Stopping BF'ing

magsp · December 2011

I have been breast feeding our twins and plan to do it until I got back to work. I have been pumping and freezing like a mad woman. Someone suggested using half formula and half breast milk...did anyone here do that? How did you do it? Any preferences when it comes to formula? Also - any advice when it comes to stopping breastfeeding? I hear it is pretty painful...anyone find anything that worked? I have a month before I head back to work and I want to be prepared.

LucyRicardo3 · December 2011

my experience:

i mixed breast milk and formula with my oldest when he was a a few months old because my supply sucked. He had no issues with it, but it was neosure, then we progressed to good start.

I didn't mix with DD1 because I was a total dairy cow. When I weaned her at 11 months she adjusted best to Good Start. The other formulas seemed to give her more gas and colic-type issues.

I was mixing BM w neosure this go around per the NICU's instructions to help them gain weight (they were both under 5 lbs). After a few weeks of doing it, they both developed reflux symptoms and I stopped mixing (with the ok of the dr) b/c sometimes that is the culprit.

SoldiersGreenBean · December 2011

Are you planning to stop BFing when you go back to work? Or are you going to keep it up as long as you can?

I mixed formula & breastmilk when I went back to work. I'd pump whatever I could, then made up the rest of what they needed with formula. I knew from BFing DD1 that I couldn't put the pressure on myself to pump their full meals, so I started the mixing right away.

We used BJ's formula. Thankfully, the twins didn't have any issues with it or other dietary requirements that required use of the special formulas.

When it comes to stopping, I always went down 1 feeding or pumping session at a time. I'd cut one out for a week, then move on to the next one. For me, I could just tell when it was time to drop the next session.

gringa78 · December 2011

My supply sucked, so I supplemented with formula from the beginning (Enfamil Infant). I pumped what I could at work during the day and sent that to day care...they just gave her formula when that ran out. DD switched from the breast to the bottle and back again with no issues at all (I breastfed her in the morning, evening, and night). By the time I weaned at 4 months, I was only producing 4oz at each pumping session, so I hardly noticed when I stopped producing milk altogether. Good luck!

KarlsSweetie05 · December 2011

I mixed BM with Neosure for both twins. I never produced enough to feed both and my supply has been gradually diminishing over the months. We are almost at 9 months now and my milk is almost gone.

Shelley-Bean · December 2011

From the beginning, my supply sucked and they were in the NICU, so I started mixing BM with Enfamil high calorie in the hospital. I continued that until they were 2 months, then I switched to regular Enfamil. I continued mixing until they were 7 months when I weaned.

As far as weaning goes, you just try to space the feedings out. It took me a total of 3 weeks. I tried going cold turkey, but I got engorged. got down to pumping once a day, then every other day, until finally when I pumped, I hardly got anything and I stopped.

I loved giving my babies BM, but I *hated* pumping. I was thrilled when I got to return the pump!

amanda31H · December 2011

I was able to build up my supply to where I supplemented each of the girls with 6 oz of neosure each day. That amount didn't change from 8 weeks to 6 months.

My girls wouldn't drink the formula if it was mixed with BM. I had to give them a separate full formula bottle and I broke it up throughout the day.

I started to drop nursing sessions at 6 months so I would only be nursing them twice a day. I dropped a nursing session and would give my body 4-5 days to get used to it. Then I'd drop another. It was never painful for me, because I gave it time.

If I were you, I'd follow PP advice and pump when you can while working and then just supplement with the formula. I think you'll find a rythm and realize when you can/can't pump, so that will help you determine which sessions to start dropping.

thiswillbe · December 2011

Flying by on my way out the door to a meeting, but wanted to say that if you mix in the same bottle, you have to then follow the formula rules for how long it can last. I got tired of throwing out BM in unfinished mixed bottles (plus I'd heard sometimes babies don't tolerate mixed as well), and started giving separate BM and formula bottles.

Also, are you not planning to pump at work? It might be something to consider if you want to keep offering BM. It was a little bit of a PITA at times, but I'm glad I did.

jxd215 · December 2011

thiswillbe:
Flying by on my way out the door to a meeting, but wanted to say that if you mix in the same bottle, you have to then follow the formula rules for how long it can last. I got tired of throwing out BM in unfinished mixed bottles (plus I'd heard sometimes babies don't tolerate mixed as well), and started giving separate BM and formula bottles.

This. I BFed and supplemented for 11 months, and never mixed formula and BM in the same bottle for this reason. With BM, if they don't finish a bottle, you can put it in the fridge and reuse at the next feeding. When I went back to work, I BFed morning and night, and sent 1 bottle of BM and 2 bottles for formula to daycare, since that was all I could keep up with pumping.

We supplemented with the Target brand of Enfamil at home (they got regular Enfamil at daycare) and they never had any problems switching back and forth.

I also never pumped more than 4-5 oz at a time, so I had no trouble stopping BFing.