Question for Recent Parents

Didn’t know were to post this question, but I’m having a baby soon and would like some hear from some of the parents here. I’m looking into organic formula and finding that no brand is standing out as the best. I’m gonna stop buying my supplements for the time being so I can afford the very best formula. My child is much more important than my aesthetic goals.

I’ve researched many blogs and reviews and haven’t got a clear winner yet. I figured that healthy, smart individuals post here often and this would be a great place to get some ideas. Thanks for any and all suggestions, stories, and nutritional facts.

My wife nursed all 3 kids (still nursing the 3 month old).

Does the mother not want to nurse? That’s a huge personal choice, but naturally the best one all other things being equal (espically if the mother eats well).

I asked my wife and she said ‘I would just go to the health food store and compare what’s there’. (LOL!).

Breastfeed them for sure IMO…is your woman strongly against that for some reason?

She is going to breast feed for the first 6 weeks I believe. She has to go back to work after that and I’m scrambling to find the next best thing to breast milk.

Yeah I’d have to second breast milk. My second child still gets it at almost 9 months with formula to supplement what she can’t produce. There’s so many benefits to it, if she can.

The formula we supplement with is “Baby’s Only” Organic. My wife did a shit load of research and found this stuff.

We’ve also used the Similac for sensitive stomachs. I don’t remember the “type” it was.

Oh and congratulations!

[quote]dnlcdstn wrote:
She is going to breast feed for the first 6 weeks I believe. She has to go back to work after that and I’m scrambling to find the next best thing to breast milk. [/quote]
Can she pump? You can buy them or you can even rent the hospital grade ones.

[quote]dnlcdstn wrote:
She is going to breast feed for the first 6 weeks I believe. She has to go back to work after that and I’m scrambling to find the next best thing to breast milk. [/quote]

Another option for you if you’d rather use breast milk is to get a (electric) breast pump (insurance should pick up some of the cost) and refridgerate the bags.

We’ve done this for when my wife has had to do things where she couldn’t take the baby. She’ll be starting her business back up in another month and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing for the sitter that will have the baby for a couple hours a day.

Thanks guys. The breast pump is a great idea. I will do some research on Baby’s Only and see what I find.

She never wanted to breastfeed and I had to beg her to even consider it. I’m not sure if she’ll go for the breast pump, but it’s worth a shot. Worse case scenario I have to find the best available formula and deal with it.

My wife was planning on going to work 6 weeks later as well. Looking back, maybe this was just my plan. He’s almost three now, and she’s still not working. I am not sure if this is an option–it put a real dent in our finances–but by the time you add up child care and all the other things, unless she is a high earner, the dent was going to be there in any event.

I would agree with the pump. Formula won’t hurt the kid, but breast milk is far superior.

Good luck with the kid, it is freaking awesome. But things are going to change.

Added benefit (for you) is that the milk will keep coming in as long as wife is nursing and she’ll keep those big ol’ milk titties longer.

See if you qualify, could seriously help curb some of the expenses.

Don’t be like my buddy’s chick and be “too proud”. Take the free milk, eggs and peanut butter. Being broke will fuck up your relationship, add in a newborn and…

BUT, if you aren’t broke, disregard my post.

I’m not too proud to take free stuff. I don’t turn away free supps at the Arnold when we work it and I don’t see a big difference. Thanks for the link.

And yea, gotta love those tig ol bitties. I’m afraid to suck on 'em anymore when she actually lets me have my way will her.

[quote]SteelyD wrote:
Added benefit (for you) is that the milk will keep coming in as long as wife is nursing and she’ll keep those big ol’ milk titties longer.[/quote]

And once they go away, that’s the time to suggest new bolt on tata’s. My wife is getting hers next week, score one for dday. (no there won’t be pictures, well maybe)

OP congrats on the new young’n, I vote for breast feeding. My wife did it for almost a year after 6-8 months she backed it off and started feeding him real food until he went to whole foods.

You can freeze the milk from the pump as well. It can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months in the freezer, it varies from woman to woman (or so I’m told).

My girlfriend is doing the pump and feed thing, it’s much easier and quicker than having the baby latch on to her boobies every few hours, plus we can monitor how much he’s eating. Not to mention it’s easier to go places when we’re bottle feeding.

Breast feeding FTMFW! One thing to consider is that your kid will need more milk than Momma can produce (that happened with my second - she ran out of milk when he was three months old) We just used Enfamil and it worked out fine. After a year she switched to powdered milk (Nido put out by Nestle - it’s fucking CHEAP) for his morning and evening bottle. By the time he is one he should be eating regular food during the day (cut up small enough so he can manage it) and only using bottles for naps or bedtime. At least that’s how I did it.

Congrats!

Good point on being able to monitor how much he’s actually eating. How long do they drink their meals before they start to eat baby food?

I breast fed both of mine…both were little buggers to get settled, but in the uk they assign you totally awesome breast feeding counsellors that will be there on the phone at 2am if you need them. I can’t say enough for the benefits of breast feeding, although it really is a huge commitment and you really do have to feel strongly enough to stick with it if you have a difficult feeder.

I expressed with a pump and refridgerated/froze the milk so hubs could help at night or if I had to go out. It was a really positive experience for him. The pumping can help to increase her milk supply if necessary too. I ended up feeding my first until she was 20 months and my boy till he was 17 months. I weaned them when it was only at bedtime they seemed bored of it. I realise that sounds late, but in Europe it seems like it’s a lot more common for women to nurse longer. Originally I had thought it would be 12 months and had planned to work again at that time. Like jjackkrash said, unless she’s making bank, it didn’t compute to pay someone else a huge amount to raise my kids while I was barely making more than that sum.

Congrats and best of luck :slight_smile: Oh and btw, well done for being a clued up Dad that gives a crud.

Breast feed for as long and as much as you (she) can. I did both of mine. The youngest until she was 14 months old because nursing was the only time she wasn’t into everything and being a p.i.t.a. Additional benefits of breastfeeding include: saving money (formula is expensive), easier (much easier to whip out a boobie at 3 a.m. than heat up formula), smell (I found the smell of formula to be noxious), easier (again, sterilizing and cleaning and just making formula is a lot of work).

It may be tough if she isn’t into it. However, it is a wonderful feeling being able to nurse your children. It’s a weird/cool feeling knowing your own body is able to produce nourishment for your kids. When my kids are driving me nuts now, I think back to looking at the tops of their heads when they were breast feeding and they looked so peaceful and contented. They never really look that way again :slight_smile:

And congrats, man. My first is only a month old but it’s pretty awesome. The first days home from the hospital are a big adjustment, but all your frustrations will melt away the first time your baby falls sleep on your chest. :slight_smile:

Edit - and x2 about the smell of formula being pretty gross.

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
And congrats, man. My first is only a month old but it’s pretty awesome. The first days home from the hospital are a big adjustment, but all your frustrations will melt away the first time your baby falls sleep on your chest. :slight_smile:

Edit - and x2 about the smell of formula being pretty gross.[/quote]

Lanky-- has he started smiling at you yet? Talk about melting away.