[unicorn2418]

This debate is getting out of hand as far as i am concerned. The debate over breast or bottle is an old one and most people never stop to think that it is a silly debate. I am not saying that a mother should or should not breast feed I am saying quit bugging moms about it. There are thoses of us out there where the choice was taken from us due to medical conditions and we are rituculed about it by those who think breast is the one and only way to go.
Let me tell MY story.
Dec 29th 1998 after being told since the mid 80's that i would never hanve kids, I was told i was pregnaut. January 24, 1999 i delivered a little boy a month early and my family was stunned. I tried desperatly to breast feed but after listening to my son screamm for hourss after trying to nurce him till my nipples bled my dr and i decided that my body was not coroperating and i needed to bottle feed my son. It broke my heart. But he is a healthy happy 4 year old now. I am now expecting twins in december and my dr and I are trying to help me breast feed them. But I know that if it is not possible again, I will have NO problem bottle feeding them and will have NO guilt about my choice.
There are woman out there who make the choice not to breast feed for their own reasons, fear,convienence, or reloigious reasons, and we as mothers and woman should not fault them for it. After all, whos baby is it? Theirs or yours? You make the choice that is right for you and leave that choice to the next mommy that comes along. Breast milk is best but the bottle is a safe and completly healthy alternitve.
Thanks for letting me rant and tell my side on this topic.
Unicorn

[lemonchutney]

Unicorn, I agree with you. Homemade bread is more healthy than store bread, but we don't get all high and mighty because we bake our own bread, and we don't point disdainful fingers at people who buy their bread at the grocery store. I have better things to do than engage in parental oneupsmanship. Frankly, those who make a hobby of this should get a life.

LC

[veganmom]

Hi there. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on April 11th, via C-section. I was so set on breastfeeding that when we realized that I wasn't making enough milk-somewhere around 5-10 ml a feeding- I was devistated. for 3 weeks we would put him to the breast, for 5-20 minutes each side, then let hime have formula from a bottle. I would attempt to pump to increase the amount of milk I was making in between feedings. (that's how I know approx. how much I was making). We gave up the attempt to breastfeed after 3 weeks, but when he turned 2 months I gave it another try, this time with the pump and drugs. This didn't increase the supply either. So we are only formula/bottle feeding now. It makes me feel very inadequate to not be able to feed my baby, but he has to eat. Oh, gotta go. He just woke up from a nap.

[redhedded]

It makes me feel very inadequate to not be able to feed my baby,

veganmom, I am really sorry that you feel this way! I am a lacto ova vegetarian and have been for almost twenty years (was a vegan shortly, too challenging for me.) Had I given birth, I would have most certainly breastfed my baby if possible, though I have many friends who tried and tried and were unable. I did not give birth but have adopted two babies at birth. I had zero interest in taking the route to induce lactation! I fed both of my babies formula from the first feeding to month 13 for dd. (ds is still on prosobee lipil) They are each the healthiest babes I know, and I have a large large circle of mates. (my son has not been sick before; he is 7 months. My daughter was sick for the first time at 16 months) They are content and as bonded to me as every one of my friends babies are bonded to them after 1-2 years of breastfeeding.

You gave it a solid go. Don't be so hard on yourself.

[lemonchutney]

Hi Veganmom,

I am sorry for your loss in not being able to breastfeed your child. It is natural for you to feel sad and to grieve your loss.

I started to feel better when my son started eating solid foods at about five months. I felt even better when he turned one year old, which is when he stopped formula completely and started milk.

I threw myself into the task of feeding him solid foods. I would introduce a new food every couple of days. If he wasn't ready for the new flavor and texture, I would reintroduce it later. To this day, he has a wide variety of healthy foods he enjoys, which is unusual for a four-year-old.

My point is that I tried to make up for my feeling of inadequacy about breastfeeding by doing an excellent job with other feeding. When you think about it, children eat regular food much longer than they ever breastfeed, so it is perhaps just as important to be diligent in introducing a wide variety of healthy foods and to teach your child to have a joyful experience with eating healthy food. As a vegan, I'm sure you know this. :-)

Also...There are newer formulas on the market that contain the special fatty acids that used to be available in breastmilk only.

I wish you and your baby health and happiness.

LC

[veganmom]

Thanks for your kind words. It's funny that people I have never met can be this understanding and supportive, when people in my life that I consider friends make insensitive remarks. A male friend of ours subscribes to the breast is best theory, which I agree with, but hasn't been very sensitive to our situation. Then again, he will never know what it's like to be in this situation. His wife recently gave birth and isn't having any problems with breastfeeding (thank goodness!).
I am looking forward to introducing our son to solids. I am a great lover of food and can't wait to share the delights of the palate with him. Oddly enough, myself and most of my friends are of the generation that was bottle fed, and we all turned out fine. I have no allergies, or illness of any kind, and so far our son seems to be thriving. He's at the 90th percentile for his age, and he's not fat, he just has a really long body. Most people guess he's at least a month older than he actually is.
In regards to introducing solids, I know you are supposed to wait until 5-6 months of age, but has anyone introduced earlier? My neice has been eating solids since 4 months old and she's doing great, no allergies or reactions of any sort.
Another question. Now that he's almost 4 months old he's been resisting going down for a nap. I have a heck of a time getting him to relax and go to sleep. Bedtime sleep is not a problem. I have a bedtime routine and we have been practicing it for about a month and a half now. I am attempting to introduce a naptime routine, as soon as I figure out when his natural sleepy times are. I am currently tracking them in a log. He goes to sleep at about 6-7pm, and sleeps between 6-7 hours before waking for a feeding and diaper change. Then he wakes up every 2-3 hours until 6am when we get up for the day. So, depending on the night, he gets between 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 hours sleep (when you take into account that he usually wakes up for a few minutes).
Any suggestions would be great! And thanks again for the supportive words in regards to bottle feeding. I suppose that I will feel better when he starts eating solids.
Cheers

[lemonchutney]

I don't remember exactly when he started solid foods. I think it might have been at around 4.5 months. My advice is to check with your pediatrician and get "permission" to start earlier than 5 months.

Someone else might have advice about sleep and napping. To this day, sleep has always been an issue with my son. For example, he almost never naps unless we drive him in the car until he falls asleep. I am the last person who should try to give advice on sleeping.

Back to breastfeeding, I believe one of the reasons infant mortality used to be so high (and remains high in developing countries) might have been the prevalence of babies who have a hard time breastfeeding. Maybe it's something about some babies' mouths and/or some women's nipples that make it difficult for some mother/baby pairs to achieve succussful nursing. This would be one of nature's ways of (cruelly) controlling the size of human populations. We can thank the innovation of bottles and formula to prevent our little ones from becoming weakened by their inability to breastfeed. I am speculating with this personal theory of mine, but I am also trying to be pragmatic.

"Breast is best" is an idealistic position. Walking is more healthy than driving, but sometimes we need to use cars to get to where we want to go. Our main priority should be to raise healthy children not to be perfect mothers.

This is my favorite dissertation on motherhood and the quest for "perfection." Hope you enjoy...
http://ucsummit.org/Sermons/VRS/20010513.shtml

[lemonchutney]

BTW, I know the idealistic breastfeeding advocates strongly deny the importance of nipple/boob-type and so on. But when I was in the hospital trying to breastfeed by son one of the nursing coaches said we had a mouth/nipple mismatch. Thank goodness for the companies that have developed healthy alternatives to help people with mouth/nipple mismatches. :-)

[mommieof2cuties]

I just wanted to add, that I did both, nursed my son, and at night he was given enfamil lipil that has dra etc in it, I have to say that it is so close to breastmilk...his bowel movements were the same and he slept longer on enfamil than on breast milk. But I like that the brestmilk was a good way for us to bond.

God Bless,
Summer