For those of you who strictly formula feed - do you have healthy babies?

Question

My son is 2 months old (and has been breastfed).. I got mastitis in my left breast and now my milk supply has gone way down. I'm supplementing with formula but my breast milk is getting lower by the day so I'm going to have to switch to only formula.
(I use Enfamil Lipil and am going to put him on Enfamil GentleEase)
I know breastmilk is the best form of food .. but I can't do it anymore. I feel bad enough about putting him on formula (so please no rude answers about not giving him breastmilk) ..
I just want to hear from moms who formula feed their babies and hear how their babies are doing on it! (meaning ONLY formula fed, not substitued with breastmilk)
thanks!

Answer 1

I fed my first three kids formula, and now I am feeding my fourth kid formula.

Lactivists will tell you that formula-fed babies are more likely to be sick, have asthma, have lower IQs, and suffer from obesity. However, my kids are very healthy, highly intelligent, and thin. In contrast, I see that several of my breast-feeding friends have obese children with asthma!

As far as I can tell by comparing our children, the food we feed them makes no difference when it comes to intelligence. It's genetics and how much time you spend enriching them.

And don't give me that crap that breast milk is the perfect food for baby, because it also depends on the mother's diet. Too many women make unhealthy food choices and even smoke cigarettes while breastfeeding, all the while looking down their noses at bottle feeders.
Sure, if the mother eats healthily, breast milk should be a great food for babies. In other cases, formula is probably nutritionally superior! (OK, you can all give me your thumbs down now!)

I SUPPORT a woman's right to breastfeed. I SUPPORT a woman's right to bottle-feed. I do NOT support anyone's right to denigrate a woman's choice of what to do with her own breasts!

Your baby will be fine, regardless of what you feed him. You know how I know this? Because you CARE enough about him to be concerned about his well-being. It is your love and caring that will have the greatest effect on your son's physical and emotional health and well-being.

Answer 2

My neice was formula fed from the day she was born.
She had a bladder problem and was on medication for the first 6 months of her life, probably not because of the formula though.
She did have a lot of problems with gas, and her poo alwas smelled worse than other babies poo. She also cried a lot, but I have no idea why. She was a sensitive baby to begin with.
Other than that she was fine. Very few colds, no allergies.

I just have to ask, have you tried using a breast pump to keep up with your supply? That might help you to provide even some breast milk to your little one.

We started supplimenting our son with formula at 10 months old. He did really well on the Enfamil Lipil. We really liked it to, it alwasy seemed to dissolve better. We tried nestle good start once, and not only did the powder clump when the liquid was added, my son refused to drink it.

Answer 3

don't beat yourself up about it.... you have done well to feed for 2 months... we all know that breastfeeding is best etc etc but there are many times when that doesn't work out and babies need formula. it is pretty impossible to say that your baby will be less healthy being formula fed than breastfed.... there are so many different factors causing health problems etc. i think the most important thing you should worry about is whether your son is raised with love, care and attention. i have been lucky enough to breastfeed my daughter, my sister had a baby at the same time and had feeding issues so her son was put on formula. he has had a few more trips to the doctor than my daughter but i think it is because he has an older brother so has been exposed to more germs, viruses etc. he and my daughter are both healthy, robust 18 month olds. look at the adults or even 10 year olds you know and see if you can tell which ones were breastfed or formula fed.... anyway, sorry for going on, i just hate to see mothers feel guilty for formula feeding their babies... good luck...

Answer 4

Please do not feel bad about the choices you make for your baby - i guarantee all the breast feeding fanatics will no doubt have a comment but you do what works for you. I chose to formula feed my baby and he is now 7 months old. i think he had a cold for about 2 days when he was 2 months old but so did every other baby in the mothers group i joined breast fed or otherwise.

Babies on formula are still healthy. I was a bottle fed baby and i am NEVER sick.

Good luck - i hope it all works out for you - the only time i ever heard a negative comment about my choice to bottle feed was on answers and i let people know about it when i was offended.

I dont know the brands you mentioned as i am an Aussie but just chat to your Dr or Pharmacist if you are unsure.

Answer 5

My own 4 children all began life as breast fed babies. The older 2 eventually also received formula, but the younger 2 were breast fed until they self-weaned at 11 months and 14 months. Those babies are now 28, 25, 22, and 10. All are perfectly healthy. In addition, I have been a child care provider in my home for 20 years. Many of the children came to me as infants. Some came with expressed breast milk and some came with formula. No difference in health regardless if breast fed or formula fed. I had mastitis with my second born. It was extremely painful and my milk supply dwindled for awhile, but when I was doing better and went back to a regular nursing schedule again, my supply came back. Decrease the amount of formula you are giving your son and increase your nursing sessions and the milk supply will build back up.

Answer 6

My son was formula fed only and he is very healthy! He never had ear infections or any of the common things that some of my friends' children struggled with. He's almost 10 now. Also, don't be so upset about formula. Look at the older children and adults.. can you tell which ones were breastfed and which ones weren't? No. So, don't worry so much. You are obviously a good mother... regardless of where his dinner comes from. In the scheme of things, that's what really counts. Good Luck.

Answer 7

My son is 12 weeks old and has always been strictly formula fed. He was born at 36 weeks due to BP complications and had sucking issues and wouldn't take to the breast. He is and always has been on Enfamil w/ Lipil & Iron and weighed 7 lbs at birth and was 19 inches long. He is now 12 lbs and 24 inches long and is perfectly healthy.

Answer 8

I breastfeed my daughter for 3 months after she was born. I dealt with the same situation. But i didn't supplement at all I stopped breast feeding immediately and switched to formula. I actually used Carnation Good-Start. But my daughter is a very healthy child. She doesn't get sick at all and she is 2 years old. Not once have I had to take her to the doctor for anything other then a well-baby check-up. She also is well above her age developmentally as well. So Good Luck and don't worry!!

Answer 9

I tried to breast feed my daughter, and it just didnt work out, i was having a lot of complications. She is almost 8 months old now, i give her enfamil with Lipil and Iron because i am anemic and she may be as well. It really doesnt seem like she is developing any different from any other normal baby. she is a healthy size, weight and everything.

Answer 10

All of my daughters were formula fed due to medical reasons,(i could not nurse). They are now 8years,6years,and 4years old. They are completely healthy. I can count the number of times they've been ill on one had. The two older girls are both in the top of there classes. The 8 year old reads at a 5th grade level, and the six year old is learning multiplication right now. My four year old is already reading. All three are very athletic, and active. None are overweight, but not unhealthily skinny either. They are all three short but that's more do to genetics than formula I think (I'm only4'11" lol). Hope this helps.