Breastfeeding with formula supplementing is not a breastfeeding for me, what is your opinion?

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 10/01/2010

I'm going to lock this conversation as I feel it does not go along with what this community is about. We can discuss formula, but it seems like several moms are feeling attacked. As breastfeeding advocates we should be educating, helping and encouraging. Although it may not have been the intention of the OP, this post seems to be upsetting a lot of members. Let's keep supporting ALL of our breastfeeding moms! :)

Thanks,
Sara
Admin

Brooke - posted on 10/01/2010

I am sorry - but this has struck such a cord with me that I have to post again...
I already told you why I was having to supplement with formula. I felt so guilty and was at such a low place emotionally and every single person in my life told me that I should just switch my daughter completely onto formula. Even the doctor I saw for mastitis. I don't remember how I came across this website, but thank God I did. I was able to find great tips on increasing my milk supply, links to kellymom.com, Dr. Jack Newman's site, the LeLeche League - none of which I even new existed. And I also found incredible support and encouragement from the wonderful women on in this community, without which I may have given up. Had I been on this website seeking help and come across your post, things might not have turned out so well for me and my daugher. When I was at my lowest point, I might have been too embarrassed to admit I had to supplement with formula, or I might have been too afraid I would not get any support because of comments like yours, that I would not have reached out for help. Now it would not have been your fault I gave up; it would have been my own decision. But I was at such a low place emotionally that it might have been the final straw. I thought this community was to support each other, not look down our noses at struggling women.
To any women seeking help and encouragement from this community, please don't let this closeminded, judgmental person discourage you. This community does offer such wonderful support. There is a wealth of information on here, so disregard her post.
And to you, Ania, I am going to flip your question around on you. Please show me any literature at all that states that any amount of breastmilk, no matter how small, is NOT beneficial to the baby?

Amanda - posted on 10/01/2010

In my own experience My oldest was born two months early ( I was only 20) weighing 3lbs 9oz. I was fortunate enough to have produced more than enough milk for the first 4 months. She would never latch on b/c she was given a bottle and being young I did not voice my wants at the time on no bottle. Due to stress and being a single mom at the time my milk dried up. I did not have the resources or knowledge to have let my milk dry up like that. There fore I had to give her formula. If I knew as much as I know now about breast feeding the benefits and how to keep your milk going while only pumping it I would've have gone the full year or longer. Formula in my experience was the worst thing for my daughters stomach and intestines..She was always constipated and screaming because of this. Once she was given formula she did fatten up. She was also very sick always had wheezing bronchitis strep throat or ear infections. I wish now I could have gone longer with breast milk. My now 6 year old is very smart taller then the average kinder and is very bright she was just asked to be tested for the gifted talented program at school. Now with my second child I was able to b/f from the breast from day one.. A little trouble with inverted nipples and a lower milk supply on the left side and more on the right. She is only 18~19 lbs. Very petite when put around kids her age. She has only been really sick twice. Once with rsv and the 2nd time with roseolla (spelling?). She dose not have the constipation problems like her sister did. She is a much happier baby then sister. We are coming up on her 1 yr birthday and I always told myself if I make it past 4 months I will be excited. Then it turned into 6 months and then 9 months and before I knew it its almost been a whole year. She was strictly b/f for the first 9 months but seemed to want more now she eats food and b/f like a pro..I highly suggest breast before formula to any new mom. Wish I could have done this for my oldest but it is what it is. I am very excited to have the chance with my lo. Cant wait to see how long she b/f for!! Thank you for letting me share my experience with b.f. and formula feeding. You really should get the whole story on those mom who are supplementing formula and breast milk and maybe with your knowledge you can help them to bf exclusively. I'm very pro breast is best, but when my best friend couldn't get the hang of b.f. even with my help and knowledge some moms have to go to formula and we should not judge them on this. It is not or place to put them down bc they don't b/f.

Ashley - posted on 10/01/2010

I BF exclusively and I did find this post to be mildly offensive especially since you want cold hard facts and aren't willing to hear anything else.

Jessica - posted on 10/01/2010

I also think that some breastmilk is better than none however I have seen formula used as a crutch due to laziness. I am still breastfeeding my 12 month old and was never interested in giving her formula. Once I read the ingredients I was completely turned off. I have family members, MIL, that are not fond off my choice and have been trying to push formula since day 1 which infuriated me. I watched my SIL supposedly "try" BF with both her children and switch to formula within 4 weeks. She also said she was supplementing each time. I call it laziness in this situation as I watched her nurse her second baby and that child was thriving on her milk! She simply couldn't be bothered either time to take the time to feed her child herself. She constantly has grandparents watching her children and I believe it is out of pure laziness and selfishness. In this case there I do not believe her children benefited at all from her brief time bf'ing as formula was always involved. When you do this your body doesn't have a chance to build a good supply from the start. BF'ing every other or every 2 feedings from day 1 is not good in my opinion. I do understand working mom's that need to supplement here and there and i support that because I understand they have no choice. I have become a huge supporter of BF'ing since the birth of my daughter. I could not fathom depriving her from the benefits due to my own selfish reasons as i have seen with my in laws. It really bothers me that more women don't BF when they are capable

Brooke - posted on 10/01/2010

I believe that any breastmilk at all is beneficial. I have to work. When I first started pumping, I did not know that I had the wrong size breast shields which was keeping me from emptying my breasts. I ended up with clogged ducts and mastitis. Obviously, my milk supply tanked. For a couple of weeks we had to supplement with formula at daycare because I could not pump enough for her. And at night when my supply was at it's lowest, I would have to top her off with a couple of ounces of formula because she was still hungry and I was empty. It is incredibly hard to increase your supply when you only have the weekend to do so. Did I consider myself a 'breastfeeding mother' during that period? Absolutely! Another mother reading this post, who might be in the same situation today that I was then, might be extremely discouraged by your comments right now and just give up.
Any breastmilk is better than none. Any at all. Even one nursing session a day. The baby is still getting immunities from the milk and special bonding time with mom.

Daniela - posted on 10/01/2010

The assumption that most mothers supplement with formula out of selfishness is just wrong and Amy's story is not unique at all. In Ireland we have 6 months maternity leave, I believe in the US it's even less than that. Many women simply can't afford staying home without that income - in our case: we'd have no money what-so-ever coming in. I'm lucky in that a) the government supplies free electronic breast pumps, b) I'm only working mornings, c) my partner minds Nina so she doesn't have to 'fit' into a creche, d) pumping works well for me (not a given) and e) I have enough milk to feed triplets. Oh - and then there is that little and often forgotten point that I only have ONE CHILD to look after. I know two women who decided to supplement very early on because they had other small children to look after and weren't coping with the demand of early nursing. Yes - even one bottle of formula a day takes a lot of the goodness that breastfeeding provides away (physiologically) and poses risks. But it still allows the baby to have that close relationship with its mom, the skin-to-skin contact, the suckling on the 'real thing', not some fake nipple. How good is a mom to her baby when she is on the brink of exhaustion, resentful and short-tempered and not coping with the demands of every-day life. Add to the mix a dose of negativity as most of us probably experienced it before, and you have a situation that's bad for both mom and baby. My baby has been breastfed for 13 months now and I'm so proud of that, particularly since it wasn't always plain sailing, but I also understand that different things work for different people, and that some obstacles are only overcome with the right help - and a good deal of compassion and understanding. I think all we can do is support women as much as we can so they won't feel the need to resort to formula. But once they do, I think we have to respect that decision and support them further. If you start judging women for supplementing, then next it's women weaning their babies at 6, 9, 12 or whatever months. We all have to make compromises in our babies care, it's just different compromises for different people. In a perfect world formula would only be used when medically indicated, but a lot has to change for that ever to become a reality.

Jessyka - posted on 10/01/2010

you can't tell me that, at less than one month of age when my son was getting a total of four ounces of formula a day, that i was formula feeding with BFíng as a supplement. i just don't buy it.

in an article on kidshealth.org, which repeatedly states that the AAP and WHO state that you should exclusively BF for six months, there is this quote:

If you are having a hard time pumping or need to go back to work, supplementing breast milk with formula may be the only option if you still want to continue breastfeeding. After all, some breast milk is better than none at all."

http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_n...

i am proud to say that my son has not had a drop of formula since he went through his three month growth spurt right after i went back to work and we didn't have enough expressed milk saved, but the truth of the matter is that an infant with receive the benefits of breastmilk (which are normal) with any amount they may receive.

Erin - posted on 10/01/2010

First of all, I EBF both of my boys for a year. However, I was fed both breastmilk and formula growing up. I was born in May and my mom was a teacher. She didn't have the "gadgets" we do now. There was only one breastpump in the town and it was at the hospital. At around 3-4 months, I started on formula during the day. However, my sister wasn't able to be breastfed as long as I was. Mom taught 6th grade so when she started leaking during the school day, she made a difficult choice to wean my sister to formula only. I know that getting breastmilk longer has affected me in very positive ways. Both my sister and I have PCOS which is a medical condition that can make a woman overweight among other things. I have fewer problems with my weight and that's after two pregnancies while my sister is still childless. So to me, even some breastmilk has more benefits than none at all. Before you make a judgement, listen to a mother's story.

Catherine - posted on 10/01/2010

Laura,

Unfortunately, what we say to new or expecting mothers about breastfeeding can have an enormous impact on the choices they make. I read the article that you posted, and what I found the most interesting were some of the comments beneath the article. I didn't read all of them, as there were many, but right away I noticed some from mothers who had chosen to use formula and were very offended by the second answer to the question. That reaction is exactly what it is important to avoid provoking, as by being more encouraging we might convince them to breastfeed their next child.

Right after my son was born, my milk did not come in and he lost too much weight and became dangerously dehydrated, so I had to give him formula. I was told that he would never get back on the breast, would only use bottles, etc. Well, 3 weeks later when I had built up my supply, he stopped using bottles, and he has refused to use one since. I firmly believe that I did what was best for my son, and that not giving him formula at that point would have made me a terrible mother, not the fact that I gave it to him.

Like many other women, I also had trouble learning to nurse at the beginning. The first few weeks were terrible -- my nipples were cracked and bleeding, I was exhausted, my son screamed all the time -- and the thought that I needed to keep doing it for a year was discouraging. I felt like there was no way I could make it for a year, so why keep going at all? At my son's 2 week appointment, I expressed my concerns to the pediatrician, and he was more helpful than anyone else was. He told me that it got easier at around 6 weeks, so try to make it until then. If it's still not working, then we'd talk about formula. A year sounded unmanageable, but in my head, I could do 4 more weeks, and I did. He was right, it did get better, and at 12 months old, we're still going strong. By being sympathetic, nonjudgmental, and giving me a reasonable goal, he helped me more than he would have quoting the benefits of breastfeeding and the Academy's recommendations. That's what we need to be doing for other women, not criticizing their choices and their struggles.

Amy - posted on 10/01/2010

Ashley that's the point I'm trying to make people "impose" these rules that aren't attainable. Let me put it this way when was the last time you reached out to someone who you knew was going to make you feel guilty for how you've been doing things thus far??? You probably avoid that at all costs someone who is struggling certainly isn't going to reach out when this is the type of post they see! It's one thing to inform and talk about the benefits it's another to say it's the only way and every other way is wrong. You need to look at it as if you needed help on something you know nothing about, you would probably be hesitant to ask in the first place and you certainly would never reach out a second time if you felt as if you were being judged after the first time!

Minnie - posted on 10/01/2010

It definitely is frustrating when so many babies are given something that is not biologically appropriate for them and when so many mother and baby pairs miss out on something as beautiful as a breastfeeding relationship. Have you thought of ways that you could help improve this, Ania? Maybe become a member of La Leche League and help mothers attending your local group?

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/01/2010

*shakes fist at formula companies*. I mean what sounds healthy of giving babies food made by nestle?? The chocolate company........

Minnie - posted on 10/01/2010

Ania, I don't think anyone is contesting your belief that there is no benefit to 'half breastfeeding.'

Yes, there definitely are risks to formula feeding, and mothers should be aware of that. The truth is though, that most aren't and that is because of the formula-culture that we live in. Accurate breastfeeding information is difficult to find, and if someone doesn't even know that it's out there they have no reason to search for it. The responsibility for this mess lies on the shoulders of the formula industry and on the shoulders of healthcare providers and hospitals who need to disseminate current and accurate breastfeeding information. La Leche League has been striving to do this since 1957 and has reached so many mothers through one on one support but they are up against a very strong opponent.

Ashley - posted on 10/01/2010

@Amy
I think your situation is unique and you/your family should be allowed to give a formula bottle without criticism. I do agree that breast milk is the best and women that are just lazy and supplement because they don't want to give their breast or are a little sore are a different story.

Ashley - posted on 10/01/2010

I personally think breast is best. Yes I get sore and yes it is hard sometimes but my baby is 5 months old and weighs 17 pounds. She weighed 8 at birth and hasn't been sick at all. If there is any true testament to breast milk I think that would be it right there. :)

Amy - posted on 10/01/2010

I guess I'm one of those women that's supplementing with breastmilk. I work full-time and unfortunately since I am in charge there are times when I can't pump as often as I need to so the following day my husband may have to give one bottle of formula, or my MIL will give a bottle of formula till I get there to pick the kids up. It's not easy working full-time and bf'ing. I exclusively bf on my days off but I'm out of the house at least 50 hours a week. Before you pass judgement on someone who offers a bottle you should remind yourself that you are not aware of their situation. I personally would live to be home full time but it's not an option for my family so in my case we are doing what's best for us!

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/01/2010

If a woman can be turned off to breastfeeding by anyone, that's really not our fault. Most moms wouldn't abandon something so essential to optimum health just because someone was too extreme about it. That's just punishing their baby for the sake of disagreeing with someone. Not how good moms should act. No matter who says what, giving up breastfeeding is not in your Childs best interest and they shouldn't do it for the sake of arguing. That's just sad.

Catherine - posted on 10/01/2010

I think that if we're trying to promote breastfeeding amongst more women, it's important to avoid this type of judgement. Any breast milk that a baby gets is better than none, and although exclusively breastfeeding is certainly better, women have their own reasons for choosing to supplement with formula. Women who are struggling to breastfeed, or who are trying to make a choice about how to feed their babies, are often turned off by the "breastfeeding nazis" that set goals and rules that many may feel are unattainable. Also, keep in mind that federal pumping laws were just passed, and before the new healthcare legislation, the right to pump in a sanitary way at work was not protected in all 50 states, which may also have impacted some mothers' choices.



What's important is that we support women when they choose to breastfeed, rather than scare them into it or judge them for having a difficult time. "Categories" are not important, women who breastfeed for any amount of time need to feel supported by other breastfeeding mothers, otherwise they may choose to switch to formula full-time.

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/01/2010

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/help...

Laura Zoey - posted on 10/01/2010

I think that the risks of formula feeding are decreased when breastmilk is also being fed. So I think feeding both is healthier then just formula, but the formula will always hinder the Childs full potential in the long run. And if mom is able to produce milk, she is able to produce enough to not use formula. Most times I think it's working moms who can't pump enough to send to daycare babysitters etc. If moms would be able to stay home with their children I think formula wouldn't be such a regular choice. Also if moms were taught how to successfully pump at work, and works were supportive of pumping more moms wouldn't resort to formula.

Ania - posted on 10/01/2010

I just read this great article saying that maybe baby will gain weight on formula but won't really thrive, which means his emotional,psychological and IQ development won't meet its full potential. Also the nutrients in formula are dead nutrients with no antibodies. As for the first part of your response Lisa, I thought of moms who choose formula for their own comfort, just so somebody else can feed their babies, ot so their babies sleep longer, by giving them hard to digest formula...
As for milk production...you will have more milk if you start breastfeeding more it is as simple as that. Real problems with milk production are really rare...
I'm just so angry that there are so many women that don't educate themselves enough about BF.

Minnie - posted on 10/01/2010

It's hard to understand what another mother feels if we haven't been in her situation.



I imagine that those women who do have to supplement definitely feel that they are breastfeeding-baby is still at the breast much of the time, after all- and it probably was a very difficult decision for many to supplement after all of their hard work trying to increase milk production. Others are likely unaware of what it means to use formula.



But to answer your question- no, I don't believe there is any 'benefit' to formula supplementation because I believe there is no 'benefit' to breastfeeding at all. Breastfeeding is the normative way of feeding an infant- it is the standard. Formula-feeding carries risks.