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Returning to EBF after Supplementing with Formula

JAnalynn3767JAnalynn3767
in Breastfeeding

Just wondering if anyone else has any experience with this --

DS was born on 2/21 at a whopping 9 lbs 4oz he is my first and because of his size he had a rather large bruise on the top of his head where he was got a little stuck in the birth canal.  As this bruise has broken down in his system he become Jaundiced.  The Pedi had us on the Biliblanket at home and also asked me to supplement with formula after each nursing session.  (Extra Protein in formula helps get those used red blood cells out of the system).  The Jaundice as run its course and DS is gaining weight, so Dr recommended to return to EBF.  She wanted us to stop the formula cold turkey, not wean him off of it.  I tried to do this, but DS wants to nurse now every hour for at least a half hour at a time.  (He was nursing for about an hour every 3 hours with the formula).  I caved a bit ago and gave him a bottle when he had nursed for an hour and a half within a 2 hour time frame.  I really do want to return to EBF as I know it is the healthiest option for both of us.  I assume with a little time we will find a rhythm of supply and demand that will work, but in the meantime what would you do.  Would you continue to try to go cold turkey, or would you try to wean him down?  (I am thinking formula after every other nursing session, then work on cutting the amount of formula in half, and kind of alternating cuts to frequency given and amount given of the formula to wean him off of it gradually.)

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Re: Returning to EBF after Supplementing with Formula

  • sarahandeddiejune212008sarahandeddiejune212008 member
    I had to supplement for other reasons and we weaned slowly, but I based it off of DD's cues.  If she was still hungry I would give her an ounce of formula.  It didn't take long for my supply to catch up.  Your lo may be going through a growth spurt and that is why he is nursing so often.  He may also be stimulating your body to make more milk.  I would try to use as little formula as possible in order to get your supply back up.  Most babies at that age are eating every 2 hours or so and they take a very long time to eat.  It will get better in a few weeks.  GL!
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  • greengirl0909greengirl0909 member
    Every time you give formula, you decrease the amount of milk your body makes, because baby doesn't take milk from you so you don't make any more. If you really want to stick with breastfeeding, you need to pump anytime you offer a bottle to train your body to make more. Even if you don't get much, you still need to communicate to your body that you are going to need more.  It is very reasonable for a young baby to take up to an hour to eat, then do it again an hour later.  It will get better.  It was the hardest thing for me to understand, I'm a mover and to sit in the chair for so long, I felt like I was never getting anything done.  It is so worth it though!  I would go cold turkey with the formula and try to get baby totally on the breast.  Call a lactation consultant for support or look up a La Leche meeting!
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  • CarolinaGirl051708CarolinaGirl051708
    2/21 is my birthday! Haha. I supplemented for four days with DD due to the fact she lost 10% of her birth weight in the hospital. We stopped cold turkey (she started spitting up the formula, and the nurse who came to check on my incision said that I should just stop giving her the formula, so I did). but I always FF after she'd BF. She'd only get an ounce or so after each nursing session. From about 10 days old to 6 weeks, she was pretty much attached to me. She nursed almost every one-two hours for 30 minutes at a time. I spent the first six weeks of her life on my couch in order to build up my supply! Now, at 11 months, I am still nursing 4x/day and I EBF for 6 months. You CAN do it!!! I know it seems like all the baby wants to do is nurse, but that's the only way that you can get your body to produce enough. Find a comfy place to sit. Good luck!!! Hang in there!
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  • TikatTikat
    Go cold turkey with the formula and make sure you up your fluid intake, a complex Vitamin B supplement or brewers yeast will help you increase your milk production to get back into the swing of things...ditto PP...the more you formula feed the less milk you'll make...
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  • greengirl0909greengirl0909 member

    I would just go cold turkey.  Every time you supplement, you are sending your body the message it doesn't need to make that milk.  If you hope to be EBF, you need to get rid of the formula before your body adjusts to not having to make that amount of milk.  If you continue to use the formula, you should pump to tell your body it needs to make that milk.  Even if you don't get much, it's telling your body to make more.

    On a side note, it is totally reasonable to expect that your baby will take that long to eat. In the early weeks my LO would take 45 minutes to an hour and fifiteen minutes, then do it all again an hour or so later.  It was very frustrating, I'm an on the go person and here I just had to live in my rocking chair! That being said, totally worth it! I love nursing and I feel so proud knowing I'm giving my baby this excellent gift.  GL

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  • JAnalynn3767JAnalynn3767
    Thanks everyone for all the support! I am just going to stick it out and give up the FF completely.  It def makes it easier to know that it is normal for him to want to nurse this much!
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