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supplement help???

jarob747jarob747 member
in February 2016 Moms
I EBF my son. I am continually pumping about 6-8oz less than what he is eating while I'm at work. I probably have a week or two left of freezer stash left... it's dwindling down fast. So I'm probably going to have to supplement with formula to get him through while I work. What kind should I use? He has a sensitive tummy. I know I'm thankful there is formula so he doesn't have to go hungry, but I sure wish I'd make enough milk for him
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Re: supplement help???

  • sarame500sarame500 member
    I use Enfamil supplemental formula, the ready to use kind.  As long as it's going into a bottle of breastmilk and not being offered by itself, LO is good with it!  They make powdered supplement, too, but I've never used that.  
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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    edited July 2016
    So you put breastmilk and the supplemental formula together in a bottle? How much of each and when should I start that? With every bottle? Just the last bottle of the day that is short of breastmilk? 
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  • satuttle1014satuttle1014 member
    I had to supplement and now dd is formula fed now. We tried Earth's Best sensitive, it has worked great with dd because regular made her gassy and this seemed to work so I stuck with it. 
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  • sarame500sarame500 member
    jarob747 said:
    So you put breastmilk and the supplemental formula together in a bottle? How much of each and when should I start that? With every bottle? Just the last bottle of the day that is short of breastmilk? 

    I've been combining the two.  It doesn't matter how much of each...so for example, I give my LO 6 oz. bottles while I am at work (per pedi's recommendation).  When I'm at work, sometimes I only pump 3 or 4 oz. per session.  What I don't produce milk-wise, I add supplemental formula to the bottles.  Just make sure you don't shake to combine the two, because then the milk loses nutrients (at least that's what I read somewhere).  Sometimes I only need 1 oz. of supplement, sometimes up to 3 oz.  I don't do it for every bottle, because when I make/utilize freezer stash, they're the full 6 oz.  Sometimes at work, when I'm really lucky, I actually make enough for the next day!

    Just make sure to read the instructions on the formula containers.  I use the 8 oz. supplemental ready to use formula, and it has to be refrigerated and used within a certain amount of time.  You can also purchase 2 oz. small bottles.  I don't think I've ever seen 4 or 6 oz.  

    I hope this helps!


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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    Thank you. Yes that helps. 
    Thanks for the replies
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    Have you tried adding in a night session or pumping on your days off, too? I'm also a low pumper (come up at least 4oz short... I pump 5x and she takes 4 - 4oz bottles while I'm gone for 15hrs). I've had to add in pumping every morning on my days off, and may start adding in a session right before I go to bed. It sucks not pumping enough!

    Like others have said, if you do supplement, mix whatever frozen bag you have with some liquid ready to feed formula in the same bottle (ex: 3oz of fresh/Frozen BM with 1oz liquid formula). I'd probably distribute the BM evenly for each bottle, but I don't think that necessarily matters much. 

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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    edited July 2016
    VitaLuna said:
    Have you tried adding in a night session or pumping on your days off, too? I'm also a low pumper (come up at least 4oz short... I pump 5x and she takes 4 - 4oz bottles while I'm gone for 15hrs). I've had to add in pumping every morning on my days off, and may start adding in a session right before I go to bed. It sucks not pumping enough!

    Like others have said, if you do supplement, mix whatever frozen bag you have with some liquid ready to feed formula in the same bottle (ex: 3oz of fresh/Frozen BM with 1oz liquid formula). I'd probably distribute the BM evenly for each bottle, but I don't think that necessarily matters much. 
    No I haven't added pumping at home much. I used to pump one side and nurse on the other, but now that he's so big he don't nurse sitting still and I've found it extremely difficult to find the time to pump after I nurse him. BUT I'd rather make the time to pump than to supplement. Yes it sucks so bad to not pump enough.  My DS takes 4  6oz bottles while I'm gone for 15 hrs. I've never pumped more than 16-18oz. IF I do have to supplement I will mix it like that though evenly with breastmilk also, BUT I'm not quite there yet and I'm gonna give it my all not to have to. I pump 4x at work.  
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    edited July 2016
    When my girls wake in the morning, I feed her, then pump while she has floor/tummy time, since she's usually content that time of day. I've been slacking, though... I need to get back on top of it. With DD1, I limped along with low pumping output and made it to 10 months before I couldn't keep up, even with extra sessions. At that point, our pediatrician ok'd us  to start topping off her bottles with cows milk instead of using formula. Good luck! 

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  • =caenis==caenis= member
    jarob747 said:
    VitaLuna said:
    Have you tried adding in a night session or pumping on your days off, too? I'm also a low pumper (come up at least 4oz short... I pump 5x and she takes 4 - 4oz bottles while I'm gone for 15hrs). I've had to add in pumping every morning on my days off, and may start adding in a session right before I go to bed. It sucks not pumping enough!

    Like others have said, if you do supplement, mix whatever frozen bag you have with some liquid ready to feed formula in the same bottle (ex: 3oz of fresh/Frozen BM with 1oz liquid formula). I'd probably distribute the BM evenly for each bottle, but I don't think that necessarily matters much. 
    No I haven't added pumping at home much. I used to pump one side and nurse on the other, but now that he's so big he don't nurse sitting still and I've found it extremely difficult to find the time to pump after I nurse him. BUT I'd rather make the time to pump than to supplement. Yes it sucks so bad to not pump enough.  My DS takes 4  6oz bottles while I'm gone for 15 hrs. I've never pumped more than 16-18oz. IF I do have to supplement I will mix it like that though evenly with breastmilk also, BUT I'm not quite there yet and I'm gonna give it my all not to have to. I pump 4x at work.  

    What a voracious little dinner beast!! :-p

    Maybe you can also have his caretakers give him some solids? That would help fill his tummy up, and maybe the amount of milk you're pumping while away from him would then suffice.

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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    That is wonderful advice. Yes I will start having him eat more solids. And I thought he was eating a lot while I'm gone. He always seems satisfied with nursing alone when I'm home. I sure hope this helps. I really don't want to have to supplement with formula. How many times a day should he be given solids now?
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    jarob747 said:
    That is wonderful advice. Yes I will start having him eat more solids. And I thought he was eating a lot while I'm gone. He always seems satisfied with nursing alone when I'm home. I sure hope this helps. I really don't want to have to supplement with formula. How many times a day should he be given solids now?
    I don't think there is a *should on how many times a day. It's up to you and your LO. Their primary nutrition should be breastmilk or formula for the first year ("food before one is just for fun"). DD1 couldn't have cared less about solids early on. I could go days without giving her any and she wouldn't care. With this LO, she gets mad and screams if we eat without her, so I give them around twice a day (between half and 1 tablespoon at a time, depending on her cues). Maybe have your DC provider add in solids twice a day and reduce the bottles to 5oz? (Send a few 1oz bags along in case he's needing them). Might be worth a try. 

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  • =caenis==caenis= member
    My LO eats 1 or 2 tablespoons of solids in a sitting. I'm not sure how much milk that replaces, but it definitely satisfies him for an hour or two.
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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    Thank you guys so much for the replies
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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    edited August 2016
    Okay so here's maybe another dumb question, but should I continue to do the solids  that often when I'm home with him and he seems to be content nursing? Or only on the days when I'm working and he's drinking from a bottle?
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    jarob747 said:
    Okay so here's maybe another dumb question, but should I continue to do the solids  that often when I'm home with him and he seems to be content nursing? Or only on the days when I'm working and he's drinking from a bottle?
    It really depends on his cues. I'd probably keep it up once a day just to stick with somewhat of a routine, maybe when you're sitting down to lunch or dinner. Always nurse first (don't use it in place of a nursing session). You'll be able to tell from his cues if he wants food more often. 

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  • =caenis==caenis= member
    If you feed him solids on days you're home with him, I agree with pp to offer him only after breastfeeding. I'd also keep the amount low so there's no affect on your supply yet.
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  • jarob747jarob747 member
    Ok great, thanks
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