[rightonwoman]

... which formula is best?<br><br>
I have had double mastectomies, so obviously, without any breast tissue, I cannot produce milk. I am 22 weeks pregnant with my second son and am deeply sad that I won't be able to breastfeed him. My experience breastfeeding my first was wonderful (well, it was after struggling through back to back to back mastitis for 10 weeks!) and I felt like i was in such control of his nutrition-- I am vegetarian and ate organic foods the whole time I breastfed.<br><br>
Now that I will be bottle feeding, I'm finding very little information about healthy formula. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[my3peanuts]

I know there are good, prescription formulas available but are expensive. I would talk to your doctor to see what is available.

 

[crysmomofthree]

I know there are organic formulas but they are marketed for older babies (i'm thinking over 6 months? )<br>
Personally if I needed to formula feed I would use a formula enhanced with essential fatty acids other than that I don't have much to add, but I'm sure you'll find the help you need, there are a lot of moms on here that needed to supplement or ended up straight formula feeding due to various issues

 

[NotTheOnlyOne]

if you do a search, there are a few threads that discuss making your own formula, using a Winston A Price recipe (WAP). You could probably google and find this too.

 

[Snowdrift]

Another possible option is feeding donated breastmilk. I pumped to donate for eight months and many other women on here either pump to donate or pump for thier own babies and donate the excess after a few months when it needs to be used up.<br><br>
I know of one family that has fed two adoptive children exclusively donated breastmilk. Most families who use donated milk ime do it part-time and supplement with formula.<br><br>
There are several threads on milk donation floating around the forum somwhere...

 

[BlueStateMama]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><br><br>
Try posting in Life With a Babe - you may get more input there. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[mamajessica]

<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html" target="_blank">http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html</a><br>
nak, but this is what I would use

 

[mothragirl]

you have several months to start looking for donor milk/wet nurses. good luck, i'm sure it is hard

 

[tboroson]

I'm real big into the traditional foods... but I would never ever use the Weston A Price formula. Not for infants anyway, maybe for a toddler.<br><br>
I would be pounding the beat looking for donated breastmilk. I donated a ton of milk while nursing both my girls, at least 8 oz. a day each time. In both cases, it was private donations to friends. A few donors like that, you could make up the majority of your baby's feeding.

 

[terrordactyl]

have you looked into Goats milk i know that jeanne parvati used it when she couldn't breastfeed her youngest daughter

 

[angelamclamb]

I use the homemade formula from Weston A. Price for my youngest and being preggers again I plan on Bf'ing but when I stop, I will also use the homemade formula for the next one. My son's doctors love the formula and so glad I found it!

 

[momof3angels]

My sister started out with donated breastmilk and then switched to goats milk when her son was about 6 months old.

 

[KMK_Mama]

When my milk dried up at 9 months I used Good Start. It used to be the one Dr. Mercola recommended.<br><br>
There are also Organic Options at health food stores you could look into.<br><br>
I personally would never use a home-made formula. I just would not be comfortable with that.<br><br>
Getting a wet nurse or getting donated milk would also not be an option for me because of financial reasons. I don't HOW people afford to do that.

 

[AJP]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>KMK_Mama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8003620"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Getting a wet nurse or getting donated milk would also not be an option for me because of financial reasons. I don't HOW people afford to do that.</div>
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Privately donated milk, between moms, is usually just that - donated, as in free. Milk banks charge, though.

 

[4lilfarmers]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Shaina</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8000210"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">have you looked into Goats milk i know that jeanne parvati used it when she couldn't breastfeed her youngest daughter</div>
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i know someone who fed raw goat's milk for the first year b/c they couldn't breastfeed. i've heard it's the closest to human milk (??)

 

[Maggi315]

I am subbing, I am always looking for ideas for my moms that can't breastfeed either long or short term.<br><br>
I wasn't able to nurse my 4th child exclusively and had to use formula. I wish I known about all these choices, it was hard at the time, we weren't prepared.<br><br>
And about private donated milk...between moms and friends, usually there is no charge. Get hooked up with some breastfeeding/ap groups where people won't fall over in shock at the suggestion<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">. milk banks charge, but I know lots of people that have nursed other babies or donated milk, I gave away tons because over a year, I pumped 3-4 times per week and my baby wanted no part of "that" milk, only straight from the tap, so I froze it and gave it to another mom who needed it.<br><br>
Good luck! There are some threads for moms who can't breastfeed, you'll get some support, advice there.

 

[angelamclamb]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>KMK_Mama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8003620"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">When my milk dried up at 9 months I used Good Start. It used to be the one Dr. Mercola recommended.<br><br>
There are also Organic Options at health food stores you could look into.<br><br>
I personally would never use a home-made formula. I just would not be comfortable with that.<br><br>
Getting a wet nurse or getting donated milk would also not be an option for me because of financial reasons. I don't HOW people afford to do that.</div>
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<br>
I wouldn't either if I didn't know the nutritional values of it. People just don't throw their kids on homemade formula without researching it. We waited until my son was on the homemade formula for 1 month before doing labwork. His labs came back better than they ever had before. He was on Calcium Carbonate since birth due to low calcium, but came off sometime after starting the homemade formula. He also came off of iron as well. So don't knock something you know nothing about. I was more comfortable knowing that my special needs son was getting better nutrition from the homemade formula and was not being filled with neurotoxins from commercial formula. I researched both sides and found that the homemade formula altough more work to make, was worth the time and effort & money. My son was worth it. Breastfeeding wasn't an option I had, so homemade was the way to go.

 

[angelamclamb]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>krismarie</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8004121"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">i know someone who fed raw goat's milk for the first year b/c they couldn't breastfeed. i've heard it's the closest to human milk (??)</div>
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When my son, now 5, stopping nursing we put him on raw goats milk. He did wonderful on it (cows milk allergies). Now that we have dairy goats ourselves just makes things so much easier than having to hunt down goats milk in a state that says its illegal and they are tightening the reins so it is much harder than it was years ago.

 

[nabigus]

I can't help on the formula, but go check out <a href="http://www.milkshare.com" target="_blank">www.milkshare.com</a> for mom-to-mom donation. And since you're in a city, your chances of a local donation go up. I donated for 6 months to a local mom, and it was super easy.

 

[Panserbjorne]

Either donated milk (jsut find nursing mamas in your area) or make it. I did both with my ds as I couldn't find enough donated. With dd I found enough donated so I didn't need to. You CANNOT use plain goat's milk, but there are good recipes out there.