"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: 11-26-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:36pm
I realize this thread has gone way off in all sorts of different directions but as a FF I found the original question interesting. In my mind the answer is simple. I am not necessarily PROUD of feeding my children formula, but I'm certainly not ashamed. I have had many people try to make me feel ashamed about it, and I have suffered emotionally about it in the past with guilt. I guess the point of the phrase "Proud FF" is simply that the opposite of pride is shame and maybe we, as FF, are sick of being made to feel publicly ashamed of our choice....so those mothers are choosing to feel proud and confident in the decision they have made for themselves and their babies.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-14-2000
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:38pm

**The problem I have with what you are saying is that there are a lot of restrictions on who can get WIC assistance already. If you force mandatory bfing in addition to having to basically be destitute virtually no one would qualify so what's the point of having assistance in the first place. You certainly can't qualify if you're married. A couple I know got divorced just so they would qualify. There is a HUGE gap between the rich and what is "considered" poor in this country. Let's not make it any harder than it already is.**

I qualified for WIC when I was married. My dh was in the military, so yeah, we were pretty poor, but certainly not destitute. I applied when my dd was put on a special formula (nutramagin) because it was prohibitively expensive. I don't know if the rules have changed since then (it was 14 years ago,) but the income guidelines were pretty generous then, IMO.

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:38pm

"But humans survived for many, many years without formula, without eating healthy diets and without doctor-specified menus. If the only way to make good breastmilk were to eat a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle, we wouldn't be having this discussion because the species would have died out long ago"

Not neccesarily, up until a generation or two ago we *did* live very healthy lives and have good diets. We didn't have all the junk, fast food, or nearly as much pre-packaged, processed crap available, and what we *did* have that was garbage was not eaten nearly as regularly. That's why people like my grandmother (drinks a case of Miller and smokes three packs a day) are still alive - she's a farmer's daughter - very healthy lifestyle and excellent diet in early years. We don't have that in the modern world unless we really concentrate on having it.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:41pm

"I think you'd be hardpressed to acquire donor milk if you could, in fact, breastfeed and were just choosing not to. "

Which is exactly what I was gettting at... you can't really call it the "next best choice" if it isn't readily available. Well, you *can*, just like monkies might fly out of my butt :)

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Avatar for mrsmichael6300
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:45pm

>>Which is exactly what I was gettting at... you can't really call it the "next best choice" if it isn't readily available. Well, you *can*, just like monkies might fly out of my butt :)<<

Availability has absolutely no impact on the hierarchy of infant feeding methods. Whether or not a woman has access to donor milk, it is still a better choice than formula. And quite frankly, if she can in fact breastfeed "on tap" or express her own milk, then she oughtn't be considering the 3rd best, or the 4th.

But formula does not suddenly trump donor milk simply because it's more readily available.

Avatar for mrsmichael6300
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 1:48pm

>>Not neccesarily, up until a generation or two ago we *did* live very healthy lives and have good diets. We didn't have all the junk, fast food, or nearly as much pre-packaged, processed crap available, and what we *did* have that was garbage was not eaten nearly as regularly. That's why people like my grandmother (drinks a case of Miller and smokes three packs a day) are still alive - she's a farmer's daughter - very healthy lifestyle and excellent diet in early years. We don't have that in the modern world unless we really concentrate on having it.<<

So you're admitting that early nutrition has a large impact on future health?

BTW: not every family eats convenience and fast foods. Seriously. Mine does not, I did not growing up, my parents' family did not. It's a gross mis-generalization to say that living in today's world automatically means you aren't eating a healthy diet.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-01-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 2:10pm

"The problem I have with what you are saying is that there are a lot of restrictions on who can get WIC assistance already. If you force mandatory bfing in addition to having to basically be destitute virtually no one would qualify so what's the point of having assistance in the first place. You certainly can't qualify if you're married. A couple I know got divorced just so they would qualify. There is a HUGE gap between the rich and what is "considered" poor in this country. Let's not make it any harder than it already is."

Woah... happily married... hardly destitute... and on WIC. Honestly, WIC is fairly easy to qualify for... I'm a SAHM now, but we qualified for WIC when I was working as a teacher (hubby was/is still in school).

Kristy

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 2:16pm

I looked up the WIC requirements and nowhere does it say you can't be married? Also, the income requirement doesn't sound destitute to me - my husband only makes a few thousand dollars more than the family of 4 level and we live comfortably, own a home, have a late model car.

The following is for Pennsylvania. It may be different in different states though...

* Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or had a baby in the past six months or twelve months if breastfeeding;
* Infants and children up to the age of five, including foster children;
* Have a medical or nutritional risk; and
* Have a household gross income up to 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. (For example, a family of four may earn up to $37,000 and be income eligible for WIC from May 1, 2006 until April 30, 2007. The income guidelines normally increase every year on May 1. WIC is for the working families as well as the unemployed.)

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Income Guidelines

Family Size - Weekly - Monthly - Annually
1 - $349.00 - $1,511.00 - $18,130.00
2 - $470.00 - $2,035.00 - $24,420.00
3 - $591.00 - $2,560.00 - $30,710.00
4 - $712.00 - $3,084.00 - $37,000.00
5 - $833.00 - $3,608.00 - $43,290.00
6 - $954.00 - $4,132.00 - $49,580.00
7 - $1,075.00 - $4,656.00 - $55,870.00
8 - $1,196.00 - $5,180.00 - $62,160.00

For each additional family member add:
$121.00 - $525.00 - $6,290.00

Effective date: May 1, 2006
* Expected babies are counted in family size.
* Foster children, MA, TANF, and food stamp clients are income eligible.
* WIC does not require proof of citizenship or alien status.

Source: http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?a=179&Q=237114

~*~ Catherine

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Edited 12/31/2006 2:32 pm ET by witch_power



~*~ Catherine, mom to three grown men - Jason, Michael & Joshua and Granma to Christopher & Leia.


iVillage Member
Registered: 08-01-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 2:19pm

Sheesh... our income could *double* and we would be eligable... and I don't really consider us 'destitute'.

Kristy

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 2:37pm

I've done 2 mom-to-mom's.

siggy

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