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Supplementing...and a random question

tkhrabs313tkhrabs313
in Breastfeeding

I know this has been asked before, but the search function is worthless and I wasn't able to find the post.  So...

I am pretty much EPing and LO's feedings are increasing, but my supply isn't.  So, I am needing to start supplementing.  Is it better to give one bottle of formula a day or a little formula in each bottle of BM.  LO will take it either way.

Also, on kellymom it says that the averag baby drinks 25 oz of BM during months 1-6.  Have you found that to be true?  It just seems like the amount would go up as they get bigger.

Thanks!

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Re: Supplementing...and a random question

  • MamiJamMamiJam member
    If the number of feedings is increasing, the number of times you pump should likewise increase.  By keeping the number the same, your supply should regulate.  If for whatever reason you do still need to supplement, I would imagine that it would be easier to just give a separate bottle of formula since breastmilk and formula have different "shelf life" parameters.  To find out how much milk baby should be consuming, multiply baby's weight in lbs by 2.5 and that equals the total amount in oz that baby should consume over a 24 hour period.  To get the amount per feed, just divide total oz by number of feeds per day.   Example:  10lbs x 2.5 = 25oz per 24 hours.  25oz/8feeds = 3.12oz per bottle.  Also, BF babies are less likely to take large quantities of milk compared to FF babies because breastmilk composition changes as baby gets older to match nutritional needs whereas formula obviously does not.
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  • jlsimon56jlsimon56 member

    Kellymom also says the range can go up to 30oz, that is what my 5mo is taking.  BF babies will rarely take more than 30oz per day.

    The formula PP wrote out is for formula.  For BFing, the amount does not increase as baby gains weight.  (Well, it does....but not in a cut-and-dry formula.  Average is always 25oz, but when baby goes through growth spurts, etc. it can go up.)

    I pump at work and I have to pump one extra time than how many times LO eats.  So she takes 4 bottles while away from me....I pump 5x per day (1 in the AM, 3x at work, once in the night after LO goes to bed). 

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  • mrsmikeymrsmikey

    I have to supplement sometimes too.  I just give the formula seperately.  Like the pp said, it's easier not to mix the bottles (or just one) so you can keep up with shelf life times, etc. 

    For instance, when I feed a bm bottle, I rinse it and keep it in the fridge for the next feeding.  But if I feed formula, I have to wash the bottle and get a new one.  Or going out in town, you can keep a bm bottle out for several hours without a cooler, whereas a formula bottle is 2 hours max.

    Are you pumping as many times as she's eating?  You might need to squeeze in an extra pump somewhere if you can.  If not, I totally get it.  DD has been eating 6 4 oz bottles a day since I started EP'ing at 6 weeks.  But recently she's not content with 4 oz, so I upped her to 4.5.  Still 6 bottles/day.  She still gets upset when the milk is gone, so today I upped them to 5.  We'll see how that goes.  I'm hoping she spaces them out a little more so she only takes 5 bottles, or that we can drop her 10 pm dream feed.  I just can't imagine she needs more milk than that.  And this has been going on for a few weeks so I don't think it's a growth spurt.

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