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May 2011 Moms
TMILLER45
member
Anyone else said they would breast feed and now use formula?
TMILLER45
member
I was sooooo gung-ho about breastfeeding while pregnant. Long story short my daughter was put in the NICU after birth and was given formula. I tried my best to breastfeed in the NICU and then the nurses supplemented with formula (which I was fine with) Now that we are home I'm trying to breastfeed but my baby is very fussy and wants the bottle NOW! I'm pumping as often as I can but I'm still not producing that much milk so I'm also supplementing with formula.
I'm just a little upset because it's a lot harder than what I expected! It's only been a week of breastfeeding and I don't want to quit. I just want whats best for my baby I was just looking to see if anyone else is in the same boat and has switched to only formula or is supplimenting with formula.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Anyone else said they would breast feed and now use formula?
I BF/pumped for two weeks. It was the most frusterating, emotional two weeks of my life. It was a very hard decision for me to decide to just go to formula. But I made the switch and it was the right decision for me.
I was not producing enough milk to satisfy my baby. My MW gave me a prescription for Domperidone(sp) but it was too little too late. And truthfully, the second part to all of this is I was too tired to put in the effort needed to get my supply up. They wanted me to pump every 2-3 hours, including waking at night to do it. With my single pump and 20 mins on each side, it would have just made my life hell.
So, to sum it up, I tried for two weeks and then gave up. I felt like a failure, but I have come to terms with it now and am o.k. with it. My baby is fed, I am 300times less stressed and all is much better in my household for it.
when she was first born, I was barely making colustrum for her and on day 2 she stopped trying to latch. Finally at 9 pm the nurses advised to give her some formula since she hadn't eaten all day and was turning yellow.
I resumed BF the next feeding, but within 48 hrs she became listless, stopped eating and going to the bathroom. Her Ped told me to give her formula exclusively and pump. Her bilirubin count was borderline being hospitalized.
It took a week for her levels to come down and I was told to start mixing formula and BM. I wasn't producing enough milk and it got too hard to feed her, pump and do/sleep what needed to be done before her next feeding. It got to be too much and DH and I decided that it just wasnt in our best interest to continue. I am a bit heartbroken but am doing much better and able to give her more of my time instead of wanting her to sleep so I could pump.
If you aren't ready to give up, can you call a lactation consultant? The NICU where your baby was probably has a milk bank with LCs on call. Since she was a patient there so recently, they will still work with you. They can help you work on latch, timing, supply etc.
Its a ton of work to get everything coordinated to breastfeed but once you are doing it, things get easier. I exclusively pumped around the clock for two months before we were able to start trying to breastfeed (I have a preemie so things were very different) and would have given up several times without the help of the LCs.
If you are too tired to keep trying, then be confident in the fact that your baby is still getting all the nutrition she needs from the formula and try not to feel guilty. You have to make the decision based on what you are willing/able to do.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.