One of the hardest things I faced when I went back to work was pumping. For the first 3 months of Lydia’s life I breastfed, got acquainted with my breast pump, and supplemented around 20-30% with formula. It took only two weeks back at work for me to give up completely on pumping and switch exclusively to formula.
This was a stressful choice for me. I felt the guilt of failing my baby which was only compounded by the fact I also felt guilty going back to work when she was so little.
I recently read a book by Michelle LaRowe called Working Mom’s 411 which provided practical tips for working moms on how to stay organized in all areas of life. The section about pumping brought back a lot of emotions that I felt last year upon my return to work. Again I was also reminded that some women struggle to find private and sanitary conditions to pump their milk, something that I did not have to deal with (luckily!).
As soon as I stopped pumping, it was very clear that the cost of formula was pretty outrageous. I am sure most new moms have received quite a few “checks” in the mail from the large formula makers out there. I am also sure most new moms have noticed that even with those “checks” store brand formulas are about half the cost.
Lydia was also a special case because for her first 12 months she only tolerated Soy milk. We had great experiences using Perrigo Nutritionals store brand formulas and continue to buy milk based toddler store formula for her today.
Returning to work as a new mom is an extremely stressful and emotional time in a woman’s life. I always respect every mom for their feeding choices and I give every mother who continues to pump at work a ton of credit!
About Perrigo Nutritionals
- Many moms are not aware that they can save up to 50 percent on infant formula by choosing a store brand over a national brand
- Store Brand Formula is nutritionally comparable to the national brands, yet are typically up to half the price, and can save you about $600 a year
- Perrigo Nutritionals is the largest supplier of Store Brand Infant Formula and nutrition products in the world and one of only four companies recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for meeting the strict FDA requirements for safety, nutrition and quality for infant formula-manufacturing in the United States
- According to a recent survey conducted online by Harris Interactive, 75 percent of American moms plan to return to work after they have their baby
- Of those moms returning to work, 42 percent attribute their stress to feeding their baby
I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Jenny says
May 20, 2014 at 12:30 pmI chose formula right from the beginning. I wanted to make the most out of my time at home and knew I couldn’t do that while learning to breast feed. Great post!
Jenn says
May 23, 2014 at 9:50 amI don’t blame you! Even as an extended breastfeeder, I HATE PUMPING! I hate it with a passion. If I had to work, I wouldn’t do it. It’s so much work and stress, and it’s not as effective as a baby nursing so for me, I would do a ton of work and get hardly any milk out of it! So not worth it. Some moms are like overflowing fountains and have no problem with it, but I’m not one of them. My girls only seem to make exactly what baby needs (which, I think is the point…) so once he’s done eating, there’s nothing left for the pump.
Anyways, pumping suckkkkkks. Don’t feel guilty about it – a stressed mom is way way worse than formula feeding! (Not that it matters at this point, but should you face the same same situation next time!)
Monica Froese says
June 13, 2014 at 8:24 pmI don’t know how I missed this comment earlier, but thanks Jenn! I appreciate that coming from someone who is a big breastfeeding advocate. I really wanted to see it through but also agree with you that a stressed mom is no fun for anyone!
Julie says
May 30, 2014 at 3:24 pmI appreciate these kinds of posts from other moms. I had 8 weeks of maternity leave and have now been back at work for 8 weeks, and I am trying desperately to pump each day and exclusively provide breast milk. But now I’m reluctantly trying to decide when I will stop and switch baby to formula because the demands of my job are making it more and more difficult to provide her with the adequate amount of milk she needs. So yeah, I can totally relate to this.
Audric's Mom says
July 20, 2014 at 4:34 pmOh my God.. I feel you! I exclusively breastfed my son up to 7 months. I decided to mix feed him with formula milk (of course, with the approval of his pedia who’s also a breastfeeding advocate) because of his slow weight gain and my supply is no longer enough for him. I feel sad, too.. that’s why I’m still striving to increase my milk supply.
Anyway, there’s also a formula milk here in the Philippines that is way cheaper than other formula milk. I think we shouldn’t always judge the quality based on its price. But I’m also interested with Perrigo Nutritionals. I hope I can find one here..