russ@oakhill.UUCP (Russell Schwausch) (08/27/85)
My wife and I have 5 young ones, the youngest being 6 months old. We have been through the problems of getting breast-fed babies to take formula several times. It is especially nice to have a baby that will take formula when mommy needs a break from the steady demands of raising a new baby (especially one that refuses to sleep all night as most of ours have). It's hard to leave a baby at a sitter if you know he is going to wear out his vocal cords for the entire time mommy is gone. My wife finally discovered a solution that really works (it only took five kids to do it; I was getting worried!). Start early. Give the baby formula on a regular basis from the very beginning. Don't wait till the baby is a few months old to try to introduce formula. If you wait more than a week you have probably already blown it. We started giving Matthew formula as soon as we brought him home from the hosptal. We had no problems at all when mommy decided it was time to wean him from breast milk at about 4 months. Some mothers like to nurse till the kid is ready for school. We aren't quite the fanatics they are. I do feel that mommies should use their natural resources. But modern technology has its benefits too. Mom really enjoys having Dad get up once in a while, in the middle of the night, to feed the baby, while she gets some extra sleep. I hope this helps those of you who are nursing or plan to. Raising kids isn't easy but the rewards match the effort you put into it. Russ Schwausch <oakhill!russ> Life is what you make it.