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Help! Having to give formula today :(

sugar*and*spicesugar*and*spice
in Breastfeeding

I have been EBF and pumping since I went back to work about a month and a half ago. I only got a lil stash of milk saved and have been giving DS four bottles of 4 oz BM a day and then BF when i get home at 5:30 - 6. He goes to bed at 7 and I BF throughout the night.

He was sleeping till about 12 and then he would wake up to eat and then be up every couple of hours after that. Sometimes to nurse and sometimes just to suck a minute and then fall asleep.

About a week ago DH, DS and I went on a trip overseas. The first night was hell but after that DS really just slept a lot and pretty much got into the same routine he had here just an hour or two earlier. 

Well since we have come back to the states he has been eating only 3 bottles of 4 oz BM throughout the day (because he is waking up later) and then nursing when i get home and then to bed at 7 and he wakes up around 7:30pm each night hungry. My supply has dropped because i got food poisoning saturday night and now i have to give him his fourth bottle at 7:30pm (i nurse him first but it is never enough) after that he goes back to sleep till about 1-2 and then up again round 3-4.

So i have no more BM saved (because it was used over the night when I got sick) and i only pumped enough milk for one and a half bottles for tomorrow. I really want to continue BF but i dont think i can if my supply does not come up.

 I have a few issues here.

1). Can i just give him any formula tomorrow? How do you mix BM and Formula (what is the correct way)?

2). Should i start waking him up earlier and getting him to take four 4oz bottles again a day? OR

3). Should i keep giving him three bottles a day but increase the oz to say 5oz a bottle?

4). Any ideas on better ways to increase BM? I pump 3x at work and then 3x at home after he has gone to sleep. I have made lactation cookies and eat them and I am taking fenugreek and blessed thistle. ? Should I get a hospital grade pump to increase supply?

I'm so confused. I want him to go back to sleeping longer stretches that i know he can do when he is full. I?m also really saddened that I am not able to keep up with him with the BM. BF is so important to me. Especially to get through flu season and all.

Sorry this is so long...TIA.

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Re: Help! Having to give formula today :(

  • ErinNConnorsMomErinNConnorsMom
    imagesugar*and*spice:

    1). Can i just give him any formula tomorrow? How do you mix BM and Formula (what is the correct way)? My LC recommends not mixing formula and bm b/c you could end up wasting bm if he doesn't finish the bottle, and there's new research being brought up about formula breaking down bm before it reaches LO's belly.  That said, I've mixed formula and bm before, and it's worked out fine. 

    2). Should i start waking him up earlier and getting him to take four 4oz bottles again a day? OR

    3). Should i keep giving him three bottles a day but increase the oz to say 5oz a bottle?  The general rule of thumb is that when babies get older, they take in more milk in a lesser number of feedings.  See what works best for your LO.

    4). Any ideas on better ways to increase BM? I pump 3x at work and then 3x at home after he has gone to sleep. I have made lactation cookies and eat them and I am taking fenugreek and blessed thistle. ? Should I get a hospital grade pump to increase supply?  Your best bet is probably to get your baby to your breast as much as possible.

    I'm so confused. I want him to go back to sleeping longer stretches that i know he can do when he is full. I?m also really saddened that I am not able to keep up with him with the BM. BF is so important to me. Especially to get through flu season and all.  There's nothing that says that it has to be one or the other.  You're doing a great thing by giving your baby what bm you can!  Chin up!

    Sorry this is so long...TIA.

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  • NHMountainBrideNHMountainBride
    I started supplementing with formula at 4 months because pumping 3x per day at work just wasn't reasonable for me.  I started with just giving one bottle of formula per day.  I slowly moved toward all formula during the day and nursing morning and night (no pumping), which has been a wonderful thing (for me).  I felt badly at first about not continuing to EBF, but at the same time, I was miserable pumping.  I feel good that I still give my baby some BM and fortunate that I still get to experience that connection, but I have the convenience of giving formula.  It's perfect for me.  Everyone's different, but as PP said, it's definitely not all or nothing!  Do what works for you, and feel good about it!  You've done great so far!
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  • creativethinkercreativethinker

    i felt EXACTLY how you did. and was so worried, that if i started giving formula it would slowly end my nursing. in some ways yes, it is true. but at the same time, it is ok. i had been supplementing with formula since ds was 6 months old. i have had major supply issues over the past 5 months. one thing i did that helped, my milk dried up 3 times over the past 11 months, nurse, give him a bottle, then pump for 10 min. i did that at every feeding. even at night. (he was up once a night to eat). this helped a lot.?

    i had many troubles, but i learned to take each day as a blessing. i never knew if i would be able to nurse the next day, but i would enjoy each moment. i wish you all the best!!!!! you are doing an amazing job. be kind to yourself... and all the best :)?

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