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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

It WAS very childish of me, but I got a dig in at some Formula companies today......

613 replies

VeniVidiVickiQV · 04/04/2006 16:55

Got sent a market research survey today asking me my opinions on formula milk.

So i gave them.....WinkGrin

OP posts:
HRHQueenOfQuotes · 05/04/2006 17:20

"Also the fats contained in bm are not just for fattening up baby, but crucial to brain cell development."

Oh - so why is DS2 obviously more 'academic' than DS1???

"Bm contains more calories than most solids introduced at 6 months, unless you are giving them chips every day at 6 months"

ahh well my kids are doomed - I weaned them both at 4 months - and by 6 months DS2 was having full roast dinners mushed down into small chunks.......

"The point is if you breastfeed on demand, there is no need to worry about a baby's weight."

Never said I did - but guess that wasn't aimed at me.

" Bf babies put on masses of weight in the first 3 months."

Nope - not significanly - infact Shock followed the (bottlefed babies) growth chart perfectly.

"They do tend to be leaner than ff babies (in the long run) because it is impossible for a bf baby to over-feed. Bf babies regulate their own intake of milk (if demand fed) and therefore take the calories they require."

Oh god help DS2 then - he's already thinner than his brother was (although quite tall) at that age - never had to use belts to hold DS1's trousers up............now why can't I find any nice belts for 2/3yr old boys....

koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:22

Oh, and BB is right about bfeeding twins and triplets, etc. There are numerous examples of multiples being bf for extended periods without any need for formula.

Any one see THAT programme on Ch4 - you know the lunatics who bf for more than 2 years ? The twins were 2.5 years old.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 05/04/2006 17:23

I don't think anyone argued that twins and triplets couldn't be breastfed - did they?

But then I guess mothers sanity/happiness doesn't come into it...............

koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:24

HRH - sorry love - but on this occassion I wasn't actually talking to you, but addressing what someone said about myths Grin

lockets · 05/04/2006 17:24

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koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:30

HRH - I am really sorry if you have had a bad experince with bf, but it's not true for the millions of mothers who choose to bf and do enjoy it and then do it over and over again for all their children. If you think you have made the right choices, good, go on doing what you have always been doing, there is no court of law that imprisons mothers who formula feed (not one I know of any way !)

Squarer · 05/04/2006 17:33

Lockets - your lo sounds exactly the same as my friends baby - she was being advised to switch to formula as the baby wasn't putting on enough weight. You only needed to look at her DD to see that she was a happy, thriving and contended small baby. I think that the growth charts can do more harm than good.

potatolegs · 05/04/2006 17:35

I find potatoes fit the bill.

Squarer · 05/04/2006 17:36

I didn't either QoQ. Or that it was a myth that bm milk contains lots of calories. I'm getting seriously confused here!

koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:36

Lockets - agreed - perhaps I should have qualified what I said. But if done properly no bf baby should become undernurished or underweight. They will take as much bm as they need.

some mothers are misinformed and think that all bf babies are meant to be huge. The point is if you speak to the right people and get the correct info. AND you demand feed there is no need to worry because a bf baby will not become undernurished if bf is going well. Bf comes down to trusting your own body and the baby's need for bm.

lockets · 05/04/2006 17:38

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lockets · 05/04/2006 17:39

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HRHQueenOfQuotes · 05/04/2006 17:39

HRH - I am really sorry if you have had a bad experince with bf,

ermm sorry where did I say I had a bad experience with it - it can't have been that bad if I did it for 14 months Shock! I just found it very draining until he was having solids too. I couldn't have done anything if I'd had to feed a hungrier baby than DS1 - as it was I used to have to go to the toilet with him attached to the breast, ate my dinner with him attached, he slept (haha) next to me - attached to the breast. I couldn't put him down even for 5 minutes - or he'd scream - and then need the breast to comfort him. If I wanted him to sleep not attached to me (up to 6 months old when we did CC) then I had to put him in the pram and take him for a walk.........that was lovely "not" seen as though he's a September baby.

JoolsToo · 05/04/2006 17:39

ah lockets same as dd - in fact she was in '18lb' dresses from Mothercare on her first birthday. She's never been a big lass Grin

JoolsToo · 05/04/2006 17:40

ah - she wasn't classed as underweight

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 05/04/2006 17:42

you jammy gits with small babies - do you have any idea how expensive it is to clothe large babies/children who grow rapidly.

I was really pleased when DS2 was born and I found he was another boy - great I thought, 3yrs between them - I'll have a constant supply of hand-me-downs for DS2.

Well (obivously) there's still 3yrs between them - but DS2 is already wearing clothes that I bought for DS1 to wear when he started nursery in September 2004 (when he was 4yrs old) and DS1 has never been "short" either Shock!

lockets · 05/04/2006 17:42

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koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:42

Lockets - did you try to get help with increasing baby's weight by breastfeeding perhaps more frequently and increasing your supply ? As I say, bf is very self regulating, so if baby is not gaining quickly enough formula is not always the right answer, although it seems to always be the first thing HV's and GP's recommend.

GDG · 05/04/2006 17:42

Come on Jools - I was formula fed and you know I'm a big fat heifer!

Ds3 is 19 months and at the HV today I found he is on the 9th percentile. What a fatty!

Weight is determined by much more influential factors than breast vs formula. I've seen some right old chossers on breast milk and I beg to differ with 'you cant' overfeed a bf baby' - my friend constantly has hers on the breast and she consequently yacks up an enormous amount of it. Her ds's were the same.

lockets · 05/04/2006 17:47

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koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:49

It is impossible to over-feed a bf baby. Forcing a baby to bf when he she doesn't want it is physically IMPOSSIBLE !

Some babies comfort feed (my 22 month old still does), but when they do this they are not actively taking any milk in, just sucking for comfort.

If the baby is throwing up so much milk, he/she may have reflux. I had a friend who had an underweight bf baby, turned out he had reflux, hence the constant puking and low weight gain.

lockets · 05/04/2006 17:52

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HRHQueenOfQuotes · 05/04/2006 17:53

but when they do this they are not actively taking any milk in, just sucking for comfort.

oh right - is that why I could always feel my milk letting down - and DS1 always had a dribble of milk running down his cheek as he fell asleep......

koolkat · 05/04/2006 17:56

Yes agreed - in the long term weight and height are not just determined by bm/formula - genetics and solids diet play a huge role as well.

GDG · 05/04/2006 17:57

A greater part imo - otherwise, why are soooooo many of us contrary to what we are told? I think genetics play a greater part than anything else (perhaps stuffing your face with crap and never moving off the sofa has something to do with obesity as well though).