My wife tried desperately with both of our kids. There’s no way she could due to malformed glands. Multiple specialists confirmed that we had no choice but to feed formula almost exclusively. To this day she has guilt over something that she had no control over.
The formula shortage was one of the scariest parts of my entire life. Some babies don’t take well to certain formulas, and we had to switch them up a couple times, which meant lots of infants with upset stomachs. Nobody got any sleep for months until the FDA started allowing foreign formula into the country. Thankfully we are past formula and onto real food. I remember going to multiple stores where they were all out of the formula that my premature son could eat and the feeling of utter desperation.
My wife could use a breast pump, but getting my daughter to latch was really, really hard and she would also only latch to one breast. Breast pumps are pretty humiliating things to use all the time. You’re hooked up to a milking machine like you’re a cow. It really started getting to her. After about a month, I said to her, “this is crazy. She’s gotten the colostrum she needs, she’s had a month of milk, this is so hard on you. We should just switch her to formula.”
My daughter is by no means perfect at age 14, but I don’t think that switch was the source of any of her problems and it sure as hell was easier on my wife’s mental state.
My wife tried desperately with both of our kids. There’s no way she could due to malformed glands. Multiple specialists confirmed that we had no choice but to feed formula almost exclusively. To this day she has guilt over something that she had no control over.
The formula shortage was one of the scariest parts of my entire life. Some babies don’t take well to certain formulas, and we had to switch them up a couple times, which meant lots of infants with upset stomachs. Nobody got any sleep for months until the FDA started allowing foreign formula into the country. Thankfully we are past formula and onto real food. I remember going to multiple stores where they were all out of the formula that my premature son could eat and the feeling of utter desperation.
My wife could use a breast pump, but getting my daughter to latch was really, really hard and she would also only latch to one breast. Breast pumps are pretty humiliating things to use all the time. You’re hooked up to a milking machine like you’re a cow. It really started getting to her. After about a month, I said to her, “this is crazy. She’s gotten the colostrum she needs, she’s had a month of milk, this is so hard on you. We should just switch her to formula.”
My daughter is by no means perfect at age 14, but I don’t think that switch was the source of any of her problems and it sure as hell was easier on my wife’s mental state.
Mine tried a bunch of different pumps but none would fix her medical issue. She tried SO hard and long for naught.
I feel for you :( I’m also happy your wife at least tried. Congrats on your baby!