An Eye Opening Experience

When I was nine years old, I joined my school 4-H club. I had lived on a farm for most of my life, and that’s what most farm kids did. I was mildly involved, and interested, in agriculture, although most of my interests were invested in cooking rather than producing the raw product (probably to the dismay of my father and his cattle). In high school, I did as most 4-Hers do, and I joined FFA. I wanted public speaking and leadership opportunities, and getting an education in American agriculture didn’t seem like a bad idea either. You’d think after all that time in two national organizations that I would be well informed about the origins of my food. You’d be wrong.

As a youth I’d be been fed the same idealistic visions that most Americans fed: cattle graze out in a pasture, chicken have a pretty little coop and lay a few eggs, farmers plant their crops on their own land and tend to them by hand, and all of our foodstuffs such as fruits and vegetables go directly from the fields to the supermarkets. I am learning though that such visions are not the case. Just to clarify though, I'm not slamming 4-H and FFA; they'll always be near and dear to my heart. But I do think today's youth have the potential to revolutionize American agriculture.

I’ve had it on my mind, and heart, lately that I need to try to provide healthier food for my family. This notion was brought on by Josey’s move to soy formula. I wanted to know if it was really healthy. After all, it is recommended by pediatricians, so it should be good, right? No. Absolutely not. After pouring over research papers, e-books, documentaries, and assorted “tell-all blogs,” I’ve discovered that 90% of all soybeans in America are produced by the Monsanto corporation. These soybeans have been genetically modified so they actually contain the pesticide Round Up. And these soybeans are used in infant formula. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to give my baby a bottle full of pesticide.

Then I started digging into information about corn syrup. We’ve all seen the commercials that promote it as being nutritionally identical sugar along with the slogan “fine in moderation.” But how many of us actually consume it in moderation? Look at any packaged food and most likely it will contain corn syrup. So what’s the problem with it? There are two main problems: 1) It is produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), so it is not the corn God gave us. It has been bred to have a lot of starch and a little protein so it will grow bigger faster and more of it can be planted. 2) Since corn syrup is already pre-digested by the scary chemicals added to it to turn it into syrup, the liver does not need to spend energy on it breaking it down as it does sugar, so it is directly stored as fat.

So how does all this relate to being a mommy (after all, that is the point of this blog)? The point is that I’ve switched Josey’s formula to Baby’s Only Organic Soy Formula, an organic, brown rice syrup and soy formula. It contains no corn syrup and no GMOs. And the results? Amazing. I used to think Josey was just naturally a little fussy and needy. But as soon as I changed her formula, I saw drastic improvement. She stays contented, she has more energy, and she spits up far less. And since she’s started solids, I only feed her organic cereal and organic fruits and vegetables (more on this later). I feel like my little girl has come alive, and it further cements the idea that organic is better.

The Breastfeeding Struggle

When I started thinking about having children years ago, I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. I believe it has many benefits for the baby including immune system protection, reduction in allergies, and weight maintenance. I also believe it helps the mother by reducing the risk of breast cancer. It also helps the mother and baby bond. So when my little girl, I set to work doing my very best at being a breastfeeding mommy.

I’ve tried to eat well by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and good fats. I’ve also made myself drink plenty of water every day, even when I’d rather have coffee or soda. I’ve also been diligent in taking the proper vitamins and supplements.

Soon after coming home, my daughter, Josey, was becoming covered in a terrible rash. She also became very colicky. She wasn’t sleeping, and neither was I. At six weeks old, she was diagnosed with a milk allergy. She wasn’t allergic to my milk, but she was allergic to the milk proteins from the foods I ate. So I eliminated milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, and anything else with even trace amounts of milk. I started drinking soy milk and taking extra calcium so we wouldn’t suffer. After a week, her skin cleared, and she became a healthy, happy baby. I thought we’d defeated our breastfeeding demon. But then there was more.

Since she had been sleeping through the night since she was 5 weeks old, and I didn’t want my milk supply to diminish, I would get up every 3 hours in the night to pump. Since she slept all night, she wanted to eat all day, so I’d have to give her the milk I’d pumped in the night to be satisfied. But at 14 weeks, she wasn’t satisfied anymore. I knew I’d have to start supplementing.

Now I have nothing against formula. There are some great formulas on the market today, and I know many mothers have to use and some want to use it. And I don’t blame them. Sometimes breastfeeding can be a struggle when the baby is fussy or when Mommy is tired, and formula can be the answer. I just wanted to give my little one the gift of breastfeeding. And when I couldn’t give her enough, I felt defeated.

Why did I feel defeated? I’m not sure. I think it was because it was something I couldn’t conquer. I was also afraid she’d reject me after she tried formula. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I can’t get my supply up enough for her. I’ve tried herbal supplements, extra pumping, extra water, and none of it has helped. Of course I didn’t want Josey to suffer, so I started giving her just enough formula to make up for my deficiency.

Because of her milk allergy, I chose Similac Sensitive Isomil Soy. It seems like a high quality product, and I thought it would be gentle for her. And you know what? It has been great. She doesn’t it treat it any differently than she does my milk, and it agrees with her. She still wants to breastfeed at every opportunity, and our bond is as strong as ever. While I’m still hoping I can eventually have enough milk for her, I’m glad she’s happy. That little smile makes it all ok.