Formula is not evil, unless it is marketed and used inappropriately. Formula is simply a different kind of infant food, and although it is indisputable that human milk is the best nutrition for human babies, KINDNESS firmly believes it is more important how you love your baby than how you feed your baby! We entirely support without judgment your infant feeding decisions, and we respect your personal circumstances. Feeding formula your baby, especially in the early weeks, does introduce health risks, described here in this downloadable PDF Formula vs. Human Milk Informed Choices. The risks of using formula, in general, are more significant the younger your baby. Formula can be life-threatening for some premature babies.
We often get calls to our warm-line from confused parents looking at all the choices in the formula aisle at the grocery store. Why are there so many kinds of formula, when there is only one kind of breast milk, after all! See this downloadable PDF: Breaking Down Baby Formula which describes the types of formula available for infants in the US, what nutrients they are made from, and which types are generally recommended for babies with certain conditions or symptoms. You may also be interested in the CDC guidelines on safe handling, preparation and storage of formula.
DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.