HELP calling all moms who supplement!!

amanda_wahl

So I am freaking out....having every emotion in the book right now, anxiety, depression, fear, anger. My lo Is 2 months and things were going along ok, but now i have been back to work for 3 weeks and bam! after a week plus of working my butt off and consulting my lactation consultant it Still looks like I'm going to have to supplement. Please moms share, how did you deal with this? How did you begin to incorporate it? What kind of formula is the most gentle or rec bc I have a super fussy and gassy lo as it is! Please share any experiences as I'm having a horrible horrible time right now even thinking about it :

cvillecouple

It's such a bummer isn't it  I don't have much advice, just camaraderie as I'm going to have to start supplementing soon too.  I had a gigantic freezer stash from having DD early and pumping a bunch at the beginning, so I've been pulling from that for months, but I think my supply is finally low enough where she may even need a bottle from me during the day.  Plenty of Moms do supplement, so I hope you get some good advice too.  Good luck.

caitie2002

I didn't want to have to supplement either, but I just started looking at it like this: Would I rather my baby get formula or go hungry?

And now he hasn't had formula in a few weeks (and it's usually every few weeks that he gets it- only if I'm at work and he has drank all the pumped milk I've left).  When I first get back to work (he was 7 weeks- now he is 7 1/2 months), he was drinking some formula almost every day. 

Just keep working on it and doing your best.  Once your LO starts solids, you may be better able to keep up.

I just use regular Enfamil Infant.  You may want to try a formula that says it is for gas/fussiness. 

Heather8888

My LO is 5 1/2 months.  I struggled with my supply from the beginning.  It was so stressful and LO was a very fussy baby probably b/c he was always a little hungry and tired from never getting a full nap... These are the things that seemed to help me build my supply... I took more milk plus (a supplement), drank lots of water and pumped after feedings as often as I could... Now after I built my supply up so that he seemed happy after feedings I slacked off on all of that... he keeps growing but my supply doesn't seem to grow at the same rate... bottom line is - I needed to either start pumping again or supplement... I have three older children and the sight of my pump just made me want to cry so I thought I'd just try and give him 2-3 oz at night before bed of formula... I bought Gerber gentle digestion formula with probiotics.  He sucked it down no problem.  Recently here I have started solids and he seems much more content.  I think my supply is stable and I am still doing the 3 oz before bed but he gets 90% breast milk.  It's ok... don't beat yourself up.  Theres nothing wrong with supplementing - you're doing a great job.   

xo 

lanbob

It really sucks to have to suppliment specially when you have edf one child.I supplimented with DD2 and with DS. I just know that I do not want my children to to be hungry. With DD2 my body didn't respond to pumping so when I worked she got formula.With DS I ran into all types of issues. At least this time I could pump. I gave him Similac sensitive for gas a fussiness. He was also fussy from the begining. He grew out of it at aroumd 6 m when he started to crawl. We also went through 4 or 5 types of formulas. I mixed two of his bottles 50/50 f/bm he took these bottles first. Then he would get 1 maybe 2 bottles of formula. I am gone for 10 hrs a day. I did it this way so bm wouldn't go to waist. When I am home he only nurses. I hope this helps you. Just remember you are giving your baby the best by giving LO bm even if you need to suppliment.Hugs!!!!

skibunny59

I went through a really hard time with this too.  Breastfeeding sucked for me in the beginning.  My DD was on my boob basically all day and all night long and I wasn't getting any sleep at all so you can imagine my disappointment when I brought DD in for her 1 month well visit and she had only gained 1 ounce in 2 weeks.  I was really depressed about it for awhile.  I kept trying to not give the supplements but everytime I stopped, DD stopped gaining weight.  It took me about 3 weeks to really come to terms with the fact that DD really did NEED the supplements and to be ok with it.

Looking back I wish I had been more flexible about breastfeeding in general.  I was so adamant about EBF that it really made it hard to enjoy my newborn.  I'm really happy that I stuck with breastfeeding but looking back it was kind of silly to be so upset about having to supplement.  There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding and supplementing if that is what your LO needs.