the formula samples are staring at me

[curious&eager]

Now I understand why they send a decent size can of samples in the mail. I just got another one in the mail yesterday, so I added it to my little collection. Well, here I am tired and depressed. Looking at the can I couldn't help but think, "It would be so much easier to use formula than I can have a break and dh could help out."
It was a very tempting thought. We'd planned on giving them to a sister that is bf and supplementing, but when I shared with my husband about the cans and me feeling like I want to quit breastfeeding because I'm so tired, he answered sweetly, "I can make those cans disappear for you."
I'm not giving up breastfeeding. I'm just down right now and I see how the formula makers can convert someone in a moment of weakness.
But dh is here for me and helped me feed the baby while I cried. He put his arm around me. I'm not suffering from pain or issues, I'm just tired and the baby is grumpy. I know it'll get better soon. We're at two months.

[mysticmomma]

I wanna kiss your DH! What a guy. Hang in there mom. You are right... it will get better. At two months, have you considered pumping if that would work for you?

[lifeguard]

Get rid of the cans!

It will get easier. I remember being there & now I cannot imagine what a pain formula would be with all the washing & preparing.

[Samanthavv]

You're lucky your hubby is so supportive! I pump a TON of milk (I donate, and i have a 200+ bottle backup supply for my son) and even with all of that, my husband says that if I'm not around, he'd rather use formula because he dosen't want to bother thawing the milk (or if it's already thawed) letting it get warm first.

-.-

[curious&eager]

I see pumping as an answer, but it is hard. At the moment I just have a manual pump which only works well if I'm feeding the baby at the same time and it's tough to do. DH usually has to help me coordinate doing that. I would feel better if I could fill a bottle without his help during the day, so I could run some errands in the evening or just be alone if I needed to without having to worry.

A friend of mine is passing along a used electric pump soon. That'll probably help me feel better if I felt I could pump easily and leave a bottle without it being stressful. Right now I have to plan for an outing one day in advance to be able to pump a bottle. I guess I need to make it a priority to get the pump this week and order the tubing and such. I'm sure I'm making this harder on myself by not taking the steps like this one to make life easier.

Samanthavv where do you donate milk to?

[MountainMamaGC]

Originally Posted by Samanthavv

You're lucky your hubby is so supportive! I pump a TON of milk (I donate, and i have a 200+ bottle backup supply for my son) and even with all of that, my husband says that if I'm not around, he'd rather use formula because he dosen't want to bother thawing the milk (or if it's already thawed) letting it get warm first.

-.-

He wouldnt warm the formula?! Thats odd logic.

[LilacMama]

I remember 2 months being a difficult age. Hang in there. Have you tried pumping yet so that you could let your husband feed the baby? Personally, I think that once breastfeeding is established and you have built up a good supply (usually by 3-4 weeks) that an occasional bottle of formula is no biggie. Mom's are people too! They need sleep.

[Jojo F.]

Somehow I missed all the samples this time

Super amazing cudos to your DH What an awsome supporter you have mama

2 months is still a time of major hormones and your LO is still getting used to the big, big world around them. It does get better but, then there are new exciting chalanges ahead so I guess it all morfs into something different.

Honestly, I breastfed, pumped and then did formula with DS. I can tell you for sure breastfeeding can be tough for the first few months but then it gets MUCH easier. Pumping just sucks all around, so does formula. With DD I stuck through the though part of breastfeedign and have WONDERFUL support this time and I must tell you what a breeze it can be. There are still those really late night sessions when I'm relly tired that I wish I were sleeping but, all in all, it's MUCH easier and faster then bottles. nothing is worse then a crying baby waiting for their bottle. The boob is so much faster and satisfying for them

Donations can go to women's & homeless shelters, food banks or othermothers you know about using formula.

[Samanthavv]

Originally Posted by curious&eager

Samanthavv where do you donate milk to?

I actually directly donate to the families of the babies. I prefer not to use milk banks because I don't like the idea of my milk being pasteurized and the antibodies killed. I have a set of twins I'm donating to, a little girl, and another little girl. All of which I get pictures! Which to me, is important.

Originally Posted by Lydiah

He wouldnt warm the formula?! Thats odd logic.

The formula, he can just mix with warm water from the tap. He dosen't have to sit it in a bowl of warm water to warm it... Which takes longer.

[Jilian]

Get rid of the samples, I was in your shoes when DS1 was a month old and I came close to quitting BF because of those damn samples. So I gave them away and didn't have formula as an potion anymore. It strengthened my resolve to continue BF and I did until he was 17 mos old. I agree with the others who suggest pumping so you'll have some milk in storage just in case you really, really need a break and want your H to give the baby a bottle.

[Samanthavv]

Yeah! Get rid of the samples! Has anyone seen the story of the zoops by hathor the cow goddess? it's all about formula feeding and breastfeeding, and how the formula companies give out these samples on purpose, as an attempt to hinder breastfeeding and gain customers... yet it never once directly says it. I can find the link if you need it!

[Comtessa]

The formula, he can just mix with warm water from the tap. He dosen't have to sit it in a bowl of warm water to warm it... Which takes longer.

As far as I know, you're not supposed to ever give children (or really anyone) warm water from the tap to drink, because the heavy metal content in warm tap water (leached from the pipes/water heater by the heat) can be dangerously high. So mixing warm tap water with formula is doubly problematic.

We recently ran into a colleague of my DH, who has a newborn at home. He was boasting to us that he gets away with "cheating" at the midnight feeding by popping open a formula sample for the baby instead of feeding her the expressed breastmilk that his wife has already pumped and placed in the refrigerator for him to give the baby. I about chewed the guy's head off. He didn't know what hit him! My DH was super embarrassed (after all, I'd barely met his coworker before, and here I was yelling at him in public)... but honestly, the guy needs to know how absolutely unacceptable that is. I just think about how much loving work his wife puts into pumping bottles of milk every day so he can give his daughter a bottle... and then he just goes and gives her formula because he's too lazy to warm up the baby's actual food. : Well, hopefully he'll think twice the next time he tries that one...

ETA: If the formula samples are looking too tempting, get them out of the house ASAP! I donated mine to a local crisis nursery. You can also donate to local pregnancy centers or women's shelters, or post them on a Freecycling board. There are plenty of people who are using formula already that can be helped by these... and you won't be tempted to give up and give baby a bottle of the stuff.

My mother tried to convince me not to give the samples away, "just in case" something happened to me and the baby couldn't nurse... and I told her that in case of emergency, she or anyone else has my permission to run down to the Giant Eagle and buy a can of formula. But in the meantime, it isn't going to live in my house.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 12/13/10 at 10:10am

[curious&eager]

Originally Posted by Comtessa

My mother tried to convince me not to give the samples away, "just in case" something happened to me and the baby couldn't nurse... and I told her that in case of emergency, she or anyone else has my permission to run down to the Giant Eagle and buy a can of formula. But in the meantime, it isn't going to live in my house.

I enjoyed your comment. It was very cute. I think the samples are living in the house, but I'm not sure where. I saw them in the living room the other day and now I don't see them anywhere. Looks like DH lived up to his word. . His sister wants them and she's coming here in a month or so.

I think that's why I kept them, as a just in case. Before I joined this community I believe I planned on doing both, breastfeeding and formula. I barely even remember those thoughts now that I'm so for breastfeeding. I was just down and having a weak moment thinking formula would be ok for a bottle or two. But, there was a post on here about that topic and how it just takes one bottle of formula to become two, three, and four until your supply is gone.

Isn't it weird how people are taught or grow up believing that formula is natural and breastfeeding is not. I saw a coworker the other day and she said, "Breastfeeding seems like a hassle." Very conveniently, DS was hungry, so I sat down right where I was and feed him in 10 minutes while telling her, nope, it's not a hassle. I don't have to carry formula, bottles, worry about clean water, attempt to make it warm and do it all one handed. By the time you have a bottle ready, we're already done and we both had the change to relax.

A little girl saw that the baby was hungry and she, wanting to help me, asked, "Where's his milk? I can bring his bottle." I was already feeding him and I simply said, "He has his milk right here." I don't think she understood being young. But, that's the reason why I feel comfortable breastfeeding in public because kids and people need to know that breastfeeding is natural and bottles are unnatural.

Sorry to ramble, but I'm feeling better and I've over my weak moment and the formula makers have lost their battle in this house, the missile- the samples are out of commission. Thank you all for your comments and help. Now my pump and I have to work on our relationship.