Supplementing: Why did you supplement?

robsgrl23 · April 2011

For those who have had to supplement formula, why did you end up having to do it? I had to give my LO breast milk/formula mixed for the first time tonight. I'm taking Fenugreek, but my supply still isn't the greatest.

drea_raye · April 2011

We supplemented the first few days until my milk came in. DS was born early and the hospital didn't give me a choice. By the time we left the hospital (day 4) we were all BM.

Remember than whatever BM you give is good! Are you EPing? What types of supply issues are you having? Kellymom and the BFing board are great for supply issues.

jksb · April 2011

I had my mind set throughout my entire pregnancy that i was going to BF. Well didnt get to do it. During labor i hemorrhaged so bad that i needed a blood transfusion and the lactation consultant told me that either my milk would come in late or may not come in at all. well my LO is almost two weeks old and still no milk. I am pumping but only get a good 2-3 ounes once per day and then nothing else. I hate that i cant BF her more but i know that the 2-3 ounces she gets a day is better than nothing.

Steph1673 · April 2011

My LO was born early from an emergency C-section with a poor latch, jaundice, and a few other minor issues, and since her blood sugar was dropping in the hospital we had no choice but to supplement my colostrum with formula until my milk came in. We did the best we could, using a supplemental nursing system (tubing) from breast or finger when possible and limiting the bottle at first to avoid confusion.

Today, my supply is OK but not great even with fenugreek. I successfully feed her from the breast 10-12 times a day with a nipple shield but we do supplement 2-4 oz of formula a day (depending on the day) due to a few reasons. At first because of DD's early weight loss and now because she cluster eats in the evenings and sometimes needs a little more after she empties me.

I figure I'm giving her as much as I can from the breast and I can't feel bad if she needs a little formula to be healthy and happy.

glinters · April 2011

I mostly ep and sometimes bf and my supply is adequate for lo's current intake 24-30 oz per day. I pump every 3 hours even through the night and nurse a couple times per day. I am returning to work in a month and want to build up a freezer stash so that I can extend bm as long as possible. It has been exhausting and I have put myself under intense pressure to pump more but there never seems to be extra to store. Last week I began to substitute 4oz per day with formula so that I could freeze something. I feel guilty even doing that but I really want to have bm on hand until he's 6 months.

holly321 · April 2011

I had breast surgery to have a tumor removed, so I don't produce enough because of the scar tissue. Also, if we are away from home/ or have company and she uses all I have pumped, she gets formula and I pump ASAP.

MKDee · April 2011

With DS1, I supplemented for supply issues. With DS2, I supplement because my LO likes to eat for 45-60 min at a time, and I can't do that AND take care of my 2 year old. I pump as well, but I never get more than 2 oz or so when I pump, so not even enough to replace one feeding. Combo feeding works for my family! DS2 probably gets a total of 4-6 oz of formula a day, so he's still getting mostly BM.

kcisthebombdotcom · April 2011

Because baby was dehydrated on breast milk alone. It happened to both DS and DD. They would produce half the amount of diapers a baby was supposed to in a day and had dramatic weight loss.

jarjules8208 · April 2011

I had to supplement for a supply issue as well. DS wasn't gaining back any of the weight he lost after birth. We breastfeed first and then give DS no more than 2 oz of formula.

katrina_pharmd · April 2011

DS had a tongue tie, so his latch was not good. He also lost more than 10% of his weight, so the midwife told us to supplement. Then I had low supply, and after fenugreek, domperidone, pumping around the clock, and many hours with a lactation consultant, we decided to formula feed. Even when I was BF/pumping around the clock, I never got more than 10 ml of EBM over a 24 hour period.

junebride060306 · April 2011

my supply was/is low. baby fell below the 10th percentile for weight loss, so I needed to give formula in the hospital. I continued to give it after discharge even when I didn't need to do it anymore. But instead of after every breastfeeding it was just once or twice, and now he hasn't gotten any for at least 3 days. my milk is finally coming in with the help of pumping, fenugreek, mothers milk tea and frequent nursing. low supply for me is likely due to my gestational hypertension. blood pressures got really high post delivery and now I need to take BP lowering meds. hopefully will come down soon on its own and I can get off the meds! good luck!!!

daniellepanda · April 2011

I had an emergency c/s due to pre-e, so due to 48 hours of magnesium sulfate drip my milk didnt come in for 6 days. He also had jaundice. We did the feeding tube of formula at the breast so he was also getting colostrum. Once my milk came in we stopped supplementing. Now that I am building up my freezer stash to return to work in 2 weeks LO gets a bottle of 2 oz bm and 2 oz formula about every other day.

ilovemygirls · April 2011

I work PT and could never pump enough to keep up. So I supplemented & it was great- my babies would take a full bm bottle, formula or a mix of the two. It was nice to have that flexibility.

kwitt22 · April 2011

we gave dd some formula this week bc she has been nursing none stop. one day i literally couldnt keep up. she just screamed bc she was so hungry and i was exhausted. so she got some formula. she occassionally gets formula if i am away from her and didnt pump enough.

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