries.

My Mom actually thought that was some sort of crime against my LO. But this was the same woman who was appalled that I switched from BF to FF. That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Dragonfly]

You are assuming most people feed their kids crap, perhaps you seen it we all have but not everyone does it. My son does not get sugar coated crap for breakfast lunch or dinner and I think so many can say that here to. He has never been in mcdonalds either and since we dont go there it will be a long time till he does. I think as a debate that would be good though.

I don't personally assume that most people feed their children crap. But the comparison can go on forever.

Parents feeding their children toast from bread bought at a grocery store, instead of the better alternative of baking your own bread from scratch for example. The bread from the grocery store isn't bad by any means, but fresh home baked is definitely preferable, no?

I aint saying about any of that just the fact blackberry has said a few times everyone feed crap to their kids, like sweets and cakes and stuff with all sorts in it. Perhaps its an area thing? we dont have a mcdonalds in the town here we have plenty of other take aways though but since I have a gluten intolerance i cant order from them so my son gets things we grow and yes we buy supermarket bread. But I dont see why formula and that are connected here in this thread?

 

[BlackBerry25]

I am not saying EVERYONE, I am saying the majority of people do feed their kids without necessarily thinking "is this the absolute best option?" I am bringing it up, because you or someone else said, that mothers who chose to formula feed are not choosing the "best" option, and kind of have the attitude like "wow, how can someone do that to their child?" However, it does not just occur when the child is an infant, but as they grow up.

So do you judge people who give their kids say...a juice box? instead of making their own juice?

 

[BlackBerry25]

I said YET people, I did not say all people.

 

[Tiff]

I was talking about how people are concerned about a baby's diet, and some toddlers but once they start getting older people tend to worry less and less.

The connection is that I'd like to see parents as a whole (not singling you out, nor did I mean specifically you in my post) be as passionate about children's diets when they are kids, pre-teens as they are about how much better breast milk is.

 

[lisaf]

Dragonfly - you may be the exception rather than the rule here.
MOST moms do eventually let their kid have some treats and other foods that aren't the 'best' for them. And letting them eat a big sugary cake at their first birthday party is so much a tradition in most places that people buy a separate 'smash' cake so the kid can demolish their own cake and everyone else still has some to eat.

Those SAME moms go on and on about how breast is best and do look down on moms that FF (or at least those who choose FF withou trying BFing)

I think if people are going to bring up repeatedly how they don't understand how a mom could choose to feed their baby something that was 2nd best... then its perfectly reasonable to expand the discussion to feeding your child 2nd best foods later in life.
People care SO much about BFing, but when it comes to that cake on their 1st birthday... its 'oh let them have fun'.