Tag Archives: Breastfeeding

Formula Doesn’t Make Me a Bad Mother

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I guess I said it all in the title of the post…but I suppose I could elaborate a bit.

When I first became pregnant, I was all in for breastfeeding.  I called my insurance company and ordered a pump, I read books, articles, and blogs on breastfeeding twins.  I was a regular visitor to the La Leche League website (complete with fancy sketches).  I had every intention in the world of exclusively breastfeeding my twins for at least the first 9 months of their lives, and I joined the ranks of women who look down on mothers who formula feed (gasp!)

Then, the babies arrived.  6 weeks early, no less.  In the NICU, they immediately started giving them bottles to put weight on them.  I worked with the lactation consultants at the hospital, some of whom were very wonderful, some of whom were….ahem…not.  I not-so-fondly-recall a LC literally grabbing my breast and shoving it into the mouth of my newborn preemie daughter the second she started rooting.  Very uncomfortable for us both, although I’m sure I enjoyed it the least.  My friend tells a story in the hospital of the LC going “Squeeeeze it like a Biscuit!”  Where do they get these analogies?  And WHO squeezes biscuits?  I’m from Kentucky, practically the biscuit capitol of the country, and everyone knows you have to be gentle with biscuits.  But, I digress…

So, I struggled to produce enough.  I pumped, yes.  A lot.  Not as much as I needed to.  Yes, I used Fenugreek.  Yes, I was committed and loved my babies.  Have you ever tried taking care of TWO premature newborns while power pumping?  Not easy.  So, after 3 months of not producing enough, I QUIT!!!  You know what?  They still seem fond of me.  They’re still growing quickly, still smart as can be.  We’ve still bonded.  I’m not knocking the benefits of breastfeeding – trust me – the amount of nursing I did, I truly enjoyed the connection with my twins.  But, can we please stop this area of Mommy Guilt?

In honor of stopping the mommy guilt, I will share with you a modern invention that has CHANGED MY LIFE.  The Baby Brezza Formula Pro Mixer.  I cannot stress how much of a help this has been.  Some people think it’s lazy to not just shake a bottle, but they don’t know what in the world they’re talking about.  I used to spend AN HOUR every night washing and preparing the bottles in the fridge for the next day.  So, I’ve compiled a list of why this is awesome:

  • Less wasted formula.  With the formula mixer, I’m not preparing 6 or 8 oz bottles ahead of time for a baby that may only want 4.  I can put 4 in, knowing I can easily and quickly go back and add another 2!
  • Fewer dirty bottles.  Because I have twins, I can use a bottle, then go back for a refill for baby #2.  If you use Dr Brown’s bottles like I do, you know this is a big deal.
  • No waiting for the bottle warmer.  At 3am with 2 crying babies, fixing a couple of bottles in 30 seconds is huge.
  • Correct temperature and consistency every time.  Need I say more?

Now, here are my tips on using the Formula Pro, because like everything else, it isn’t perfect.

  • Every couple of bottles, pull out the funnel and wipe it down, as well as the opening above it.  Powdered formula can clump and collect there if you don’t, then you won’t be getting enough actual formula with the water.
  • Remember to empty the water container regularly and clean it.
  • If it beeps when you’re making a bottle, go ahead and take the time to refill it.  Your brain isn’t functioning properly right now.  You’re sleep deprived and you’ll probably forget.  DO IT NOW.

Experiences with breastfeeding or formula feeding you’d like to share?  This is a “mommy guilt”-free zone.

Be looking for another post on how I wrangle the Dr Brown’s bottles for the dishwasher.  Yes, I have a method for everything.  😛