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Preemies
ShanaNChris
member
Starting to supplement ???
ShanaNChris
member
in Preemies
I am sad, but think it is time to start supplementing with formula. I am still pumping and bfing, but my supply is really down and I have done almost everything to get it back, but need to face reality that I don't have a lot of milk left and will need to start supplementing.
I am thinking I will do one bottle/day at first. I know nothing about formula. We are currently mixing my BM up to 22 cal with a tsp of Neosure.
What type of formula would you recommend. My DD has reflux and is on Prilosec and Axid, I don't know if that matters or not.
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Re: Starting to supplement ???
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No clue on the formula rec but I will throw in my 2 cents on bfing.
Remember to get enough to eat and especially to drink. Your milk shouldn't run out at any point. The baby will be more efficient at removing milk from your breasts better than any pump could. I got to the end of my pumping life with only getting a 2 ounces every pump session. My body refused to give up milk for a silly pump. I didn't have a letdown until I was home nursing with them. All totally normal. Good luck and know that you have already provided her with a wonderful gift, the milk you've already made for her. Hugs to you.
I guess I just want to clarify - I haven't gone down without a fight - I have been taking Fenugreek since August, have been drinking Yogi Tea at least 3 times/day, eat oatmeal almost daily and was even on Reglan for a while.
I pump twice in the morning before work, at least pump once at work, but try to squeeze in an extra pump and pump at least twice when I get home in addition to the bf I do when I get home.
I never had a really great supply bc I was not even able to put Lily to breast until she was 6 weeks old and then she didn't really do anything, she just started to fully nurse 1 week before I had to go back to work. It was only then, that I felt what a let down was and she was 14 weeks old.
I guess I just feel like my whole life revolves around trying to grasp at straws with my supply, and I might just be ready to stop worrying about it and start to supplement. I am still going to pump and bf as often as I can but my freezer stash is way down and I want to try to stretch it out as long as possible esp during this cold season.
I try to tell myself that I have literally done almost everything I could've and a lot of moms who don't face the same challenges we preemie moms face with BF, probably already would have given up. But I just feel awful that I can't give her what she needs.
I will try the dark beer though.
You are 1000% correct. You have done so much and more to try and get a good bfing relationship going.
I couldn't put my babies to breast until they were a month old. I had to start supplementing too and it broke my heart. I took comfort though in what I had already given them. I also continued to nurse them whenever I was home. Oh how I relished the weekends, unlimited nursing time with them. I stopped pumping at a year but continued to nurse them. One girl weaned at 16 months, the other at 17 months old and I was already 20 weeks pregnant.
Take a minute to read this. Every day you have given her up to this point has been a wonderful gift!
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR JUST A FEW DAYS, he will have received your colostrum, or early milk. By providing antibodies and the food his brand-new body expects, nursing gives your baby his first - and easiest - "immunization" and helps get his digestive system going smoothly. Breastfeeding is how your baby expects to start, and helps your own body recover from the birth. Given how very much your baby stands to gain, and how little you stand to lose, it just makes good sense to breastfeed for at least a day or two, even if you plan to bottle-feed after that.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, you will have eased him through the most critical part of his infancy. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more likely to get sick or be hospitalized, and have many more digestive problems than breastfed babies. After 4 to 6 weeks, you'll probably have worked through any early nursing concerns, too. Make a serious goal of nursing for a month, call La Leche League or a certified lactation consultant if you have any questions, and you'll be in a better position to decide whether continued breastfeeding is for you.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 3 OR 4 MONTHS, her digestive system will have matured a great deal, and she will be much better able to tolerate the foreign substances in commercial formulas. If there is a family history of allergies, though, you will greatly reduce her risk by waiting a few more months before adding anything at all to her diet of breastmilk. And giving nothing but your milk for the first four months gives strong protection against ear infections for a whole year.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 6 MONTHS without adding any other food or drink, she will be much less likely to suffer an allergic reaction to formula or other foods later on; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until about 6 months to offer solid foods. Nursing for at least 6 months helps ensure better health throughout your baby's first year of life, reduces your little one's risk of ear infections and childhood cancers, and reduces your own risk of breast cancer. And exclusive, frequent breastfeeding during the first 6 months, if your periods have not returned, provides 98% effective contraception.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 9 MONTHS, you will have seen him through the fastest and most important brain and body development of his life on the food that was designed for him - your milk. Nursing for at least this long will help ensure better performance all through his school years. Weaning may be fairly easy at this age... but then, so is nursing! If you want to avoid weaning this early, be sure you've been available to nurse for comfort as well as just for food.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR A YEAR, you can avoid the expense and bother of formula. Her one-year-old body can probably handle most of the table foods your family enjoys. Many of the health benefits this year of nursing has given your child will last her whole life. She will have a stronger immune system, for instance, and will be much less likely to need orthodontia or speech therapy. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Academy</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> of Pediatrics recommends nursing for at least a year, because it helps ensure normal nutrition and health for your baby.
IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 18 MONTHS, you will have continued to provide the nutrition, comfort, and illness protection your baby expects, at a time when illness is common in formula-fed babies. Your baby is probably well started on table foods, too. He has had time to form a solid bond with you - a healthy starting point for his growing independence. And he is old enough that you and he can work together on the weaning process, at a pace that he can handle. A former U.S. Surgeon General said, "it is the lucky baby... that nurses to age two."
IF YOUR CHILD WEANS WHEN SHE IS READY, you can feel confident that you have met your baby's physical and emotional needs in a very normal, healthy way. In cultures where there is no pressure to wean, children tend to nurse for at least two years. The World Health Organization and UNICEF strongly encourage breastfeeding through toddlerhood: "Breastmilk is an important source of energy and protein, and helps to protect against disease during the child's second year of life." Our biology seems geared to a weaning age of between 2 1/2 and 7 years, and it just makes sense to build our children's bones from the milk that was designed for them. Your milk provides antibodies and other protective substances for as long as you continue nursing, and families of nursing toddlers often find that their medical bills are lower than their neighbors' for years to come. Research indicates that the longer a child nurses, the higher his intelligence. Mothers who nurse longterm have a still lower risk of developing breast cancer. Children who were nursed longterm tend to be very secure, and are less likely to suck their thumbs or carry a blanket. Nursing can help ease both of you through the tears, tantrums, and tumbles that come with early childhood, and helps ensure that any illnesses are milder and easier to deal with. It's an all-purpose mothering tool you won't want to be without! Don't worry that your child will nurse forever. All children stop on their own, no matter what you do, and there are more nursing toddlers around than you might guess.
WHETHER YOU NURSE FOR A DAY OR FOR SEVERAL YEARS, the decision to nurse your child is one you need never regret. And whenever weaning takes place, remember that it is a big step for both of you. If you choose to wean before your child is ready, be sure to do it gradually, and with love.