Why I chose to formula feed
What do you feed your baby? Breast milk? Formula? Pea or soy milk?
Booby? Bottle?
What made you choose this way of feeding?
Did you have to choose a different method down the road?
Whatever you feed your baby is a choice you made with the best intentions. A baby is only a baby for 1 full year, and then we are free to choose a different source of nutrition all together. Depending on whether or not your baby shows signs of allergies to cow milk, sheep milk, goat milk, you can also try Pea protein or soy. So does it really matter whether we breastfeed or bottle feed?? Hell. No.
As long as your baby is nourished properly, which works out with most alternatives of feedings, that’s the most important thing.
My reasons
When Isabella was born, all my intentions were pointing to breastfeeding. After all, it’s what did with Jackson and he was a champion breastfeeding baby. But for whatever reason, Isabella didn’t take to nursing easily. Of course I gave it a solid effort for the first 2 months of life. She wouldn’t suck longer than 30 seconds and then she’d start screaming. Every time! This was so damn stressful that I dreaded feedings. She never even found comfort in nursing, maybe fell asleep at the breast a couple of times in her life.
All I wanted was to relax on the couch with her, on my nursing pillow, and have a nice, calm feeding session. It’s what I looked forward to with my new baby. But it just never happened. She either didn’t like the fast flow, or it was too hard to suck, or maybe she felt smothered. I didn’t know how to fix this, she just wouldn’t feed properly and because of this, she was hungry. And a hungry baby won’t sleep. So she was starving and exhausted. I was so stressed out that I would cry during feedings. Finally Tristan said, “I think we should just get her on formula”.
How did this make me feel?
I was hesitant but he was right. This baby needed to eat and she wouldn’t nurse, what else could we do?
At first I felt like my body was failing my baby and it made me want to figure out a solution. I pumped for awhile but it wasn’t enough to put in a bottle for her whole feeding. I just wanted her to drink and be satisfied.
So we made the decision, we bought the gentlest kind I knew of, and tried it out. She took to it, and feedings became peaceful, she was happy and full, she slept great, and mama was relieved.
Should you switch to formula?
First of all, try talking to your doctor if there’s a problem. If your baby is nursing and finding comfort and security through nursing, there’s NO NEED to switch.
But in the end, this is completely up to you, and can’t hurt if nursing isn’t working out. Don’t beat yourself up if you HAVE TO switch to formula, your baby will get all their nutrients and you haven’t failed for choosing this option. That baby will only need it until 12 months anyways! Fed is best!
You got this mama!
Links for:
- Enfamil gentlease formula
- Medela breast pump
- Phillips Avent bottle set
