OT: Formula Packaging

[twoDISNEYfans]

First I know nothing about formula or how its packed but Tim and I just got back from the grocery store and something seems weird. We bought a can of Enfamil Lipil just to have on hand for when we come back home from the hospital (Im petrified Im not going to have enough breastmilk or something will go wrong and she will end up hungry- that just scares me to death) So we spend forever looking through the different cans and got that specific one because it advertises to be the closest to breastmilk. Anyways, the point of my post is that when we got home I was just reading over the label and stuff and opened the flimsy plastic top, and there was no seal! Just looking straight down into the powder and scoop- is this normal???? Also its only like half full - Is this the way it is usually packaged because it doesnt seem very safe?! I very well may be over reacting but I honestly dont think it looks right and I have no experience with formula cans so I thought I would ask you lovely ladies before I take it back to Walmart!

 

[ntink]

Return it! Its been some time for me but I distinctly remember a sealed top that you had to pull back and that the cans were mostly full.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

NO! It should have a seal under the plastic lid! Take it back...

 

[solgent]

I just wanted to write in about your worries regarding breastfeeding. I know this is not what you asked and I hope it is OK.

It is normal to worry, but just like your body is directing resources to the baby without your having to micromanage while you are pregnant, the same thing will happen with breastfeeding. Just nurse the baby early and often. That is what tells your body to produce milk. Make sure the baby's mouth is open wide like a yawn to get a good latch. Keep track of your milk supply by whether your baby is producing wet and poopy diapers and gaining weight. That is the key, not things like whether you are able to pump milk or how full you feel or how long the baby spends feeding or if the baby will take a bottle if you offer it.

Congratulations and best wishes!

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Should have a metal seal on it with a pull top rim. Return it!!

 

[Beehn]

That is the brand we use now and it should have a metal seal on top-return it!

 

[bumbershoot]

Having anything without a seal would scare me. Return that.

I just wanted to write in about your worries regarding breastfeeding. I know this is not what you asked and I hope it is OK.

It is normal to worry, but just like your body is directing resources to the baby without your having to micromanage while you are pregnant, the same thing will happen with breastfeeding. Just nurse the baby early and often. That is what tells your body to produce milk. Make sure the baby's mouth is open wide like a yawn to get a good latch. Keep track of your milk supply by whether your baby is producing wet and poopy diapers and gaining weight. That is the key, not things like whether you are able to pump milk or how full you feel or how long the baby spends feeding or if the baby will take a bottle if you offer it.

Congratulations and best wishes!

Yep.

If you are concerned enough to have this on hand (a slippery-slope type of thing to have on hand, in my opinion, if you wish to breastfeed!!!), you NEED to get yourself surrounded by helpers! If you haven't gone already, GO to a La Leche League meeting. They LOVE pregnant women, they adore them. They will welcome you with open arms.

Also, have kellymom.com set as your homepage.

If you have problems or concerns, please feel free to PM me. I myself nursed until I was 4, my brothers nursed until they were 2, my half-sister until she was beyond 4 (the boys weaned at 2 on their own...the girls had to be weaned kicking and screaming...and there were two different moms here, same dad). My aunt nursed her daughter for ages, her daughter nurses her children until they self-wean (which was around 2 years for her son, and her daughter isn't one yet so who knows how long she'll go). IN addition, my son is only starting the process of weaning, and he's 3.5...and my milk did not come in until the FIFTH full day (colostrum was there, but not milk), so our start was interesting!

(if I had had formula around or been anywhere but home instead of under the watchful eye of medical types, I'm sure that someone would have fed him a bottle when I wasn't looking, and that would have ruined things b/c he wouldn't have been hungry enough to keep working at it, and that fifth day might not have been the day for milk)

What I'm saying is that I myself am a walking nursing support system (I actually quite LLL b/c I was better at supporting myself than they were, due to my background, LOL) and if you have questions or concerns, you can PM me.

 

[GoinToDisney]

Honestly, I usually mind my business on this type of thread, but I have to chime in. I was so afraid of the same thing. Through my own struggles with breastfeeding in the beginning and lots of reading on Kellymom.com later, I realized that my stressing and over-analyzing was the only problem we had. I thought my supply was low because so many women say that, but the truth is that it is VERY rare not to be able to produce enough milk. I had a close friend who did not produce enough and I could have told her exactly why, she would let her son nurse a while and get tired of it and give him a bottle. Then she would say she wished she could produce more milk. I very gently told her that it was important not to stop him from feeding if she wanted to up her milk supply, and she gave in to the formula almost every time. I kept quiet after that and just supported her as she weaned. If she had no formula in the house, she would have been better off. In my own situation, I was tempted to supplement, and my mom cautioned me not to. She swore that formula and breast milk combines was a bad combo for my little brother. If I had just counted the diapers and relaxed, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. If you think you are not producing enough milk, then the last thing you want to do is use formula unless you have 2 Lactation Consultants telling you to supplement. I say 2 because if an LC recommends supplementing, I would get a second opinion, especially if the diaper count is right.

Anyhow, my point is that every breastfeeding mother I know, and that is a lot (I know 7 that made it to beyond a year) has worried about supply at some point and mostly for no good reason. Kellymom is a great site to keep checking in for all issues. It's more my style than the La Leche League. Nothing against LLL, just not my style.

Good luck, and my vote is return the formula and unless you have medical issues and docs are telling you it won't work, trust your body. You will send someone for formula if you have to, but you probably won't have to.

 

[twoDISNEYfans]

Thanks so much everyone! I am going back tomorrow to return it! Thanks also for all of the breastfeeding tips and encouragement. Ill be sure to check out the websites. I do have one question though. I read mention of the diaper counts being a good determinate that the baby is getting enough- but what number is average? I know every baby is different but what would I be expecting/looking for? I wasnt able to get off work for the latest breastfeeding class in my area and the next one is after my c-section. All the info and advice is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[NicoleWisconsin]

Honestly, I don't think you'll need to purchase formula, either... It should come in a kit from your hospital.

I feel compelled to tell you that babies cry a lot, whether they're hungry or not and if your babe is fussing at the breast and not nursing, it does not mean you are not making enough milk. Plus, babies sometimes just have a need to suck... Which has nothing to do with feeding.

At my hospital, they gave me a chart to mark wet/dirty diapers, as well as nursing times.

http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/html/how_can_i_tell.shtml

 

[CastleCreations]

Honestly, I don't think you'll need to purchase formula, either... It should come in a kit from your hospital.

I feel compelled to tell you that babies cry a lot, whether they're hungry or not and if your babe is fussing at the breast and not nursing, it does not mean you are not making enough milk. Plus, babies sometimes just have a need to suck... Which has nothing to do with feeding.

At my hospital, they gave me a chart to mark wet/dirty diapers, as well as nursing times.

http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/html/how_can_i_tell.shtml

I would hold off on purchasing any formula. The hospitals will give you some to take home, if they don't, just ask for some, if you think you may need it.
Although, having formula in the house, is the perfect way to ruin breastfeeding. It's almost like, since you know you have another alternative, it's easier to get frustrated and give up, and bottle feed.
I hope whatever you decide you have a wonderful birth and enjoy your little one!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Thanks so much everyone! I am going back tomorrow to return it! Thanks also for all of the breastfeeding tips and encouragement. Ill be sure to check out the websites. I do have one question though. I read mention of the diaper counts being a good determinate that the baby is getting enough- but what number is average? I know every baby is different but what would I be expecting/looking for? I wasnt able to get off work for the latest breastfeeding class in my area and the next one is after my c-section. All the info and advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Just wanted to chime in because I see you are having a c-section. DS8 was taken by emergency c-section. (My 1st biological child.) Anyway, sometimes it can take a while for the body to realize you have had a c-section and the milk can take a day or two longer to come in than with a natural delivery. My son began to lose a lot of weight. We were still in the hospitlal and I would breastfeed him for a while and then DH would supplement him with a little formula. Now, this did not happen with DD's c-section but if you do have a problem and need to supplement, have DH or one of the nurses do it after you have breastfed first so there won't be any confusion. Anyway, the milk came in on the 4th day and I ended up breastfeeding for over a year. What this long winded response is supposed to say is that even if things are bumpy at first, once you get going things should be fine.

 

[Syrreal]

I agree that you should get a kit at the hospital that will have a can of formula. You can keep it onhand just in case without having to buy.

I also wanted to say that I did have trouble with my milk supply. No matter how much he nurse and how much I pumped, my supply was low. I went through weeks where literally I was nursing him contsantly. It was such a battle that every night I would quit and then every morning I would decide to give it one more day. We would go to the ped and they would ask me how often and I would tell them that maybe I got an hour break throughout the day. It took me over a month to get him back up to his birth weight (he was only gaining about 1/3 the amount he was supposed to).
I ended up supplementing him with formula. I would nurse him for 20 minutes and then give him a bottle of formula. It was actually such a relief for me to figure out that I wasn't making enough and to start supplementing that I ended up actually being able to give him more and even pump enough for a nighttime bottle since now my body actually had time between feedings to make milk. I supplemented him until he was 6mos old (my goal, which after such a rough start I am still amazed I got to).
So my point, after a much round about way of getting to it, is that if you don't have enough milk, don't feel bad about needing to supplement (or do only formula if that is your choice).

 

[twoDISNEYfans]

Thanks so much ladies for all the support and experiences. I am definately taking the package back and Ill be sure to ask for some at the hospital. We have already met with our pediatrician and talked with him about breastfeeding and formula feeding options because I am a nurse and I work 12 hour shifts at a very busy urgent care center. I am taking 10 weeks maternity leave and plan to breastfeed soley for the first 8 weeks. It has been suggested by the pediatrician that at 8 weeks we alternate formula and breastfeeding sessions so that her belly gets used to the formula without going cold turkey from breastmilk. Then after she gets used to it we will be doing all formula. Orginially I wanted to pump at work but there is no way I can stop to pump in the environment I work in. Anyone else ever eased into formula feeding like it has been suggested to me? How did it go?

 

[becca011906]

i'm and IBCLC and give classes on bfing weekly.... get way to see if baby is getting enough is what is coming out... first few days 1 dirty diaper and atleast 6 wet, after that usally dirty diapers are every diapers but atleast 2-3 in first few weeks. weight gain is good to check on too. babies need to be almost or at birth weight by 2 weeks old. they will lose it in the first few days... Remember a baby's belly at 1 day old is the size of a marble... TINY don't let them fill it w/ formula in the hospitl b/c it will streach the tummy bigger then the amount of milk your making. You can do it!!!! at 3 days the belly is the size of a shooter marble, at 10 days the size of a ping pong ball... at 10 days is when your body figures out how much milk you really need to make. feel free to PM me any time or send me a message and i'll give you my email !!!!

 

[thepeach80]

Do you have any La Leche League groups in your area? www.llli.org I think it is. It's a support group for pg and nursing moms (or whoever, I still go and I'm not or nursing and don't plan on either again, lol) and a great way to get some help in place before baby comes. They also have a great message board w/ seperate forums for things like nursing a nb, making more milk, etc, you might check it out now before baby comes. Best wishes w/ the birth and nursing!

 

[laughinplace199]

I agree that you should get a kit at the hospital that will have a can of formula. You can keep it onhand just in case without having to buy.

I also wanted to say that I did have trouble with my milk supply. No matter how much he nurse and how much I pumped, my supply was low. I went through weeks where literally I was nursing him contsantly. It was such a battle that every night I would quit and then every morning I would decide to give it one more day. We would go to the ped and they would ask me how often and I would tell them that maybe I got an hour break throughout the day. It took me over a month to get him back up to his birth weight (he was only gaining about 1/3 the amount he was supposed to).
I ended up supplementing him with formula. I would nurse him for 20 minutes and then give him a bottle of formula. It was actually such a relief for me to figure out that I wasn't making enough and to start supplementing that I ended up actually being able to give him more and even pump enough for a nighttime bottle since now my body actually had time between feedings to make milk. I supplemented him until he was 6mos old (my goal, which after such a rough start I am still amazed I got to).
So my point, after a much round about way of getting to it, is that if you don't have enough milk, don't feel bad about needing to supplement (or do only formula if that is your choice).

I had a very similar situation with my third child. It was weird because with the first two, I had plenty of milk. I had a lactation consultant come to my house every week for a while and I still had issues.

Also, having formula on hand isn't always a bad idea. Two of my kids had jaundice. With baby #1, it didn't develop until we were already home from the hospital. I called the pediatrician's office and they told me to continue to nurse but to supplement with formula until I brought the baby in for blood tests the next day. At that point, I was very happy that the nurses had sent some formula home with us because I didn't have any at home. Also, I probably would have been overwhelmed with trying to figure out what kind to buy, how to prepare it, etc. since I hadn't read up on bottle-feeding. With baby #2, the jaundice developed while we were in the hopsital and they couldn't discharge him. Every time I nursed him, DH would then give him a bottle of formula. Apparently, the colostrum wasn't enough to flush the billirubin out of their systems. Once my milk came in and their billirubin levels had gone down, I was able to stop using the formula.

OP, I know you mentioned not being able to get to BFing classes. Will they have classes in the hospital after you deliver? At the hospital where I delivered, they had BFing classes every day.

Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

 

[disney_family_1247]

That doesn't sound normal to me at all; take it back.

This isn't a judgement, but in my experience, having formula at home is one of the fastest ways to quit breastfeeding. It will be in the back of your mind, and you will feel tired and have your dh fix a bottle and before you know it, you won't make enough milk. It's a supply and demand system. Unless you have very rare medical problems, you will produce the right amount. Besides, stores are open 24 hours; there is a 0% chance your baby will starve.

As for that brand being "close to breastmilk", please don't believe their marketing. Formula has like 25 ingredients and breastmilk has about 300 (go to www.kellymom.com for the actual numbers )

 

[Grand Canyon]

I have to send this.
I have breast fed. I have friends who have breast fed.
My DD would NOT breast feed. A friend of mine just quit breast feeding after 5 infections and bleeding n***s. She had successfully breast fed 3 other children.
If it doesn't work - don't feel it's your fault. There are fanatics who will tell you it's your fault and you obviously didn't try hard enough.
My DD is 2.5 yo and, can you tell, I'm still riled up about this topic?

As everyone has said, return the formula. The can was clearly opened at the store.

 

[TaraZ]

Return it! It should have a foil seal, at least!
ETA: I breast-fed my DD exclusively for 8 weeks, but she just wouldn't gain wait and was labeled "failure to thrive." I was devastated, but I had a great pediatrician who told me that it wsa okay, that I tried, and that I needed to enjoy my baby. Fast forward two year-- she is a gorgeous, HEALTHY, and intelligent two year old. So do not stress, whatever happens, your baby will thrive!