"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: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 7:44pm

I've heard binky, paci, pacifier, dummy (more english), but I tend to call them soothers. In french, my IL's call them "des suces" or "des totottes" sometimes.

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 7:45pm

Oh I've heard suckie too. :-)

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 7:58pm

I think the point in this case is, a mother's own milk is tailored to suit her baby. To a T. It is more liquid when it is summer and the baby is thirsty. It is more fatty at the end of a feeding to fill the baby up. It is more full of antibodies when it is colostrum and then again when the child is weaning, to help boost immunity. It changes every day, every minute, every season, with each child, and even with the sex of the child ("boy" milk is different from "girl" milk). So in that respect, yes, only a mom can make the "exact" milk her baby demonstrates his or her need for. Now obviously banked breastmilk is still an EXCELLENT substitute when necessary, and far above formula in nutrient content for human babies, but if one has a choice between banked milk or a mom's own milk fresh from the tap, I would bet very few moms would choose the banked milk. And yes, basically any adult can take a scoop of formula and mix a bottle. Sorry, but that is the truth. But Dad can't make milk (at least not without a LOT of hard work) and Gramma and Auntie are unlikely to be lactating so also won't be making baby's milk...and even if they were lactating, it still would not be the "exactly tailored milk" for the mom's own baby. But give any of these people, or even the next door neighbour or babysitter the instructions on how to fill a bottle, add a scoop of formula, shake, and heat...and they can do it. It's the truth, that is all.

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 8:07pm

So eating more is an indication of eating better???

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 8:12pm

I have a friend who only had major BFing troubles when she was on her 4th. She said she KNEW positively that had this happened on her first child, she would have given up and FFed pretty much from the get-go. She pumped and finger-fed for about a week before he latched on.

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 9:50pm

OK, yes it's possible. Let's say you **gasp** mistake a clean bottle for a bottle that someone had leftover chicken soup in with salmonella etc. That would make it a possibility. But the sheer fact that you are working in your own kitchen, and not MASS PRODUCING a formula, plus the fact that you should know what kind of recipiant you are pouring it into (and whether it is clean) PLUS the very fact that breastmilk has this amazing tendency to KILL GERMS (rather than let them propagate) means there is MUCH less chance of your BM that you store (be it in the fridge, on the counter for a couple hours or in the freezer) might become contaminated than the baby milk that is being sprayed through a fine nozzle to air-dry it etc., before being put in a can, in a huge manufacturing plant that could well harbour many bacteria, not just E. sakazakii (which seems to be the most commonly found one in formula, I admit).

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 9:52pm

Uhh...usually it is not a problem with the breastmilk per se, but a problem either with production AMOUNTS (in which case, each ounce she produces is just fine, but she is not producing enough of it to sustain the baby) OR it is a problem that has to do with other medications she is taking. In the case of a mom who doesn't make enough milk, that is a bit more like saying that a mom can't afford enough formula so waters it down. It's not so much a recall of the substance in question as a lack of the substance.

Fio

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2005
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 9:55pm

<<>>

I am sorry, what post are you refering too?

Thanks, Spud...

PS: You have answered a question I was thinking...I heard that a mother's milk changes with her own baby over time etc. so if you banked your milk, it would not be for that baby at that age and time (although I will look into it as I think it is a wonderful idea)...how does banking your own breast milk do for your own child (would not the same effect come up)?

Thanks, you obviously know your stuff!







Lilypie




iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 9:58pm

Banking your own BM will mean the milk you produced for your child *that day*, which was absolutely exactly tailored for his or her needs THAT DAY can then be fed to the child on a later date when the needs are somewhat changed. It is not as big a difference as feeding banked milk from anonymous donors, nor is it the same by FAR as feeding formula instead.

As for which post I was referring to, it says so at the top of every post which it is being responded to, but I will look again and edit this post.

ETA ok I believe it was post #78. Direct quote from you: "A side note, she often ate more when I fed her as well and often my DH would hand her over to me to finish up because she was so use to me, she would often eat more." I then asked if eating more meant eating better.

Thanks for the compliment by the way. I started researching BFing when I was pg with DD1 which was almost 7.5 years ago now. I started volunteering with a BF support group when she was about 16 mos old, and while I do not do monthly meetings or much phone support any more since I have moved away from the region (I do get a few phone calls fielded to me, mainly if they need someone who speaks english, since the group I volunteer with is a french group) but I do write articles for their newsletter still.

Fio




Edited 1/3/2007 10:01 pm ET by macbump
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2005
Wed, 01-03-2007 - 10:00pm

>>>Uhh...usually it is not a problem with the breastmilk per se, but a problem either with production AMOUNTS (in which case, each ounce she produces is just fine, but she is not producing enough of it to sustain the baby) OR it is a problem that has to do with other medications she is taking. In the case of a mom who doesn't make enough milk, that is a bit more like saying that a mom can't afford enough formula so waters it down. It's not so much a recall of the substance in question as a lack of the substance.>>>

My MIL claims that she was making a lot of milk but there was nothing in it. She gained 60 pounds with her pregnancy and lost it all in 3 months. She was very tiny (5' 2" and 88 pounds or there about, think Kate Moss) and said although her son ate, he was not gaining weight. She said that she was not eating and so that affected her supply.

Can this happen?

Thanks, Spud...







Lilypie




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