Why not give it a try, but have some boundaries of how much effort you will make before you switch to formula. All formula is regulated and of sufficient quality - you don’t need expensive European formula to assuage your guilt over doing what’s best for you and your family.

My kids are 5 and 7 now - and I have no clue which of their friends were formula fed, even the ones I knew as infants.

With my first, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I don't know why, I just did. I had some issues with supply and she had a tongue tie but we worked it out with the help of a lactation consultant and pediatric ENT. I breastfed until she was 9 months old. It got tough to manage pumping and work, plus she went on a nursing strike. I supplemented with formula for a couple of weeks and loved the freedom it gave me so I switched to all formula.

I'm breastfeeding baby #2 now and he's 8 months old. Breastfeeding came easy with him. If I were back at work in person, I probably would have switched to formula by now but I'm home and it works.

You can do formula and breast milk if you want, OP. Or you can breastfeed for a few months. It's not all or nothing. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Oh FFS. What an idiotic thing to say. You never once had a bite of something you maybe shouldn’t have while pregnant or nursing. Do not pay attention to this idiot, OP. Formula is safe and healthy. Good luck with the baby.

Yes I can say with certainty I never ate beetles while pregnant or nursing. I agree that fed is best, but it’s irresponsible for people to say there has never been an issue with formula. There are, and regularly, so someone choosing formula should be watchful for them.

Find a lactation consultant who has dealt with flat nipples before.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Good for you. Not everyone has that luxury. I would rather feed my kids well regulated formula than donor milk from a woman I don’t know. How do you know that person eats a healthy diet, doesn’t take drugs, is following proper storage and sterilization? You don’t. I would never do it. I know people who buy donor milk from sites that are not regulated and the milk didn’t screened. It seems very unsafe to me.

Donor milk from a milk bank is rigorously screened and tested for illness of the donor, as well as for drugs. It’s what is given to infants in NICU, so yes it’s extraordinary sterile. Buying random milk off Facebook is of course irresponsible but that’s not what the poster said.

What is simply not the case is the assertion that there was never a recall of a major brand of formula. I would definitely call similac a major brand, and I think most people would be pretty horrified at the idea of feeding their babies something contaminated with beetles.

Except that most ppl cannot access donor milk from a milk bank. It is mostly reserved for premature babies. So unless you are talking about babies who can get donor milk, your point is irrelevant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Oh FFS. What an idiotic thing to say. You never once had a bite of something you maybe shouldn’t have while pregnant or nursing. Do not pay attention to this idiot, OP. Formula is safe and healthy. Good luck with the baby.

Anonymous wrote:I nursed longer and longer with each baby. I was an over-producer and donated with my last two. I was not paying for crap formula! I'd look for donor milk before I'd feed my baby something so packed with chemicals and subject to recall

Do NOT listen to this. Fed is best. If I’d listened to this kind of nut job. Fed is best.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Good for you. Not everyone has that luxury. I would rather feed my kids well regulated formula than donor milk from a woman I don’t know. How do you know that person eats a healthy diet, doesn’t take drugs, is following proper storage and sterilization? You don’t. I would never do it. I know people who buy donor milk from sites that are not regulated and the milk didn’t screened. It seems very unsafe to me.

Donor milk from a milk bank is rigorously screened and tested for illness of the donor, as well as for drugs. It’s what is given to infants in NICU, so yes it’s extraordinary sterile. Buying random milk off Facebook is of course irresponsible but that’s not what the poster said.

What is simply not the case is the assertion that there was never a recall of a major brand of formula. I would definitely call similac a major brand, and I think most people would be pretty horrified at the idea of feeding their babies something contaminated with beetles.

PP never stated whether her milk donor milk was from milk bank or a random person. Many people use random people evacuee donor milk from milk banks is very expensive. You never know what is coming from those people. I don’t want my baby drinking fluid from another person, milk bank or not. Formula is fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Good for you. Not everyone has that luxury. I would rather feed my kids well regulated formula than donor milk from a woman I don’t know. How do you know that person eats a healthy diet, doesn’t take drugs, is following proper storage and sterilization? You don’t. I would never do it. I know people who buy donor milk from sites that are not regulated and the milk didn’t screened. It seems very unsafe to me.

Donor milk from a milk bank is rigorously screened and tested for illness of the donor, as well as for drugs. It’s what is given to infants in NICU, so yes it’s extraordinary sterile. Buying random milk off Facebook is of course irresponsible but that’s not what the poster said.

What is simply not the case is the assertion that there was never a recall of a major brand of formula. I would definitely call similac a major brand, and I think most people would be pretty horrified at the idea of feeding their babies something contaminated with beetles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Good for you. Not everyone has that luxury. I would rather feed my kids well regulated formula than donor milk from a woman I don’t know. How do you know that person eats a healthy diet, doesn’t take drugs, is following proper storage and sterilization? You don’t. I would never do it. I know people who buy donor milk from sites that are not regulated and the milk didn’t screened. It seems very unsafe to me.

Anonymous wrote:I surprised myself with how much I wanted to nurse my babies because I thought I would opt against before my first was born. I never made enough to sustain my children exclusively breastfeeding but I had a lovely nursing/comfort nursing relationship with them anyway.

To the hateful PP screeching about formula—in the 3 years I fed formula to my 3 kids there was never a recall of a leading formula brand. Formula is safe and works great.

Similar was recalled because of beetle contamination. You got lucky in the timing of your kids using formula but a major brand absolutely has been recalled. It was still considered “safe” with the beetles in it but it’s not something I would have fed my child.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/09/22/130052702/beetle-contamination-leads-to-similac-formula-recall

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I nursed longer and longer with each baby. I was an over-producer and donated with my last two. I was not paying for crap formula! I'd look for donor milk before I'd feed my baby something so packed with chemicals and subject to recall

Gross- I would never want to feed my baby some random person’s bodily fluids. To each their own.

Op, you can’t go wrong. Give it a try but combo feeding or formula feeding is great!

True story - I met a woman who purchases breast milk for her SEVEN year old. He gets at least 2 ounces every day.

She claims he had tumors and the breast milk cured them, but I dunno.

Anonymous wrote:I nursed longer and longer with each baby. I was an over-producer and donated with my last two. I was not paying for crap formula! I'd look for donor milk before I'd feed my baby something so packed with chemicals and subject to recall

Gross- I would never want to feed my baby some random person’s bodily fluids. To each their own.

Op, you can’t go wrong. Give it a try but combo feeding or formula feeding is great!

My first is five months - I went into it assuming I’d have issues, would use formula, etc. But, baby came out, latched perfectly, and has been eating like a champ ever since. Is it annoying to pump 3x during work? Hells yea. But baby loves it, I love feeding her the rest of the time, and it’s just easy because it’s easy FOR US. Do what works for you, but I’d give it a go for the first bit. You never know if it might be easy for you, too, without trying. You hate it? Can’t do it? Baby hates it? Switch! Don’t overthink it. Get off the internet and go w your gut 😀

I chose to ff from day one with both my children. I feel confident in that decision. They are both healthy, smart, and attached to me.