Did/do you have emergency formula in the house? - Page 2

[~Adorkable~]

i both bf and pump for my twins and have never had a supply issue and usually have a large freezer stash so it never was on my mind to have back up for my back up. but then a few weeks ago i had a close death in the family and we traveled out of state to be there and so much sadness and stress and my really abundant supply dwindled to nearly nothing for a few days. 

i was frantic as i struggled to get enough out of me for my babies. i've never been so stressed about anything with the babies as i was last week. finally i went out and got some formula that i felt was decent so i would not be in a position to have to rush out in the middle of the night and get whatever i could find while they were crying hungry.

thankfully it never came to using it, i got over the hump and things are on the good upswing again now. but that was a fear i never want to have again, we are keeping the bottle i bought in the car so we always have it.

after reading this thread i think i will get some more and pack it with the other emergency supplies, because when push comes to shove, frozen BM does not keep without a freezer! and clean water is not guaranteed, so ready to drink formula is a must for our piece of mind

[EviesMom]

I've never needed it, because I worked close enough and had a regular enough schedule plus a big freezer stash. But I think in your situation, it would make sense to have some formula on hand in case of just the kinds of things you mentioned.

Although I would also do my best to build up a freezer stash, because I'm not positive the baby will take the formula straight if he/she's only had bm for several months. If you have at least some freezer stash, mixing the two seems more likely to be palatable for the baby versus just formula.

[Magali]

I never did, but I think it is a good idea in case of emergency.  If there was such an emergency, feeding the baby would absolutely be on the top of the list.

[DirtyHippyMama]

i said yes, but didn't need it (yet!  knock on wood!).  i held on to the free samples that came in my welcome baby bag from target and the similac backpack from my L&D nurse mom.  they are in a closet, for REAL emergencies, like i have to go to the ER (for serious things that i can't take the baby with me for), and i have no frozen pumped milk. 

i had some emergency formula for my last babe, and had to use it once when i took my then-3.5yo daughter in for stitches when baby was about 6mo.  not terribly serious, but one of us had to stay home with the other kids and i wanted to be there for my little girl.  i had no frozen pumped milk then, either (i hate pumping and avoid it if i can).

[cyclamen]

I didn't keep a can in the house with my DD because it honestly never occurred to me that we might need it - but we live in a city with public transit and have a fairly wide circle of friends among whom making 2 am calls for assistance is not frowned upon.

But with regard to freezer stashes... I was expressing extra at the advice of an LC because my DD had a tongue tie issue that was slow to resolve.  However, I also had a massive oversupply and OALD and any expressing (the pump hurt, so I used my hand... could always get four oz in about 5-10 minutes) was making it worse. I had to do 8-12 hr block feeds to get my supply evened out enough for my DD to nurse comfortably, at her own pace, and without distress for either of us.  When I would leave DD, I chose to express one bottle as close to the time before I left as possible so that I wouldn't unnecessarily increase my supply.  She didn't usually drink the bottle but it was that or leave her with nothing for 3 hours, and she was only 2 months old when I first began having to leave.

So I can see how there are a lot of reasons a person might not be able to have a freezer stash and might want a can of formula instead.

[anjsmama]

I kept the 2 sample cans I got at the hospital. When I returned to work, my freezer stash was really bare and I was afraid there would be a day I wouldn't get to DD in time and MIL would run out of stored milk. That day did come..... and I ended up leaving work to nurse her anyway. My family has serious gut issues and I just couldn't let myself let her have the formula. But I WAS glad to have that minimal amount in case something serious happened and my freezer stash was low. I'd always want to have SOMETHING for my baby to eat in the case that I were truly unavailable, and it took DH some time to secure donor milk. Now that I'm no longer working and I've built up an emergency freezer stash, I gave the samples to a friend who FF. 

[mamazee]

No. If there were an emergency and my breasts weren't available, there are plenty of grocery stores to get formula at, and if it's an emergency beyond that, where the baby needs to eat immediately or die, the baby should be in the hospital anyway. Never had it and never needed it.

[teraze]

Yes...we have a soy version for emergencies only.  I try to avoid soy in daily living, but DS has a dairy sensitivity and if there was a REAL emergency (bad car accident, natural disaster, you know, whatever!) I'd want my babe covered.  We've never used it though, thank goodness!

[jeninejessica]

We won't have an emergency can in the house, but we live in an area (and as a pp mentioned, friends/family who would drive even at 2am) where we could pick some up even at odd hours. In your case if it would be hard for DH to get to a store to purchase some if the stocked BM ran out, then yes, I would have a can somewhere inconvenient in the house. Inconvenient so that it didn't tempt you to reach for it, but in the house so that if you were stuck at work or on the road, and the pumped milk ran out, then there would be an option for the baby.  Obviously I would try whatever I could to pump enough to have an extra store built up, but it sounds like you've done that. 

However-- I do plan on researching before the baby is born so that I know exactly which type of formula I would prefer if the need came for it. That way I wouldn't be standing in an aisle with a screaming baby (and if I'm buying formula, then I'm obviously going to be a bit of an emotional wreck already, without trying to decide).

[minkajane]

Just as an update, I did buy some formula for emergencies. I got a 6-pack of ready-to-feed bottles so DH doesn't have to worry about figuring out how to make the stuff when he's got better things to worry about. I've also been able to pump more and DD's slept through a couple of my shifts, so I now have 15 ounces of milk in my freezer - the most I've ever had! Yay!

[jeninejessica]

How exciting! You must be relieved!