If I didn't breastfeed for the first 2 months...

[boogiebearlove]

I have a 4 month old daughter that I haven't vaccinated at all yet. I'm trying to get as much info as I can about it, and I decided that if I did give her anything it would be delayed until 6 months at the earliest. Now that 6 months is coming up I'm thinking more like a year
If I don't vaccinate, I keep hearing and reading that it's best if the child is breastfed for the first 2 years and kept out of child care environments. That works for us for the most part, except that we struggled with breastfeeding a great deal the first 2 months. By 8 weeks she was exclusively breastfed, and for the first 7 days she only had breast milk, but between 2 and 8 weeks it was about half and half with formula. I may post this in the breastfeeding forum as well.

My biggest concern is that I somehow "ruined" her tummy/immune system/everything else by giving her formula so young, and I wonder if doing so means that I should more seriously consider vaccinating? Does anybody have any information about how formula in a baby's system may make them more susceptible to disease, and if the age that the baby received formula affects it at all?

[Marnica]

I wouldn't worry about it frankly. The fact that she is breastfed now and will be in the future is great. Just because she had some formula doesn't mean her immune system is ruined!!! In fact 100% formula fed babies shouldn't be vaccinated just because they are forulma fed either. Think about it this way....if formula fed babies have less robust immune systems, why would you want to go and vaccinate which would further supress the system?? Makes no sense.

Do your research and concentrate on boosting her immune system naturally!!

[tanyalynn]

I think it takes about 6 weeks after the last supplementation for the gut to get back to being like an exclusively breastfed baby's. IME there are a lot of other factors besides the traditional ones (being breastfed, attending daycare, like that) that affect the immune system, and a lot more ways to deal with illness than most people know about (I know I've learned a lot in the past 2 years).

ETA: Oh, and I forgot to say, whatever was going on, congrats on weaning off the formula! Sounds like a lot of work, so good job!

[Gitti]

I read somewhere that a child that is formula fed had a greater chance of a vaccine reaction. Because of the questionable ingredients in the forumla (MSG and aspartame?).
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/formulacopy.html (don't look if you don't want to know, it doesn't change anything now.)

One reason might be that vaccines also contain aspartame, which is a neurotoxin. http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...al.html?cat=68

Antibiotics and vaccines are also a very bad combination and almost sure to cause a severe vaccine reaction.

Fevers and vaccinations is a very dangerous combo as well.

Of course I would not vaccinate under any circumstances but for sure NOT if I had a formula fed child.

Not everyone can bf right off the bat. You are doing a great job. Stick with wshat you are doing now and keep your child vaccine free. Research some more, and you will be so glad you didn't vaccinate. Please, don't vaccinate unless you are 100% sure that your child can not live without it. Otherwise, don't mess up what nature has designed so mastfully. You may really regret it.

[boogiebearlove]

Thanks!

Thank you guys so much! I'm glad I posted here. I need all the info and ideas I can get - it's such a rocky road when looking for concrete evidence on both sides of the debate.

[just_lily]

My baby only received breastmilk for the first three weeks, and has been 100% formula fed since (it is a long painful story, I REALLY wanted to bf, and am still heartbroken about this, so no judgement please). Although I would much prefer for her to still be getting the immunological benefits of breastfeeding, formula doesn't in any way make vaccines safer.

[Deborah]

Five children, born in the 40s and 50s. First two formula, third (me) bf 3 months, fourth bf 11 months, fifth bf 7 months. All unvaxed. All survived childhood. And in those days there were some childhood diseases going around: measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and we caught all of them. Except whooping cough.

So it is possible to survive infancy without vaccines, even formula fed.