*This post is sponsored by and we stand by this product.
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A few weeks ago I went to visit my cousin who just got home from the hospital with her new baby boy. As we visited, I asked how she was feeling, how sleepless the nights were, and how breastfeeding was going.
She got tears in her eyes and told me that she just couldn’t breastfeed; her milk supply was nearly non-existent and had been when her older son was a baby as well. She had exhausted herself to complete burnout trying, but the milk supply was never enough and her son cried and cried and was never full. Breast just wasn’t best in her case.
The mom-shaming she felt from other women, breastfeeding advocates especially was crushing.
No mom who is doing her best to love and care for her baby should never come away feeling crushed, especially by other mothers.
Let’s stop the mom-shaming and spread the love.
The truth is, there are women out there who would love to breastfeed, but for some reason or another, can’t. As a community of mothers, let’s simply spread the love and support instead of shaming each other on the way we choose to feed our babies.
When I had my twin girls, I desperately wanted to be able to breastfeed them. Four weeks in however, I was near collapse. I was literally feeding these babies all day long and they were still never satisfied! Plus, I had a very energetic 2-year-old to chase after as well.
I made the choice to supplement breastfeeding with formula and I don’t regret it for a second. I got special bonding time with my twins, my husband got special bonding time with them when it was his turn to feed, and the entire household was much happier.
Since formula expenses can add up to a semester at college, we quickly discovered at Sam’s Club. I came to realize there were six wonderful reasons to supplement breast feeding with formula! I especially needed #4.
Here are the top four reasons I chose with my twins back then, and why I still choose it for my baby today.
1. Nutritional Benefits
When it comes to infant nutrition, has a unique blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E that support growth and development of your baby’s brain and eyes. It’s a milk-based formula that gives your baby everything they need during the first year. Plus, it contains dual prebiotics, which help support your baby’s delicate immune system.
Members Mark Formula has complete nutrition for your baby’s first year.
2. It’s Cost Effective
Feeding my twins other name-brand formulas was financially out of the question. I think that would’ve broken our bank account. But gives your baby the exact quality as Similac or Enfamil (even better in my opinion) at half the cost!
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Try this that compares Member’s Mark infant formula to national brands, and find out how much you could save!
3. Mom is happy, baby is happy, the whole family is happy.
I choose to supplement breast feeding with formula because with five kids, it reduces a lot of stress. It gives my little ones a chance to play mommy and help feed the baby while I cook dinner. Mom is happy, kids are happy, and most importantly, baby is happy.
4. There’s a formula for every baby.
Member’s Mark® Advantage® Infant Formula comes in multiple varieties to suit your baby’s unique nutritional needs.
Member’s Mark Infant Formula, Gentle
If you have a baby who is prone to fussiness, gas and crying, Member’s Mark Gentle Infant Formula can help. It’s a special milk-based formula with easy-to-digest proteins. Member’s Mark Gentle is formulated with a unique blend of nutrients that support your baby’s brain development.
Member’s Mark Infant Formula, Infant
When it comes to your infant’s nutrition, count on Member’s Mark Infant Formula. It has a unique blend of nutrients that support your baby’s brain development. Plus, it contains dual prebiotics, which help support your baby’s delicate immune system.
Member’s Mark Infant Formula, Sensitivity
Do you have a baby with a sensitive tummy?
If so, Member’s Mark Sensitivity Infant Formula could be just the right formula. It’s specially formulated for babies who are prone to fussiness and gas due to lactose sensitivity. Plus, Member’s Mark Sensitivity has a unique blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E, which supports growth and development of your baby’s brain and eyes.
We are all a community of parents, loving our kids the best we can, and trying each day to give them every joy in life. The way we choose to feed our babies–breast or formula–shouldn’t matter. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience, but it just doesn’t work out for some women. A mom should never feel shamed by other moms because of that.
Lets let the love flow and stop the breast battle. Let’s respect each other’s personal choices.
Besides, there are more important things to worry about, like potty training, and first kisses, and driver’s licenses…yikes!
You can try at a Sam’s Club near you!
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*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Member’s Mark® Advantage® Infant Formula.
Jeanette says
Yeah…Big thumbs up from the UK, I was in tears with my second child because he was always hungry, a very wise midwife told me breast was not enough and to give him formula as well as, what a difference it made to both of us.
Bobbi says
Yes to this! I also had to supplement with formula for the same reasons your cousins expressed. Thankfully I didn’t experience much mom-shaming (except a coupe of incidents) but it’s definitely out there. I love my children and they have grown into happy and HEALTHY teens. Thanks for spreading the love!
Nicolette says
I breastfed my baby for as long as I could, but going back to work and trying to pump during my tiny breaks was exhausting and was pretty much doing me under. I started supplementing with formula and it was the best thing ever. That’s actually when my skinny baby started putting on weight! I’ve definitely felt the judgement from other moms, but have tried to keep it positive. Yes, we’re all just trying to do our best!
Heather says
Well, breast is always best…when it’s possible. Many women don’t think they have enough milk who really need some dietary changes and better education in lactation. That being said, there are wonderful whole food options that are closer to breastmilk than commercial formula. Those who cannot breastfeed and feel guilt over the non-natural ingredients in commercial formula can utilize a healthy home-made option or pursue a milk donor to fill the gap.
Bottle vs breast isn’t black and white. There is middle ground.
Also, we all have our opinions and it’s not always shaming another mom when we are passionate about the things we believe in and share that passion.
As a mother who worked tirelessly for months in an attempt to induce lactation in order to breastfeed my adopted children, it does chap my hide that people choose formula when there was no good reason to do so. I feel like all children deserve the healthiest start possible, and to not even attempt to breastfeed (outside of medical reasons) is sad to me.
Susan Carroll says
You are all GOOD MOMS! You want to spend loving time with your babies and feed them the best food possible. The new formulas are much closer to mother’s milk. My mother had 5 children, and for various reasons, could not nurse them, but a more loving mother could not be found. I nursed all my babies, but with my last one I was student teaching, and could not pump enough milk. My mom had to supplement for the day feedings.
For those who don’t have enough milk, there may be reasons.
1: Low thyroid – 30% of women have low thyroid levels after pregnancy. You may want to see an endocrinologist if your regular doctor cannot help you.
2: Baby has a tongue tie – If a baby can’t maintain a good latch, they can’t get enough milk to stimulate more milk. This happened to my daughters with their babies, and luckily they found a pediatrician who knew what to look for and how to correct it.
3: Low B vitamin levels – In addition to B complex vitamins daily (NatureMade is my favorite brand), also eat oatmeal and other whole grains, mushrooms or pork daily. Wet nurses insisted on oatmeal every day.
4: Working too hard – Milk cows that also have to pull a wagon or a plow cannot make enough milk for a calf. This is what happened to me while student teaching. A body can only do so much.
michelle says
this is soooo misleading and goes against years of hardcore research which shows the benefits of breastfeeding and formula is NOT comparable. check out the world health organization and Unicef. formula has no antibodieas to protect and buffer the infant’s stomach. it does not stimulate oxytocin, dubbed the love hormon which supports the relationship between mom and baby. formula can be offered iin certain cirumstances but if you were on an isolated island and there was no formula, your body would still produce milk and feed your baby. when the japan tsunami happened and nuclear wastes went into the water, formula fed babies were at high risk abd breast fed babies were fine. Lets see if you will post this comment.
Shelley says
Hi Michelle, We absolutely agree with research that breastfeeding is best when it is a viable option. For many women, it simply is not. We are simply encouraging supporting women as every circumstance is different. I for one, had twins and simply couldn’t produce enough milk for two babies.
Andrea says
Cheers from Brasil. I also see people here that think they are better moms Just because they breastfed their children. They say bottlefed children are survivors! I myself breastfed my son for 14 months, most of It on exclusive pumping but really It was complicated. I did It Because of the acclaimed Health Benefits. Since I was not such a healthy child and I Wanted the best for my son I did it. Nevertheless my health obviously dereriorated despite a good nutritional program and multivitamins. My asthma flared up and It only got better when I stopped pumping. So obviously breastfeeding is the Number 1 choice but is not always the best depending on your situation. As for the asthma, I did not see any study about the worsening symptoms in mothers though I met many moms who complained about It. We should never judge. Tks for the article.