Being a Controversial Mother...Breast-Feeding vs Formaula Feeding

8/22/2013


Recently there's been A LOT of controversy over breast-feeding vs formula feeding, I've stayed out of these arguments because honestly, no one can win, no one person is right or wrong.  Like I said in my previous post My 10 Survival Tips for Expecting Moms, you MUST do what is right for your child and you and only you can make those decisions, you can't let what's the new hype or popular argument keep you from doing what is best for your family.

For me personally, I come from the family of the Big Breast Club, breast feeding was not something that came easily to me even the slightest bit.  With Hannah I tried breast feeding probably 3 weeks while supplementing with formula.  Then when I was having problems with my milk production I tried pumping.  Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried or what I did, Hannah was losing weight, she was constantly hungry and my body just couldn't give her what she needed.  So as much as I wanted to be a breast-feeding mommy (cost above all other reasons) I had to make the RIGHT choice for her and me and put her on formula.  I experienced the same thing with Savannah but my milk was even worse off, barely producing 1 oz a day, so Savannah went onto formula much faster than her sister.  Formula was much easier for both girls, they eat well, they are more than healthy and happy and even when Hannah was in daycare it was easier to handle for her provider.

I still remember being in the hospital with Savannah and a family member came to visit, I was feeding Savannah a formula bottle and she said "well, breast is best, that's what I'm going to do when I'm a mom" and I just so wanted to snap and say "well, when your a mom and you realize it's not as easy as it looks, you'll see", but instead I said "research and studies have shown that children on breast milk or formula don't grow any different, they are getting the correct nutrients and that's all that matters".  Regardless of her words or any other opinion both my girls are perfectly healthy, in their correct height and weight percentages for their ages and great eaters, they even sleep better than about 50% of the breast fed babies I know.  

I personally believe that formula was the best decision for me, my girls and my husband.  He loves being able to feed Savannah and I love watching him interact with her during those feeding times.  Having his help made sleeping so much easier as well.  I would get up one time, him the next, because of formula we were able to share the responsibilities of feedings rather than it falling solely on me because of breast-feeding.  Him being able to help with feedings also allowed me to not build resentment or be overly tired and get grumpy which is overall healthier for the entire family....trust me, me and grumpy don't go well together!

Again, this is my own experience and what worked for me and my family, it might not work for you and you might be great at breast-feeding and I applaud that 1,000% but don't feel like formula is the enemy or that you have to exhaust yourself and possibly hurt your child just to not get looked at wrong because you aren't breast-feeding.  Just like picking out the diaper that works for your baby, not everyone likes Pampers Swaddlers but I do, some prefer Huggies but I don't, I feel this debate can go either way, but I don't think there's a right or wrong way to make sure your child is getting everything he or she should be getting nutrition wise.

Not a sermon, just a thought (I've always wanted to put that in an post!!! eeekkkk!)

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15 comments

  1. Anonymous8/22/2013

    Absolutely right, just because we do things different mean doesn't mean the other is doing it wrong. We moms do our best to bring our kids up the best way we can given the situations we are in! Love this!

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    1. I agree 100%, just because a mom chooses a different method doesn't mean she's wrong. We should support each other, not put each other down!

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  2. Anonymous8/22/2013

    Did you catch the "I Support You" movement earlier this month?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/i-support-you-breastfeeding-_n_3685881.html

    I fell ill and didn't get a chance to do a post or picture of my own, so I'll comment here instead.

    I exclusively pumped for 16 months for my first child and I'm currently breastfeeding a second, but *I SUPPORT YOU*! I'm was a 100% Formula-Fed baby and I think I turned out just dandy. : )

    P.S. I second it is quite nice when there are bottles around for others to help. That might be a good extension of #5 from your new mother survival tips. Even if you are breastfeeding, a bottle of expressed milk can be a great ticket to sanity/sleep. And people (at least my relative and friends) LOVE feeding the baby!

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    1. Anonymous8/22/2013

      "I'm was a 100% Formula-Fed baby"

      Gah. I may have turned out dandy, but apparently my proofreading skills leave a little to be desired. : )

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    2. I was formula fed myself, my mom had issues and just couldn't, similar to mine. and I SUPPORT your breast-feeding lifestyle, I think it's beautiful and great and I do wish I could but it wasn't in my cards. Ultimately, it's about the best health for our children and we shouldn't put someone or anyone down for doing what they think is best for their child.

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  3. I did both and all my kids turned out fine. Granted one is autistic but formula didn't cause it. Madison breastfed for the first 6 months completely without formula and when she started taking it I used a bottle that was highly recommended and it worked out fine with us. I gave both breast milk and formula in the bottles and it worked out great for me. Others were able to help out instead of me doing it all. I'm for both!

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    1. I agree with you, I'm definitely more about everyone being able to help out, makes life easier but to each their own and what they want, supporting each other is so important!

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  4. I tried to breast feed Reagan for six weeks while supplementing with formula. After that point it just wasn't worth my mental state to continue to breast feed. So I know how you felt. And you are right ... we get to decide what is best for our children.

    Thank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
    Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. :)

    ¤´¨)
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    (¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
    Raising-Reagan.com

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    1. thanks for stopping by! I will definitely be stopping by again!

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  5. Before birth, we had already decided on formula. Hubby felt left out and I'm so glad we did. I was a wreck after baby #1 and there was no possibly was I would've been able to do it all on my own! With Baby #2, I went right back to work after 3 weeks (literally the day after I got my staples out) and it wouldn't have been possible. I honestly don't know may people personally that do, because who has the ability to take off work that long and/or pump at work?

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    1. I agree...I tried pumping at home and that was hard enough much less trying to fit it in at work. With H, hubby was able to stay up late (we lived closer to his work then) and help with feedings so I could sleep but with S formula was a savior because we moved further away from work and I was the only one who could get up at midnight for feedings.

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  6. Anonymous8/26/2013

    A friend of mine sent me this humorous article this morning. I thought it might fit in well with this post. : )

    http://www.babble.com/baby/formula-fed-baby-enters-medical-school-satire/

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  7. Love this post so much I recently linked to it in my most recent post about the things I've learned since becoming a mom of 2 over at ThePatchworkPaisley.com. :)

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    1. OMG thank you! Your support is awesome and I really appreciate it! So glad everyone ended up liking this and not hating it...was worried about the outcome.

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