Need Input for an Article

kyrenora

Hey all! I'm currently working on an article about the different issues that moms face when feeding their babies. One of the main points I'll be writing about will be the judgement that moms receive whether they choose to BF or FF. I'll need as anecdotes as I can get to do this issue justice, and I figured this would be a good place to ask. I would like to hear about any experiences you've had with people making comments about how you ended up feeding your LO when they were still on an all-liquid diet.

Please tell me whether you chose to EBF, FF, or a mix of the two and what the major factors were in your decision.

I will be including some responses in the article, so let me know whether you're okay with your comment being featured as a quote or not. If you do want to be featured, please also include your first name, or say if you want to be listed as "anonymous." You can also inbox me if you would rather not submit your response to the group as a whole.

Thanks for any help you can provide! I'll let you know when the article is published and give you a link to it so you can read it when I'm done.

Melis222

I switched to FF when LO was 3 months old. She has reflux and a dairy/soy protein intolerance. Despite cutting out dairy/sir for 2 months she was still miserable. I didn't want to keep trying to eliminate etc when she was so unhappy so I switched her to Nutramigen and pumped down my supply. It was the best decision I made! I cried for 3 days over it and I now wonder why I was so upset! I felt like everyone I told about it that I had to explain every detail to avoid judgement even though no one said anything rude at all. Also, I was returning to work a month later and I didn't plan to pump at work anyway. I'm a teacher and it's just not conducive to pumping. I tried it with my first and was super stressed! I hope this helps with your article!!

Melissa

AziaNick

Before our daughter was born my plan was to breastfeed as long as possible, or do whatever is best for the baby. My daughter ended up in the NICU and my breast milk actually didn't have enough calories for her. So from the start they fortified her milk. I tried to breastfeed for 3 weeks and ended up stopping because not only was my breast milk not enough BUT my supply pretty much stopped. While my daughter was in the NICU we have seen 4 different lactation specialists in order to help with my daughters latching and feeding and also helping me with my supply. When she came home, we switched to full formula feedings. She is 8 months and still on a high calorie formula. My breast milk wouldn't have been the best for her. My thoughts on it? I'm actually fine with it. I was more then happy to do what was best for daughter and I actually didn't really like breastfeeding. Haha it was sore and she had a really hard time latching. She did much better with the bottle. I am also a stay at home mom so that also might be interesting because breastfeeding might have seemed more easier and the better option but again, not the best for my daughter and I thought it was more convenient in the end. My family history on it? My mom couldn't breastfeed my brother or I because we are lactose intolerant and we needed special milk. We were both NICU babies and started on formula as well. My mother in law didn't breastfeed because she went straight back to work full time and my sister in law tried for months but her supply wasn't enough. So accepting not being able to breastfeed could also have been because I was surrounded by women that didn't breastfeed either. Comments from other people about formula feeding? My grandma actually encouraged it even though it might not have been the best. She is a nurse and she said that it is the best thing to do for your baby. It saves money and creates a bond. When I told her I wasn't breastfeeding she said "ohhhh. Well listen to the doctor". She understood that everyone is different but she did sound disappointed. My mom and other family including in laws were supported and so was my husband. When we left the NICU the doctor asked if we were going to mix formula with my breast milk and when I said no, he actually encouraged that i mix it but he was also supportive with our decision. So we had a lot of support with formula feeding. Let me know if you have any other questions or want any other details good luck on your article and you can put my name in it. My first name is Azia. 

AKOL0

I have been very fortunate when it comes to BF. Even though I had a C-section, my milk came in right away. Before I even left the hospital my milk was flowing with no trouble. My daughter was excellent with latching. For me, BF just clicked and was right for us. However, I had no experience with BF. My mother didn't BF any of us 4 kids and nobody I knew had BF. I had worked with plenty of children in the past and had not dealt with BM. I was completely clueless. I actually would have FF my baby if it wasn't for my husband. He gave me some good points for why I should BF our baby and really changed my mind.

Not to brag, but it hasn't been too painful for me to BF. I haven't cracked nor needed to use any nipple cream. My LO was an early teether. She started growing teeth at 2 months, though they didn't pop until 3 months and one day. She has bitten me a few times, but she stops when I tell her to. On very few occasions has she bitten more than once in a feeding.

The only real negative thing I have to say about BF is that I am stuck with all the feedings. I hate pumping, so I only do so to make enough for cereal or to freeze for possible future use. Even now that she is eating more foods, I am so used to feeding her that I just take over the feeding and rarely even ask if my husband wants to feed.

The only negative comment I have gotten was from my in-laws. On one occasion they mentioned that they thought I should be supplementing so they could watch her as well. It irritated me because I could pump if we ever wanted them to watch her. Also because I'm a SAHM, she never leaves my side. She is almost 7 months and we have needed them to watch her only twice.

Ashley

VToman

I planned on EBF for as long as possible. But, right from the start, I had supply issues.  DD'S bilirubin levels were high for the first few days and it became clear that she was not getting full from nursing alone. We started supplementing from about 3 days old. I went to the lactation clinic to try to get my supply up. I know this probably isn't true - pregnancy hormones really made me ultra sensitive - but, I really felt like they were judging me when it came to my low supply. The advice I was given made me feel like my sole job was to nurse and pump. I felt as thought I had no other purpose on this earth. So, I tried and did everything they told me to do, including buying a pretty expensive pump because my insurance didn't cover one. I went back to the clinic the following week. I nursed for an hour straight. My baby had not gained even .1 oz - in an hour! My husband was going back to work, my mom went back home to California. I had no other help available to me. There was no way I was going to be able to work on supply and take care of my baby, myself, my husband and my house. So, feeling like a failure, I gave up and switched to formula exclusively. 
I am lucky because no one in my life made me feel like less of a mother because I EFF. A friend of mine said, "The goal is a full belly, no matter how you get there." My husband immediately saw a difference in my stress level and my baby was gaining weight and very happy. And in the end, that's all that matters.
I would have loved to have been able to make it work. I sometimes still feel like a loser because I gave up after only about three weeks. But, the bottom line is, DD is happy and healthy. 
I would probably try to nurse again if we have another baby. At least to give the baby colostrum, which is so nutrient rich. But, I won't feel like less of a woman if it doesn't work out again. 

kbrown2385

I had serious supply issues from the beginning. Lo had difficulty latching from the beginning due to me having flat nipples. Thankfully the lc gave me a nipple shield and that helped. My milk came in day 4, but it was barely enough. We were discharged from the hospital on a friday with a follow up visit with the pedi on monday. From birth on wednesday to monday lo lost 1.5 pounds. His jaundice had also gotten very high. We were doing daily weight checks and with feeding for an hour, every 2 hours he didnt gain at all. I got zero sleep that night, cried the entire night because i felt i was failing him. I fought tooth and nail to hold off on formula because everyone made me feel like i was poisoning him and that i shouldnt have any issues breastfeeding. At 6 days old I gave in. The pedi had me nurse first and had my husband supplement with a syringe. After 10 minutes of them struggling, i made a bottle and lo guzzled it. We all slept wonderfully that night. We continued that way for 3 months until lo decided he was done with breastfeeding. During that time i used every lactation boosting trick in the book but we were never able to ebf. Pumping only gave me drops. It took me a while to not be heartbroken over not being able to ebf. I feel formula feeding has more stigma than breastfeeding does. I was starving my child because of the pressure we are put under to breastfeed. Ultimately fed is best and no one should feel like they are failing because of their choice on feeding.

Feel free to use any part. My first name is Kate.

wheresilenceismusic

I EBF for its health benefits.

As a survivor of sexual abuse, this decision has been challenging for me. Like most people, I was taught that showing cleavage / breasts in public = seeking sexual advances from others. I am terrified sometimes BFing in public.

BFing has been liberating, in a way. It proves every day that my body is not an object for men; but instead, food for my baby. I am empowered by supporting her in this way.

I wish I felt more free to BF in public. I have not had any bad experiences so far (other than having to sit down in the aisle of a grocery store to nurse, etc., because there was nowhere to sit) but I constantly see news articles about women being asked to cover up or to leave. It does intimate me. 

I very much look forward to the day when women are honored for their bodies, not used and shamed. What we do -- making our babies -- is the most important work of all.

carlyyo

kyrenora said:

Hey all! I'm currently working on an article about the different issues that moms face when feeding their babies. One of the main points I'll be writing about will be the judgement that moms receive whether they choose to BF or FF. I'll need as anecdotes as I can get to do this issue justice, and I figured this would be a good place to ask. I would like to hear about any experiences you've had with people making comments about how you ended up feeding your LO when they were still on an all-liquid diet.

Please tell me whether you chose to EBF, FF, or a mix of the two and what the major factors were in your decision.

I will be including some responses in the article, so let me know whether you're okay with your comment being featured as a quote or not. If you do want to be featured, please also include your first name, or say if you want to be listed as "anonymous." You can also inbox me if you would rather not submit your response to the group as a whole.

Thanks for any help you can provide! I'll let you know when the article is published and give you a link to it so you can read it when I'm done.

Just to make one suggestions for the language in you article. You said, "please tell me the path you chose". I think it's important to note that the path you take is not always by choice. I had true supply issues and could not breastfeed. This was not by choice. Good luck with your article. 

kyrenora

carlyyo said:

kyrenora said:

Hey all! I'm currently working on an article about the different issues that moms face when feeding their babies. One of the main points I'll be writing about will be the judgement that moms receive whether they choose to BF or FF. I'll need as anecdotes as I can get to do this issue justice, and I figured this would be a good place to ask. I would like to hear about any experiences you've had with people making comments about how you ended up feeding your LO when they were still on an all-liquid diet.

Please tell me whether you chose to EBF, FF, or a mix of the two and what the major factors were in your decision.

I will be including some responses in the article, so let me know whether you're okay with your comment being featured as a quote or not. If you do want to be featured, please also include your first name, or say if you want to be listed as "anonymous." You can also inbox me if you would rather not submit your response to the group as a whole.

Thanks for any help you can provide! I'll let you know when the article is published and give you a link to it so you can read it when I'm done.

Just to make one suggestions for the language in you article. You said, "please tell me the path you chose". I think it's important to note that the path you take is not always by choice. I had true supply issues and could not breastfeed. This was not by choice. Good luck with your article. 

Yes, thank you for pointing that out. I wasn't paying enough attention when I wrote this. I'm in the same boat as you.