Honest question about baby formula.

[GH85Carrera]

I have no kids, I have never changed a diaper, or bottle fed a baby.

I am of course a world expert on how to properly raise children!

I have a simple question about baby formula. No politics here please!

From a very quick internet search I found:

Regulation of the formula industry began in 1929 with the formation of the Committee on Foods (formed by AMA, The American Medical Association). The committee on Foods’ role was to approve the safety and quality of formula composition. Various new Formula brands emerged before the Infant Formula Act passed in 1980. This set minimum and maximum standards for many nutrients in formulas and mandated testing and manufacturing standards.

I do know I was breast fed. My mom was a full time mom, but long dead so I can't ask her if I was ever fed formula. In the 1950s formula had to be pretty new and revolutionary.

I do understand that many mothers don't produce enough milk to provide the nutrition a baby needs. Other mothers are not able to produce any milk. and adoptive mothers don't have any milk. Many fathers raise babies and have to feed a baby something.

So baby formula was invented in the 1929. For thousands of years mankind raised children with wet nurses, and infant mortality was high. Baby formula no doubt saved many children's lives.

We have a bunch of grey haired grandfathers on this board. Did you feed your kids or grandkids formula?

When do you remember formula become normal?

I know about as much about formula as I do what is best diaper, paper or cloth. I have no desire to learn about diapers, but formula is all over the news constantly. What say you?

[id10t]

I was adopted... so bottle fed for me.

When our oldest was born, wife wasn't producing enough so she got bottle. Second child production ramped up but he got both boob and bottle. Same with 3rd child.

[RNajarian]

My son was born on an early morning Thursday 2011. My wife did not start lactating until the following Sunday/Monday. By Friday evening he still had nothing to eat since being born. I was oblivious to baby formula since I had been a dad for only one day.

I expressed concern that my wife was not lactating and my son must be hungry to a nurse. Her reply, “ You could supplement him with formula if you want.”

We breast fed for six months with formula supplementing mothers milk. Without the formula, he would not have had enough nutrition to develop properly.

The lack of ample formula in this country is a bona fide crisis. I hope the elected officials get off their asses and work together to solve the problem. A C-17 shipment from Europe is not going solve the problem.

[stomachmonkey]

No issues with my daughter, breast fed.

My son never latched on. My wife tried pumping, that didn't work either. He also had colic so it was a real struggle finding a formula that he could tolerate.

As I understand it the lack of product really boils down to one major producer not being able to manufacture product.

Therein lies the danger of near monopolies.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

...I know about as much about formula as I do what is best diaper, paper or cloth...

WIfes cousin tried cloth. They had a real tough time conceiving, ended up going surrogate but that's another story.

Anyway, yeah cloth, better for the environment, all that waste, landfills, cloth is healthier for the baby, yada, yada......

My wife and I just nodded in agreement while side eyeing each other.

No surprise, the cloth phase did not last very long.

[vash]

i wish i was heavily lactating. (<---in green font)

total hearsay, but as i understand it, some women are making big money selling breast milk as a side hustle.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by vash

i wish i was heavily lactating. (<---in green font)

total hearsay, but as i understand it, some women are making big money selling breast milk as a side hustle.

When I was living in Alabama, at my first job I worked with a black man. His daughter was working as a wet nurse, and nanny for a white wealthy family. She raided the kids, and was able to feed them herself and have enough for her own child.

[Nordwest]

Both of my daughters were breast fed. We were lucky and it was all good. My wife stayed at home for several years.

[Evans, Marv]

My mother breast fed the three of us. I don't know if formula was available then. I'm supposing there were wet nurses to fill in if women couldn't supply enough milk for their kids. I'm pretty much clueless about it, especially since I don't have kids.

[vash]

i also dont have kids.

i am however married to a woman that worked with new mom's as a nurse. i have sat in on many a happy hour where all the nurses started talking about work. and breast milk.

the topic was always kinda facinating. nature and nurture all rollle up into one. my wife asked my mom if i was breast fed and my mom said, "no". not sure why.

[911 Rod]

My boys were born in 86 and 88. Both were breast fed, but supplemented with formula for convenience. Pretty much what my grandson is getting.

[masraum]

cloth diapers are much more of a pain. If you can have a diaper service, they are a little easier.

disposable diaper - stick it on, wait until it's full. Baby mostly doesn't notice or care if it's #1 since the diaper absorbs it and doesn't feel wet to the kid. Change it, roll it up in a ball and put it in the trash. Done!

cloth diaper (I've never used but have heard a bunch about them from my mother and wife) - put on cloth diaper. Put on rubber pants so that when the kid goes in the diaper, the stuff does not soak through. The kid doesn't like it because they feel wet. The downside of that is that you probably need to change right away. The upside is that because the kid is not as comfortable in a wet/used diaper, I've heard that the kid is more motivated to become potty trained. Once the diaper is "full" you take off the diaper, clean the kid, put on a new diaper, and keep the old diaper in a container. Then periodically (if you have a service) someone picks up the old, dirty diapers and drops off clean diapers.

the smell of baby poo that's getting mother's milk is very slight/mild. The smell of baby poo that's getting formula is much stronger. Babies also get a lot of their early immune system development from mother's via milk which will not happen via formula.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by vash

my wife asked my mom if i was breast fed and my mom said, "no". not sure why.

I think the rest of us are

We, well, my wife, did both: The Titty Fairy showed up on time and it was spectacular.

I know, I know...Lance Romance.

BTW, there was no cloth diaper service in our part of the world in the mid/late 90's so disposable diapers for the win. I think I'll prefer cloth...

[Seahawk]

Red...got it. Let's try and keep the OP's intent. Your excellent post is better served in the other thread in PARF.

I am the third child...I am lucky I got a drop of the real stuff since both of my older sisters could could apparently drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool while watching "I Love Lucy" with my Mom.

I am 18 months younger than the second sister so whatever formula, no doubt laced with nicotine, cocaine and alcohol, was BLD for me.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by red 928

the FDA SHUT DOWN a major producer
over false pretenses.
Several kids died and the manufacturer of formula
was blamed and forced to shut down even
though an extensive investigation proved
that the bacteria DID NOT come from
the formula.
And even after the proof was out there
the FDA kept the plant shut down.
The FDA was weaponized to attack a company
that was seen as an enemy of the
people in charge.

Then the company CEO was told that if he wants
to stay out of jail, he must take the
blame an apologize as if any of it was their fault.
And that was apparently a very effective
strategy given how the gullible have eaten
it up without question or thought

After consumer complaints Abbott issued a voluntary product recall and voluntarily shut down the one facility.

FDA and state OSHA both went into the plant to investigate. Numerous violations were found, none related to the deaths.

[pwd72s]

Born in 1943..adopted. No idea what kind of formula was used, but must have worked.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

When I was publishing FirstTime Dad magazine, we'd go to childbirth tradeshows and sign up Lamaze teachers, childbirth educators, nurse midwives, doulas, etc. to carry the magazine and give copies to their studuents/patients.

Nearly every single one who signed up said they would not give it out if we carried formula advertising. Anything else was fine but they were vehemently anti-formula.

[mjohnson]

In reality - ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I was a formula kid, some claim it reduces IQ so maybe my parents were trying to make it more fair for the other kids...

Our little one was born at 25 wks and couldn't even try to get on the teat for a few months, then never really took to it. Combo of pump-juice and formula was what kept her going. Thankfully mom never bought into the whole political/social side of it so there was no guilt or concern of any type other than getting nutrients into the kid.

[flatbutt]

Both of my children and all of my grand children were breast fed....and are as healthy as you'd wish.

I worked in the industry back in the 80's and it flew out of our warehouses.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

... Anything else was fine but they were vehemently anti-formula.

(keeping it apolitical) - Holy heck, ours was still on a vent in the NICU and the mommy-juice crowd came in nearly daily to preach the benefits of breast milk. I'm like "lady, that's the least of our issues right now...

As others have said, formula has saved millions of babies who otherwise couldn't get fed. It might not be "best" but it beats the alternative, and it got our kid through that stage.