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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

What to say to people who say "this formula is CLOSEST to breastmilk" -

405 replies

Lucy1977 · 05/11/2006 21:56

Hi

I don't want to cause offence to anyone, but in my mind an infant formula cannot be "closest" to breastmilk but I cant get my words together to explain this to people who say "I use "x" formula because it's supposed to be closest to breastmilk".

Anyone help?

Thanks
Lucy

OP posts:
DizzyBint · 06/11/2006 20:29

forty plus- they'd have to add quavers if my baby ever has formula!

harpsichordsgoingBANGandWHOOSH · 06/11/2006 20:30

my breastmilk is the closest thing to Fruit and Nut at the moment.

AitchTwoOh · 06/11/2006 20:35

tiktok, the clever part of my brain knew that was true even at the time, it's just that it was utterly under the control of the 'i hate myself cos i can't breastfeed properly' part at the time. anyway, only another couple of months and she can have cow's milk... we'll be rich!

moondog · 06/11/2006 20:38

How old is she aitch?

AitchTwoOh · 06/11/2006 20:43

ten months. it's a year isn't it, to go onto cow's milk?

moondog · 06/11/2006 20:44

Oh,I'd go for it now.Follow on is a waste of time (is that what you are giving her?)

Mine had cow's milk in cereal from 5-6 months.

fortyplus · 06/11/2006 20:47

Aitch - ahhh, yes the guilt of not being a perfect mother - I know the feeling well! Rest assured - I bf both mine till 7 months but I've tormented myself over many of my other failings!

AitchTwoOh · 06/11/2006 20:57

thanks all, but i'm largely over the horror now (although dd did get gastroenteritis this week and i was making up her completely unchanging feeds wishing i was still bfing but i found it impossible to keep up mix feeding forever)...
weaning is going very well, we're doing the baby-led thing and her milk has cut back quite easily during the day. i kept her on the aptamil starter milk, having looked at the ingredients i figured i might as well keep her on it until cow's milk.
she is still on about 15-20 oz per day, though... is it really okay to substitute that with cow's milk?

mumfor1standfinaltime · 06/11/2006 20:57

Have read whole thread, such a heated debate as always.
I formula fed ds mainly due to lack of support in hospital. I had to stay in after birth for 3 nights with ds. The hospital was under staffed and I didn't feel that I could ask for help. No body showed me how to 'formula feed'or ask if I needed help to feed. I had to work it out myself, and get out of bed to get bottles etc even though I had a c section.
Looking back I would have loved to have tried bf, I think it would have been easier in some ways as I could have fed on demand.
One girl on my ward tried to bf and she told me the midwife who 'helped' her was very pushy and kept 'pushing' babies head hard to the breast, this frightened me too!

I didn't choose a formula myself, I gave ds Sma which is the milk that the hospital had (no choices). I had no idea there were so many types at the time.

I also do not believe that formula feeding is related to class or money. I had to spend over £15 a week on formula and I wish I could have avoided that! Formula is free to people who are on certain benefits but I do believe that the lack of knowledge about breast feeding needs improving to at least give people like me an informed choice.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 06/11/2006 21:24

My milk contains shortbread and tea. And also some Antibiotics. Oh, a couple of paracetamol. Ah, and some ibuprofen and Sertraline for good measure. Nothing but the best for my boy.

shedevil · 06/11/2006 21:25

mumfor1standfinaltime - this is exactly the same as what happened to me, no support in hospital, understaffed, we had 2 types of milk Cow and Gate or SMA Gold. Also had to work it out for myself just like you, had a nightmare 3 nights as well as DS was very upset most of the time and cried constantly, I had no idea what to do, nurse said to swaddle him then left, well I didn't even know what swaddling was!

I felt like complete cr*p and thinking about that time still makes me feel sick. I did not enjoy the first few weeks with my baby as I should have.

shedevil · 06/11/2006 21:26

Oooohhh VVV shortbread.......thats my diet starting again tomorrow then (leaves to raid biscuit tin....)

VeniVidiVickiQV · 06/11/2006 21:28

LOL!

I always pronounce your name Shed Evil

Maybe you should change it to EvilShedna????

shedevil · 06/11/2006 21:31

Yum yum.........

EvilShednalovesshortbread · 06/11/2006 21:33

Grin Grin Grin

VeniVidiVickiQV · 06/11/2006 21:37

LOL!!!!

LucyJu · 06/11/2006 21:41

DD1 thinks that if I eat chocolate, then dd2 will get to drink chocolate milkshake.
DD2 must drink a lot of chocolate milkshake!

xena · 06/11/2006 21:48

hmmmmmm speaking as someone who has huge guilt over bf success with 2 of DC's and not the other 2. I looked at all the ingredients on the cartons of f milk and picked aptimil (although i'm sure ds1 had one called millamil?) anyway the reason I picked it was because it had higher vitamin content and less sugar - i'm sure you all know that breast milk is sweeter than formula

Did you know that when ds1 was a baby boots own brand formula came ready made in strawberry and banana

EvilShednalovesshortbread · 06/11/2006 21:50

strawberry or banana flavour no wonder they don't sell that anymore (or I hope not anyway...)

VVV - are you feeling better I have just read your other thread

VeniVidiVickiQV · 06/11/2006 21:54

Am feeling much better than I was, thank you

Still not 100% but getting there...

EvilShednalovesshortbread · 06/11/2006 21:55

Good glad to hear it get well soon x

fortyplus · 06/11/2006 21:58

When mine were babies there was a big hoo ha about formula milk containing beef fat - it was during the BSE crisis.

And much sympathy to those who felt they didn't get support - I can really identify with that. ds1 was given a bottle of formula despite the fact that it was all over my notes that i wanted to bf. I had terrible trouble and he ended up in hospital at 10 days old as he'd lost so much weight.

He's a strapping lad now, but has asthma - unlike ds2 who didn't have any dairy or egg products till 9 months.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 07/11/2006 12:18

Shedevil - it's comforting to know that this didn't just happen to me, but also makes me !
I know what you mean about looking back and feeling sick about it too, I still look back too. I wish I had just walked out of the hospital tbh. Probably more support at home and at least dh could have helped me!

3andnomore · 07/11/2006 12:20

mumfor1st....it's so sad when women don't get the support they should be getting....but sadly, so many HP's also believe those slogans....i.e. actually believe that there isn't much difference between breastmilk and Formula, therefore they don't see the necessaty to give the proper support...!

riab · 07/11/2006 14:03

3andnomore, thats odd. I found HV's to be almost evangelical in their insistance on breastfeeding and absolutly terrible at offering any support or information on formula feeding.