"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: 11-06-2003
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 7:10pm

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You certainly CAN qualify for WIC, food stamps, etc. if you are married. Eligibility is based on family size and income. If someone told you she got divorced (and incredibly expensive undertaking, relative to the cost of formula) in order to get government assistance, she was pulling your leg.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 10:46pm

"Only a healthy diet and lifestyle will produce healthy breast milk." rps67,i was just getting ready to respond to this but you beat me to it :)


From what i have heard/read here on the board and from my children's pediatrician,this is not true! Like you wrote, women in third world countries are still able to produce healthy breastmilk for thier babies,despite their subpar diets. I will also admit that when my daughter was born, i often had to skip a meal a day because we were just scraping by,and i was able to produce plenty of nutrient rich milk for her.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2006
Sun, 12-31-2006 - 10:53pm

"Best Wishes to each of you, and good luck to the FF of the world, you love and care about your babies, just as much a BF mothers, and don’t let them treat you otherwise, they are just tired and jealous that you are getting more sleep then they are… and that’s a FACT!"


Well i exclusively bf both of my children,my daughter is still bf at 19 months,and i can tell you that i am not,nor have i ever been,jealous over the amount of sleep that a ff mom gets;i honestly feel like i got more sleep by being able to just latch my child on and fall back asleep nursing,then if i would have had to get up and make a bottle........So no, i don't think your comment is a FACT.




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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-26-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:03am
Speaking personally, i DON'T feel publicly ashamed....but there was a time when I LET other people make me feel that way. I get dirty looks all the time, and vocal criticism from people who BF or think that I should be BF my children. I know all the facts but people still take it upon themselves to try and "convert" me, or demand an explanation as to why I am NOT BF, (this is the most common thing I get) when it is private and personal. That's all. I don't think ANYONE should feel attacked for their feeding choice for their child whether that is BF or FF.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2007
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 7:58pm

i'm with you, i don't understand why, if you knew you could give your child a form of nutrition/ protection that would maintain his/ her health for life, why would you condone/ promote an artificial form of feeding. COW'S MILK IS FOR BABY COWS AND HUMAN MILK IS FOR HUMAN BABIES. When you drink milk/ eat beef, would you feel safer eating from the cow that was naturally fed or fed artificially? Exactly, now why do you want to do the same thing to your babies (load them up with hormones; deprive them of optimal health). Formulas are going to alter hormones, and interfere with nutrient absorption especially soy; the list just goes on and on. just look at our society now, everything is artificial; commercial formula was concocted about 50 years ago for babies that were unfortunate because they could not receive breastmilk. so the last 50 years correspond with absurd rates of obesity, cancer, heart disease, etc...etc...etc...and we all know the "benefits of breastfeeding" but it's more than just a list of benefits, its an obligation that we owe to our children and the future of our society.

thanks for giving me a chance to vent; i strongly support causes that are important for the future of my child such as breastfeeding and environmentalism.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:09pm

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

Did I ever say it didn't? I just don't think ffers should be made to feel ashamed for feeding their children.

"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"

That is the exception - not the rule. Looking at the obesity rate is one good indicator, it's something like 60% now.

BTW - it is also a gross mis-genaralization to say that being formula fed automatically means you are going to have health problems :)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:11pm

"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)."

Maybe it was just where they were living. The household income had to be less than something like 20k/yr. Hard to be that low when two people are working.... maybe it's just my view of what constitutes destitute...

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:13pm
It's gotta be where you live then, our income is twice what they say and we are just barely getting by
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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:15pm

"Availability doesn't change formula's position in what's best. It can do no better than 4th..."

but if 3rd best is unavailable it is an irrelevent 3rd

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2006
Mon, 01-01-2007 - 11:27pm

"You certainly CAN qualify for WIC, food stamps, etc. if you are married. Eligibility is based on family size and income. If someone told you she got divorced (and incredibly expensive undertaking, relative to the cost of formula) in order to get government assistance, she was pulling your leg."

The divorce was solely for show - in order to qualify, they still live together, btw - it was mostly just doc prep fees (I don't know if she bfed or not... lost touch with her before the baby was born). Together they made too much money and she didn't want to have to end her career. I know two other married couples that didn't qualify for the same reason - too much combined income - but these people are certainly not well-off by any standards, they make enough for two people to live - one of the families doesn't even have insurance and still doesn't qualify. If they weren't married the husband's income would not be a consideration and the single woman's income would allow her to qualify. My only point was that it is hard enough for two people making more than min wage to qualify without forcing the women to also be bfers. The poster I was responding to made a comment that she didn't want to have to pay for women on WIC to buy formula - I think that's about ridiculous. Then government is deciding what women should do with their bodies (and it's really discriminating because it would only be *poor* women they'd get to dictate to) which I disagree with on principal.

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