Anyone use formula milk straight after giving birth?

pookie81 · 2006-07-29T10:22:53+00:00

Hi all! Just wondering if anyone here has gone straight to formula milk straight waya or after a few tries of the breast. I don't like the idea of breasfeeding or pumping the milk all the time. I am 32 weeks pregnant..maybe it will all change when the baby comes along. Thanks guys

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noddyholder · 29/07/2006 11:25

I did for health reasons as the medication I had to take came through in breast milk.I bonded with ds instantly and we are uncredibly close.He is 12 now and apart from being a cheeky little so and so at times he is a gorgeous healthy happy child.I would have breast fed if it was possible(I think)although bottles suited us and it meant other people could help out with feeding inc dp so I got some sleep.Do what you feel is right for you

fattiemumma · 29/07/2006 11:26

yeap! me.

breastfeeding is of course the best way to go...as lets face it, thast what we are designed to drink.

But i wasn't comfortable doing it. there are many reasons why if you may not wish/feel able to breastfeed and you should not alow anyone to make you feel guilty about that. (if they do let me know and i'll shout back at them for you!)

when your at the hospital if you indicate to staff you wish to bottle feed using formula they will advise you as to which they stock and you will be given a bottle ready made up for you to use for his/her first feed.

It is advisable to breastfeed but its certainly not complusary

MaloryClassyTowers · 29/07/2006 11:27

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Gobbledigook · 29/07/2006 11:50

Yes, I did with ds2 and ds3.

100Vicki · 29/07/2006 19:22

I wanted to breast-feed but found it very difficult with my ds as he wouldn't latch on and I wasn't producing enough milk so he cried all the time as he was hungry. After 4 days of this I said enough is enough and sent my dh out to get some formula milk. This settled my baby a lot better and I could make a note of how much he was drinking which put me at ease as he had lost a lot of weight.

I think you've got to do what's right for you. Obviously breast is best but don't let the midwives/health visitors make you feel bad if you want to put your baby straight onto formula milk. I am now pregnant again and I know that I'm not even going to try to breast feed with this one. Good luck with your lo, hope all goes well.

peanutbutter · 29/07/2006 19:27

yes, I did.

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 29/07/2006 19:31

I tried for 4 days with Jess but after a marathon 5 hour crying fit, and NO milk coming out, I got the formula out.

With becky, I had the milk in abundance, but she would not latch, despite 12 hours in hospital with a MW trying to helpfor 30 mins at a time, so off she went on to formula too.

Just one thing i learnt - steer clear of sma gold unless you want to wipe up sick for the next 12 months! Jess was a nightmare with it - docs telling me it was reflux etc, but hey ho as soon as we switched, she stopped being sick. Used Farleys from day one with Becky and it has been FANTASTIC!

Go with your gut - BF isnt for everyone, and as long as a child is fed and loved and cared for, you are doing your best by them. Good luck with the impending birth xxx

FanjoandZooey · 29/07/2006 19:45

Hi Pookie, I just wondered if you would like any more information on breastfeeding, or if talking about it might help you feel that it could be an option for you? Of course it is your choice, but as you probably know, any amount of breastmilk, even one day's worth, can have great advantages for your baby, and you may find that you feel comfortable with it after all.

I hope you don't feel I'm sticking my nose in. If you've made up your mind, no problem, but you sounded like you weren't 100% sure, so just ask if there is anything you would like to know.

Charlee · 29/07/2006 20:04

I did i was on medication and wasnt allowed to breastfeed, also know a few people who simply didnt want to breast feed so did aswell.
I dont know about others but in our hospital they keep stocks of tiny bottles of ready made formula in many different brands for mum's who dont want to breast feed

LieselVonTrapp · 29/07/2006 20:32

I bottle fed right away, or rather my husband did I was unable to bottle or breats feed right away. I never did breastfeed although I had planned to. Anyway DD i now 5 - is very healthy has never been ill, apart from chicken pox and intelligent so not all the statistics are right.

Elibean · 29/07/2006 20:35

My milk was slow coming in, dd lost weight, got jaundiced and too weak to latch on, and the midwives gave her formula. I did end up breast feeding successfully (with 10-20% formula top-ups) a week later, with help, so can't speak for ongoing formula-only feeding - but dd is 2.7 and always been scarily healthy!

expatinscotland · 29/07/2006 20:35

I bf'd DD1 the second day after she was born.

Norah · 29/07/2006 20:36

I also bottle-fed straight away - and my dd now almost 6 is incredibly healthy - no allergies etc - as I was and I was also solely bottle-fed !

I used SMA Gold by the way and she was happy as larry on it - very rarely sick ever !

nutcracker · 29/07/2006 20:37

I did, just didn't want to breastfeed, not sure why but didn't.

I did offer to express milk for Dd2 who was prem, but was more or less told not to bother.

Xavielli · 29/07/2006 20:42

JABM, Did switching really make that much of a difference? Both my babes have been incredibly sicky on SMA (Gold and White) and I asked if maybe changing to a different formula might work.

Did Jess have any adverse reaction to switching? You've made me really consider it......

Xavielli · 29/07/2006 20:47

BTW, I forgot to say that the HV said not to bother... I probably just had a sicky baby.

Nemo1977 · 29/07/2006 20:48

Hi
Iwas completely not into idea of bf but then bf ds for a couple of weeks then used formula.
With DD I used formula straight away due to meds I was on but can honestly say I prefered not bf although did feel guilty about not bf. This baby will also be formula fed but without half the guilt.

All would say about bf is you may be surprised when you give birth that you want to bf or if you dont then fine..it is nobodys decision but yours.

Nemo1977 · 29/07/2006 20:48

Hi
Iwas completely not into idea of bf but then bf ds for a couple of weeks then used formula.
With DD I used formula straight away due to meds I was on but can honestly say I prefered not bf although did feel guilty about not bf. This baby will also be formula fed but without half the guilt.

All would say about bf is you may be surprised when you give birth that you want to bf or if you dont then fine..it is nobodys decision but yours.

riab · 29/07/2006 21:36

No - wish I had actually as didn't want to BF and ended up pressured into it by midwfie - result was me feeling incredibly unhappy for the first week of my sons life.

I went over to formula after my milk came in and it still wasn't working - he was fully formula fed by 10 days old and we've 'bonded' incredibly well. He is a lovely affectionate 15mo now.

As I argue all the time now - breast is only best if it results in a happy helahty baby AND mum! Having a depressed permenantly tired mum who spends most feeding times crying her eyes out (me) is hardly conducive to bonding!

With formula dad got a chance to do those early feeds too, and we both got much more sleep so baby got parents who had 6 hrs sleep each and were able to interact with him!

Bottle time is still a close time for us, he has 3 bottles a day now and at least one of those is cuddled up quiet and close, no TV, No chatting to friends, no phone just me/dad and him.

If you don't want to BF then don't for heavens sake let anyone guilt trip you into it like they did me!

FairyMum · 29/07/2006 21:38

Just curious as I have a friend who is planning to ff feed straight from birth. What do you do when the milk comes in? I remember my milk always seemed to come in on the third day and my God it was painful. What on earth do you do with those full breasts?

Norah · 29/07/2006 21:43

D'you know I can't really remember it being very painful - everything else ached so much it was pretty small fry ! I think I took pain killers and the MV just told me not to touch them at all as any touch stimulated production - I didn't even have any leaks tbh ! It didn't last long - 2 days I think and really wasn't bad !

FairyMum · 29/07/2006 21:46

Right, would not work with me. Too much milk. Does anyone know if it's possible to get pills which stops the milk from coming in at all? must be best solution if mum knows she won't be breast feeding?

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 29/07/2006 21:48

hi there

sorry X only just got back on, yes... it really did make a difference. I lasted 7 months on sma gold with the whole puking up everything, docs putting her on gaviscon and some baby milk thickening thing and it was a nightmare, switched her to follow on milk at 7 months and hey presto - she stopped being sick overnight - literally. She didnt react at all, and just got on with it. It was the best thing I ever did.

I used Farleys First with Becky from day 1 and I havent had ANY sick incidents at all - other than the little posseting that you expect - she is now 9 months and still on the first milk, because i cant see a reason to switch her until i go on to cows milk.

HTH ( lindsaymccafferty at yahoo dot co dot uk if u need me)