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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Out of interest, how many of us have children that have never ever even tasted formula?

304 replies

welliemum · 27/04/2008 22:15

I'm interested because you hear so many people saying "I plan to breastfeed for X time and then introduce a bottle" as if it was an inevitable fact that all children need to graduate to formula sooner or later.

And then there are loads of people who breastfeed but give bottles from time to time.

The formula companies must be laughing all the way to the bank, because they're selling formula not only to people who can't breastfeed or choose not to, but also to (I suspect) the majority of breastfeeders.

So, how many 100% breastfed children are out there?

My dd1 (now 3) had some formula top-ups between about 8 and 10 weeks, so she doesn't "qualify".

dd2 (coming up for 2 years) has never had formula. Is this as unusual as I think it is?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 22:24

Why did you choose Aptamil?

blackrock · 30/04/2008 22:25

Many friends gave up a aroung six months, i was the only one left, but it was easier than switching at this point. I ignored any comments or pressure, even though this can be awkward at times. I would do it all over again.

sammysam · 30/04/2008 22:26

That poor mum sounds like she just needed some support and advice-sounds like the latch isn't right hence her cracked nipples and the pain (i'd know I had 6 weeks of hell) Poor thing needed directing to a breastfeeding counsellor-either a local group or a national phoneline if I'd had someone making a comment like that to me dd would most likely have been on formula and I wouldn't still be feeding her at 21 months

Also I don't think there is any harm in congratulating any mum how has breastfed for any length of time-it is such an amazing thing to do for you dc and for you-and such a fantastic achievement-why should anyone be made to feel like they shouldn't be proud-i know i am. This bloody world is just so scared of not being pc-it's getting crazy

verylittlecarrot · 30/04/2008 22:27

Oh - and - "battery acid"? "Child abuse"?

What bollocks.

MegBusset · 30/04/2008 22:33

DS is 14mo and never had formula. In RL I don't know anyone still BF so feel very much in the minority. Can remember my mum making lots of comments when he was younger about "WHEN he goes onto a bottle". He has never even had EBM but that is just cause I don't get out much so no need!

anitaj1982 · 30/04/2008 22:34

dd was fully breast fed till about 6 months ago when she didnt seem satisfied with just breast milk so i introduced formula and solids, she is still breast fed, just not exclusively

hellymelly · 30/04/2008 22:39

dd1 is three and a quarter,DD2 is one today.Neither has ever tasted formula.

fireflytoo · 30/04/2008 22:41

neither my daughters (now 15 and 11) tasted formula as i was lucky to bf easily and too lazy to bother with bottles

sharklet · 30/04/2008 22:45

DD never had a drop and breast fed for two years. She breast feeds her own baby dolls now - and bears and even a snake once (toy of course) ;)

belcantavinissima · 30/04/2008 22:53

dd never has. bf for 2 yrs.

Stefka · 01/05/2008 08:34

Ops sorry sabire that I didn't pick up on the sarcasm!! I blame sleep deprivation and general baby brain!!

theyoungvisiter · 01/05/2008 14:56

I've come back to this thread after a few days away and I'm a bit saddened by all the "this is smug" and "stop making ff mums feel bad" comments.

Maybe I missed something, but I don't think anyone on this thread is trying to make anyone feel bad or indulging in an orgy of self-congratulation. They are simply saying what they did with their babies - in answer to a straight question, and perhaps trying to counter the very widespread idea that you 100% NEED to wean onto formula or follow-on milk.

How exactly is answering an honest question being smug?

Shitemum · 01/05/2008 15:03

DD1 - never, bfed ex. to 6 mo and continued till 17 mo.
DD2 - never , ditto but still bfeeding at 19 mo and shows no sign of wanting to give up!

Neither have used bottles of any kind for cows milk and nor have they used bottles with teats for anything - yuk, I hate them, the teat bottles that is.

prettybird · 01/05/2008 15:31

I have to admit that one of the reason I never gave ds any formula was becasue I had an unreasonable, unfounded (but useful! ) beleif that if I tried to mix feed at all, then my milk would immediately dry up!

Certainly kept me focussed on making bf work! I can be bloody bloody-minded at times! (Dh calls it stubborn!)

GreenMonkies · 01/05/2008 21:44

Neither of mine have ever had a single drop, ever, not one. Even though I went back to work when they were 6 months old I just expressed for them.

How sad that we should be in such a minority!

Monkies

crkm · 01/05/2008 21:54

i have 4 dc aged 2 to 14 and none of them have ever had a drop of formula !!! got pretty close with the last one ( pushy health visitor) had a bottle made up but refused to use it!!

Original poster
welliemum · 01/05/2008 22:31

I'm so glad you said that, theyoungvisitor.

I'm absolutely mystified that anyone can read smugness into this thread.

The only way, I suspect, to avoid accusations of smugness from people like that is never ever to discuss how you fed your baby.

OP posts:
villbeet · 01/05/2008 22:31

Hi -saw a message from Gingirl talking about Doidy cups - bought one recently and saw it apparently can be used from 3 months...has anyone used one that early and how successful was it? How do you get baby used to taking EBM from doidy? I know it's not really the subject of the conversation but am new to this? Am BF DD only but would like her to be able to take EBM from doidy as don't really like bottles etc

princessglitter · 01/05/2008 22:58

dd1 was mix fed from four months and fully ff from six months. I regretted this later (not a reflection on now anyone else chooses to feed their dc, just my personal feeling.)

Dd2 is seven months,was exclusively breastfed for six months and has never tasted formula.

She refuses even expressed milk, so I do not intend to try her with formula.

Lulah · 01/05/2008 23:09

DS1 never had formula b fed 6months
DD had follow on formula 8months
DS2 never even had a bottle in mouth bf for 12months

Josie · 01/05/2008 23:16

all my three exclusively breastfed for at least a year - no forumla ever. it's evil!

Original poster
welliemum · 01/05/2008 23:21

It's not evil

It's life-saving for some babies.

OP posts:
vInTaGeVioLeT · 01/05/2008 23:30

dd - breastfed exclusively till 3months, mix fed till 8months then breastfed again till 15months

10 years gap . . . . .

ds exclusively breastfed till 6months, introduced food, continued to breastfeed till 2years - never ever had formula,never had expressed milk, never had a bottle - which made me feel very proud.

verylittlecarrot · 01/05/2008 23:55

Josie

formula is not evil! Please have another think about what you said. (And retract it with haste)

To be pro bf is NOT the same thing as being a formula hater.

Many ff mums will see your comment which almost ALL bf mums here DO NOT agree with, and they will go away with the impressions that the "pro-bfrs" are unreasonable, judgemental people - and who would want to listen to what someone with those attributes has to say?

SOME babies need formula to survive
For them, formula is a life-saving, wonderful thing.

Some babies have mums who desperately wanted to breastfeed, but they were met with poorly informed, unsupportive healthcare, and were not given the help they needed to get breastfeeding to work.

Redirect your passion towards the injustice experienced by mums who wanted to do one thing, but ended up doing another, please!

panties · 02/05/2008 00:08

Josie, lucky you [sarcastic emoticon].
Dd was exclusively breast fed until she was 18 months.
DS was 4 months prem, I could of stuck it out when he finally came home at 6 months and pushed the issue for him to fully establish breastfeeding, instead of being breast and bottle. But being on o2 and being so very, very small and weak, I figured I would rather like him to live at home and thrive than having to go back into hospital with malnutrition. In the end I was the dummy and the bottle was what really fed him. Even still, I would say he was part breastfed until the age of 2.
BTW, my lovely HV gave me some leaflets from the Australian Breast feeding society on how to establish breast feeding with prem babies (although these seemed to be 36 weekers instead of 26 weekers) and how to bring your milk supply vack in, and even how to breast feed an adopted baby when you have never breast fed before.