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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

who *isn't* ashamed to admit using formula?

635 replies

LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 11:42

feeling crap after reading the 'exclusive breastfeeding' thread! i find bf really hard and have set myself the target of 5 months, i intend to feel very proud that i went that long and then use formula happily! i can't be the only one! all the stats show low bf rates - so where is everyone?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:03

Dolores, that wasn't rude. I didn't agree with you - was that the problem?

kiskideesameanoldmother · 30/04/2008 15:04

Kz. there are women who give birth who are very vulnerable for many different reasons. some of them need to be shown how to do these things. Girls who are still in care will be shown as a matter of course.

I (and you)can read a tin or leaflet and figure out what to do. I and you can ring a 'careline' and find out. A lot of those tins and 'carelines' out there are giving out of date information that is not what the DOH has been advising for a lot of months now!!!! And they formula companies know bloody fine well that they are giving out outdated info and nothing has been done about it.

But that is ok. Babies don't vote. they don't pay taxes and they don't work or write letters to MP's. If they die or end up permanently disabled because they got dodgy health advice from a tin, leaflet or 'careline'. It isn't as worthy as if it was middle aged men who need viagra to regain a sexlife.

hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:07

Just so we're clear, because some women don't want to breastfeed, we shouldn't talk about it at all - even though it would help the ones who DO want to do it to have better breastfeeding experiences?

AitchTwoCiao · 30/04/2008 15:07

what are you talking about, rude, dc? who's being rude?

kayzisexpecting · 30/04/2008 15:07

Yeah I suppose its not straight forward for everyone.

hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:09

Smallwhitecat, you asked about bf and working - I hope this is helpful

kayzisexpecting · 30/04/2008 15:10

I think that people that don't want to BF and dont want to read about it dont have too. I cant see how someone like Hunker(sorry to use you as an example) is forcing someone who wants to ff to read this thread or her blog etc.

smallwhitecat · 30/04/2008 15:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:11

I actually have seven ffers lined up here, pointed at the screen, with their eyes held open like in clockwork Orange. I'm hardcore.

Egg · 30/04/2008 15:12

In answer to the OP, I am formula feeding my twins and I am so glad I am. I honestly don't think I would have made it through the last 16 weeks if I wasn't as I have had help looking after them and DH feeds them at 10pm etc.

If I was exclusively bf I would have gone mad with lack of sleep. It was bad enough as it was but with a not quite 2-year old as well when they were born I found the formula a godsend.

I did manage to bf DS1 for 4 months and am glad, despite a lot of problems and a nice hole in one nipple where it got so cracked and never healed until well after my last feed.

I did try to bf these two but it didn't happen easily and I am glad I had an alternative. I know many of the lovely ladies on the multiples thread managed to bf their twins successfully but for me it wasn't to be.

Original poster
LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 15:12

hunker - i agree we should talk about it and help / support women to bf but i think in some cases there is too much pressure to bf, and for some women giving up will be the best descion.

OP posts:
Dolorescat · 30/04/2008 15:14

I'm sorry I think I felt that you had misunderstood my post (which was a bit of a non-post really, I'm like a zombie today)
I didn't really mean that depressed mums should ff, I just meant that if a mum wanted to ff and wasn't happy bf then she should do so as there is no point keeping on with something that makes you miserable as that won't help you to be a good mum. But you seemed to jump on it and assume I was advising depressed mums to ff. Not so.
As I said before, I'm waffling.

PuppyMonkey · 30/04/2008 15:14

I liked this thread better when we were all taking the piss at the start...

Poohbah · 30/04/2008 15:17

Don't feel crap, I set myself the target of trying, 3 months, 6 months, a year, 18 months, 2 years and err still going.

Breastfeeding definately gets easier though so you may well feel differently. You can't feel bad if you have made an informed decision and 5 months is much better than not at all, 6 weeks, 2 months etc.. isn't it?

I think it is worth noting that breastmilk seems to protect against allergies during the weaning period though.

nooonit · 30/04/2008 15:17

Mrs Mattie - great posts, you have summed up exactly the feelings I have on this whole issue.

So reassuring that other people have this bizarre mixture of emotions on the whole bf v ff debate (if I can call it that!)

DD2 is now 4 months and after bf, then mixed feeding and is now ff.

Even though I know this is the best scenario for me and my family there is still that nasty creeping sense of guilt that I beat down daily that I'm possibly not doing the best for my daughter.

I'm not sad I don't have to breastfeed any more, I don't miss it because it's something I found incredibly difficult. I am sad that it didn't work for me.

But now I'm in an incredibly silly situation where previously I felt very self conscious breast feeding in public. Now I feel equally self conscious getting out a bottle.

Feeding our babies and children is a terribly emotive issue, as women we should try to cut each other some slack. We all want to do the best we can and any decisions made are not taken lightly and without considerable thought. Whether women decide to bf till 3 yrs or to ff from birth they shouldn't have to justify their decisions.

Original poster
LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 15:18

puppy it was meant to be lighthearted!

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:19

Sorry for making it all serious and trying to help. As you were. Keep on with the snidey backhanders at bfing - love it.

hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:20

Anyone who's agreed with me thus far might be interested in this thread

Original poster
LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 15:21

hurrah! Noonit - you said it! I just have a feeling that lots of women feel exactly as you said - but just keep quiet and get on with doing their best!

OP posts:
Original poster
LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 15:24

hunker - i don't think people are being snidey, just trying to be honest and realistic! incidently i am bfing as i type - hence no capitals!

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 15:24

So am I being dishonest and unrealistic?

AitchTwoCiao · 30/04/2008 15:25

noonit and mrsmattie, i completely agree and felt the same. noonit, for the record i found that weaning dd reseolved a lot of the odd feelings i had about ffing, it just seemed like we were back on a 'normal' way of doing things. i hope that's the case for you.

and dc, i don't believe i'd directed any post to you tbh, so i think maybe you have picked something up wrongly there...

PuppyMonkey · 30/04/2008 15:27

LFTS - I thought it was v.funny actually for what it's worth....

MilaMae · 30/04/2008 15:28

Hunker what exactly do you mean by referring to not wanting the mums who don't feel guilty not to fuck with the ones who do?

Original poster
LookingForwardToSummer · 30/04/2008 15:29

humker at dishonest - of course not! but maybe a little unrealistic....

[lfts, runs off and hides, getting a little scared now]

OP posts: