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I know this can be quite a controversial topic but I'd really like to get some views on this (remembering to be objective).
Has anyone chosen to formula feed exclusively from birth? If so, what prompted this decision??
Has this had an super positive/negative effects on your child?
Would love to hear your views/opinions/experiences!
Out of necessity I had to with my last baby as I only had colostrum for the first day and then nothing at all - ever, so it wasn't immediately after his birth, but by the end of the second day we were using it while I still tried to get my milk in. We never had any issues health wise with him. he is a really robust little boy and apart from one bout of gastro that lasted about 3 days and the minor ear infection, tonsilitis and cold he has just recovered from (who HASN'T had a cold or the flu this year though already? Our entire family went down with it at once) he has never been sick. We've had no other detrimental effects either, and apart from the cost of it, and the PITA of having to make bottless etc it's not been an issue. Personally though if I had any other choice I would have taken it, as getting the colostrum is so very important IMO. I would much rather not use it at all, but I played the hand I was dealt. If I was that way inclined to know I would not want to BF, I would still do it for the first few weeks as I do think it helps in the post partum period immensely - not just from a feeding perspective, but also for your own sake and making sure that the afterbirth pains from feeding help contract the uterus etc.
I will just move this to the formula feeding area too to ensure utmost support for you :)
I FF DD from birth. I had a pretty bad experience with DS and the thought of attempting to BF DD when she was born just filled me with absolute dread.
It worked out well for us, except she couldn't tolerate cows milk formula, and eventually we switched to goats milk formula. I think we have worked out that its the added iron in the cows milk formula, not the actual cows milk, cos she is fine with cheese and yoghurt. Goats milk formula doesnt' have any iron in it.
She had a hard time attaching to the bottle teat too, and had to learn how to suck correctly - it took months, so I'm glad I didn't attempt it because it would have been a whole other hell for me!! (it took 20 minutes in the hospital to get her to latch onto a bottle!!)
She is a perfectly healthy little monster too :D Hardly ever gets sick.
I am going to attempt to BF #3 though.
I tried unsuccessfully to BF my first...I cried and cried and the first 2 weeks were hell for me...tramatic emergency c/s plus no milk at all. I felt like I had failed my child and was more consumed about trying to BF him then love him
Second time round (DS2) I decided from point dot that I was not doing that to my baby and wanted to be able to bond with him straight away rather then be emotionaly twisted in myself...so he was exclusively FF...im glad he did cause he did not like me holding him and cried all the time.....later on it was discovered that he has autism and explained alot for me. So I was super glad that I didnt put the added pressure or trying to BF on top of a non touching baby IFYKWIM.
I have no regret's..... all my children have been nurished in different way's to the each other and they have all responded the same....they became healthy normal children who are happy and alert.
All in all though you have to do what you consider right for you, baby and family. Dont listen to negetive words from others...they arent the one's walking in your shoes every day
Bella was FF from day 2 as I didnt even get any milk - no colstrum no nothing so I had no choice! Bella is a healthy and happy and alert baby girl! I have had my issues with FF'ing (my own emotional issues) but Bella has had no ill efectd from Formula and she is in the 97th percetile for all her stats - she is off the charts for her height.
If you want to FF from birth - then thats what you do! We all have to do whats best for us and our bubs!
Hi! I was FF from birth, my mum had such a terrible time with my brother she didnt want me going anywhere near her boobs! LOL I was also soy FF as I couldnt keep the other stuff down and I turned out just fine. No allegies, no asthma perfectly healthy thank you very much :clap:
Thank you for your replies girls, I'd really like more feed back on this....
I'm not considering choosing FF from birth for myself, I'm just getting an understanding. My personal choice is for bubs to get colostrom and see what happens from there, I stressed myself out so badly for Blake not being able to breastfeed due to an early birth, I tried relactating and failed which sent me into a spiral of PND which lasted up until 2 months ago when I weaned myself off some pretty potent AD's. So, mu approach this time is to take it as it comes. I'm no "desperate" to BF...but I'd much prefer too IYKWIM?
both my sis and i were Ff from birth , no issues with us .
i had pnd with ds's pregnancy and i had/have major touch issues so the thought of anyone near my boobs really freaked me out , i told everyone i was going to bottle feed, that choice made me feel excited and liberated that i didnt have the pressure on me to BF.
his birth didnt really go well so i thought id owed it to him to bf . he had poor attachment along with post c sec comps , i just wished someone would say "just use the bottke , he'll be fine"
but i had a huge supply of milk so i learnt how to express. even after 5 days in hosp , he still did not attach .so we hired a pump and i bottle fed him ebm for about 5 mths , i tried and tried to get him to lactch , and at 2 months it worked , but i prefered bottle feeding , at about 7 mths my ebm journey ended , and i was relieved it was over . he went on to formula and we were all happy , he did get sick alot during the 6 mths he was on formula, but now hes as strong as an ox .
i would have been happy to ff from birth if i knew what was in store . as i suffered sooo badly with pnd that 1st year, but i lived and learnt from it . and i have learnt as a mum to listen to YOUR heart , BF may be best but FF is second best and thats OK if you ask me .
Palmer has been FF from birth.
It was always an option but became nessescary because I went straight into Adult Special Care Unit and couldn't even hold her, let alone feed her. I never had any engorgement, no sore breasts, no leaking, no milk, nothing.
The only problem we had is that we had to change formulas becuase poor Palmer had MAJOR problems with constipation.
I was in MBU for 3 weeks with PND and know that things would have been worse if I had breastfed becuase I wasn't happy with the concept in the first place.
It is a very personal decision and yes, while Palmer has had a cold I don't think it is in any way related to her being fully FF. She is a normal, strong and healthy girl so far.
I didn't get milk with any of my babies. I tried BF the 1st but he screamed constantly and refused the breast so I put him on formula at a few days old. I decided to FF the other 2 after that experience. I had no issues at all with formula.
DS has been FF from 5 days old he only had 2 days of breast milk and hes not had a cold or any kind of sickness yet but i did give him the colostrum so i think that helped i suppose its up to u wat u do
My mum & I had similar experiences with BFing the first 2 times. We both struggled with no support for a few weeks, then gave up before we were ready.
3rd time around mum put my sister straight on FF. She didn't want to stress & struggle the same way she'd already done twice.
I persisted & got it to work the 3rd time though. I felt like I had to because I had to make up for the time I missed with my girls. Scared of the horrible PND coming back. It still did, but not for long, & there were a million other reasons...BFing is what kept me going!
We are all happy & healthy enough. My sister & oldest DD suffered asthma (DD still does), but it is genetic in our families. DD2 suffers from eczema, but that is also genetic, so not sure if either are linked in anyway to the lack of BM.
The main thing for me was guilt. Only because I tried so hard to get it right & failed.
I'm glad I found this thread. Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences.
I've still got a few months to wait before the whole BF dilemma is real but at the moment the thought grosses me out. I've told DP I will try but I don't expect it to work. If its best for the baby and its free -- it sounds like its the logical thing to do. But I just don't want to. Did anyone else have these feelings?
The thought of BF never really sat well with me for several reasons.
I gave it a go because I felt pressured to and by the time I came home from hospital after 2 days, I KNEW I HATED IT.
So I stopped.
I had plenty of milk, bubs attached fine (although he did like to chew and was a very hungry baby) but the thought of him attached to me 24/7 for 6 months, made me want to run and hide.
I gave him one BF when we got home, cause everyone said it will be much nicer when you are in your own bed, but, NUH, not for me.
Formula has its drawbacks and I am not going to kid myself and say its as good as BF, but I am a happy mumma and my baby is wonderful and completly normal and healthy.
Dont know what I would do for the next bub, but for sure, I wont feel guilty if I do decide to FF :)
I've been interested in this topic too and wonder what I would do next time?
DD was 10 days old and DS was 2 weeks old when put on formula. DD is 5 and very rarely sick, no known allergies, asthma or skin conditions. Happy, healthy and no learning difficulties so far. DS is only 4.5 months, but hasn't had any illness yet. (touch wood)
For me breastfeeding was very painfull and stressfull even though I researched, had help with attachment got advice from proffessionals and persisited as long as I could. I chose to go on to formula feed, for mine and my babies' sake. (mentally and physically for me) I know a lot of people have no issues with feeding though.
I dearly wanted to BF DS this time and have found myself feeling bad about it not working out, but with DD I wasn't too phased.
I think I would try BF'ing again, but I would be nervous about it not working out. I know if I went straight to formula I wouldn't have the stress and pain I had before, but would feel guilty and that I wan't doing the 'right' thing. ('Breast is best' and all the health studies/benefits that you hear of and read, and the percentage of people that do judge you for not breastfeeding)
Bjrose, nice to hear you had success 3rd time around :)