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July 2014 Moms
ksspiff
member
The Great Formula Feeding Thread
ksspiff
member
For those of us who struggled through breastfeeding and it just didn't work out for whatever reason, and those of us who went straight to formula: here's a thread to share your story, your frustration, your transition success or anything else you want to vent. Let's support each other.
Post your questions, answers, advice and tips about formula feeding here!
Post your questions, answers, advice and tips about formula feeding here!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: The Great Formula Feeding Thread
At 5 days PP we're doing between 2-3 oz. every 3-4 hours. Using Dr. Browns bottles and really liking them.
I pumped 3 days postpartum around the clock for the first two weeks. Only produced 1.5oz per boob during the first pump of the day. Every session afterward didn't get much at all. Now we are just FF and he's 3 weeks old. Doing well! We switched him to enfamil gentlease and his gas and tummy troubles have reduced significantly. We use the Playtex drop in bottles and we love them. We have doctor brown bottles but haven't used them yet.
Glad to know I'm not the only one FF and still having to feed him every 2 hours! He's been asleep now for almost three hours thankfully!
He hasn't been burping well the past few days. Any suggestions for best positions to get baby to burp?
Also, how are your baby's poops looking?
Like @samounthak, once I switched over to milk, if I pumped every 3hrs, I would get less than an ounce total. If I spread a little, I would get a little more. But I never got the engorgement or anything. Micah hated BF-ing. It would make him sob. I quit pumping altogether at around week 4-5.
The hospital drs had us on Enfacare 22cal and my ped told me to stick with it until the 2mo visit (2 more weeks). But last night we switched to Gentlease and it's made a huge difference in his gas pains. I would mix the Enfacare in the bottle and by the time I went to feed him, 3oz was 6oz from all the foam. There's zero foam when I mix the Gentlease. That alone is probably helping his tummy troubles problems.
We tried the tommee tippees when I was trying to BF and much like BF-ing, he hated them. He was well experienced with the tiny gerber nipples on the disposable 2oz bottles from the hospital so we used those until pretty recently. Dr Browns is most similar to the gerber, so we made a smooth transition to those.
Sorry for the novel.
TL;DR - Dr Browns + Enfamil Gentlease.
We're using the Tommee tippie bottles and she likes them. Really hoping my milk supply can catch up though so I can continue to pump for her. The doc did say if you start out pumping it takes longer to meet their needs because it isn't the same suction her mouth would provide. But my DS was FF and I won't be sad if LO ends up 100% FF either.
DD is almost a month, so she is taking 3.5 oz every 3-4 hours during the day. She takes the same amount at night, and her stretches between feedings range from 3-6 hours.
We switched from Similac Advanced to Enfamil Gentlease and that really helped with her gas.
Lo takes about 2 1/2 to 3 oz every 3-4 hours.
Because this will be our last baby, I really wanted to enjoy every second from the beginning, so we went straight to FF. I've dealt with a little judgyness, mostly a pedi we saw yesterday who said "So is there any reason that you chose not to at least OFFER the breast?" Blah.
Oh well, I am happy with our decision. We are using the Target Up&Up brand, which has the same nutrition as Similac. Just a heads up to the girls using similac, we used it with DD, and they quickly stop sending checks, and their formula only gets more expensive.
For bottles we are using Dr. Brown's wideneck bottles, and after a few days, he's gotten used to them.
TL;DR Target Up&Up, and Dr. brown's wideneck
We've been FF from the beginning & using Playtex bottles with drop in liners. We usually just buy the Target brand liners. DD is part of a research program at the hospital where she was born & is on one of two of their research formulas. We know it's Enfamil but we don't know what kind. The research will last approximately four months & we take her once per month back to the hospital to be measured, weighed & stock up on more formula. It's a HUGE blessing to us & she seems to be thriving. I only tried to nurse her once at the hospital but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to because it never worked out with DS.
To the PP who was asking about burping - someone on the Night Crew thread suggested we slow feedings down by doing a little feeding, burp break, then feed more, then burp break. I've started breaking DD's feedings into 3's. Eat, burp, eat, burp, eat burp. The best position I've found is sitting her in my lap, holding her chin with my hand for support & patting her back. Sitting her up seems to put pressure on her tummy to burp it out. I don't have nearly as much luck with her on my shoulder. She just falls asleep.
Jerk. [-X
The resident pedi at the hospital where DD was born said, "I see you haven't breast fed at all yesterday." I was ready to hand over DD & say, "Well you give it a shot since it's so easy." But he was bringing it up so he could talk to us about the formula research program he wanted us to be a part of. Lol. But yeah, I've got NO patience for idiots who want to criticize us FF or cloth diapering our baby.
I'm glad you are happy with your decision and didn't let it get you down.
I had an LC make a similar comment and I straight up ugly cried and felt like a POS parent for a little bit. And then we went to DDs first check up and she was nearly back to her birth weight and thriving. Problem solved.
11.2011 - DS1
02.2013 - loss at 6 wks
06.2014 - DS2
10.2015 - loss at 12 wks
03.2017 - DD
I've cried more about my stupid boobs in the past 2 weeks than I have about anything in the past 5 years. I'm on fenugreek. I am doing what the doctor says and I still can't get more than an ounce and a half total. And that's the "big" morning session.
I'm really glad someone started this thread.
We are using similac and we just bought similac sensitive and some gas drops because it seems he is having painful gas. We are using 4 different types of bottles and he doesn't prefer (Nuk, Agent, breast pump tubes with nipples and Gerber cheapies).
Who else thinks formula poop smells worse than adult poop?
I am having lots of guilt about failing at breast feeding for the third time because this lo actually latched well at the hospital, then he had blood sugar issues and they had me give formula. Since then, he is too impatient and won't feed at the breast unless I use a shield (but even then he still gets lazy).
My supply is low and what I am pumping is only a small total of what he gets all day. I should probably throw in the towel, but I am having too many emotions about it right now to finally just give in
We use up and up compared to similac advanced but may change due to some constipation issues.
We use a variety of bottles (drop ins, medela, similac, and avent). He is drinking 3oz every 3-3.5 hours.
1st pregnancy: m/c began 1/12/09 d&c 1/13/09 8wks. Baby stopped growing at about 6wks.
Delaney: Born 10/15/09
Gavin: Born 4/8/11
Baby #3: due July 10, 2014
We are using similac sensitive and plan to switch to a generic after this canister. He seems to do ok with it, but is having more gas and spit ups than with breast milk. For bottles we use Dr. Browns and MAM wide necks. He eats every 3 hours and usually 3-4 oz.
My daughter is doing great on formula (like my other two did) she is on 2-3oz every 2 hours. She never lost any of her birth weight and when she was weighed last she was 7lb 3oz (born 6lb 15oz). Just got to work on these two hourly feeds they are killing me lol!!!!
Has anyone been switching between formula brands? We have so many samples of Similac and Enfamil but I don't want to use them if it's going to upset LO's tummy.
Anyways, Alexander has been on a higher calorie recipie of Similac neosure. We use Dr. Browns and he takes 2-3oz every 2-3 hours. He is gaining weight wonderfully, but is super gassy alllllllll the time. I have to give him gas drops after every bottle. He also gets 1 bottle a day of half apple juice and half water to help keep him from getting constipated.
On a side note, I told all this to the doctors that were here when we got admitted to the hospital last night and they only ordered the gas drops for every other bottle. After 3 hours of a screaming baby I had DH bring our drops from home.
I did bring my own. DH and I were very disappointed in the hospital and I told them so. No info anywhere on how much formula to offer a newborn. Most if the nurses didn't have an answer. My baby would only drink 2ml, which is nothing, until a night nurse taught her how to suck. Be prepared, bring formula and a book to refer to. Get your DH ready to answer to lactation and everyone else. They can be very pushy and it will make you feel guilty. Though I'm a STM, they still weren't easy on me.
You'll want to switch to Enfamil infant around 12 weeks when lo is not really considered a newborn.
When I couldn't BF my first due to low supply, I cried and cried. LC finally told me that I had to switch to formula. Looking back, I feel much better and wish I hadn't put so much pressure on myself. With this baby I just skipped BF all together to keep myself from that experience again.
I hope that you can look back in a month and feel good about your decision. It's tough.