Formula under lock and key....comments?

[.rollinn.]

That's ridiculous,what if the mother is taking certain medication's that will affect the baby. Will they still not give them formula? -.-

 

[dizz]

I'm not being overly defensive, but at the same time - I think the FF section is where we can come and not have BF pushed on us, you know?

Hah hah - you're kidding right?! One of the eternal double-standards on here.

(I await more abusive PMs)

 

[Saphira]

I'm not being overly defensive, but at the same time - I think the FF section is where we can come and not have BF pushed on us, you know?

Hah hah - you're kidding right?! One of the eternal double-standards on here.

(I await more abusive PMs)

Huh? I don't understand your comment dizz.
I agree, the formula feeding section should be a guilt-free area for those who formula feed, should it not? We're all here because we plan to or currently formula feed our babies. Why do we need to continually hear "breast is best" because of this, this and that statistic? Statistics don't change the fact that we formula feed so it's pointless to bring in here.

 

[pinklizzy]

I may be totally wrong but I read Dizz's comment to mean not that she was disagreeing with the FF section being a guilt-free area but that it's not treated as such by the rest of the forum?!

 

[lhancock90]

I see no reason for formula to be on display, i'm an FF-er and i know formula is there so i don't need it to be lining the walls.
What bothers me is the idea that women need a "talking to".
Does this man view women as children? As beneath him?
I'm an adult. I choose how to feed my baby and as long as its not poison its nobody elses god damn business. If ANYONE tried to give me a talking to about how I feed MY baby, it wouldn't end well.

 

[ceejie]

This is the way it is here in BC, especially Vancouver. Everyone is very anti FF. In the hospital you are basically told breastfeeding is the only option. End of story. God forbid you bring up formula.

I just plain don't produce milk, even after months of domperidone and pumping around the clock I still barely produced a thing. I have PCOS and "immature breast tissue" and one breast doesn't even produce a drop, while the other makes very very little.

At about 1 or 2 weeks I had started supplementing, but only 1 oz at a time after BF'ing, because my DD had lost 14% of her birth weight and was not gaining. At 1 month she was still below birth weight, I was told even a "sickly baby" should be above birth weight by 2-3 weeks at the latest. My DD had blood tests, stomach ultrasounds etc to see why she wasn't gaining. Yet, my GP kept berating me for giving my baby formula and kept telling me to "throw out the formula" and basically made me felt like I was hurting my baby by giving her formula.

I ended up seeing a pediatrician who found that my daughter had reflux and told me to just feed her as much formula as she would drink as often as she wanted because she was obviously not getting enough milk from me despite nursing around the clock. I did as the pediatrician said and my tiny little baby who was 5lbs 14oz at her smallest was suddenly over 7 lbs within a week or two and continued gaining.

At 3 months I finally gave up trying to BF and pump non stop to build my supply, as she was getting over 80% formula anyways. She is now nearly 4 months, and while she is still on the small side (13lbs) she is an incredibly happy and healthy baby. Yet, to this day I cry over not being able to breast feed her because EVERYONE, including my GP, tells me how bad it is to formula feed. Strangers literally come up to me in public when I am bottle feeding her and tell me I should be breastfeeding.

While I understand "breast is best" it does not work for everyone, and I can say from experience policies like this just make it hard for those who cannot produce and, quite frankly, I feel it put my daughter's health at risk and I wish I had been able to stand up for myself at the time and know that it was okay to formula feed.

I breastfed my son for four months, and than out of the blue I experienced low supply of my milk. I couldn't believe it, I'd try pumping and it was getting less and less but my feedings were consistent. His doctor told me he was losing weight, so I needed to do something. I ended up doing a...oh, I forgot what it's called but the baby is still at the breast but there's a small tubing near the nipple that's taped, and the tubing goes to a bottle of formula. Well, even that didn't get my supply gong. I can totally understand the desire to want too but just nature isn't letting you. Kudos to you for trying, in my opinion that really is all that matters. If you couldn't feed her breast milk for a whole 6 months - 1 year, don't beat yourself up for it. Breastfeeding in some cases doesn't come naturally, and you are not less of a woman for formula feeding. I'm sorry to this day you still are upset about it, but you did what you could. It's like how some women who have C-Sections, beat themselves up because their vaginal birth didn't go right. The important thing is a healthy child, through and through. Your GP shouldn't be telling you how "bad" formula feeding is, formula isn't poison. All he needs to say is that science has proven that breast milk is natures way of feeding a baby, formula can't be 100% replicated - just once! (Not sure if your GP is telling you formula is bad all the time) but if your GP knew you tried, I'm not sure why he would tell you that if he knew you put your best foot forward with it. It just doesn't work out for some of us, and you know what? That's perfectly okay. Formula was created to be an alternative to breast milk and if you needed to use it, than you needed to use it! There should be no shame, but I know what you mean. It feels like something inside of you isn't working....but I just look at it in the aspect that it was either that or letting our babies starve. I can see someone (like myself) who feels like breast feeding is worth a try, but why did your GP harass you and tell you to throw out the formula? Is there anyway you can find a different GP who is more understanding of you? That doesn't sound like a good bedside manner. xx

Thank you for your kind words.

Yes, my GP believes formula is bad and should not be given. Period. This is a very common belief where I live. The culture in Vancouver is very hippy, all-natural, organic, vegan etc etc. So many people seem to believe that if you give your baby formula you must be lazy and just want to go out and party/drink (which I don't do anyways!). And doctors and hospitals really push for exclusive breastfeeding, which I understand is ideal, but they don't really give you any support when you run into problems like I did. Yet, oddly enough, Canadian data suggests that 1/3 of women cannot produce enough BM to EBF.

I have recently found a new GP, I haven't gone to see her yet, but I have spoken to her and she understands that formula has it's place and many women need to supplement.

It is ridiculous to make people feel bad about FF when sometimes there is no real alternative. Here in Canada we are lucky as we get 1 year mat leave, but in the US and other places that do not offer as long I imagine it would be very hard to work and keep up a milk supply.