Considering the fact that at 19 months I am still breastfeeding and have previously supplemented with formula, I feel like I have a lot of room to touch on this subject.
I started supplementing when my daughter was about 4 months old. I was working at a hospital on the cardiopulmonary floor for 12 hours, 3 days a week. Had I thought about it prior to giving birth, I would've tried to start a supply of milk. Since I didn't, it made things much harder when I had to go back to work.
Some days I wish I was a stay-at-home mother-- but I would probably just lose all my sanity.
Anyway, like I said, I ended up supplementing with formula once it got harder for me to pump at work. I never wanted to give her formula. I always thought it would defeat the purpose of nursing her. She would have formula while I was at work and nurse when I was home. She's always been such an easy going baby when it came to change, so she took to it just fine. But I would feel so guilty about it. What it came down to though, is that she was being fed. I have tried my hardest ever since
the day she was born to give her the healthiest meals and snacks. At one point I even thought that I would only allow her to be vegetarian. One day, I finally realized that all of those things were great, I always want her to be healthy, but what is just as important, is that she eats at all.
So I stopped beating myself up about it.
What I will never do is shame another mom because she feeds her child(ren) a different way than I do. It's really none of my business. I might want to intervene if someone isn't taking care of their children at all, but it is not my place to interject my opinion on someone who is doing their best to make sure their kids have what they need.
The whole point of the phrase "Fed Is Best" is to say that as long as your children are fed -- whether breast milk, formula, feeding tube, etc., nothing else matters as long as your children are happy and healthy.
Please leave a comment and tell me if you agree or disagree. I'd love to hear from you!
Some days I wish I was a stay-at-home mother-- but I would probably just lose all my sanity.
Anyway, like I said, I ended up supplementing with formula once it got harder for me to pump at work. I never wanted to give her formula. I always thought it would defeat the purpose of nursing her. She would have formula while I was at work and nurse when I was home. She's always been such an easy going baby when it came to change, so she took to it just fine. But I would feel so guilty about it. What it came down to though, is that she was being fed. I have tried my hardest ever since
the day she was born to give her the healthiest meals and snacks. At one point I even thought that I would only allow her to be vegetarian. One day, I finally realized that all of those things were great, I always want her to be healthy, but what is just as important, is that she eats at all.
So I stopped beating myself up about it.
What I will never do is shame another mom because she feeds her child(ren) a different way than I do. It's really none of my business. I might want to intervene if someone isn't taking care of their children at all, but it is not my place to interject my opinion on someone who is doing their best to make sure their kids have what they need.
The whole point of the phrase "Fed Is Best" is to say that as long as your children are fed -- whether breast milk, formula, feeding tube, etc., nothing else matters as long as your children are happy and healthy.
Please leave a comment and tell me if you agree or disagree. I'd love to hear from you!
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