How bad is Formula?

[orangeguy]

I'm unable to breast feed. How bad is formula?

@orangeguy similar issues - massive boobs and unhelpful nipples. Nipple shields helped to create something DS could get hold of. Expressing a very small amount out helped to soften the boobs a bit too so they weren't so engorged.

OP I really wanted to breastfeed but DD was very premature and in NICU so I couldn't. Pumping was a nightmare and I wasn't producing much. I was stressed and feeling guilty all the time. Especially when I saw how much some of the others were producing. Eventually one of the other mums on NICU said to me that the more stressed you are the harder it is. Talk to your lactation consultant but also bear in mind that as long as your baby is fed it isn't the end of the world.

If formula hadn't existed my DD would have died so, no, there is nothing wrong with using it.

Formula is absolutely not bad. Especially now days there are so many options to choose from, organic, goat milk etc

A baby needs to be fed, loved and have a clean bum - whatever way you do it ❤️

It sounds like you would like to keep trying to breastfeed? If you want to look at honest science based info on formula look.at First Steps Nutrition

For big boobs, you can try rolling a muslin or old t shirt and wedging under the boob.

Try laid back breastfeeding

https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/feeding-your-baby/breastfeeding/how-to-breastfeed/breastfeeding-positions/#:~:text=Laid%2Dback%20breastfeeding%2C%20also%20known,on%20a%20sofa%20or%20bed.

Also lying down breastfeeding - if you can crack this then you can relax, watch TV etc. Try when you're fully awake in the day time. It's safe to sleep in the same bed as your baby. It's never safe to fall asleep on the sofa

All the breastfeeding charities have telephone helplines. They are trained to give support, even latching support, over the phone. NCT, ABM & I think LLL is 24 hrs

Not being able to breastfeed can be a form of grief. Formula is brilliant invention but it's OK to feel grief too.

And just to lighten the mood, someone posted on here the other day that their son had just got a face tattoo and that breastfeeding or formula feeding makes no difference

Thanks. Going to try the nipple shields as well.

Yes how on earth are you supposed to choose which one :/

I think that's why I think it's so important. Without formula how would the babies cope.

Having a sick child would have been awfully stressful and I'm not surprised your body didn't respond very well. Cuddling and holding baby is so important. Being ok mentally is also important.

I am also thinking nipple shields might be worth a try, or hand expressing for a while to stimulate the nipple prior to baby trying to latch. It can also help to position a rolled up towel under your breast to move it more upright when they're large and as others have said a side lying position is good as well. I've large boobs and side lying, towel under the boob and rugby hold all worked best for me in the early days when ds had a terrible latch due to tongue tie. I found it does get so much easier when they get bigger, by 3-4 months ds had no issue managing the size of my breast compared to when he was newborn. It just can feel very awkward in the early days. Also just to say the hospital you gave birth in might have hospital grade pumps that they can loan you.

Oh and also, some women (like me) get very focused on how much output they're getting when they pump, which inadvertently causes them to feel tense and a bit stressed which will inhibit letdown. So a lot of people find it helpful to put socks over the bottles while you're doing a pump session so you can't see how much is going into the bottle so you can't get caught up in that. Might be worth considering!

Thanks @Lavender14 I have a hospital grade pump. I've pumped three times since I woke up at 4pm. Better than the other days. I will continue to pump.

This is a helpful video on latching a baby when you've got big boobs .
Rolling a muslin up under your boob to lift it a bit is also helpful. If you're going to get nipple shields make sure you get the right size, same with getting the right pump flange size.

And just check that the pump you have is the medela symphony as this is their hospital grade one. www.medela.co.uk/breastfeeding-professionals/products/pumping/symphony

Wow amazing video!

@Wrongsideofpennines yes defo the hospital grade pump. Same as what I used in the hospital.

I will have another try as the breast to chest I wasn't doing.

Well you are doing so well. You do your thing Op. There is nothing wrong with formula. Even if he has your milk once it's good enough. Do what you can and what you want. Formula is absolutely fine.

@Wrongsideofpennines breast to chin*

Haven't read the full thread. Congrats on your baby and pumping 15mls. The best way to assist with your milk is to pump at night, apparently that's when we program what's needed so if you ever start running low then every 2 hours wake up and pump.

I understand your concerns re formula. I was the same after having it drummed into me that breast is best and formula is the devil but when I struggled to feed, it was the nurses and midwives forcing bottles. Formula is great and better that they have this than nothing. I always used both breast and formula but was never able to feed from the breast. It was either nipple shields or expressing. They say it's easy but it's actually really hard and hurt me so much.

I moved house when DD was about two or theee months and didn't breastfeed for around 36 hours due to the business and completely dried up. Using the above technique, I had full supply within a day.

Also the amount you're getting is fantastic. Remember the babies stomach is so tiny right now. You're not meant to be filling bottles.

I BF for 3 and 5 weeks. Second time I only did morning and evening after the first couple of weeks. I loathed bf. It was absolute agony. Morning and evening was bearable.

He's drinking alot more formula :/ so I don't understand about the size of their stomach :/

Breast milk is thicker and more dense in nutrients.

I purchased some post natal vitamins. Hope they help.

Wrong thread

Bf is easier than pumping because you don't need to worry about amounts. The actual suckling regulates your supply. I'd keep playing around with positions to find a comfortable one for both of you.

I don't know how bad formula is (as per the q in the OP) but it's not a product of millions years of evolution, it's ultra processed food.

Formula is not bad, at all.

It looks like you’ve had some great advice for breastfeeding and I hope your journey can continue, as you want it to. Congratulations on your lovely new baby!

For various reasons BF didn't happen for me and so I formula fed topped up with some meagre quantities of breast milk I was able to pump for a few months.

What really annoys me is that the reason you asked that question is because the pressure mothers are under to BF causes them to feel so guilty when they can't. I remember going to the toilet at the prenatal clinic and seeing a poster in there claiming that my child would be more likely to go to university if I breast fed. I'm sure if they wanted to, they could find stats to prove that children who are breast fed are more likely to prefer orange squash over blackcurrant. I just think it's unnecessary to pile on SO much pressure.