Advice needed...how to introduce formula to an 8 month old?

jamiekendall

I could really use some pointers...

I am going to be traveling twice without my daughter next month (both trips will be about 48 hours each).  DH will be watching her the first time, in-laws watching her the second.  I am completely confident about leaving her, and although I'll miss her, I'm so excited to have the opportunity to travel.

Here's where it gets tricky...I am trying to introduce formula to her so that I won't have to do a massive pumping experiment in the next two weeks.  Previously, she's only had it in the hospital when she wasn't making enough wet diapers (she has nursed like a champ all along, and loves solid foods as well).

I have tried doing a couple of ounces in a bottle several times this week (both the liquid and powder Similac), and she does NOT like it one bit.  I really need some advice, and soon: my first trip in in two weeks, and on the second trip it will be nearly impossible to pump (we are visiting the in-laws out of state, and the trip I am taking with DH is during that visit).

Thanks so much; any thoughts/advice is very appreciated!

meltoine

There's a post about 5 down with the same question.

 Just to clarify, though - are you wanting to wean entirely to formula? Because not pumping for several days will surely tank your supply. If you don't wean gradually between now and then you run a high risk of getting clogged ducts and mastitis, not to mention horrible engorgement.  

jamiekendall

No, no, I am not weaning, just supplementing.  If we can make it to one year BF, that's awesome!

JLB24

We just went through the same thing.  C was ebf until I went back to work when he was 7 months, and I was pumping to make him 2 bottles a day while he was at the sitter.  It became really tough and I had a ruptured vessel which was causing blood in my breastmilk, so after that, I decided to try formula while he was at the sitters.

 I started by just sending 2 ounces a day with him.  I had the sitter give it to him bc I heard that if someone else feeds lo, they are more likely to take to it.  First few days he hated it, then he started to take it.  From there, I started mixing full bottles with half breastmilk and half formula.  He did fine with that, and after about a week and a half we went to all formula.  From there, I decided to start weaning totally, and here we are about a month later and he is totally on formula.  He's doing great...and he is now sleeping through the night...which he was NOT doing before!!!  Good luck.  PM if you have any questions!

hispenguin

I would recommend sticking to a liquid formula, preferably the ready to feed, it's more expensive, but it would be the sweetest type of formula. BM is generally a little sweeter than formula. Start by adding an ounce or two to a bottle of BM, and go from there. Also make sure that you are not in the room, you will need to have someone else give the bottle.

If your LO is hungry enough they will drink the formula.

lyzabeth

We mixed half formula with half BM and gave that to her for a while, then we gave her 75% formula with 25% BM, did that for a while and then she took 100% formula. She still drinks mainly BM, but now the few times she has to have formula she takes it no probs.

meltoine

jamiekendall:

No, no, I am not weaning, just supplementing.  If we can make it to one year BF, that's awesome!

You're going to have to pump while you're gone then. You will get hugely, painfully engorged in 48 hours, possibly causing mastitis and almost definitely causing a huge drop in supply. You can give the formula while you're gone if you don't have a stash to draw from and you can pump and dump while you're gone if you really don't want to worry about storing and transporting the milk. But trust me, the pain form the engorgement alone will ruin your trips if you don't pump. I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, I promise, but this is really something you need to consider.  

jdnemmer

Make sure to warm the formula or combo bottles. DD's biggest issue with formula (and still is) is the temperature. Room temp still doesn't cut it for Miss Picky Pants. (We're doing 50/50 now while I'm weaning.)

walkercpa

meltoine:

jamiekendall:

No, no, I am not weaning, just supplementing.  If we can make it to one year BF, that's awesome!

You're going to have to pump while you're gone then. You will get hugely, painfully engorged in 48 hours, possibly causing mastitis and almost definitely causing a huge drop in supply. You can give the formula while you're gone if you don't have a stash to draw from and you can pump and dump while you're gone if you really don't want to worry about storing and transporting the milk. But trust me, the pain form the engorgement alone will ruin your trips if you don't pump. I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, I promise, but this is really something you need to consider.  

This. My LO usually STTN about 8-9 hours, and I am always engorged in the morning. I can't even imagine what 48 hours without nursing or pumping would be like.

jamiekendall

meltoine:

jamiekendall:

No, no, I am not weaning, just supplementing.  If we can make it to one year BF, that's awesome!

You're going to have to pump while you're gone then. You will get hugely, painfully engorged in 48 hours, possibly causing mastitis and almost definitely causing a huge drop in supply. You can give the formula while you're gone if you don't have a stash to draw from and you can pump and dump while you're gone if you really don't want to worry about storing and transporting the milk. But trust me, the pain form the engorgement alone will ruin your trips if you don't pump. I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, I promise, but this is really something you need to consider.  

You're not a Debbie Downer ("wah-wah") at all: I appreciate the advice.  No, I am definitely pumping while away; I have this great cooler bag from Munchkin that will do just the trick, and it's small enough that I can carry on my milk when I fly back home.  When I worked for a few weeks this summer, I would pump while Shelley was at the sitter, and while it was time-consuming, it worked out just fine. 

I also took a very brief (24 hour) trip away from Shelley back in August, and pumped four times in her absence.  TSA gave me no trouble whatsoever with carrying the milk; in fact, the TSA agent was a nursing mama herself, and she said "Good for you!" when I told her I was BFing.  I wish all TSA interactions were so nice