"Proud Formula Feeder"?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2004
"Proud Formula Feeder"?
1054
Thu, 12-14-2006 - 8:27pm

In my playgroup, I've noticed some members have a blinkie I haven't seen before: "Proud Formula Feeder". In the past, I've seen the "Formula Feeding Mom" and "It's formula, not rat poison", but this new one struck me as odd. I can understand simply stating that you formula feed or saying that formula isn't rat poison (because it isn't), but I've been trying to figure out just why someone would be "proud" to FF.

While I don't think that women should necessarily feel guilty about not BF, I don't get what about FF there is to be proud about. Most (or maybe even all) of the women with said blinkie acknowledge that breastmilk is better, so why would they be proud to feed their babies something they know is substandard, even if they couldn't BF and FF was their only choice? What do you ladies think? Is/should there be such a thing as FF pride?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 11:21am

Now you are saying that I don't make the needs of my baby?

Formula isn't substandard if your baby is starving because you don't make enough milk for them it isn't substandard if you don't have right balance of nutrients in you breast milk so that you baby can grow and be healthy. When there is something wrong with you own milk than formula is BEST for your baby. All the needs of my children ARE made that was insulting.

No facts don't insult me it is the way in which it was said. I am proud that all the nutritional needs of my kids are met and they are happy.

Moms need to do what is beast for them and their children I am very happy for you have you are a proud mom to breast feed you baby, why can't moms be proud that their babies are flourishing on formula?

'Because the formula makers say it is?'

Are you saying that the formula makers are not telling the truth about their product? The FDA regulates the nutrients of formula making sure everything that needs to go in to it is and most formulas exceed the guidelines...that is a fact.

Breast Feed or Formula feed babies get what they need to...I have 2 other kids that were on formula and they both are as healthy as can be one is 5 years old and the other is 3 years old and they have had normal colds but neither of them have been sick enough for antibiotics or anything. So let moms be proud that their kids are healthy on formula! Because moms that breast feed are not better than the ones that don't.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-14-2000
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 11:46am

**Formula isn't substandard if your baby is starving because you don't make enough milk for them it isn't substandard if you don't have right balance of nutrients in you breast milk so that you baby can grow and be healthy. When there is something wrong with you own milk than formula is BEST for your baby.**

Breast milk is the standard nutrition for babies. Formula is substandard. Obviously, if there's some reason why a woman can't breastfeed and donated milk is unavailable, then formula would be the best choice. Formula being the best choice in some (rare) instances doesn't change the fact that it's substandard.

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-21-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 11:56am

"Formula isn't substandard if your baby is starving because you don't make enough milk for them it isn't substandard if you don't have right balance of nutrients in you breast milk so that you baby can grow and be healthy. When there is something wrong with you own milk than formula is BEST for your baby."

No matter what the situation is, formula is still substandard because human milk is the standard. It's that simple. Now, formula might be the *choice* if your supply is too low to meet your baby's needs, but another choice is to use donor milk.

FYI, there's no reason your breastmilk wouldn't have the right balance of nutrients for your baby. Even malnourished women make perfectly good breastmilk. It's the way nature is...it takes care of the next generation so that the human race doesn't die out.

"Are you saying that the formula makers are not telling the truth about their product? The FDA regulates the nutrients of formula making sure everything that needs to go in to it is and most formulas exceed the guidelines...that is a fact."

I'd be the first to say that formula companies will lie to sell their product. Maybe they don't lie outright, but they've certainly done plenty to make people believe that formula is just as good as breastmilk. The very fact that they flagrantly violate the WHO's code of marketing breastmilk substitutes here in the US shows me that they don't care about anything other than the almighty dollar.

We know that breastmilk is best for babies. The formulas on the market don't come close to matching the ingredients in breastmilk. If any of the formulas is THAT perfect, why are there so many different kinds?

Are you aware of the FDA's report on Nestle's Good Start w/Iron? How many babies were fed that formula before that testing was done? How many are still getting it, despite the report that the formula wasn't meeting the FDA's requirements?

"Breast Feed or Formula feed babies get what they need to...I have 2 other kids that were on formula and they both are as healthy as can be one is 5 years old and the other is 3 years old and they have had normal colds but neither of them have been sick enough for antibiotics or anything."

The plural of anecdote is not data. Pretty much everyone can point to a formula fed baby that's healthy as a horse and a breastfed baby that's sickly. "But my formula fed child is perfectly fine!" seems to be a common refrain. Just because YOUR child is perfectly healthy NOW doesn't negate all the studies that have shown that breastfed babies are -- in general -- healthier than formula fed babies nor does it mean that your children will always be healthy.

FWIW, my 3 older kids were switched to formula after a few months of breastfeeding. My 4th only weaned after she turned 5. My 5th is 10 weeks and exclusively breastfed. All of them are pretty healthy kids and if I didn't know them, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you which ones had formula. This doesn't mean that I think the studies are wrong; it means that I think my kids are healthy despite having formula.

"Because moms that breast feed are not better than the ones that don't."

I don't think there are many breastfeeding moms that think this.

RPS

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:05pm

"Formula isn't substandard if your baby is starving because you don't make enough milk for them it isn't substandard if you don't have right balance of nutrients in you breast milk so that you baby can grow and be healthy. When there is something wrong with you own milk than formula is BEST for your baby. All the needs of my children ARE made that was insulting. "

This might be relevent if the ONLY people who chose to FF suffered with these types of circumstances, but the fact is that most women choose to FF over breastfeed because it is the societal norm to use formula. In addition, with the help of an IBCLC many of the problems you mentioned can be overcome. There is also the option of supplementing with donated milk, or formula if need be, without cutting off breastfeeding all together. Of course we don't live in a vaccuum, and of course BF doesn't always work for every person due to health and medical reasons, but that isn't why MOST people switch to formula or don't even try to breastfeed at all.

"Are you saying that the formula makers are not telling the truth about their product? The FDA regulates the nutrients of formula making sure everything that needs to go in to it is and most formulas exceed the guidelines...that is a fact."

Well, seeing as how they can't re-create breastmilk, then everything that "needs to be in it" isn't in it. Breastmilk is the standard. That's not a slam, or an insult, it just IS.

If you honestly think one is just as good as the other, I'd suggest some research.

Here's a good place to start. http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/HowBreastmilkProtectsNewborns.pdf

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." ~Albert Einstein
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:15pm

"The plural of anecdote is not data. Pretty much everyone can point to a formula fed baby that's healthy as a horse and a breastfed baby that's sickly. "But my formula fed child is perfectly fine!" seems to be a common refrain. Just because YOUR child is perfectly healthy NOW doesn't negate all the studies that have shown that breastfed babies are -- in general -- healthier than formula fed babies nor does it mean that your children will always be healthy."

Precisely-

But if we are using anecdotal evidence, I switched to formula after just a few days with DD1 because I was certain there was something wrong with my BM. I didn't have the support, nor the education about breastfeeding to be successful. Had I known what was really going on I would have realized she had reflux, as did her little sister. DD2 had reflux, but once we got her on Tagamet, she was a different baby. DD1 was BY FAR my sickliest child, suffering from ear infections every 6 weeks until she was 3 years old, respiratory infections, and the like. My BF DD's have had 1 ear infection between the 2 of them, and caught the flu just this year (at ages 4 and 6) for the 1st time ever. Besides a minor sniffle, they are far more healthy. At 10 years old, she is healthy, but had I known I would have been able to offset some of the illnesses she had, you bet I would have done what ever it took to breastfeed, which is why I am so adamant about formula being "substandard".

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." ~Albert Einstein
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:30pm

"Now you are saying that I don't make the needs of my baby?"


Yup.

Cathie

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-21-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:38pm

I can relate! I had no support while breastfeeding 1, 2 and 3, so there wasn't anyone to tell me not to switch them to formula.

Number 2 was the worst, though. At 2 months, she wasn't gaining weight as her ped wanted, so the ped told me to supplement with formula. I knew nothing about pumping to maintain my supply, so of course, we ended up on all formula -- and found out that my daughter had severe reflux. Half of every feeding came back up. My house, car and clothing all smelled like spoiled formula all the time. At 6 months, she weighed 10 1/2 lbs. and was nearly hospitalized. The specialist we saw put her on reglan and suggested we feed her mostly solids from 9 months on. I don't know what the long term effects of this will be; she's healthy now at 13, but also refuses to drink a drop of milk.

Number 4 was also a slow gainer like her older sister, but was exclusively breastfed. I realized that this was just how my kids gain weight. But because she never had formula, we didn't deal with the health issues, and I do think from her behavior that she had reflux. It just wasn't as big of a problem because she was breastfed.

The difference I saw between 2 and 4 was what convinced me to keep breastfeeding 4 and with 5, who's also a slow gainer, well, there's no question of switching to formula.

RPS

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:47pm

"Formula isn't substandard if your baby is starving because you don't make enough milk for them"


Sure it is, especially if there's something easily done or avoided to start or continue making enough milk for them.

Cathie

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 12:53pm

My mother used formula with all of her kids and it has been over 30 years ago and I was even a preemie as a matter of fact 3 of her 4 kids were preemies. None of my brothers and sisters have any allergies, we each only get sick once a year if that and we all have our masters degrees and my brother is working on becoming a doctor so our brain development was hurt in any way. So even 30 years ago the makers of formula must have been doing something right.

All I wanted to say when all this started was that if a woman is proud to feed her baby formula than let her she isn't dong anything wrong if a woman is proud to breast feed let her she isn't doing anything wrong. We all just need to do what is best for a baby and if a mom thinks that formula is best for her baby who are you to tell them that they a wrong? I would never go in to someones home and tell them that they are raising there kids wrong so why would I ever tell them that they are doing the wrong thing by feeding their baby formula.

I will not be posting or reading any more on this subject. Good luck to all the formula feeding moms and the breast feeding moms. All of our kids will turn out just fine.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2006
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 1:36pm

If your defensiveness would let you read what is actually said, instead of what you are expecting to hear ... oh yeah. You won't be reading this.

For anyone *else* who may still be confused by "best" and "substandard", those are not *judgements* in this discussion, they are simple facts. Breast milk is what babies are *designed* to expect as nutrition, the *standard* for baby nutrition. *Any* imitation (as in artificial baby milk) is by definition sub-standard. By definition, breast milk is *best* because anything else is an imitation.

The differences in development and health between bf and ff babies is *NOT* a one-to-one comparison. It is taking a *population* and comparing the *long-term* health and development of two groups. All the research has shown that *AS A GROUP* bf people are healthier than ff people. That means that EACH GROUP will have some healthier people and some sicker people. The bf group will have MORE people who are healthier and FEWER people who are sicker and the ff group will have more people who are sicker and fewer people who are healthier.

Breastmilk being best for babies does not mean that a mother who feeds her baby formula is a "lesser" mother, it means she's feeding her baby formula. Which was formulated in imitation of breast milk and is NOT equal to or same as breast milk. Not a judgment, but fact.

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