- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Minnesota Babies
mrs.raz
member
If you formula feed please come in...
mrs.raz
member
I've really been struggling with BF. DH and I have had major discussions today about switching to FF. We do not want to make a hasty decision and are looking for input from others that FF. (Please no flames about the benefits of BF, etc. I'm struggling even typing this post right now.)
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF?
2. How did you choose which formula to use?
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own?
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up?
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope?
TIA!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: If you formula feed please come in...
I was in your shoes completely with my first one. I struggled through two weeks of it, was so stressed out and hated it, but felt guilty like I should be doing this for my baby. I ended up exclusively pumping for another 4 weeks but doing that you need to do it every 3 hours around the clock and finally at 6 weeks I said enough and quit. With my second who is just a couple weeks old, I told myself I'd try it again, not get stressed about it and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Well, it's not working. I'm done on the breast, I've been pumping but I'm going to start weaning my pumping. We're already supplementing with formula.
To answer your ??
1 - answered above
2 - we just tried different ones. Started with Similac, she seemed to tolerate it better than Enfamil, then switched to the Target generic version of Similac because it's like half the price.
3. Didn't meet with pedi, though if you have any questions, definitely call them. I had friends who formula fed from the beginning, so they kind of guided me. Right now with my DS, he's getting 3 oz every 3 hours or so. But he's a big eater!
4. Good question. I dont' remember this from last time, but I don't think it took too long if I remember right. I'm just starting to space out my pumpings and not pump as much and it's already decreasing my supply.
5. As I said above, I struggled huge with my first one. I felt so guilty, but you know what? she did great on formula. I have no guilt with this one because I know I tried. Really, I know how hard it is, but you have to do what's right for you. It helps that you have a supportive DH. My pediatrician was also very supportive, we were just in for his 1 week appt, and I told her I was probably going to quit and she just said, "hey, it's not for everybody, and you gotta do what you gotta do".
Good luck with whatever you decide!
I 100% know what you are feeling & if you want to meet to talk about it let me know.
1.Mr.A was not gaining enough weight at the hospital so that is when we first started FF but I still BF about 80% of the time. after about 3 weeks I had to get some some "evil" drugs (due to my bad ripping daring birth) that made me sick and I was unable to BF for one week (I still pumped & dumped but it killed my supply) so I was lucky if I could BF before naps & bed time (sometimes I would wonder if he was really getting any milk)
2. We were given Enfamil in the hospital and stayed with it for the most part we did try Up&up at the end & really liked it.
3. Because we made the switch in the hospital they had a lot of helpful hints, like having DH feed him at first. I would talk to the pedi first
4.I did the 80%FF 20% BF until Aiden was 9 months (almost to the day) & I think he stop because I had nothing more to give him.
5. I still have a hard time with it just knowing how much money we spent & Mr.A best buddy (who is the same age) mom just stop BF him & every time we want out I would see her BF him & I missed that so much (She knows how hard it is & never rubbed it in my face, she was very supportive but still to see her BF was hard) Also whenever the "BFvsFF" debates come up here it just send me right back.
Like I said I know what you are going thru I spent many many days with lactation consultant trying to make it work. Free free to PM if you want to talk about it we meet up for coffee for whatever
my read shelf:
When my dd was first born she was under 6# so they had us supplement with formula because she wouldn't latch. I worked with a LC and still had issues with latching so I opted to exclusively pump. It worked for us- but I have my hands free pumping bra to thank otherwise I think I would have lost my mind pumping for so long. If EP would be an option for you lmk if you have any questions.
Breastfeeding is so hard. I'm sorry you are having such a struggle. When we were supplementing with formula we used Enfamil and Similac and I didn't really notice a difference in either one. I wouldn't think you would need to talk with your pedi about the switch. The majority of my friends have fed their babies formula and their babies have thrived. They also slept really well not like my little stinker who still gets up 2-3 times a night. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Photo taken at 16 months old
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF? My milk didn't come in. I tried BF for a week, and then pumping for 3 only get less then an oz total a day so, it was too much stress on me
2. How did you choose which formula to use? We had a coupon for Good Start bought that first, then got samples and tried. LO seemed to tolerate the Good Start the best
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own? We had a home health aide come in and based on LO's weight dropped she talked to our pedi and decided the switch was best.
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up? None there so no time
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope? I did, I felt like a HORRIBLE failing parent, and still sometimes beat myself up. But remember I tried and LO wont be any different because she is FF.
Thanks for all the replies! I'm going to have DH read them when he gets home tonight.
When I was pg, I always said it didn't matter how LO was feed, just as long as he/she was getting what they needed.
I can't believe I'm struggling with this so much.
We switched to Formula with our first when she was 2 weeks old, and it was a very hard decision. I was very relieved and happy with our decision, but at the same time, I will say that I still regret it to this day, so I'm glad you are really working it through and not making a hasty decision!
1. We switched her because she could NOT latch on. First of all, I had a c/s and that played a huge role in it. I was so overly tired and recoverying, and focused on that, I couldn't focus on the work I needed to put in with her. I saw 2 LC's in the hospital, and one after we got home. We tried nipple shields, drop feeding, etc. Nothing worked. She would scream and get so frustrated, in turn making me cry and stress out. In the end, for all of our sanity, we switched. In reality, I wish we had put in more time with the LC's and worked through it, but she had a lot of medical stuff going on too, so we were running all over for her appointments...I was physically drained and trying to recover, I couldn't take anymore.
2. Most everybody I know has used Similac, so it seemed like the obvious choice for me. We started on the "regular", blue can, She was really gassy and seemed upset, so after 2 weeks, we switched to the "sensitive" orange can, and never had an issue after that. We eventually tried to switch to the Target brand equivelant, and it did NOT agree with her.
3. We did not meet with our Pedi, just made the decision.
4. I continued to pump with her to give her whatever I could get. But, my body did not respond to strictly pumping and by 4 months I was barely pumping a bottle a day and it was time to call it quits. I just dried up on my own, not problem.
5. I did struggle, big time. It was really hard. I'm a very personal person, and very modest. To even attempt BF'ing was huge for me. In addition, you naturally think it's supposed to be so easy and natural, I almost felt like a failure for not "being able to". It took an emotional toll on me (on top of the already emotional toll I was holding onto from having a c/s). In the end, Olivia grew perfectly fine, hit all of her milesones early, she's healthy and happy, and I became a MUCH happier (aka better) mother when we switched. It was definitely the right decision at the time.
I don't know if you plan on having more kids. BUT, my second one took to BF'ing like a PRO. We've been going strong for going on 3 months now, with ZERO issues. So, maybe that can help you get through it too? Know that if it's something important to you, and just because it didn't work out this time, you may have the opposite outcome next time (if there is a next time).
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF? With both kids I've had extremely low supply issues and nothing seems to improve it. I pumped every 2 hours (for 20 minutes) with DS1 trying to increase my supply. DS2 got some formula and breast milk until I went back to work.
2. How did you choose which formula to use?We started on regular similac and switched to senstive.
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own? on our own
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up? less than a week
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope?WIth DS1 it was stressing me out so much I hated being a mom. Quitting was the best decision I ever made,
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF? BF wasn't going well and I hated pumping. We were supplementing with formula from the beginning. DS was in special care nursery and then had severe jaundice, so we needed to make sure he was getting enough liquid to get rid of the jaundice. I couldn't keep up with pumping and I decided to FF because it would keep my sanity. :-) I also liked knowing exactly how much DS was getting.
2. How did you choose which formula to use? We used Enfamil because I liked the DHA/probiotic in it. Similac didn't have that at the time. And DS hasn't had a cold yet. We also used the ready to feed formula the whole time because that's what DS started with when he was being supplemented and then when we went to powder it made him more gassy.
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own? Just switched. Our pedi is pretty laid back and supported us with whatever we decided to do. He didn't push BF on us, which I really liked.
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up? I only BF for 7-8 weeks and it only took about a week to dry up.
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope? Totally struggled with it. I felt guilty for wanting to quit, but in the end, I decided that I would be a better and happier mom for switching. Pumping was really stressing me out. DH was supportive of the decision and agreed that I'd probably be happier with FF instead. Honestly, any amount of BF that you do is great for DC. At least you've given it a shot and if you decide that you'd be a better mom by FF then thats what you should do.
Also, if you do decide to FF make sure to sign up on the formula company website to receive coupons.
Good luck with your decison. It's definitely a tough one and you will probably feel guilty if you decide to stop BF, but just know that is a normal feeling and we all have it if we have to stop BF, so you're not alone. No flames from me! Keep up the good work mama
Melissa
Never, never beat yourself up about FF over BF! Some little ones just do better on the bottle. Plus, a happy mom means a happy baby no matter where the food comes from.
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF? I switched to FF after 6 wks w/DD#1 and after 6 months after DD#2. DD#1 was a horrible eater, very slow and fussy and I was never comfortable. Plus I had mastitis twice with her. Yikes! DD#2 was a much better eater, short and sweet, so I was always comfortable. Eventually, though, she got very distracted and it became less convenient to BF when I was out and about. Plus, I basically wanted my body back.
2. How did you choose which formula to use? I just went with the one my hospital offered a free sample of. It turned out to be Enfamil. I started out with that one and migrated over to the Target brand once baby started on solids. Enfamil and the Target brand are very similar.
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own? W/DD#1 I met w/my family Dr. W/DD#2, I just weaned her on my own.
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up? It took a week or two w/DD#1. I'm guessing closer to a month w/DD#2 as I BF longer and had quite the supply going.
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope? I really struggled both times. The first time as DD#1 was so young and this time as DD#2 really liked to nurse. My Dr was the one to remind me that a happy mom makes a happy baby. I took it to heart and have two happy, healthy girls!
I tried BF with DD and made it two weeks. She was a preemie so we supplemented from the beginning. I always said I would give it a try but it just wasn't for me. I really dreaded feeding DD, as bad as that sounds, because she didn't have a good latch and it was just so stressful. Through in hormones and lack of sleep and it just wasn't a good mix. I EP for two weeks after I stopped BF and to me that was harder then BF but it may something you want to consider. With DS I formula feed him from the start.
We tried a lot of different formulas for both kids and we ended up finding they both have milk protein intolerances so we put them on Neocate. If you ask me I think Enfamil, Similac and Good Start are all the same. I heard that Good Start is the most similar to breast milk. I would start out with the regular formula and then go from there.
We just made the switch with DD and consulted with her when we thought the formula was giving us issues.
I think this would depend on your milk supply. If you have a low supply then it will take less time. It took me about a week or two. I tried going cold turkey and that was a big, painful mistake. So then I just started to go longer into between when I would pump and would pump less. With DS, since I didn't even start, it only took about four days.
I had a hard time with DD because I felt guilty. I think there is so much social pressure to do it. Yes, I think breastmilk is great if it works for a person. But if it doesn't I don't think it's worth beating yourself up over. Both of my kids are doing just great and one didn't even have breastmilk. Also if I kept BF I would've had to cut everything dairy out of my diet due to the milk protein intolerance and there's no way I could've done that. It's a personal decision but if you decide not to don't beat yourself up over it. You daughter will be just fine. And she got some at least.
Children Photography Photo Credit: Heather Barta Photography
1. Why/how did you decide to FF and not BF? My LO was crying all of the time because I don't think she was getting enough food. She also was a like a frickin piranha when she sucked. I had VERY sore and bloody nipples.
2. How did you choose which formula to use? We had Similac from the hospital and used a can of that. Then we switched to Kirkland brand formula from Costco. She has been fine with that brand. Plus, it's cheaper.
3. Did you meet with your pedi or just switch on your own? I had a discussion with my DH and we decided to make the switch on our own.
4. If you already started BF, how long did it take for your milk to dry up? I kept pumping til I couldn't anymore and give it to her in the bottle. I dried up about a week or so after that.
5. Did you struggle with the decision and how did you cope? Yeah, a little. I kept saying that I failed at BF and it made me cry every time I talked about it. I did manage to go for a week EBF. Now I feel like I have more freedom and LO is getting the full tummy she needs. LO made the transition seamlessly.
TIA! You're welcome! Hope this helped.
I had similar issues and even put myself in the hospital after having an anxiety attack. It was horrible! Don't beat yourself up. Doc said the more you stress yourself the less you will produce. Shhh, it drove me nuts so we are full formula now. I am doing Target Brand of Enfamil Premium Lipil and I mix it with Target Brand of Enfamil AR. I make an 8 oz bottle and do 3 scoops of the Premium and 1 scoop of the AR and then pour it into 3 oz bottles. Little one was spitting-up like crazy once we switched to formula and the AR is suppose to help. However, I hear it is very constipating and since she was only 5 weeks old I was not comfortable giving her the full AR since her little digestive system is still developing. It's been working for us thus far. Good Luck! I still pump and add whatever I get to her formula.