Calling formula "milk" -- does it bother you?

[MilkTrance]

It drives me insane.

My friend and I were talking about how her MIL, and many of that generation, call formula "milk". What's up with that? Is that common in our area (BC) or all over? How did that start? My friends and I call it "formula". I'm not sure why we call it that if our mothers/mothers-in-law call it "milk". Maybe because pumping is common now, so it can be REAL milk in the bottle, so using the term "formula" differentiates the two.

[sarah0404]

Hmm, I've been sitting here for a few minutes, thinking about your question, and I think I feel the opposite! (Bare in mind I live in a different country - we don't even use the word "nurse" here to mean breastfeeding)

I don't have a problem with calling formula "milk". Its just modified cows milk with some added vitamins and stuff. I think calling it "formula" makes it sound as if its something special and scientific. I've found people are often surprised when they find out its just cows milk. They seem to think of it as some special magical substance thats just as good as breastmilk.

I do think the term "artificial breastmilk" is better though. I heard that here

[Draupadi]

Originally Posted by MilkTrance

It drives me insane.

My friend and I were talking about how her MIL, and many of that generation, call formula "milk". What's up with that? Is that common in our area (BC) or all over? How did that start? My friends and I call it "formula". I'm not sure why we call it that if our mothers/mothers-in-law call it "milk". Maybe because pumping is common now, so it can be REAL milk in the bottle, so using the term "formula" differentiates the two.

My mother calls it "milk".
In the early days of my son's life, we supplemented at the advice of his pediatrician (which wreaked havoc on my milk supply, but that's another story).
I used to cringe every time she said it.

[rmzbm]

I've never heard people refer to formula as "milk." Technically it is artificial (hence, not real) milk. Just my opinion.

[veganf]

Nope. Doesn't bother me at all. By definition "milk" can be anything that resembles mammal milk....

from Dictionary.com:
–noun
1.an opaque white or bluish-white liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals, serving for the nourishment of their young.
2.this liquid as secreted by cows, goats, or certain other animals and used by humans for food or as a source of butter, cheeses, yogurt, etc.
3.any liquid resembling this, as the liquid within a coconut, the juice or sap of certain plants, or various pharmaceutical preparations.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Formula IS milk. In the olden days, families made their own artificial breastmilk from cow's milk (often canned evaporated milk), sweetener (often corn syrup like Karo) and sometimes added vitamins. They followed a "doctor's formula" or recipe to make it :

Nowadays it comes in powder or liquid form, but the name stuck.

[menomena]

yeah, it IS milk. artificial breast milk for sure but still a form of milk.

it does bother me in the sense that i would prefer that breastmilk be the default "milk" - hence why I always refer to cow's milk as cow's milk. Formula, similarly, is just artificial breast milk or artificial baby milk.

[shanti1]

Nope, doesn't bother me. There are too many things in life that I'm worried about these days. I don't even think I'd raise my eyebrows at formula being called "milk."

[RoadWorkAhead]

I call DD"s formula milk on occasion. It's rare as I dont want her to misunderstand or her brother to misunderstand and try to give her cow's milk, but frankly, saying "Its Kyler's special medical food" is just too much of a mouthful. And I don't want to explain to random strangers that my child has rare medical issues that cause her to survive by living solely on a medical food. I'd much prefer them to just assume that bottle has plain old cow's milk in it, and not ask me 50,000 questions. I'm sure this may change when she's older and other people start trying to feed her more and more. But I don't really think about it. Maybe b/c I don't refer to BFing as "milk" It's nursies in this house, and it holds a special place in both kids hearts far above its nutritional value.

[MoonStarFalling]

It would sound strange to me if I heard it. I do not think of formula when I think of types of milk.

[AlpineMama]

When I had to FF DS I first called it formula. My DH got very upset over it and insisted I call it milk. We were both set on my BF and when it failed despite my best efforts, we both struggled with that failure. I guess it was just too painful for him to hear "formula" all day. So, we ended up calling it milky, and it's stuck.

[MommytoTwo]

It doesnt bother me. I guess I never really noticed before. I personally have always called it formula.

[kathteach]

I think it can be a cultural or regional thing. I've heard formula referred to as baby milk. I've also heard all formula being called Similac, like when people refer to tissue as Kleenex.

[mamajake]

I've never heard formula referred to as "milk." I've only ever heard it called "a bottle" as in "making up a bottle" or "getting a bottle." I'd be startled by formula being called milk but I think mostly because it would be new to my ear. I wouldn't be offended or annoyed unless it was called "breastmilk" and that would bug me because it was inaccurate.

[urchin_grey]

Doesn't bother me, but I've always called it formula.
What does bother me is how my BIL calls cow's milk "real milk", as opposed to human milk. Drives me nuts.

[justthinkn]

I call the formula I have to supplement DD with "milk." I've thought about it before, whether I should, b/c of course I want her to think of MY milk as the good stuff. But it's just easiest; it's the role formula plays in her diet; and I think the fact that I refer to my milk as "mommy milk" shows that it's the good stuff versus cow milk or formula...

[preemiemamarach]

Originally Posted by justthinkn

I call the formula I have to supplement DD with "milk." I've thought about it before, whether I should, b/c of course I want her to think of MY milk as the good stuff. But it's just easiest; it's the role formula plays in her diet; and I think the fact that I refer to my milk as "mommy milk" shows that it's the good stuff versus cow milk or formula...

DS was EBF for most of his life, but has been on 50% EBM, 50% medical formula for the last month. DH and I call the formula 'formula', and milk 'milkies' when preparing a bottle of either one (we have to be careful, as he will NOT drink them mixed together). To DS, however, they're all milkies. He's just not equipped at 10 months to understand there are two different things going in his bottle.

[elanorh]

Ina had to be on an elemental formula for awhile - before returning to breastmilk. She had a severe cow's milk allergies (among others) -- I guess I'm bothered by formula being "milk" because it's NOT always cow's milk based (soy formula, for instance) - I guess to me it's just not an accurate descriptor. It's like calling bread "flour." Yes, there's flour in bread but there's a big difference between bread and flour, KWIM?

I think being a parent of two food-allergic kiddos has made my hyper-aware of what people call (and what people assume is IN) foods. Or maybe I'm just anal.

But, I'd say, IMO it's artificial breast milk (or formula). We call cow's milk either "Cow's milk" or milk, and breastmilk is either breastmilk or mother's milk. The default for what 'milk' babies take in should be mother's milk [I guess one reason I hesitate to call my milk plain old milk, is that I don't want my cow's milk allergic kiddo(s) to think that 'milk' is safe for them, when it isn't, if an aunt or someone offers them some, KWIM?]

[bandgeek]

No. What bothers me is when people call breastmilk formula. : When DD was in the NICU and every time we take her to the doctor, the call her milk "formula" even though it's in her chart that she's getting breastmilk and even after I REMINDED THEM that she's not getting formula. When she was about 4 weeks old I asked one of the nurses why everyone seemed to think she had formula. I was genuinely concerned that someone would mess up and accidently give her formula. She said, "Oh it's just easier to call it all formula". : Then why not call it all "milk"? At least then you wouldn't be pissing off and freaking out all the nursing/pumping moms! She said a baby would never accidently get formula. Uh yeah, right. That's why my DD was given formula for her first feed.

To me formula IS milk, just a different kind. It's still appropriate to call it that. People in the medical field should be using appropriate terms though.

[kathteach]

Bandgeek I so know what you mean. When my DS had to have surgery at two months old I was given post surgery feeding instructions and the doctor and nurse kept talking about when I would give him formula. I corrected them so many times during the hospital stay. They just had formula on the brain, but I guess that's another topic.