Will Formula Feeding Harm My Baby?

Will Formula Feeding Harm My Baby?

When a mother has her new child, she faces a tough decision: breastfeed or formula feed? Perhaps a combination of both? Many mothers have reservations about breastfeeding because of the time commitment and concerns over producing enough milk, but also fear that formula feeding could impact their baby's health. Are these fears warranted, or is formula feeding a safe and effective alternative to the natural method?

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Will Formula Feeding Harm My Baby?
  • tlynn
    I find it sad that we are judging each other

    I think it is especially sad that we are even having this debate. I don't personally know of a single mom who didn't at least try to breast feed. I appreciate that LLL and other organizations were very necessary twenty or thirty years ago when the tide had turned against breast feeding. However I believe that the majority of moms today are well aware of the risks and benefits on both sides. I think that breast milk is best whenever possible, however there are a lot of moms that aren't able to provide that for their baby for the entire first year or at all. I think by even having this debate you are just causing undue stress on those moms. My mom battled with breast feeding for three months. I consulted with LLL members, friends, and visited with a lactation consultant at least five times. By the end even my lactation consultant was recommending that I move to exclusive pumping. I was able to pump for until my son was eight months and we have been doing formula for the last two months. Yes, I would prefer to still be giving him breast milk, but that isn't want worked for us. I have enough personal guilt that breast feeding didn't work for us. What I don't need in my life is other mom, who didn't encounter the challenges I did, making me feel like less of a mom or a bad person for a decision that I made to preserve my sanity and my relationship with my son. Please continue to encourage breast feeding. Educate people. Offer resources. But DON'T make people feel scared or guilty when they are using formula.

    - tlynnUS December 8, 2008 7:49AM

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