Question for those breastfeeding and supplementing

Re: Question for those breastfeeding and supplementing

• Mizuiro007 member

  March 2016

  I will just say that even when you know it's the right choice, it's never easy and the mom guilt doesn't go away. I still wonder if there's more I could have done to make it work with DS even though I absolutely know it never would have worked. 
  
  I take it day by day with DD and gave up having any goals. If there isn't enough and she's frustrated I make a bottle. Many days we don't need it and the times she does I tell myself she's fed and happy. If it ever reaches the point that we're both consistently frustrated and most feedings are bottle, then we'll switch.

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• Taylovesbrad member

  March 2016

  I'm pumping and supplementing. I've done pumping 7 times a day for 3.5 months. I just cut down to 4 times a day. I am going to make a slow transition. Pumping is just getting old at this point.

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• kdoak2015 member

  March 2016

  We BF and supplement as well. DD has been taking in a lot of formula lately and I also only get about an 1-1.5oz when pumping. We BF aprx 10times a day still(or around that) so she's still getting quite a bit from me. The thing keeping me going most is at night I can just dream feed her from the breast so we don't fully wake up and she's satisfies. We will continue to BF and I will likely ween her at a year or so when I go back to work. 
  

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• leek71983 member

  March 2016

  I'm shooting for 6 months. Sometimes I want to stop sooner and other times I don't bc I enjoy the bonding time. I go back to work soon so that may also dictate how long I continue. Like most, I'm no fan of pumping. 

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• RSB1982 member

  March 2016

  kdoak2015 said:

  We BF and supplement as well. DD has been taking in a lot of formula lately and I also only get about an 1-1.5oz when pumping. We BF aprx 10times a day still(or around that) so she's still getting quite a bit from me. The thing keeping me going most is at night I can just dream feed her from the breast so we don't fully wake up and she's satisfies. We will continue to BF and I will likely ween her at a year or so when I go back to work. 
  

  I can get away without having to supplement at night also.  I do enjoy that - not having to get up and prepare bottles.  I have tried supplementing some at night to see if it will buy me some additional sleep and no luck :-(

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• RSB1982 member

  March 2016

  
  

  leek71983 said:

  I'm shooting for 6 months. Sometimes I want to stop sooner and other times I don't bc I enjoy the bonding time. I go back to work soon so that may also dictate how long I continue. Like most, I'm no fan of pumping. 

  I hate the pump.  I tried to mostly pump and prepare bottles for a few days (thinking that would make feedings go a little faster) but I found it hard to be tied to the pump when DD was crying and needed my attention.  Now that she can entertain herself a little better I may have more luck pumping but I would just rather breastfeed her - I just want her to get a little more efficient so I don't spend over an hour breastfeeding her, only to have to also supplement.  I'm just frustrated. 

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• RSB1982 member

  March 2016

  
  

  Mizuiro007 said:

  I will just say that even when you know it's the right choice, it's never easy and the mom guilt doesn't go away. I still wonder if there's more I could have done to make it work with DS even though I absolutely know it never would have worked. 
  
  I take it day by day with DD and gave up having any goals. If there isn't enough and she's frustrated I make a bottle. Many days we don't need it and the times she does I tell myself she's fed and happy. If it ever reaches the point that we're both consistently frustrated and most feedings are bottle, then we'll switch.

  Right now I think we are about 50/50 on formula to breastmilk.  I agree I should probably just throw any goals out the window and just take it day by day.  While still pregnant I thought that I would give breastfeeding a shot and if it didn't work out, no big deal.  I never thought I would experience such guilt over this!

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• kdoak2015 member

  March 2016

  RSB1982 said:

  kdoak2015 said:

  We BF and supplement as well. DD has been taking in a lot of formula lately and I also only get about an 1-1.5oz when pumping. We BF aprx 10times a day still(or around that) so she's still getting quite a bit from me. The thing keeping me going most is at night I can just dream feed her from the breast so we don't fully wake up and she's satisfies. We will continue to BF and I will likely ween her at a year or so when I go back to work. 
  

  I can get away without having to supplement at night also.  I do enjoy that - not having to get up and prepare bottles.  I have tried supplementing some at night to see if it will buy me some additional sleep and no luck :-(

  I've been doing a dream bottle feed at night giving her just 2oz right before I go to bed, she slept 7 hours last night so we'll keep at it and see if it continues to work.

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• MomofEv+1 member

  March 2016

  I supplemented for the first six weeks before my dd figured out nursing so I totally hear you about how lengthy the process is. Do what makes you happy and your life easier. 
  
  At a certain point I will be forced to supplement again with formula and I'll do both for as long as it feels worth it. I love nursing. I hate pumping.

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• spottedginger member

  March 2016 edited March 2016

  I'm bf and supplementing. I'm back to work and pumping about 7 ounces total over three pumping sessions during the work day (during the same period he is taking 1 breastmilk and 2 formula bottles 5-6 oz each) and nursing 2x/day (morning and evening). It is frustrating, but actually better while I'm at work because I'm not having to bf for 30-40 min and then do a bottle each feed. I completely understand though- it's tiring. I initially thought I'd make it to 8-10 months, but have thrown out any deadlines because I think I'd start to resent it all more with a time frame. I'd like to go as long as possible and as long as I keep my sanity. 

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• millieb14 member

  March 2016

  My goal is 6 months of primarily breastmilk. Right now she gets bottles that are half and half during the day w nanny then just breastfeed at night and once in the morning before work. I go back full time in 1 week so we will see how it goes. If pumping and managing my stressful job doesn't work then I will just breastfeed when I am home. My neighbor did that for a year. She said her body just regulated itself. Selfishly I want to have wine and go on a vacation alone w my husband before s year so I am pumping to build a stash so I can stop sooner. I figure at 6 months she will be eating real food so any issues w formula can be remedied with prunes etc. 

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• thatgirlree24 member

  March 2016

  Just curious for those who don't do well with the pump. Are you pumping every 2-3hours and are you engorged? When I'm not engorged I can probably get about 2oz from the pump, when I'm engorged, I get 5-6oz. I find that if I wait to pump 2.5-3hrs I get better consistency. 
  I've been back to work for almost 2 weeks and had no supply issues yet, although it was hard starting the stash because LO would always want to eat so I had to find ways to pump in between feedings and naps. 
  
  @RSB1982Try not to be yourself up. I breastfed my first for about 2.5mos and supplemented when he was like 2 wks old. This was 7yrs ago. Even if you choose to slowly transition, your baby got a lot of essential nutrients from you when you nursed her. Breastfeeding can take a lot out of you so I completely understand your decision to want/need to stop. 
  

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• Mizuiro007 member

  March 2016

  RSB1982 said:

  
  

  Mizuiro007 said:

  I will just say that even when you know it's the right choice, it's never easy and the mom guilt doesn't go away. I still wonder if there's more I could have done to make it work with DS even though I absolutely know it never would have worked. 
  
  I take it day by day with DD and gave up having any goals. If there isn't enough and she's frustrated I make a bottle. Many days we don't need it and the times she does I tell myself she's fed and happy. If it ever reaches the point that we're both consistently frustrated and most feedings are bottle, then we'll switch.

  Right now I think we are about 50/50 on formula to breastmilk.  I agree I should probably just throw any goals out the window and just take it day by day.  While still pregnant I thought that I would give breastfeeding a shot and if it didn't work out, no big deal.  I never thought I would experience such guilt over this!

  I realized I needed to not have a set goal so I wouldn't spend those frustrating sessions counting down to when I can stop. It actually took a lot of pressure off for me and I find more sessions that I enjoy. I think it also helped my guilt with bottles because I don't feel like we're losing track of a goal or I'm giving in early.

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• RSB1982 member

  March 2016

  thatgirlree24 said:

  Just curious for those who don't do well with the pump. Are you pumping every 2-3hours and are you engorged? When I'm not engorged I can probably get about 2oz from the pump, when I'm engorged, I get 5-6oz. I find that if I wait to pump 2.5-3hrs I get better consistency. 
  I've been back to work for almost 2 weeks and had no supply issues yet, although it was hard starting the stash because LO would always want to eat so I had to find ways to pump in between feedings and naps. 
  
  @RSB1982Try not to be yourself up. I breastfed my first for about 2.5mos and supplemented when he was like 2 wks old. This was 7yrs ago. Even if you choose to slowly transition, your baby got a lot of essential nutrients from you when you nursed her. Breastfeeding can take a lot out of you so I completely understand your decision to want/need to stop. 
  

  So very rarely do I ever feel engorged.  That feeling moms get when their milk first comes in after birth, I never really experienced that.  I've basically stopped pumping because it's so aggravating.  I only pump if she's gone a long time past a feeding.  Three ounces was my best pumping.  
  
  Thanks for the encouraging words.  Its nice to chat with others that understand the struggle.  If I'm being honest, its not only mom guilt but judgment from others that is motivating me to continue breastfeeding.  A good friend of mine really discouraged me from supplementing when I was struggling so much at the beginning.  I just wanted to scream at her 'but my baby is hungry!!!'.  I'm just going to have to get over it and do what works best for me.  Right now my desire to breastfeed outweighs my desire to quit.  I suppose I'll just take the advice I've received here and have no expectations.  I think I'll know when I reach my breaking point.  

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• NellieHarringtonCarter member

  March 2016

  thatgirlree24 said:

  Just curious for those who don't do well with the pump. Are you pumping every 2-3hours and are you engorged? When I'm not engorged I can probably get about 2oz from the pump, when I'm engorged, I get 5-6oz. I find that if I wait to pump 2.5-3hrs I get better consistency. 
  I've been back to work for almost 2 weeks and had no supply issues yet, although it was hard starting the stash because LO would always want to eat so I had to find ways to pump in between feedings and naps. 
  
  

  For a long time, I was pumping when I could, but mostly nursing, and only getting maybe 2oz at a time from each breast when I pumped. I was never on a good schedule because DD loved to fall asleep on the boob and then wake up hungry, so I didn't want to pump and then have to deal with a hungry, frustrated DD.
  
  Then I went on a work trip, and while I was gone, my mom and DH would alternate breast milk and formula. Because I wasn't nursing and wasn't able to pump as often, I became engorged and got like 8-10 oz when I finally was able to pump. (It was an overnight trip and I came home with like 8 bags of milk altogether!). 
  
  We are still supplementing, and now almost exclusively bottle feed, except for nursing at night or when DD is upset, but now when I pump, I can easily get 4 ounces a breast. It makes pumping a lot more manageable. In fact, I might get to the point where I work up enough of a supply that we can cut back on formula. 
  

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• spottedginger member

  March 2016

  @thatgirlree24 I pump every three hours at work. It isn't that I don't respond to the pump, I've just had low supply since he was born. I'll get 4ish oz total at 9a and then ~1-1.5 total at noon and three. I only feel engorged at the 5:30-6 breastfeed. 

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• jessfrks member

  March 2016

  My daughter is almost 3 months. I have been breastfeeding her since she was born.  I tried pumping to start up a supply before I went to work but wasnt able to pump very much. I started supplementing formula only because I went work. But when I come home from work I still breastfeed her and on days that I'm off I only breastfeed her. I pump a lot at work and now I I have a great supply that I have kept frozen in the freezer. I plan on breastfeeding her until she's a year old. And even if I don't make it that long at least I have all the breast milk in the freezer that she'll be able to have. I have both a manual and electric pump. I found that I can get more out and faster with the manual pump. And I realized that the reason I wasnt able to pump enough is because she was eating so much throughout the day that there was anything left to pump but when I'm away from her at work I'm able to pump.  I love breastfeeding because it comforts my daughter and our bond is so great. If you feel your milk supply is low you can try the Fenugreek tablets!

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• BethP321 member

  March 2016 edited March 2016

  My supply was nearly nonexistent and I started taking fenugreek.  Now baby is getting a max of 6 oz of formula a day, and we get to breastfeed and bond more than ever.  I gave up setting a goal because I feel like my hopes were too high.  I'm honestly surprised I made it to 3 months.  I hate pumping because I never express at all, I get maybe 1oz on each breast, but I still pump so I don't feel like I'm about to erupt breast milk everywhere.  As long as I'm still producing anything at all, I will continue to nurse, even if it's barely anything.  I think I will miss the bond more than anything when I am EFF.

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