"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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Avatar for honeybunnymommy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 3:21pm

<>

All y'all are making me not want a #3. LOL. that is my worry right there. #1 was major high needs and #2 is just as mellow as can be and a sweet little guy. we will have to see if #2 changes since he is still little but it freaks me out to think of having another #1 :D

~Sam
DS anthony 8-18-03
DS nicholas 3-8-06

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 5:10pm
You know, when I think about it, most of the #3s I know have forceful little personalities but are also quite self-sufficient. Most parents of 3 kids I know seem to spend much of their day stopping the wee one beating up on the bigger kids :-)

Isabel






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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2005
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 9:45pm

MY Dad was one of three...oldest the most responsible, middle child a bit wild (my Dad) but the peace keeper (my gradnfather always listened to my Dad) and my Aunt who thinks she had it so hard...(although she had my Dad as a brother who could drive anyone crazy with his joking)...but really did not...she was the baby of the family and still is!

OT; To keep the debate alive, and because I love to brag: my entirely formula fed kid just got a clean bill of health today. She is gaining well, growing well, and healthy. She is 17 months. OK, this has nothing to do with formula vs. breast milk (just had to add that) or which is better...I am just happy she is healthy and progressing so well! Her ped is happy and Mum is proud and I just had to share...

Onwards to 1,000 posts!

Spud...







Lilypie




iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2006
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 12:09pm

Yay! for your news about your healthy little one. May she continue to thrive and bring joy to your heart.

ilve2read

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2006
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 4:29pm

I

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 4:48pm

1oz/hour would mean that baby is only getting 24oz, which sounds low to me. I don't know for certain but I believe that ff babies at 6mo get about 36oz a day, which would mean 1.5oz/hour. (I looked it up and read that they suggest baby be fed about 2-3 oz times baby's weight, so for a 16 lb baby, that would be 32-48oz).

You have probably already seen this but incase not, kellymom.com has advice to help eliminate supplements:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html

The good news is that your baby is still getting 80-90% of her meals as breastmilk. Usually the problem w/ formula is what it lacks, but your DD is still recieving these things most of the time! You can feel good about that :)

Melissa

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2001
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 4:49pm

You may have been told on the LC board that feeding from a bottle is completely different than from the breast. Meaning, the bottle goes in the baby's mouth; baby's mouth fills with EBM/formula. Baby swallows, which causes her to suck more from the bottle. And so on. Giving the impression that she is sucking down that bottle as if she's starving, when in actuality she may be fine on nursing/EBM. What happens when you just nurse? Or just nurse and feed EBM? What I'm getting at is that she may be fine at that point, and may just need to burp, or maybe she's crying because she's full and there's a bottle in her mouth. (I'm assuming that she is crying after feeding...)


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2006
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 6:26pm

Yes, that is the right equation for breast babies.

siggy
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2006
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 6:27pm

Also, head over to BF/LC board here on Ivillage, the CL's there can ease your mind too!


siggy
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 6:56pm

Well I'm sure there is a bell curve and not all babies are the same right? Besides which, our own nutritional needs and hunger varies day to day, so why shouldn't a baby's (depending on if she is very active or not, right?).

But aside from that, how is your DD being fed her milk? In a bottle, in a traditional hold with baby lying pretty much down (ie 45 degree angle or less), drinking in a bunch of ounces before burping?

Basically, when a baby is hungry, it takes 20 minutes or more for the food to "start" to get digested and the hunger signals to "calm down". It is like with an adult: if you are really hungry, you can wolf down a huge meal and feel ill afterwards...but if you eat SLOWLY, savouring each bite and chewing several times, you will really eat less in the end, and only be comfortably "full".

So, it is worth trying to do the same with a baby. Sometimes it means eating a bit more frequently during the day, too (snacking a bit) but it often results in a net decrease overall of ounces taken in: if you hold her upright, tilt the bottle up so she gets a mouthful, swallows, another mouthful and swallows again, then take it out and burp her if you can or play for a moment or 2. It's the equivelant of "chewing longer". Lots of babies who are used to gulping down a 4-oz bottle (or more) at once before being burped will think this is NOT a very fun game to begin with, but if you can get them to do this, it will take longer to get say an ounce or 2 or 4 into her, by which time she should start feeling more "full". If by 20 minutes' time she has only taken in 2 ounces (this is pretty typical actually) she should start getting the signal to her brain that "we have had nourrishment here and are no longer starving". It will take less time to digest the smaller meal, so she may be hungry sooner, but it may help decrease overall the daily intake...

Fio

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