Well, I am standing here looking at my living room rug which doubles its
function as a play room most of the time.  Yes, it does need cleaned again this
year!  But only because it got dirty in the everyday use of my family.  In the
years passed, I have had to clean rugs 3 times a year because a few of my
children were fed FORMULA!  And there was trails of formula stains throughout it
(this is a great room so it is alot of carpet!)

 Someone (maybe I will do it) should make up a pamphlet of what to expect when
you choose not to breastfeed (from a house cleaning point of view).  It could
include:

Scrubbing rugs at least 2 times a year because formula fed babies always are
spitting the foul smelling stuff back up stinking up your rugs

Your dog or cat will often beat you to the stain and lick it up before you get
to clean it up (hopefully they won't puke it up too!)

Your shirts will be hopelessly stained in the back and shoulder areas to remind
you that you paid for the formula that your baby threw up and then ruined your
$20, $30, or more shirt too!

Your couch and chairs will need to be cleaned if they get puked on which usually
always happens right after you've cleaned them anyway!

You'll unpack your old baby clothes to use them for your new baby and still will
be able to smell that "formula smell" in them!  Provided any survive the pukey
staining.

Half of your attic will be covered in boxes of bottles, rubber nipples,
pacifiers, bottle washing equipment, bottle warmers, cloth diapers for "pukey
cloths" and other various formula feeding necessities!

You'll be so happy when your baby reaches a year old so that you can quit buying
formula and save money and finally get to clean those rugs for the last time!

This is my house after four children (2 exclusively formula fed,  one half and
ha;f and one exclusively breastfed).  I haven't even begun yet!  I still have
constipation, vitamins, baby food, travel disasters, allergies, asthma, eczema,
ear tubes, ear infections, sinus infections and lots more to go!  Been there
done formula and not afraid to tell you how much it s--ks!  (Sorry, I am in a
great mood, MOM IS COMING! All I will hear all day is "Jennie ought to be old
enough to stop breastfeeding now.  You have to let her grow up sometime!
(Jennie is only 19 months old!))

Another thought:

I agree that ABM (although it is a habit to use those initials of mine also), is
a misrepresentation of what the stuff really is.  How about these ones instead:

FORMULA
BMS-breast milk substitute
PBMS-poor breast milk substitute
YBMS-yucky breast milk substitute
CEBMS-chemically engineeered breast milk substitute
GARBAGE-self explain

Feeling like the day is going to be a LONG one,  Jan, a book store is sounding
like a great plan to me too these days!
Melissa Brancho
Who also agrees that IBCLC has no business working with formula companies
regardless of their reasons!