Now...what is in formula? DHA? "gentle tummy" proteins? Who knows? That's what the cute commercials say. True that we all feel it is the best alternative when babies cannot receive Mom's milk. Question is...what is in formula? Is it truly safe? Who regulates it? Is it continually regulated by quality control or only approved when introduced to the market? Why is it constantly recalled? How do we find this out? I guess I am wondering who holds these mega-corporations responsible and how? Respond if you can help! Off to research it myself. Seem to remember learning about some opiate-derivative to make them sleep more but not sure about it. Will let you know. Hurry. Anxious to hear feedback!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Powdered milk...hmmm
Think about it. For those of you who drink alternative dairy sources - soy, almond, lactaid, coconut, etc...it was probably somewhat of a difficult transition to get used to that particular product. Now, imagine being told one day that you have to open a can of formula then mix it with water and pour it over your cereal. Thoughts? Now I will admit I have never tasted breast milk, which is the baby's alternative here, and we can all assume that the baby's palate does not get excited until solids are introduced. Neither option sounds appetizing atop my frosted flakes but at least we know for sure that babies love breast milk and were made to drink it. We know a lot about it. It has been researched extensively. The proteins, fats, and other components are made by Mom just to match her baby. We know it is safe.
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uhh... just read an article about a formula brand getting recalled due to contamination by beetles or their larvae... eh!? that's nast
ReplyDeletethanks for getting the discussion started. should be awesome!
Dorothy that is disgusting! OK so here's a question- as we have been told to expect the milk protein allergy to worsen with each baby.....Abi was EXTREMELY colicky and they narrowed it down to milk protein issue. Ezra had extreme discomfort + bloody stools....oh it was so hard as a MOm. We tried everything within a short period of time, but since the whey/ casein was potentially going to take weeks to clear my system...we did Nutramigen ($$$)! and he was almost immediately fine from there. Now....3rd baby coming.....ANYTHING I can do? I really want to avoid what we had with Ezra (or worse). Not only for poor baby's sake, but b/c we are self-pay for all the testing, etc- AND I do not think my sanity could take! So, ...any direction?
ReplyDeleteMer - There are certainly situations where formula is needed and that is just the reality. Then follows the "guilty Mom syndrome" which I hope to address ASAP and have so struggled through. If you are worried about milk protein allergies for baby #3 I would share your concern based on your history with the other 2 but there is also a chance this little one will have no problems. Casein and whey, if removed properly, should be mostly out of your system within 10-14 days. Kellymom.com has great resources for this type of diet. I am about to try this out myself and may be able to blog about it in hopes to help others. I would ask your pediatrician but see no reason why starting out fully breastfeeding would be problematic. You could start out at delivery dairy-free and then introduce it slowly as baby grows and with medical guidance. This is how many BF moms handle this issue. More to come...can't wait to meet the new one!!!!!=)
ReplyDeleteYEAH!!!! So encouraging....no, for some reason I did not think to go casein and whey-free before Ezra was born, or even at delivery. And, having done it before, (with ABi) I remember very well that while there were many foods I could not eat, I could still have DUNCAN HINES brownies and plenty of other treats that were fine...I DO love dairy....to this day, Ezra prefers almond milk and yet actually loves the really healthy Stoneyfield and greek yogurts...cheese. That's it. I am fine to give him almond milk and honestly it wasn't that popular 5 yrs ago so I am excited about being able to have it this time. Do you know, if we could breastfeed successfully, it would save us in excess of $400 + / month?!? I mean that's how much Nutramegin was 5 yrs ago. Thank you so much for the encouragement and the prep! Nate is thrilled to hear this....( to not go crazy though, I am going to have to get a pump and try to be a pumper,,,......I NEED someone else to be able to feed the child from time-to-time! so that we can maintain some sanity:) love you, M
ReplyDeleteDid research the formula recall issue and am sad to report it is way worse than I thought. Follow the link below. I got it from Kellymom.com which is a reputable sight. if you read the reasons why the formulas were recalled it is astonishing!! Almost every company is represented. What scares me the most is that there are probably so many more errors than what gets reported. Also, what does this mean for Moms when they feel they have no other option and it spins them into the "guilty mom syndrome?"
ReplyDeleteHere is the link:
http://www.naba-breastfeeding.org/images/Formula%20Recalls.pdf