Breast Milk vs. Formula

I am an advocate of breastfeeding. I think breast milk is the best thing for your baby and you should attempt to breastfeed if at all possible.

That said, I know it can be difficult for a lot of moms and then there are those whose lifestyle does not fit with breastfeeding so they opt for formula.

Here is my story...

As I have stated previously, I had a birth plan. That plan included breastfeeding and NO FORMULA. I was adamant. Unfortunately for me, my milk did not come in until day 5 after giving birth. My cousin got me what she referred to as her "Bible": The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I read it trying to get an idea of what to expect when Willow was born. La Leche League says that even if it takes that long (5 days) for your milk to come in, your baby is getting all the nutrition they need via the colostrum your body is producing. Never mind if your baby loses almost a pound of her birth weight in the first two days of life because she isn't getting food.

The second day after Willow was born, she was crying hysterically for a long time and I was concerned that she wasn't getting the milk she needed from my breasts. I had never had a baby before and I didn't know what to expect as far as when my milk should come in and how it should feel. So, I thought that I would pump and see what came out of my breasts. I was horrified to discover that just about nothing was coming out. Willow was crying because she was hungry. Sobbing my eyes out and feeling like a complete and utter failure, I asked my husband to make some formula. (We had been given a sample at the hospital) After eating an ounce or so, Willow went right to sleep. It was like a miracle had happened.

I was still determined to give her breast milk. So, every time she ate, I pumped. I figured that if she was on a colostrum only diet, that's what I'd be doing anyway, right? And it worked. Day 5, my milk came in. The only problem? Willow would not breastfeed. I talked to her doctor about it and she said it's a simple matter to get her to latch on. I knew this involved making her go hungry until she took milk from my breast and I was not willing to go that route. I minimally regret that decision, but what's done is done and I am very happy with how things turned out.

After my milk came in, I would pump when she was drinking a bottle so milk was always ready for her the next time she ate. However, after a few months when she was sleeping through the night, I found myself getting up in the middle of the night to pump milk in order to keep my supply steady. I did this for some time since I knew breast milk was best and I wanted my baby to have the best. However, wanting to be better rested for both myself and for Willow I gave up pumping during the night and had to supplement her nutrition with formula. (I stopped pumping altogether when Willow was 6 months old.)

When it comes to formula, I have standards. While all formulas provide the same essentials when it comes to nutrition, and it is completely unnecessary to buy brand named or pre-mixed formula, I have a preference and buy Enfamil Lipil. You don't have to do that. There is a great article on the Mayo Clinic website on Infant Formula. It pretty much sums up everything I have read from many sources.

The bottom line? Although all infant formula must meet FDA requirements, there are differences among them. For instance, Good Start is made with 100 percent whey protein, while Similac and Enfamil are made with a combination of whey and casein proteins, like breast milk. As with most consumer products, brand-name infant formulas cost more than generic brands. But that doesn't mean that brand-name formulas are better. All infant formulas sold in the United States must meet the nutrient standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although manufacturers may vary somewhat in their formula recipes, the FDA requires that all formulas contain the same nutrient density.

So, don't let someone tell you that brand name formula is better or that you are doing your child a disservice by buying powdered formula instead of premixed since it's pretty much all the same. And don't let anyone tell you that you are doing your child a disservice by feeding them formula. In my generation (Gen X) about 70% of babies were formula fed (including me) and we all turned out just fine.