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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Any adults on here been formula fed?

118 replies

Lullaby88 · 15/07/2021 19:05

Did you have any health implications at all whilst growing up up until now?

OP posts:
wjg65ka · 15/07/2021 20:17

I was, I've been perfectly healthy forever and I was 9 weeks premature

Nietzschethehiker · 15/07/2021 20:17

You can't tell causation from this I was.

I was FF due to PND in the late 70's which had less support. Dsis is 6 years older and was fully BF. I have no allergies. I am intelligent, educated and have achieved far more academically than she has. I have more stable mental health (by a long shot) than she does. The only illnesses I have had are very clearly genetic ( on the grounds it hits several times in each generation and follows a pattern to an absolute tee....has never missed ).

Dsis has food issues, mental health concerns and a serious attachment issue with basically anyone. She has asthma and eczema and persistent other hormonal issues.

It's got jackshit to do with how we were fed 40 odd years ago. She has mental health issues because she couldn't escape a toxic situation and I could. I got lucky that's all.

She has food issues because of the same batshit toxic environment she has to live in...again I got out. It had everything to do with our opportunities in our 20's.

She has eczema because she gets it from my DF who suffers from it horrendously and I got his nose. She has asthma because between the age of 17 and 25 she smoked three warehouse fulls of Benson and hedges and experimented with every smoke able drug between here and the heights of Nepal.

I don't think I'm happy , healthy and intelligent because I was formula fed. I am happy healthy and intelligent because I was brought up with the belief that reading and enquiry was a good thing. I am happy and healthy because I got the opportunity to escape toxicity and I ran like my ass was on fire.

None of it has anything whatsoever to do with my feeding

For good measure DS1 was BF for longer than Ds2 and is ASD (a crystal clear line on boys in my family for about 6 generations showing ASD traits ....the last two diagnosed and two in DS1 generation...both first born boys....fairly clear its not related to feeding choices). Neither Dc has any allergies. Both eat me out of house and home and are exactly the right weight for the height. If it's relevant they would both sell me in return for a punnet of strawberries and I'm fairly sure Ds2 would trade my kidney for chocolate but thinks that apples are heaven sent. No asthma. No eczema and if there was ever any doubt about their intelligence one only has to look at the famous jelly bean heist of 2018 to have no further doubts on that score.

I believe in natural , I believe in fed is best more. I believe that its a total fallacy to convince yourself you can protect from life by your feeding choice and I bloody hate the BF v FF debate because I have seen more new mothers cry over that guilt than anything else.

waheythisoneisfree · 15/07/2021 20:24

I was a formula fed baby. No major health conditions (although I am overweight I doubt it had anything to do with FF and more to do with mental health).

Formula feeding is absolutely fine. I don’t feel like I missed out in anyway.

I choose to breast feed my two as I do think it has advantages over formula milk.

Horehound · 15/07/2021 20:24

I have bad skin (sorry/oily and also eczema when i was younger but thankfully gone now)

Suceptible to colds
Headaches
Anxiety
Worrier

As a pp said strange relationship with mum. But who knows what impact not BF has on any of that 🤷

Horehound · 15/07/2021 20:29

Oh and I was born 1986. My brother was also ff.
Mum said it was just the way things were back then. Babies wheeled away to another room so mums could rest and recoup for five days! Just brought us back in for a cuddle every now and then Shock

Owlshouse · 15/07/2021 20:31

Me from birth, no health issues at all, top performer throughout school, university and career, healthy BMI, great bond with mother.
Only been to doctor for the contraceptive pill then later down line for maternity care and only been to hospital to birth my baby and visit other sick people.

namechangedForthus · 15/07/2021 20:33

I was breastfed exclusively till 6 m (rare that long ago as most babies were apparently weaned early)
I have IBS and allergies

Hilariously I was also unvaxxed so that I didn’t ‘become autistic’ …..
Yes you guessed that one, I have ASD (plus o got myself vaccinated as a teen )

whenwillthemadnessend · 15/07/2021 20:35

Yes. I have allergies but it has a genetic link so doubt it's formula. Had tonsillitis a lot too

Wolfiefan · 15/07/2021 20:35

How on earth would you know if specific issues were down to FF? Confused

Quietcrown · 15/07/2021 20:36

I was breast fed, and my younger brother was formula fed (1980s) We are both fit and healthy, neither of us is overweight or has allergies.

I really think it's genetics and a healthy lifestyle that makes the difference rather than formula Vs bf!

Dudelsack · 15/07/2021 20:37

My sister and I were exclusively formula fed and both were overweight as children. My sister had tur ed it around and is a fit ess coach now and super slim but I still struggle with my weight. Maybe not exaclty what you wpuld call a healt issue as I have never been obese but I do wonder if my weight issues come from being formula fed because I have always been overweight from being very small.

Clymene · 15/07/2021 20:38

My child was EBF and has terrible eczema, hay fever and multiple other allergies. And he's autistic.

Whose fault is that?

MrsSchadenfreude · 15/07/2021 20:40

I was formula fed, and on jars of junior baby food by the time I was 8 weeks. Always made to eat everything on my plate. Always been fat.

BunnyRuddington · 15/07/2021 20:40

DH was FF and has thyroid problems, it's quite common with people who've been ff apparently. I've got CMPA and digestive problems which are probably linked.

shangelawasrobbed · 15/07/2021 20:46

My little brother was formula fed from day one, I was exclusively breast fed for the first six months. No physical health issues for either of us, although we do both have hayfever.

Both of us have had mental health problems (anxiety/depression for him, anxiety/depression/OCD for me), but we're now both doing well and are no longer on medication.

Vicliz24 · 15/07/2021 20:48

Myself and two siblings all FF and very healthy. Two PHDS snd three BAs between us . No weight issues no issues at all . Both my children born in the mid 80s FF too . Again fit and healthy with graduate degrees. I really don't like these comparisons as not everyone is either able to or chooses to BF and nobody should be shamed for how they feed their children.

elevenses75 · 15/07/2021 20:51

My sister and I ff and I have congenital hypothyroidism and my sister had thyroid cancer. Doubt it’s linked as mine didn’t grow in the womb as I have no thyroid. Well otherwise

workshy44 · 15/07/2021 20:53

Yes I was as were all my siblings. Healthy , v successful and all slim.

reallybloodytired · 15/07/2021 20:53

What’s the point of this?

frumpety · 15/07/2021 20:55

Sibling also FF from birth, again very healthy, rarely ill as a child and rarely ill as an adult.

Neither parent or either of us children have any history of allergies, no asthma or skin issues, no gut issues. We just got lucky genetically I guess ?

KohlaParasanda · 15/07/2021 20:58

My siblings and I were all exclusively formula fed from birth. It was the 1960s, a time of routines and taking comfort in knowing how much milk your baby was having at each feed, and our mother had difficult pregnancies and complicated deliveries. We were also started on solids early - competitive weaning was a feature of my mother's peergroup (I don't know how widespread it was) and given liquid aspirin and gripe water that contained alcohol. We're all in our fifties and none of us has had any significant health problems.

fanofsun · 15/07/2021 20:59

Yes FF. loads of intolerances - lactose and gluten. Auto-immune diseases. Hayfever

ladygindiva · 15/07/2021 21:00

@Dudelsack

My sister and I were exclusively formula fed and both were overweight as children. My sister had tur ed it around and is a fit ess coach now and super slim but I still struggle with my weight. Maybe not exaclty what you wpuld call a healt issue as I have never been obese but I do wonder if my weight issues come from being formula fed because I have always been overweight from being very small.
My brother and I were ff and both incredibly skinny lightly built kids despite my brother eating like a horse!
anguauberwaldironfoundersson · 15/07/2021 21:03

I was partially formula fed and cows milk fed (apparently my single mum was skint in the 80's) and other than being fat - which is my own fault - I'm incredibly healthy and have zero allergies or health issues.

DH was exclusively breast fed and he had a variety of issues including IBS, dairy intolerance, psoriasis, eczema, etc.

DD was formula fed and she is one of the healthiest of her peer group. Some of the other formula fed kiddos do get sickly but no more or less than the breast fed kids do.

I think it's genetics and luckily she takes after me over DH!

MrsFin · 15/07/2021 21:03

My two adult DDs were.
Both in mid 20s and had very healthy childhoods. Compared to some of their peers very little time off school.