Thursday, 19 November 2009

• One Mom's Diary: Why I Switched To Formula

  Guest Post by Supermom Central
  

  Please welcome my sweet sister, Lynsey, who is a total Mom-spiration to me! She's an awesome mom of 2 lucky little ones, a fantastic writer (you'll love her blog), and a totally amazing sister- plus she's by far the most hilarious person I know. She was kind enough to share with us her struggles to nurse her babies and the difficult process she went through to find the right solution for her.

  When I had my first child, there were complications while breast feeding. Caleb had health problems and was not gaining weight quickly enough or at all, really. To top it off he screamed pretty much all of the time. It went way beyond "colic."

  Even though I was an inexperienced first-time mom, my intuition told me that something else was wrong.
  

  After talking with the pediatrician I decided to alter my diet to see if what I was eating was affecting what he was getting from me. For 3 weeks I basically ate bread and apples. Not only was it torture, but it did not solve his problems. After 5 weeks of trying to nurse him, the choice was taken from me and I was advised by the pediatrician to solely give him formula. Even though his crying did not cease, there was an immediate change in his weight gain. I was happy that he was doing better, but I felt like a breast-feeding failure.

  With my second child I was determined that my nursing experience this time around would be different. From the minute she was born, Leah seemed like a pro at breast feeding. She latched on quickly and didn't seem to have any problems. I thought I was in the clear. However, at about 10 days old, the screaming began again. The screaming seemed to coincide with her stomach, which would start growling--not in hunger-- about 10 minutes after she ate. Bringing her out of her sleep, she would cry out as her stomach made its own noises. Sigh. I began limiting my diet again but it didn't seem to help. So I decided to start pumping and try formula. I tried formula for colicky babies, ones to soothe fussiness and gas. Finally, in a last-ditch attempt, I tried soy formula. And my screaming, belly-growling baby transformed overnight. She slept from 10pm-6am without waking up once.

  From that day on she was different. She stopped crying unless she needed something and turned into a cooing, chunky, happy little girl. The soy formula worked! So why did I feel like a failure again when my baby was feeling better? My personal belief is that breast-feeding is best for the baby. It is the most natural thing we can do. And in a world full of over-processed, chemical-saturated food, I truly felt relief in knowing that I was providing something pure for my child (before Mac & Cheese takes over to rule their world). So when there is a problem with what you feel is "best" for your baby, how do you decide what to do?

  The short answer is to listen to your Mother's Intuition, no matter what others say. Nobody knows your baby better than you, nobody knows what you go through each day as you mother. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Gather info., get advice, but in the end - trust yourself.

  Next week I'll be posting a continuation of this article with specific tips - techniques you can try before making the switch, tips on how to know what works and what doesn't. So stay tuned!

  And if you are currently using formula, you can go here to sign up and get great coupons!

  Do you breastfeed or use formula?  What factors led you to make your decision?
  

  
  
  

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