Newby

After the free formula is gone, then what?
Do you have free medical care?
"Tig" wrote in message
. ..
I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt
have
that kind of formula. So they gave it to me. Formula here costs about $6
US
for a can of the powdered kind. We checked on ebay to do what you said a
couple months back, but it seems that the going rate for formula is just
over two dollars on ebay for what we have. And we have about 10 cans of
it,
so its not really worth it, as fruits and veggies are expensive here, and
it
wouldnt last too long. I can also get a free can of formula every week
from
the health dept. So one can I can sell for just over 2 dollars, but in
reality for 2 dollars at the grocery store I can get a pound of apples.
I was also told that if my body doesnt have the nutrients, it cant pass it
on to the baby, so therefore the baby doesnt get everything he needs.

We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula feed.


Nina wrote in message
t...
also,breastfeeding would probably deplete your body of nutrients. but
the
milk would probably be ok, starving mothers can nurse babies, the babies
get
bigger and the mothers get smaller
not that i endorse starving mothers

"Tig" wrote in message
. ..
I know all the benefits and whatnot from formula, and I understand it.
I
understand what some of you are trying to tell me.
But even my midwife suggested I formula feed too, as well as breast
feeding.
My dh and I are living in poverty until June, and my body is not
getting
what it needs for me or for baby as my midwife said. Im lucky this
pregnancy that so far I have been getting parental support for food
while
pregnant but my parents can not afford to help us pay for groceries
for
now
on.
My midwife was concerned and spoke with a pediatrician about this. So
formula will also have some of the nutrients that my body doesnt have
that
the baby wont get. Trust me, all I eat is rice, mac and cheese and
sometimes
we have cereal.
So for the nutrients the baby wouldnt have enough of, from
breastfeeding,
Im
going to supplement sometimes. My midwife suggested me using Avent
bottles
or the new playtex nursers since it doesnt encourage that lazy feeding
problem... so I put them on my registry when I had my shower.
Trust me, if we could afford for me to eat fruits/veggies/dairy I
would
breastfeed. But right now living off $35 CDN (about $25 us)a month for
groceries is hard as heck for the two of us. Which is only until
May/June.
We are here in Canada, so we dont get WIC (I use to live in Utah and
heard
of the services there). But here where I live theres nothing but the
foodbank which doesnt even give you fruits/veggies/dairies or bread.
They
just give you a small box of canned food , which half of it is
expired.
My
midwife told me not to go that route again.

Sorry if I have offended anyone.



Tig wrote in message
.. .
Hi there,

Im a newby ... just came from mkp.
In a couple of days I will be induced, and so therefore I am reading
up
as
much as I can on breastfeeding.
Now, I've read a lot, and done a lot of thinking as to what I want
to
do.
I
am going to breastfeed, but I am also going to formula feed as well
(after
a
couple of weeks of breastfeeding thats when I will start that, but
still
b.feed too).
Is there any recomendations on what kind of formula I should try? I
was
thinking Nestle Good Start.

Thanks,
Sara

"Teresa Chandler" wrote in message
...
"Tig" wrote
I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt
have
that kind of formula.

Just something to think about. What if your baby can't take that kind,
either? Then you may have messed up your milk supply to get yourself in a
worse bind, money wise. Most of us are urging you to start formula
feeding
after about 3 months, not trying to talk you out of formula altogether
(though we probably would that, too, if we thought there was hope). It's
just that any formula can really undermine a breastfeeding relationship if
you introduce it at a few weeks.

snip
We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about
it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula
feed.

I understand that. There are just many people on this newsgroup who know
someone who wrecked their breastfeeding relationship by starting to
combination feed too early. I understand your concerns about money,
really
I do.

As far as nutrition goes, though, I just wanted to mention this. Frozen
veggies are more nutritious and far cheaper than "fresh" ones -- that is,
ones at the store. Yeah, if you picked them off the plant, you'd get more
nutrition. I just thought you might want to know that, since you are in
money problems. I've been there, and frozen veggies in big bulk bags are
the way to go!

Teresa

To be honest, if u are that poor, a baby can get a high quality milk from a
mother who has a diet of nothing but beans rice and potatoes.There are
people in cultures that eat no vegetable matter and their babies do well.
Beans, rice, potatoes and a daily vitamin combined witht he mothers
nutritional stores,should be more than adequate.
Something to remember is that a breastfed baby is less likely to be sick,
wont need bottles, nipples, stuff boiled etc.

Tig wrote:

I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt have
that kind of formula. So they gave it to me.

And if your baby can't have it?? You'll have possibly screwed up your
supply of perfectly good breastmilk to feed a substandard substitute for
nothing, and then will be stuck having to buy formula anyhow, and
possibly, if you have triggered food sensitivities, you will need a very
expensive brand that the health dept won't supply. I've worked in a
pharmacy and I've seen this precise situation occur. And the risk of
health problems later should be figured into the cost.

Things may be better financially in May, but for your child, those are
the critical 6 months that SHOULD BE BREAST FED EXCLUSIVELY, ANYHOW.
Supplementing sporadically with formula is folly, and if people are
advising you to go this route, they aren't well informed sources.


Formula here costs about $6 US
for a can of the powdered kind. We checked on ebay to do what you said a
couple months back, but it seems that the going rate for formula is just
over two dollars on ebay for what we have. And we have about 10 cans of it,
so its not really worth it, as fruits and veggies are expensive here, and it
wouldnt last too long. I can also get a free can of formula every week from
the health dept.

You can make far superior milk yourself at home for free. Ask the
health department for some food aid for yourself. You're thinking very
short term, it seems.

So one can I can sell for just over 2 dollars, but in
reality for 2 dollars at the grocery store I can get a pound of apples.
I was also told that if my body doesnt have the nutrients, it cant pass it
on to the baby, so therefore the baby doesnt get everything he needs.

What about now, as he's forming? Someone else mentioned frozen
foods,etc. It really doesn't sound like you've explored many avenues of
possible assistance, nor realistically considered all that you should
before deciding your course of action.


We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula feed.

How very sad, then. I can't think of anything else to say. I don't
know who you have talked to, but even in teh third world, where mothers
are undernourished, breastfeeding exclusively is the way to go, and WHO
and other medical groups agree.

In fact, people here are (wrongly) told (by people who should know
better, like nurses, drs and midwives) that they should wean to formula
sooner because "those guidelines are for undernourished third world
women who should nurse longer"....I'd say you are likely in a similar
nutritional situation as someone in the third world......

I really hope you ditch this plan and nurse your baby exclusively. You
could do some research into exactly what your breastmilk will be
lacking, but I think you'll find that the answer is "nothing".

Your midwife and pediatrician are wrong. Concerned, but wrong.

Dawn

"Nina" wrote in message
t...

"Teresa Chandler" wrote in message
...
"Tig" wrote
I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt
have
that kind of formula.

Just something to think about. What if your baby can't take that kind,
either? Then you may have messed up your milk supply to get yourself in
a
worse bind, money wise. Most of us are urging you to start formula
feeding
after about 3 months, not trying to talk you out of formula altogether
(though we probably would that, too, if we thought there was hope).
It's
just that any formula can really undermine a breastfeeding relationship
if
you introduce it at a few weeks.

snip
We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about
it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula
feed.

I understand that. There are just many people on this newsgroup who
know
someone who wrecked their breastfeeding relationship by starting to
combination feed too early. I understand your concerns about money,
really
I do.

As far as nutrition goes, though, I just wanted to mention this. Frozen
veggies are more nutritious and far cheaper than "fresh" ones -- that
is,
ones at the store. Yeah, if you picked them off the plant, you'd get
more
nutrition. I just thought you might want to know that, since you are in
money problems. I've been there, and frozen veggies in big bulk bags
are
the way to go!

Teresa

To be honest, if u are that poor, a baby can get a high quality milk from
a
mother who has a diet of nothing but beans rice and potatoes.There are
people in cultures that eat no vegetable matter and their babies do well.
Beans, rice, potatoes and a daily vitamin combined witht he mothers
nutritional stores,should be more than adequate.
Something to remember is that a breastfed baby is less likely to be sick,
wont need bottles, nipples, stuff boiled etc.


That's true. I just knew she was very insistent that she needed fresh
veggies, fruit, and bread. Veggies that are frozen are cheaper. Of course,
cheapest is beans, rice, lentils, etc. And they are more nutritionally
sound than other choices. Not macaroni and cheese or cereal-- these are
nutritionally poor and more expensive, unless you mean fortified cereals
like breakfast stuff, which is better nutritionally, but just plain
expensive. Oatmeal for breakfast -- a two dollar box can go for two weeks.
Eggs are another cheap source of protein, as well.

Teresa

Yes, clearly Tig should drink the formula and lactate it back to her child
in a form the child can use -- her midwife might be overlooking the obvious.

"Teresa Chandler" wrote in message
...

"Nina" wrote in message
t...

"Teresa Chandler" wrote in message
...
"Tig" wrote
I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and
couldnt
have
that kind of formula.

Just something to think about. What if your baby can't take that
kind,
either? Then you may have messed up your milk supply to get yourself
in
a
worse bind, money wise. Most of us are urging you to start formula
feeding
after about 3 months, not trying to talk you out of formula altogether
(though we probably would that, too, if we thought there was hope).
It's
just that any formula can really undermine a breastfeeding
relationship
if
you introduce it at a few weeks.

snip
We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people
about
it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula
feed.

I understand that. There are just many people on this newsgroup who
know
someone who wrecked their breastfeeding relationship by starting to
combination feed too early. I understand your concerns about money,
really
I do.

As far as nutrition goes, though, I just wanted to mention this.
Frozen
veggies are more nutritious and far cheaper than "fresh" ones -- that
is,
ones at the store. Yeah, if you picked them off the plant, you'd get
more
nutrition. I just thought you might want to know that, since you are
in
money problems. I've been there, and frozen veggies in big bulk bags
are
the way to go!

Teresa

To be honest, if u are that poor, a baby can get a high quality milk
from
a
mother who has a diet of nothing but beans rice and potatoes.There are
people in cultures that eat no vegetable matter and their babies do
well.
Beans, rice, potatoes and a daily vitamin combined witht he mothers
nutritional stores,should be more than adequate.
Something to remember is that a breastfed baby is less likely to be
sick,
wont need bottles, nipples, stuff boiled etc.


That's true. I just knew she was very insistent that she needed fresh
veggies, fruit, and bread. Veggies that are frozen are cheaper.

Im with you on that. I keep tons of frozen veggies here,no seasonal price
fluctuations adn they are better than canned or "fresh".

Of course,
cheapest is beans, rice, lentils, etc. And they are more nutritionally
sound than other choices. Not macaroni and cheese or cereal-- these are
nutritionally poor and more expensive, unless you mean fortified cereals
like breakfast stuff, which is better nutritionally, but just plain
expensive. Oatmeal for breakfast -- a two dollar box can go for two
weeks.
Eggs are another cheap source of protein, as well.

If you can cook, you can eat well on little money. Save money on convenience
foods and meats, eat lotso f cheap staple foods and use the savings for
fresh fruit etc

Teresa

Our government pays for our medical care here. As for when the free formula
runs out... we get one can a week up till when the baby is 6 months old. By
the time our baby is 6 months old we will not be in this financial situation
anymore...


Nina wrote in message
t...
After the free formula is gone, then what?
Do you have free medical care?
"Tig" wrote in message
. ..
I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt
have
that kind of formula. So they gave it to me. Formula here costs about $6
US
for a can of the powdered kind. We checked on ebay to do what you said a
couple months back, but it seems that the going rate for formula is just
over two dollars on ebay for what we have. And we have about 10 cans of
it,
so its not really worth it, as fruits and veggies are expensive here,
and
it
wouldnt last too long. I can also get a free can of formula every week
from
the health dept. So one can I can sell for just over 2 dollars, but in
reality for 2 dollars at the grocery store I can get a pound of apples.
I was also told that if my body doesnt have the nutrients, it cant pass
it
on to the baby, so therefore the baby doesnt get everything he needs.

We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about
it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula
feed.


Nina wrote in message
t...
also,breastfeeding would probably deplete your body of nutrients. but
the
milk would probably be ok, starving mothers can nurse babies, the
babies
get
bigger and the mothers get smaller
not that i endorse starving mothers

"Tig" wrote in message
. ..
I know all the benefits and whatnot from formula, and I understand
it.
I
understand what some of you are trying to tell me.
But even my midwife suggested I formula feed too, as well as breast
feeding.
My dh and I are living in poverty until June, and my body is not
getting
what it needs for me or for baby as my midwife said. Im lucky this
pregnancy that so far I have been getting parental support for food
while
pregnant but my parents can not afford to help us pay for groceries
for
now
on.
My midwife was concerned and spoke with a pediatrician about this.
So
formula will also have some of the nutrients that my body doesnt
have
that
the baby wont get. Trust me, all I eat is rice, mac and cheese and
sometimes
we have cereal.
So for the nutrients the baby wouldnt have enough of, from
breastfeeding,
Im
going to supplement sometimes. My midwife suggested me using Avent
bottles
or the new playtex nursers since it doesnt encourage that lazy
feeding
problem... so I put them on my registry when I had my shower.
Trust me, if we could afford for me to eat fruits/veggies/dairy I
would
breastfeed. But right now living off $35 CDN (about $25 us)a month
for
groceries is hard as heck for the two of us. Which is only until
May/June.
We are here in Canada, so we dont get WIC (I use to live in Utah and
heard
of the services there). But here where I live theres nothing but the
foodbank which doesnt even give you fruits/veggies/dairies or bread.
They
just give you a small box of canned food , which half of it is
expired.
My
midwife told me not to go that route again.

Sorry if I have offended anyone.



Tig wrote in message
.. .
Hi there,

Im a newby ... just came from mkp.
In a couple of days I will be induced, and so therefore I am
reading
up
as
much as I can on breastfeeding.
Now, I've read a lot, and done a lot of thinking as to what I want
to
do.
I
am going to breastfeed, but I am also going to formula feed as
well
(after
a
couple of weeks of breastfeeding thats when I will start that, but
still
b.feed too).
Is there any recomendations on what kind of formula I should try?
I
was
thinking Nestle Good Start.

Thanks,
Sara

Health Dept will only give you one milk voucher a week, or one can of
formula a week. No food.


Dawn Lawson wrote in message
news:%9Rwb.495794$pl3.258189@pd7tw3no...


Tig wrote:

I got a lot of free formula back when I was 5 months pregnant from a
friend
of mine who bought it in bulk, and then her baby was born, and couldnt
have
that kind of formula. So they gave it to me.

And if your baby can't have it?? You'll have possibly screwed up your
supply of perfectly good breastmilk to feed a substandard substitute for
nothing, and then will be stuck having to buy formula anyhow, and
possibly, if you have triggered food sensitivities, you will need a very
expensive brand that the health dept won't supply. I've worked in a
pharmacy and I've seen this precise situation occur. And the risk of
health problems later should be figured into the cost.

Things may be better financially in May, but for your child, those are
the critical 6 months that SHOULD BE BREAST FED EXCLUSIVELY, ANYHOW.
Supplementing sporadically with formula is folly, and if people are
advising you to go this route, they aren't well informed sources.


Formula here costs about $6 US
for a can of the powdered kind. We checked on ebay to do what you said a
couple months back, but it seems that the going rate for formula is just
over two dollars on ebay for what we have. And we have about 10 cans of
it,
so its not really worth it, as fruits and veggies are expensive here,
and it
wouldnt last too long. I can also get a free can of formula every week
from
the health dept.

You can make far superior milk yourself at home for free. Ask the
health department for some food aid for yourself. You're thinking very
short term, it seems.

So one can I can sell for just over 2 dollars, but in
reality for 2 dollars at the grocery store I can get a pound of apples.
I was also told that if my body doesnt have the nutrients, it cant pass
it
on to the baby, so therefore the baby doesnt get everything he needs.

What about now, as he's forming? Someone else mentioned frozen
foods,etc. It really doesn't sound like you've explored many avenues of
possible assistance, nor realistically considered all that you should
before deciding your course of action.


We have thought a lot about this, and have talked to many people about
it,
and feel that this is the way we are going to go. B.Feed and formula
feed.

How very sad, then. I can't think of anything else to say. I don't
know who you have talked to, but even in teh third world, where mothers
are undernourished, breastfeeding exclusively is the way to go, and WHO
and other medical groups agree.

In fact, people here are (wrongly) told (by people who should know
better, like nurses, drs and midwives) that they should wean to formula
sooner because "those guidelines are for undernourished third world
women who should nurse longer"....I'd say you are likely in a similar
nutritional situation as someone in the third world......

I really hope you ditch this plan and nurse your baby exclusively. You
could do some research into exactly what your breastmilk will be
lacking, but I think you'll find that the answer is "nothing".

Your midwife and pediatrician are wrong. Concerned, but wrong.

Dawn

How do we afford internet access? Let me explain our situation here. My
husband is in the military. He is in his 4th year of getting 2 honors
degrees. The school we are at is like the USA's WestPoint military academy.
So its free education. The reason why we only get very little money a month
is because most of the cadets are not married, they are single and around 20
years old. (were 22). We also get free internet access from the college,
dial up, but its free.
My hubby graduates and then automatically becomes an officer in the military
and will be making 4x the amt of what hes making now...so it really does
help.
If it werent for that, we wouldnt be paying for our internet access, and
would be getting twice as much food as we are getting now.
You say my baby may be bad off now, from what Im eating. But Im praying to
god that he is healthy and beautiful.
My midwife is also aware of nipple confusion of course. Thats why she
suggested those bottles that I said.
Mac and Cheese is pretty cheap here... .50 cents canadian gets me and my
hubby a meal.
As for the parental support... my parents arent rich. In fact, far from
that. My mom sends me about $25 a month for groceries, and if it wasnt for
that we wouldnt have anymore. As for how am I going to pay for formula? Its
free.
As for the homeless shelters and food, yep I knew that. My midwife helped me
look into it. But unfortunately I dont qualify to get the free hot meals
there, because I do not live there. As for welfare, unfortunately we 'make'
too much to qualify. The military looked into it for us. A family of 3's
income needs to be under $1030 CDN a month or less inorder to get welfare.
My husband just makes a few dollars more than that a month, but then minus
taxes, minus military fees that they make you fork out, and minus rent which
is already discounted for us by half, we only have a certain amount to pay
gas, hydro, and a couple of other bills. Every month some bills are left
behind.
Certainatly I do not feel comfortable talking about my financial situation
to tell you why I am not on welfare.
Seems like Im getting a heck of a lot of negativy here, which is making me
really bawl my eyes out right now. Thought Id come here for some support,
where I told people here would understand. You know what? AT LEAST I AM
going to breastfeed most of the time... This thread was quite insulting to
me.

Take care everyone... I'll try to look elsewhere. And thanks to those who
were understanding... or at least somewhat understanding.



Dawn Lawson wrote in message
news:XqQwb.495529$pl3.172167@pd7tw3no...



How do you afford internet access? Surely that money could go better
towards decent food.
Seems to me your baby is bad off NOW if you're eating as you say you are.
This plan sounds rather ill-thought out, and based on poor advice, imo.
I would seriously suggest seeking some other opinions from that of your
midwife if she thinks the food bank isn't worth even half a box of
canned foods, and has no other option than suggesting expensive formula
over breastmilk, and isn't aware of nipple confusion issues,and has no
problem with the idea that you're eating kraft dinner, rice and "cereal"
(whatever you mean by that...oatmeal? sunny boy? CornFlakes?). (This
is WITH parental support? What happens when they can't support you?)

This sounds very third world Nestle-ish to me. "don't try to nurse
100%, your baby won't get what it needs, here...take this can of
formula". Why isn't your midwife suggesting other ways to help you?

How are you going to pay for the formula?

Where in Canada do you live? There are homeless shelters that offer hot
lunches in a lot of places, etc.

Geez, even if you go into a grocery store and tell them you have pet
rabbits and get the veggie trimmings you'd be better off. (The
trimmings are fine, just the outer lettuce leaves, bruised fruit and
such. We used to get them for our rabbits and snack ourselves.
Aesthetics, not nutritional value problems)
Church groups? Welfare? Mennonite Center for Newcomers?

Dawn

As I stated before... its free.
Larry McMahan wrote in message
...
Tig writes:

: But even my midwife suggested I formula feed too, as well as breast
feeding.
: My dh and I are living in poverty until June, and my body is not getting
: what it needs for me or for baby as my midwife said. Im lucky this
: pregnancy that so far I have been getting parental support for food
while
: pregnant but my parents can not afford to help us pay for groceries for
now
: on.

There are several things you don't take into account here. First the cost
of formula is MUCH MORE than the cost of breastfeeding. I don't know how
you are planning to pay for the formula but it is a HELL of a LOT more
expensive than adult food of any kind!

: My midwife was concerned and spoke with a pediatrician about this. So
: formula will also have some of the nutrients that my body doesnt have
that
: the baby wont get. Trust me, all I eat is rice, mac and cheese and
sometimes
: we have cereal.

Regardless of what nutrients YOU are getting your breastmilk will surely
have better nutrients than formula! Even if you are undernourished, you
will produce better food for your baby than any commercial formula could!

: So for the nutrients the baby wouldnt have enough of, from
breastfeeding, Im
: going to supplement sometimes. My midwife suggested me using Avent
bottles
: or the new playtex nursers since it doesnt encourage that lazy feeding
: problem... so I put them on my registry when I had my shower.

Some babies have problems with nipple confusion and bottle prefrence
regardless of the type.

: Trust me, if we could afford for me to eat fruits/veggies/dairy I would
: breastfeed. But right now living off $35 CDN (about $25 us)a month for
: groceries is hard as heck for the two of us. Which is only until
May/June.
: We are here in Canada, so we dont get WIC (I use to live in Utah and
heard
: of the services there). But here where I live theres nothing but the
: foodbank which doesnt even give you fruits/veggies/dairies or bread.
They
: just give you a small box of canned food , which half of it is expired.
My
: midwife told me not to go that route again.

Again, if you can't get WIC or food, how and where are you going to get
the
formula. From a health standpoint, even if you could get free formula,
you
should mix and eat it your self, then breastfeed your baby!

: Sorry if I have offended anyone.

Ditto, no one is offended. We just thing your planning is not very
realistic.

Good luck,
Larry