Do you keep formula on hand just in case?

[laketahoemama]

Hi, I was thinking that it might be wise to have some formula in the house in case of emegency. Does anyone else keep some on hand, and what kind do you keep? Should I ask my ped what kind is best? Are there any organic/natural types available?
Thanks in advance : )

[TabithaB]

I have never kept formula on hand. My son wouldn't drink the stuff so it has been a non-issue for me though. They tried to give it to him in the NICU and he wouldn't drink it so they had to call me to come in and feed him. (They tried to take him off BM to see if it was making him sick)

I did always keep a stock of breast milk in the freezer though.

[Sharlla]

Nope. when I SAH I did have some EBM in the freezer just in case. now that I WOH and pump I have donated milk in there since I just don't pump enough to have excess.

[earthmama369]

I never did (bf'd my first for 4 years and my second nearly as long, worked PT out of the house for most of that). I did keep a stash of pumped breastmilk in the freezer, and we used that a few times -- like my very first day at work without dd with me, when she was 9 months old, and my car broke down on the way home!!

[ErinYay]

No. I pumped and had a stash of EBF frozen in the early months.

Now, if I were somehow hospitalized or otherwise totally incapacitated, DH having to run out and get a bucket of formula would be the least traumatic aspect of it!

[artzy_fartzy68]

no, in case of what? what kind of emergency are you imagining?
If your mean where you'll be separated from baby, then stock up the freezer with breastmilk.
If you mean an emergency where baby is sick, breastmilk is better for sick babies. I can't think of any other emergencies?

formula "on hand" is one of those booby traps that can catch you and destroy your nursing relationship when you're tired, or your supply is low b/c of a growth spurt, or your baby is cranky and MIL is in the house saying "maybe you don't make enough milk" etc.. it's not necessary to have it, and it's certainly "dangerous" to consider if you intend to breastfeed.

It's normal to worry, but my suggestion is to just stock up on breastmilk.

[syd'smom]

Nope. None stored either. If I were unavailable to bf, DH could call in some friends to help out.

[Nicole915]

Nope, we don't keep it in the house.

Our nursing path has been one full of joy, but there have also been some challenges. I like to think that I wouldn't turn to formula, but it sure does help not to have it as an option. We also have some formula friendly family who might want to "help". I guess I think of it as trying to eat healthy food, but keeping some junk convenience food in the cabinet 'just in case'.

With stores open 24 hours a day, if there ever was a true emergency that used up our freezer stash we could find some formula.

[Smithie]

Always had it, never used it. I would get a free sample can in the mail and just keep it. DH preferred to have it since it meant no trip out of the house for him with wailing hungry newborn baby in tow if I should become very sick or be delayed by a traffic accident or something. I also had frozen breastmilk stocked when my babies were too young for solids.

I had two children who wouldn't touch formula under any cirucmstances when it was offered to them later in babyhood, and my youngest who is now drinking "toddler formula," yuck, becasue she is weaned from the breast, allergic/sensitive to cow milk and I have not found a single alternative that she will drink. In all three cases, though, that sample can eventually expired and was tossed, having never been used.

There are organic options, yes. But I wouldn't spend extra for organic if it's just the emergency backup plan that you will probably never use.

[treeoflife3]

I had the dumb free sample I was sent still in the house and that was enough to call to me on the hardest nights.

I would never purposely have something I researched and picked out as 'best after breast' in the house. It would be too tempting to cave into and use on the hard nights where it would be so easy to give her to someone else with a bottle than just forge through it. It could potentially make breastfeeding harder and possibly unable to continue with altogether.

Its not a risk I personally would take knowing how hard things can be for me and how important breastfeeding is to me. I did start pumping at one month though to have a bit of a supply on hand.

[sarahn4639]

Originally Posted by artzy_fartzy68

no, in case of what? what kind of emergency are you imagining?
If your mean where you'll be separated from baby, then stock up the freezer with breastmilk.
If you mean an emergency where baby is sick, breastmilk is better for sick babies. I can't think of any other emergencies?

formula "on hand" is one of those booby traps that can catch you and destroy your nursing relationship when you're tired, or your supply is low b/c of a growth spurt, or your baby is cranky and MIL is in the house saying "maybe you don't make enough milk" etc.. it's not necessary to have it, and it's certainly "dangerous" to consider if you intend to breastfeed.

It's normal to worry, but my suggestion is to just stock up on breastmilk.

I agree with all of this.

[PatioGardener]

Nope - no formula here. If something awful were to happen to me my best friend would nurse my baby.

[THBVsMommy]

Originally Posted by artzy_fartzy68

formula "on hand" is one of those booby traps that can catch you and destroy your nursing relationship when you're tired, or your supply is low b/c of a growth spurt, or your baby is cranky and MIL is in the house saying "maybe you don't make enough milk" etc.. it's not necessary to have it, and it's certainly "dangerous" to consider if you intend to breastfeed.

It's normal to worry, but my suggestion is to just stock up on breastmilk.

Yes to all of this! I have about a day's worth of pumped milk in my freezer, just in case.

[crystal_buffaloe]

I still have the formula they gave me at the hospital -- I don't really know why I'm saving it, except I guess for some kind of unforeseen emergency. Maybe I'm thinking if I have it (and resent it) then I won't ever have to use it -- kind of a more serious version of taking along an umbrella so that it won't rain.

Anyway, we've got 88 ounces of EBM in the freezer right now.

[happysmileylady]

Yes, I did keep a supply of formula-the free samples, which was a total of like six cans.

DD was EBF for her first 3 months. And that was a STRUGGLE. AF returned right away, and she refused to nurse during AF. She lost weight, she was 4 months old before she even weighed 10lbs. We had to give her pumped milk in a bottle, because she simply wasn't taking enough in just from nursing, though we tried for a while.

Then, because of her refusal to nurse during AF (which was regular right away and lasted for over a week) my supply took a pretty big hit. I gave up the struggle at about 5 and a half months old. At that point, she had been sleeping through the night for quite a while (on her own) and I was still waking myself up once or twice a night to pump, and still couldn't get enough nursing and pumping to maintain my supply. (there were also PPD issues involved etc. ) Still, I did have enough in the freezer that she got pumped milk only for another month.

So while we did have that free sample stash, we didn't crack it until she was 6 months old and I was not nursing anymore at that point anyway.

I plan to keep a small supply this time as well, but I am going to pump from the beginning and hope that I don't have the refusal to nurse during AF this time around. I think if I can avoid the AF nursing strike, and start pumping after each session right away (I have to go back to work, so I have to pump anyway) that I can avoid the supply issue and won't need it. If I don't use it, I will just donate it to someone who does need it. Besides, if I am not paying for it anyway, I don't see a point in not keeping it in case I do have the same issues and need to go to formula at some point. The samples are good for like a year so...


ETA: I meant that she was only nursed from the breast for 3 months, then breast and bottles of pumped milk for another 2.5, then just pumped milk from my freezer stash, then formula around 6 months.

ETA2: I always had a bottle of pumped milk ready to go in the fridge if I had to have a family member watching her, so that if they felt like she was hungry, even if she had JUST nursed, they still had something ready to feed-an already prepped bottle takes less work than having to prepare a bottle from an unopened can of powdered formula

[nicky85]

No. Unless all of the forces in the universe combine against you, I don't think you'll need it. Incidentally, one day my husband and I read the ingredients on the cans of formula at Whole Foods. We were absolutely astonished! Most of the "organic" formulas were loaded with high fructose corn syrup! I agree with the other moms that a stash of frozen milk can be a good idea. I don't do that right now because I'm with my son 24/7.

If you ever run into problems with breastfeeding there are several things you can do before resorting to formula, like checking for tongue-tie, getting the baby checked out by a pediatric chiropractor to see if there are jaw problems inhibiting latch, and (worse case scenario) finding a breastmilk donor. Formula is not necessary. I don't even keep disposable diapers on hand "just in case".

Not to offend anyone who has different beliefs than me (just using a metaphor!), but keeping things like formula on hand "just in case" seems like the same thing as sitting my son down when he's 12 and saying, "I want you to be chaste and save sex for marriage. But I don't think you can do it, so here's a condom." It's like planning on failure. The formula manufacturers of the world want you to believe that you need them. But you don't! Plan for success!!!!!

[maddymama]

We've kept the free samples, but not for us... it's actually for my in-laws. They *always* run out of formula when they visit, so we give them the samples so they aren't running out to the store at 3:00 am.....
It honestly never tempted me to use it, even in those difficult nights.....
~maddymama

[4Blessings]

No. But I was just thinking today that I should probably have a little bm in the freezer "just in case".

[Banana731]

No, I would not keep formula on hand.

[fruitlove]

no, never

Quite honestly, it never even crossed my mind as an option.