Fed up of being made to feel guilty about formula feeding!

[Wriggley]

Grrr Im fed up of places/people trying to make me feel guilty for formula feeding

Just been on boots website and at the bottom of the page of a formula it says that infant formula should ONLY be used if advised by a pharmacist or midwife

So yeah feeling pretty crap right about now

 

[OmarsMum]

I'm a proud FFing mom. I have a very smart little man & he thrived on formula. No one has the right to make you feel guilty, just ignore it hun.

You know what's best for your LO, you'r his mom. I loooooool when I read such comments on websites about formula (esp those "I agree" buttons on formula websites).

 

[Youngling]

I know what u mean. I chose to ff, but i see it as happy mum happy baby so i wouldnt let it get to ya.
I hate it when sayings like breast is best and every1 should atleast try to bf are thrown in my face
x

 

[babezone]

what bugs me most is the fact that they will not advertise infant formula on tv from birth...only the follow on milk, as " brest is best"

but sometimes u just cant brest feed grrr! dnt let it get to u hun, try let it nlow over ur hed thers nothing wrong with a forula fed baby AT ALL! xx

 

[Kte]

Don't feel guilty / crappy

 

[BoLt_InFeRnO]

This annoys me too!!

Most people I know were formula fed, and they are doing the same to their babies. There's nothing wrong with them!!

The one that annoys me is on the aptimal box.
Breast isn't best! Looking after your baby the best way YOU can is the best!!!

 

[MrsT&Ben]

I ff feed my baby and you know what I don't feel guilty one tiny bit!
He's happy friendly on target for all the milestones slightly under average for his weight but you know what he's perfect to me.
So all those people who think I'm wrong for ff my child can stick it where the sun don't shine!!!
I love my son.

 

[aliss]

It's not meant to make you feel guilty or anything - it was designed to be a substitute in case you cannot breastfeed because of medical reasons and that is why these warnings/instructions/labels exist. From a government (and therefore healthcare) standpoint, there does exist more risks associated with formula feeding than breastfeeding, and that is what it is based on.

I hope nobody bites my head off for this - as I do formula feed my son - but I do see these labels all the time and I know that is why they exist. Again, it is not "guilt", but a reality of the situation.

You are a good mother (remember your last thread about your poor little guy being in so much pain and you doing everything to help him?), please don't let anything or anyone make you feel otherwise.

 

[Sarah10]

Dont feel bad
I get the odd day where i feel guilty but i know my son is doing just fine! He is alert, wide eyed, content (except when his teeth are bothering him) and by looking at him you wouldn't know whether he was bf/ff! x

 

[xemmax]

i doubt very much that boots are trying to make people feel guilty for formula feeding.. they sell formula afterall. i believe there are rules about what they have to say while advertising formula.

if you made the right choice for you and your child then what is there to feel guilty for?

 

[Red Rose]

Aww hun I know exactly how you feel. I tried my best with BFing but it wasn't for us sadly. I'm so paranoid now when I get the bottle out in public and feel like I'm being judged even though most the time, no one takes a blind bit of notice. Its all after I was criticised at a baby group for 'giving up too quickly' after constant sleepless nights and stressed nearly being admitted to hospital as she wasn't putting the weight on. Stupid woman! She worked there too.

That experience has scarred me & I feel so guilty for FFing but then I see my LO and how much she has thrived since making this decision & it makes it seem better. Still have the odd teary moment though.

 

[NG09]

I FF, have done from the start and don't feel the least bit guilty about it, my son is healthy, happy, thriving and TBH I couldn't wish for more. Maybe breast is best for some people but not for us, how can it be, I would be truly miserable if I'd been forced to do it, surely that would have passed onto baby! Happy mummy = happy baby! x

 

[Sarah10]

Happy mummy = happy baby!

Can't agree more! x

 

[Red Rose]

Happy mummy = happy baby!

Can't agree more! x

Agreed x 100!

We can't all be the same. There are so many different parenting styles out there. You have to find the one that works best for you.

 

[KittyVentura]

I felt guilty too initially. I stopped after 3 weeks because I caught a bug and I that was just one hurdle too much for me.

Fin went from being this fussy, constantly hungry baby to being so happy and content. The day after we switched he had his first period of being awake, alert and happy. Every time before then he was asleep, feeding or crying... so actually I feel like I did the best thing for him xx

 

[NeyNey]

It's a sensitive issue so of the media feels they are not allowed to mention it for fear of ridicule. It's sad because it's just as special as BF if you ask me....feeding a child is a very strong bonding experience, wether it be via a bottle or breast....I love snuggle time when i feed Dylan his bottle, i stroke his hair, face and hold hands. He just stares into my eyes and I always feel so much love during this time.

 

[mixedmama]

Don't feel bad. Companies try to encourage breastfeeding because if they didn't do so, less people would try since BFing is difficult despite it's benefits. But you should not feel bad about how you decide to feed your baby hun xx

 

[Foogirl]

if you made the right choice for you and your child then what is there to feel guilty for?

I agree with this. I'm a firm believer that no-one can make you feel guilty if there isn't something there for them to work on in the first place.

In order to feel better about these messages which are simply just following an interpretation of advertising legislation, you've got to first get rid of any feelings you already have about FFing. Everyone who makes the choice, does so for their own reasons and no-one should be able to make you feel bad if you've done something with the best of intentions and which suits your unique situation.

I was able to breastfeed, but given Abby's difficult start, it wasn't at all certain that I would be able to. I hated the idea of having to FF as my whole family breastfed their children (except for my sister with her lactose intolerant son) I beat myself up about it - more so because I already felt a failure for not being able to carry her for 9 months - and was near to breaking point when my husband pointed out that as long as she was being fed, it really didn't matter how. After that I relaxed and apparently so did Abby and we cracked it, but if she hadn't, I would not have felt any guilt at all about FFing.

 

[LankyDoodle]

if you made the right choice for you and your child then what is there to feel guilty for?

I agree with this. I'm a firm believer that no-one can make you feel guilty if there isn't something there for them to work on in the first place.

In order to feel better about these messages which are simply just following an interpretation of advertising legislation, you've got to first get rid of any feelings you already have about FFing. Everyone who makes the choice, does so for their own reasons and no-one should be able to make you feel bad if you've done something with the best of intentions and which suits your unique situation.
I was able to breastfeed, but given Abby's difficult start, it wasn't at all certain that I would be able to. I hated the idea of having to FF as my whole family breastfed their children (except for my sister with her lactose intolerant son) I beat myself up about it - more so because I already felt a failure for not being able to carry her for 9 months - and was near to breaking point when my husband pointed out that as long as she was being fed, it really didn't matter how. After that I relaxed and apparently so did Abby and we cracked it, but if she hadn't, I would not have felt any guilt at all about FFing.

 

[Wriggley]

Ergh yeah i know i shouldnt feel guilty - hes always been happy, content and a proper little pudding on formula but last few days hes not been so great on it - hes just guzzling ozs and ozs and though it might just be a growth spurt its making me feel like he would have been better off with me still bfing but he never settled when i was bfing and as soon as we put him on formula he was so much happier but now we having a little hic up im feeling a bit down