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Monday, July 23, 2007

A Farewell to Formula

So this post has been coming for a while. Almost exactly a month ago, my younger son (YS) finished his last can of formula. Since we're not currently planning on having more children, my run with formula is over (this is not to say that I won't still be posting about formula and formula related topics.)

It probably seems a little weird to have a post reflecting on my second one-year stint with formula. It's over! Let's celebrate! After all, I never found the prospect of formula exciting. Both times that I was unable to breastfeed, I was concerned that a whole year of formula loomed ahead of me. A whole year of extra expenses, carting around bottles, washing bottles and let's not forget about a whole year where I felt like the odd woman out every time I pulled out a bottle in public.

When I was told by the lactation consultant to throw in the nursing bra so to speak with my older son (OS) I was at really freaked out by the health and emotional concerns of not breastfeeding. This was quickly followed by the financial aspects of formula feeding. A friend pointed out that formula feeding has a beginning, a middle and most importantly an end. It's not something that goes on forever. Barring any problems, it's 12 months from start to finish. During both of my years with formula, I looked forward to the days when I wouldn't have to drop $31 at BJs for each can of formula. I thought of all the money I could have been saving and what I would do with all the money I would be saving when my kids switched to whole milk.

Here's what I've found now that I've gone through this twice. Yes, formula feeding is expensive. However, once solids are introduced the amount of formula that is consumed is less. So really you're not paying the same amount for formula each month for all 12 months.

Kids are expensive. More importantly as they get older, they want and need different things. Yes, this month we didn't have to pay for YS to drink formula. However, we have paid for him to eat lunch and dinner when we go out because not only is he old enough to really enjoy going on family outings, but he now eats what we eat. We also will be paying for him to do swimming lessons because he is old enough. I also have paid for a family membership at the Y because he's both old enough both to enjoy some of the tumbling classes and to participate in my favorite service: the childwatch.

Yes, these are isolated events and of course are choices not necessities, but my point is that I wish I could go back in time to visit myself during the first few days of being a new and terrified mom and point out that the formula cost is relative. We've got a nice preschool tuition bill due for OS soon!

As for the emotional and health aspects? Well, I can honestly say as the mother of an almost 4 year old, I can't think of the last time someone asked me if OS was breastfed. As quickly as I was thrust into the world of breastfeeding (or lack of breastfeeding) it ended. Now when OS is sick, I'm just the mom of a sick four year old. Never mind when I was last asked about OS; I can't even think of the last time I was asked about breastfeeding YS! Now that we're entirely responsible for making sure that he gets all the vitamins and minerals he needs, I sometimes miss that fortified bottle of formula. Thankfully Enfamil makes daily infant and toddler vitamins!

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: The cost and inconvenience of infant formula may pale in comparison to the cost and inconvenience of keeping older children fed.

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posted by Alex Elliot @ 9:36 PM   6 comments
6 Comments:

  • At 7/24/2007 12:49 AM, Blogger Suzanne said…

    Congratulations! This post made me a bit misty eyed, as I can't believe how big YS is getting.

     

  • At 7/24/2007 8:40 AM, Blogger CableGirl said…

    You really do have a wonderful blog. I only wish I had found you in the first few months of MJ's life. We struggled so hard for so long with BFing and it just didn't work... she kept losing weight and I kept feeling inadequate. Unfortunately every blog I read and everyone I talked to kept telling me that I had to keep at it no matter what. I finally gave up when I realized that her health was MUCH more important than a stupid battle with my boobs. I still have moments of feeling embarrassed when I whip out a bottle in a public place, but that's my issue, not hers.

    Congrats on having raised two such healthy boys to this ripe old age. ;)

     

  • At 7/24/2007 12:40 PM, Anonymous Expecting Executive said…

    I completely relate to your post! Who knew that when you thought you were done being judged for formula feeding here comes the next round of debate...homemade organic food versus "Lunchables"...sigh! Ah, but it makes for good blog content.

    Thank you for your blog and the support you offer to mothers. No mother should have to justify or apologize for formula feeding her children! Keep up the great writing! www.expectingexecutive.com

     

  • At 7/24/2007 5:30 PM, Blogger soccer mom in denial said…

    You do such a good job acknowledging transitions. I feel like I don't notice or reflect until months after the fact.

     

  • At 7/24/2007 7:38 PM, Blogger megymelly said…

    I thought the same, when I got the "Your daughter should really be balancing out formula with three meals of healthy solids a day, and you have to make sure each food group is represented in such-and-such a way, and..."

    ... I mourned the introduction of formula almost 8 months ago, and now I'm just thinking, "I miss the days when I could just give her formula and know she was squared away."

    ...now the kid who would eat anything as long as it was on a spoon has decided she's not particularly cool with that anymore.

    Enjoy your writings, thank you for sharing. Breath of fresh air for a mamma with a bottle.

     

  • At 7/26/2007 1:49 PM, Blogger M said…

    Out of curiosity, do you find it difficult to get enough food into YS to make up for the fact that he's not on formula anymore? Signal will soon be 8 months old, and he's eating about 4-5 tablespoons of food on a good day. I'm having a hard time imagining getting him to the point where I could wean him off formula in 4 short months!

     
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Name:Alex Elliot
Home:MA, United States
About Me:Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
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For those of us who didn't get an instruction manual with our babies and for whom parenting hasn't always gone as planned. On a more serious note this blog is about supporting a woman's ability to make her own choices about parenting including the choice, for whatever reason, to bottle feed her babies formula.

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