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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
acia
member
Why do you CHOOSE to formula feed?
acia
member
This is really just to satisfy my curiosity... I love breastfeeding my daughter, as well as the convenience of it (e.g., not worrying about cleaning bottles or buying formula, my boob is always ready, formula is expensive, etc.). However, I notice a lot of people around here formula feed, and I've always wondered why... I'm sure there are some medical reasons like breast reduction/implants, supply issues, other health complications, etc., but in those cases formula feeding isn't really a choice...
Are there other reasons you choose to formula feed?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Why do you CHOOSE to formula feed?
oh lord...
why do you CARE how others feed their child? I BF and love it. I've supplemented every now and then too.
Who cares?! The kid is eating! End of story.
Because I want too.
ETA - Weren't the same girl boo-hooing about your trip with your hubby and LO in Chicago and how your LO was super fussy?? LMAO.
This.
I EP, b/c for us, breastfeeding was the most horrible, painful, stressful thing I've ever experienced.
So if someone chooses not to, good for them. Do your thing ladies, you shouldn't have to explain yourself to anyone.
OMG! This! Thank you!
Posts like this are so irritating. Why do care how my child is eating? I have enough of my own stuff to worry about.
B/c I prefer it over BFing. I BFed for three weeks and decided it was not for me. I didn't enjoy it, I was tired/exhausted and not committed. I wanted help from others (i.e. my MIL when she was visiting, my DH after he got home from work and in the middle of the night). I did not want to pump. I am happy I BFed for the time I did but I never wanted to do it long term. I prefer to formula feed. My DS is getting what he needs and I feed on demand. He is happy and I'm happy.
Oh my gosh you guys, I was just asking! I was not judging AT ALL! I genuinely like BFing, and I don't know any other moms IRL so I was just wondering why some people choose to formula feed.
If you don't want to share your reasons for FF, or you think it's none of my business or whatever, then don't respond to my post! Yeesh!
I planned to breastfeed.
I breastfed in the hospital and she was doing okay there, had a little problem here and there latching on and only nursed for 5 minutes or less sometimes. Once we got home she did not want anything to do with my boob. I was getting stressed out that she wasn't eating enough. So one night I gave her formula to ease my mind so I knew she was eating. Then the next day I bought a pump and I started to just pump and pump. I pumped for about a week and a half until I got sick.
My pedi told me not to feed her my breast milk just in case. Then my milk dried up. So I switched to formula for good. I was disappointed because i wanted to continue breastfeeding. But one she was on formula I noticed how much easier it was for me. I didn't have to worry about if she's hungry or not. And it was alot easier, I didn't have to keep washing and sterilizing the nipple shield and parts to the pump every 2 hours.
As soon as I saw the topic, I knew this wouldn't end well. Eek, I BF and pump because I have a good supply...but some are not so lucky.
I did not produce a lot of milk due to PCOS. I did not want to take drugs and tape a tube to my breast. I was sad for a while, but not THAT sad...I was far, far happier that I had a happy, healthy child than to get all weepy about breastfeeding or the lack thereof.
DH loved helping. I found bottle feeding to be very loving and when we started the sippy at 11months, I was sad again. DS, however, was so happy to move on to the sippy.
People do what is best for them and their situation.
I BF DD#1 for 9 months and the first 5 of those months were very stressful for me yet I continued out of guilt. I decided to just see how it goes this time. I almost decided to FF because I was stressing too much again, had cracked/bleeding nipples, felt resentment about it and was dreading it, and because everytime I went to nurse DD#2, DD#1 would run over screaming and crying and try to climb onto my lap while trying to pull DD#2 off of me. I'm setting small goals and it's getting better, but if I'm stressing too much again or struggling again, I have no problem w/ FF to make my life easier. Happy mommy = happy baby
BFP 5/07 - Kylie born 2/08. BPF 2/09 - Alexandra born 10/09.
TTC since 8/13 - diagnosed difficulty conceiving due to LP defect. Took vitamin B and Vitex Berry to help lengthen.
BFP 2/14 - Missed M/C found at 8.5 weeks. D&C at 9w2d. Partial Molar Pregnancy.
BFP 11/14
My Pregnancy(ies) Blog
Huh? What does my LO's fussiness have to do with anything? You're "laughing your ass off" because my baby was fussy in Chicago? I'm confused... I was just wondering why some people choose to formula feed. I seriously wasn't trying to start something or make anyone defensive.
This! I figured my DS needed me to be happy and healthy - I just wasn't when I was trying to bf.
I'm just saying, these posts do not end well, and i don't understand why people ask about FFing. I love BFing but having had to supplement i understand how attacked people can feel over FFing. I don't think you meant to cause a problem, but it always ends that way.
I hate this kind of questioning from other moms and it goes on and on as our LO's get older and far beyond the FF vs. BF category. Soon it's 'why did you choose to let LO CIO' or 'why do you choose to work vs. SAH'?
I am so fortunate to be able to BF easily and have a good supply but when DD is 6 weeks old I will offer her one formula bottle to get her to STTN the same as we did with DD #1. FF is great too and sometimes I am envious when I read about all you moms who can sleep the night away if your DH or mother is willing to feed LO.
For all you moms who are choosing to feed your LO's, I commend you :-)
I honestly don't judge anyone for FFing - obviously we all do what is best for our babies and ourselves - and if I'd known I would offend anyone with this post, I wouldn't have written it! I really don't think of FF in a negative way, so I had no idea that some people would feel "attacked" by my question.
I wouldn't act defensively if someone posted a question about why someone chooses to breastfeed... And I really don't see formula feeding as "better" or "worse" than BF, just different, with different pros and cons. And I was just wondering what those pros and cons were.
But lesson learned. Sorry for asking!
because I like my perfect breasts more than I like my baby.
no saggy boobs in this house, yo.
These always cause a sh!t storm...you might want to duck. Even though you didnt mean for it to be offensive, people are going to get upset, people are sensitive, afterall, weve all just had babies!
My choice was purely selfish. We tried breastfeeding only because I felt guilty not trying because of all the pressure from people, my milk was so minimal it was pathetic and I really just didnt like it and pumping was ridiculous. I could never nurse in public because I dont like the idea of it, and if im just bringing bottles with me of BM whats the point.
Formula isnt poison, and it works for us. Money is no expense.
haha Blair, you called it. Can we have a "perfect boobies" badge?
It really isn't any of your business. I understand that you are just asking out of curiousity but please understand that for some women (especialy 0-3 new moms) FF wasn't an easy choice and posts like these can come off as rude and judgemental. For the moms that had a hard time BFing or had to FF for medical reasons a post like this can be a touchy subject. We all want healthy, happy, well fed babies and how we choose to do that is up to us.
I would have loved to give a snarky-ish response to this post but honestly, I dont think you understood exactly how insensative you came accross.
I think the reason she capitalized the word 'choose' was because she was looking for answers from those who chose to FF as opposed to those who tried but weren't able to continue BF-ing
BFP 12/19/08- DS born 8/25/09 9lbs2oz via Zavanelli Maneuver
BFP 8/26/11- Missed miscarriage discovered 10/19/11 at 11w2d, measured at 9 weeks gestation w/ no HB. D&C 10/21/11
BFP 3/17/12 at 12dpo CP 3/21/12
BFP 4/23/12 at 10dpo Stick my little one! Beta #1: 83.3 @ 13dpo Beta #2: 197.7 @ 15dpo
Our little man is getting bigger every day!
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ahahahaha. This.
I capped the "CHOOSE" because I wanted to emphasize the reasons people choose not to BF, because I'm aware of the reasons people HAVE to FF to nourish their children. For those people who just "prefer" to FF, I was wondering why... I hadn't thought about things like DH taking some night feedings, or getting saggy boobs (thanks, Blair
). Maybe I should have said "Why do you PREFER to formula feed?"
I feel bad if I offended anyone. It was absolutely not my intention!
Great! Now she knows the real reason, way to go!
It's just one of those things that will always cause an uproar, kwim?
and i didn't mean to be a biitch to you, i just meant in general why do people care about the good ole FF v BF.
So people like you can attempt to feel superior.
My dd was 8 weeks early and in the nicu for 31 days. While she was there, I dutifully pumped every 3 hours and also spent 12+ hours with her at the hospital. It was exhausting to be doing all of this while recovering from HELLP.
When she came home, she would drink at the boob for an hour, then cry until I gave her a bottle. Then she would down it in 2 minutes flat. So I guess I CHOSE not to starve my baby, because my supply never came in adequately.
So happy for you and your working boobs.
You win! You win!
Okay, well, I'm just going to stop apologizing after this. Clearly I'm missing something here, because, as I said, I don't think either BF or FF is better, because we all do what's best for our babies in our situations, and I certainly don't think of myself as "superior" just because I BF! I don't know how that was implied in my original post...
I was honestly just wondering why people choose to FF. I was aware of the medical/supply issues, and feel terrible for people who wanted to BF and weren't able to. But that's not who my post was directed at. It was meant for those who intended to FF, and do so happily - I was wondering what drove them to that decision. Curiosity, exacerbated by a boring, rainy afternoon as my baby naps, is what prompted this question. Nothing more.
This