Pumping just isn't working for me. I pump twice at work, for half an hour each time and only pump enough for one and a half bottles if I'm lucky and LO goes through three bottles on the days he goes to daycare. I'm going back to work full time soon, so I know I'm going to have to start supplementing with formula. Does anyone do this? Did it affect your milk supply? Is it possible to cut out pumping completely and still BF when I'm with LO? I think they mentioned something in Baby Whisperer about a woman who trained her body to be able to nurse twice a day, but haven't heard of anyone really doing it.
Any advice (inlcuding overcoming pumping hurdles so I can continue to breastfeed exclusively) will be much appreciated.TIA!
Re: Anyone supplement?
I, too, could not pump enough at work to fill her day care bottles. So, we decided I'd pump as much as I could and we'd just fill the rest with formula. We also "catch up" by providing 4 oz of formula right before bedtime if she is still hungry on days when I stay home with her. As long as you continue to pump at work and fill as many bottles as you can, there will be no further impact on your supply if you fill the rest with formula.
Your day care provider may tell you that your DC needs bigger bottles of food as your child gets older. This isn't true for breastfed babies, however, and you could get into the trap of providing more and more each feeding at school just to find that your child eats less the rest of the time with you and your supply drops. Furthermore, it may have an impact on your babies expectations while nursing. We continue to only give 4 oz of food each time our daughter misses a nursing and she's over 6 months and she's just fine.
I think it must be possible to only feed twice a day. Otherwise, most weening systems/plans would fail. Giving up one feeding every four-seven days means the rest of the feedings stay put, right, until they are all gone?
twitter: @aliciamariel
B is 9 months now, doesnt eat at night so i dont feed him or pump in the middle of the night anymore. I pump twice at work and in the morning and evening. At this point, I'm only getting 10-12 ounces a day. I get so frustrated! I was supplementing only 4 oz a day for a while but just last night i had to make 16 oz of formula to put in his bottles. Defeating. But we did a great job going this long!
I dont want to be hard on myself bc it will overshadow what an awesome job we did. So dont't feel bad! (I'm trying not too!). Oh and I don't BF at all anymore. Only pump. He would only BF in the middle of the night and now he STTN. Great but sad!