Formula Milk

When I was pregnant I didn’t like the idea of breastfeeding but I said I would at least try see post here.

I did try and it became and still is the easiest option for me, especially night feeds and in the mornings when I can still get my sleep. I will be writing a post in the future on my experiences of breastfeeding in more detail.

However it is a commitment and unless you are good at expressing, which for me I found difficult and is a time consuming and a lot harder than breastfeeding for me anyway,  leaving my daughter was not an option. This suited me as I didn’t want to leave her anyway.

But after turning down a few planned events another wedding was approaching. I could take her if I was breast feeding but I actually didn’t feel that kind of environment was appropriate for my daughter who around 8.30pm likes to go into her own space where we sleep to relax. I also knew that my anxiety levels would increase in taking her.

At this stage she was 21 weeks old and so it felt that introducing formula was an option.

Except this tore me into bits. I felt like I wasn’t ready. I was weighing up the pros and cons what ifs etc.

I felt as though doing this for one night for a few hours away was selfish. But I was also aware that my issues of not leaving her would only get worst and perhaps time alone with the grandparents was positive for her to.

I decided to try her on formula  as practice on Monday 20th August 2018 at 20 weeks.

She seemed to like it. I felt sad in one way but in another I had thought about it. I felt like I wasn’t classed as exclusively  breastfeeding but now a combination feeder. All these feelings went through me.

That night I took her milk up with me to finish. I needed to know that If I was leaving her that she would take a night feed and sleep.

The next day I had a dentist appointment and this was an opportunity to leave her for an hour easing myself in. I mixed her milk and gave instruction to my Mum.

I went away and when I came back I asked her how much she had had. Looking at the bottle still full next to the kettle my Mum shouts through nearly half. I thought it looked a lot less until I walked in the living room and there was the bottle I’d brought down to throw away from last night.

I was devastated. Completely my fault. I rang the company up worrying about causing an upset in my daughters gut.

I rang the 111 number to ask for advice. I’d only been debating how old formula was when it should be thrown away, bacteria etc the day before and here is me Mum of the year leaving 17 hour milk out and my daughter drinking it.

I felt so upset with myself.

She was ok. There was no real worries according to medical advice.

The formula milk that I chose for her is a company that uses whole milk from British farms. I noticed a lot of feeds have semi and skimmed milk in and not from this country. I wanted to know where her milk intake was being sourced from. I highly recommend looking into this company.

I returned to breastfeeding and occasionally if needed, I use formula but I feel that breast is best and I am more comfortable with this, plus I was throwing her formula powder away as waste.

I also started to think about formula when my milk supply seemed to be decreasing. Funnily enough I’d started drinking peppermint tea which I was advised months ago may effect milk supply. Since stopping it my milk has increased. Interesting.

Below is a screen shot off the company I use Kendalmil