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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:
throckenholt · 28/04/2008 07:19

by the way - I agree with all littlelapin's reasons for breastfeeding - but sometimes you don't get the choice to have it the way you would like.

littlelapin · 28/04/2008 07:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

juuule · 28/04/2008 07:27

dc1 - bf for 3m then ff
dc2 - bf for 5m then ff
dc3 - bf for 3m then ff
dc4,dc5,dc6,dc7,dc8,dc9 all 100% bf for between 10m - 15m. No formula at all.

belgo · 28/04/2008 07:30

Neither of my children ever had formula.

Original poster
welliemum · 28/04/2008 07:40

I'd actually say, throckenholt, that most people don't get to feed their babies the way they'd like.

I think that ones who made totally free choices and are completely comfortable with them are quite a small minority compared to the rest of us.

OP posts:
hercules1 · 28/04/2008 07:46

DS - had a couple of bottles in hospital as apparently I didnt have enough milk to feed a big baby . Breastmilk till 4

DD after about 8 months the odd carton of forumula for a couple of months as I was back at work and stopped expressing. Breastmilk till 3.

VictorianSqualor · 28/04/2008 07:57

Ds never tasted formula, DD was FF though.

sweetkitty · 28/04/2008 08:02

DD1 - had some follow on milk at 11 months

DD2 - has never had a drop of formula

littlelapin · 28/04/2008 08:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tissy · 28/04/2008 08:08

dd never had a drop

Original poster
welliemum · 28/04/2008 08:23
OP posts:
bogie · 28/04/2008 08:27

My ds never had formula he's 2 and a bit

Fillyjonk · 28/04/2008 08:29

I was going to say all 3 of mine have never tasted formula (grammar?) BUT

DS, who is 4, tried some by accident recently

he quite liked it

popsycal · 28/04/2008 08:33

ds2 never has

Hallgerda · 28/04/2008 08:35

DS2 and DS3 never tasted formula.

popsycal · 28/04/2008 08:37

ds2 also wont have cows' milk (apart from on occasional coco pops )

He says 'Me no like the cows' jubaba'

milou2 · 28/04/2008 08:46

ds1 just bm
ds2 just bm

but i gave them both little baby yoghurts from 6 months unaware that they must be made from cows milk/formula or something other than my milk, my brain didn't think. does that mean formula from 6 months???

didoreth · 28/04/2008 09:01

dd1 never had formula, though she had EBM in a bottle every day after I went back to work part time when she was 3 months old.
She never really had cows milk either - bf till she was 2 and a bit, then she just had food (lots of yogurt/cheese though). I loathe cows milk as a drink, so never gave it to her.

pistachio · 28/04/2008 09:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cali · 28/04/2008 09:15

DD1 never had bottles or any formula, BF until 20 months, DD2 8 months and still BF, hope can carry on for as long as possible,

peanutbear · 28/04/2008 09:16

ds1 did taste it

Ds2 and dd never did

duchesse · 28/04/2008 09:19

Child 1 had formula from 14 months as I was pregnant again and finding breast feeding him too painful.

Child 2 had a small amount from around 19 months for same reason.

child 3 never had any.

None of them had any before 12 months, so in retrospect it was probably entirely unnecessary, but with our family history of allergies/ excema/ atopic illness, I wasn't about to slap them on the doorstep stuff straight after my milk.

EffiePerine · 28/04/2008 09:19

no formula (did use bottles for a short time after I returned to work but I expressed), but cow's milk and dairy.

jingleyjen · 28/04/2008 09:20

DS1 bf till 10 months then 6 weeks formula
DS2 bf till 11 months then 3 months formula

had I known more about mumsnet or kellymom I would have known that there was such things as breastfeeding strikes, We woud have possibly been able to get through it.

Thomcat · 28/04/2008 09:29

DD1 was in intensive and then SCBU and had formula before she had breastmilk but then she only had breastmilk for 4 months, then I went back to work and she had formula

DD2 - BF only for 6 months then went back to work so had formula in the day and BM in morning and at night for another few months before she refused the breast and wanted a bottle only

DD3 - only drinks breastmilk and has done for the last 6 months but I put a tiny bit of formula on her cereal each morning