To think formula is an amazing invention?

[IsoBordem]

As I was sitting and feeding my beautiful healthy, happy, and thriving baby I was suddenly so thankful for the existence of baby formula. It gets such a bad rap by some people but I would hate to think where she would be now if formula did not exist.

Seeing her in the hospital because she lost too much weight in her first week was heartbreaking. I will always be grateful that we live in an age where baby formula is available!

I completely agree @IsoBordem.

Of course. It saved the lives of millions of babies who would not have survived otherwise.
There's no AIBU unless you're after starting a BF/FF debate.

Of course it’s a wonderful thing, but I can’t help but feel your intentions here are to have a FF v BF bun fight...

Of course it’s great, why would anyone begrudge babies being healthy and thriving? It’s too early to be goady op.

I BF both of mine for 10 months but when I was ready to stop I was so grateful for formula I always appreciated knowing I had a choice from day 1.

I do think donor milk should be more widely available as some mums would prefer that. There is a place for both.

Yes.

It's fantastic that we have formula, and it would be even more fantastic if it wasn't a commercial product and was sold at a basic price without fancy branding or advertising or claims to be the 'best' brand.

Breast feeding, as the biological norm with numerous positive effects and short- and long-term health for babies and mothers, should be prioritised and women supported to establish it in whatever way they need, and HCPs should be taught more thoroughly about what normal bf looks like.

And formula should just be what it is - a perfectly adequate alternative for when bf doesn't work or isn't an option. That, of course, we should be very grateful for.

Before formula there was cow’s milk which most babies would just about survive on though. I think I was given evaporated milk from very early.

I appreciate ‘most’ and ‘just about survive’ is not as good though. But it’s not as though there was nothing.

Agree with @CatteStreet its an amazing invention (that goes without saying doesn’t it?) but would be even more amazing if it wasn’t a mass money making product for greedy formula companies

I believe we are lucky to have access to a reliable clean water supply and regulated formula that means that formula feeding is a safe choice for parents, as well as for babies who need extra help.

Agree it's amazing stuff

I used to sit and ponder the same whilst feeding.

Infants were generally wet nursed, given goats milk or given cows milk modified to make it more digestible (essentially formula, but home made)

Powdered formula is directly linked to the death of about 1.5 million babies annually

And not receiving breast milk is implicated in hundreds of thousands of deaths from other causes.

Of course it's a perfectly valid feeding choice, and is normally safe amongst the affluent. But I'm uneasy about praising it as a life saver when it's record shows that overall the picture is not so clear.

Can you show me your source for this?

I don't think you are right at all @FuckeryOmbudsman

And what you've written is dangerous.

Tia

The price of it is not wonderful

What duck are you on about @FuckeryOmbudsman? Where’s your ‘data’ from? 😆

Oh I give up. I can’t type. It’s too early.

Infants were generally wet nursed

Yes, but wet nursing was a hideous practice often involving wealthier women forcing poorer women to feed the wealthier women’s babies at the expense of feeding their own. It was particularly terrible in the US where enslaved black women were forced to feed white babies instead of their feeding their own - many black babies died as a result.

I’d say formula’s preferable to that...

Of course you’re not being unreasonable. I’m not really sure why you’re asking, surely the alternative is that a lot of babies would starve?

A quick look at any family tree will reveal babies who died of failure to thrive. Together with good hygiene it's undoubtedly a lifesaver in that respect.

I agree with CatteStreet. Society doesn't particularly value the wellbeing of mothers or support the work that they put into keeping babies alive. It's hard to see how BF rates can increase when women are kicked out of hospital knackered and with varying levels of support at home.

Of course it's an amazing invention and an important product for many families.

However I absolutely despise the way the companies that produce the stuff behave. If breastfeeding were at near-universal levels, there would be 800,000 fewer baby deaths and 20,000 fewer deaths from breast cancer annually. (Source: UNICEF / The Lancet www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/lancet-increasing-breastfeeding-worldwide-prevent-800000-child-deaths-every-year/) The vile way the formula companies sabotage breastfeeding relationships in developing countries is a huge factor in this. Unfortunately due to the supply and demand nature of breastfeeding, giving a baby "free samples" of formula means milk can dry up or that supply is depleted, feeding a dependence on formula.

I wish more donor milk was available for those mothers who chose to use it. I wish there was more breastfeeding support. I wish formula wasn't a commercial, profit-making product (The First Steps Nutrition Trust state that most formula is pretty much identical anyway, since it's so tightly regulated, so stopping advertising would help parents save money) but ultimately, yes, I am happy that it exists.

'And formula should just be what it is - a perfectly adequate alternative for when bf doesn't work or isn't an option.'

Or for when Mum just simply doesn't want to breastfeed for absolutely any reason. It is a choice.

The 1.5 million deaths is from WHO

The hundreds of thousands of other deaths is from WHO and UNICEF.

Neither of those are organisations known for spreading 'dangerous' information.

@FuckeryOmbudsman

Are those stats from countries where formula is made with unclean water and no access to sterilisation or bottles etc?

Of course, amazing invention that has changed the lives of many women in such a positive way. Choice is important.

The breastfeeding companies can be utter dicks of course (to put it very mildly) but that doesn't change how beneficial it has been for lots of women.