Formula feeding

sbelle474 · August 2016

Hi ladies, my milk supply is low (only getting 6-8 ounces a day) and that's with pumping 6-8 times a day on top of trying to breast feed. We supplement with formula to ensure he is getting what he needs and is gaining weight. I thought i would throw this thread out there to see if anyone else is struggling with formula feeding? He is also constipated so we are having to switch formulas to find the right one and are on the struggle bus.
It has been a long journey with feeling inadequate to provide for my little one, but as a mom i am doing the best i can and love on my little guy.

rvamom90 · August 2016

@sbelle474 Just wanted to drop in and say you're doing great momma! Don't beat yourself up; motherhood is hard.

parneetkur · August 2016

Hey I am in the same boat. My lo had jaundice and my milk didn't come in till day 8..even then the supply was very minimal. Would get less than an ounce on each side after half an hour of pumping and massaging.. my doctor asked us to supplement and I have been so happy since then and so has been my lo. I did try fenugreek capsules. It really helped with my supply but I ended up getting severe engorged right booby with fevers chills and nausea. So stopped the fenugreek. Breastfeeding is hard . But so is bottle feeding.. I have come to the conclusion that I am gonna try to bf for as long as possible but without putting myself through any stress or sickness.. a fed baby and a happy mom is best!!!!

mooncusp22 · August 2016

Same boat as you as well. Went through the same exact thing with my daughter too. She arrived at 37w5d via c-section. She was jaudice and losing weight, took a week for my milk to come in so we started formula at the hospital and I pumped to get the message to my body to start producing!! Once my milk came, I tried to breasfeed and she wasn't latching, so I just pumped so I could get her breastmilk (I was deadset on breastfeeding so I felt like a failure). Anyway, I pumped maybe 1/2 of what she needed on a good day so I supplemented with formula. Then my skin broke out horribly and the only thing that controlled it was going back on the nuvaring around 3 months PP. This dried up my little supply and I was out. Continued formula (enfamil) until she was 1 and moved to whole milk. She is the healthiest little 2.5 yr old!! I beat myself up about it in the beginning.

So, now with #2 I thought since my body was pregnant before I would have more milk and sooner and attempt breastfeeding again. My son was also born 39 weeks via c-section so I thought being so close to 40 weeks my body would also respond better. I didn't touch a pump at the hospital, my son latched a little during that colostrum stage then I mostly self expressed and fed him. I had a decent amount of colustrum so I thought that was a good sign. 4 days in my milk started coming in, tried breastfeeding but he still seemed hungry so I did formula too. I started pumping then and realized I was only getting like a quarter of an ounce out of each breast, he was eating 1-2 oz every 2 hrs. Went back to pumping and formula supplement because he was losing weight and getting into the potential jaundice area. Again, feel like a failure but realize feeding him is the most important thing!! I pump 8-10x a day (every time he eats) and give what I can. I get anywhere from 1-3oz each pump (total) and he eats 3oz each bottle. So, sometimes I can give 100% breastmilk, sometimes not. Also doing the best I can!!

parneetkur · August 2016

I feel breastfeeding is only a small part of motherhood.. in the bigger picture there is so much more to motherhood. As long as the baby is growing and gaining weight doesn't matter if its breast or formula... we are all doing the best we can.. being a mother is hard and we make it harder by our own guilt.. I have realised a good sense of humor and a little bit of "whatever" attitude will help us In the long run...

NBphotogirl · August 2016

I am so glad I found this thread. I was just pumping exclusively. Really didn't think it would be this hard. Between feeding then pumping, I am only sleeping maybe 45 mins every 3 hours. I am so exhausted. Over the weekend, my baby slept 4 hours instead of 3 and I got way off on my pumping schedule. Became engorged and in tons of pain. Used heat and massage to relieve, but now my supply has taken a huge dive. I talked it over with my husband and I am going to stop pumping. He doesn't like how tired I am and the toll it is taking on me. I am having some guilt with this decision though. My older son, I struggled with breastfeeding so that is why I decided to pump exclusively. I am just glad to see I am not the only one struggling here!

WinnieLou82 · August 2016

Labor complications had both me and baby limping along in recovery. With baby's weight loss and my non-existent supply, I waved the white flag two weeks postpartum.

Now we're formula feeding, baby's weight is great and everyone is sleeping well. God love my midwife who, while I was in tears at an appointment, said "sometimes you have to just say screw it and move on."

#fedisbest

sbelle474 · August 2016

Thank you all! I have struggled mightily with feeling guilty about not "providing" for my little one. I feel like so much pressure is put on mothers to breast feed, and it is hard when things happen to prevent that.

@winnielou82 i love that hashtag! #fedisbest

On a side note, anyone have constipation issues with their formula? We switched from enfamil newborn to enfamil reguline but no poop so far. #poopwatch2016

WinnieLou82 · August 2016

@sbelle474No help with the constipation issue over here, she poops plenty! Is that something gripe water could help with?

jacmkelley · August 2016

I bottle fed with my first and was so excited to try breastfeeding with this little one. After 3 weeks of trying my damn best it just didn't work out as I had anticipated. For many reasons but one of the biggest being I kept getting high fevers and flu like symptoms. I think I was getting engorgement and though I could typically get it to pass within 12-24 hours, that's 12-24 hours of misery with a newborn and a 2 year old to care for. And that just doesn't work for me. #FedIsBest in this home. And after many tears I had to come to the conclusion that my 2 year old is brilliant, healthy and beautiful and I never even thought twice about formula feeding her. So, hey we are all feeding our children and it's ok to smile and move forward with our choice. We are doing an awesome job. Our babies will get fed. And that's what matters.

Nikkoli98 · August 2016

I almost didn't open this thread, but right here with you all with low supply and a NICU premie that is JUST learning to latch correctly at 5.5 weeks after a tongue tie correction.

Pumping and feeding is called "triple duty", feed, pump, clean parts.

I just started sunflower lecithin to help with emptying during pumping.

Good luck to those still pumping, and good wishes to those who have moved on as well. We are all doing our best, in any other medical condition we would not be so hard on ourselves. So regardless of your path, feed your kid and don't feel guiltily!

@sbelle474, I'm not sure about the constipation part, but at least you have identified the problem and are trying solutions. Best wishes!

kcolly32 · August 2016

I've just recently decided to throw in the flag for breastfeeding. My milk took 5 days to come in and my LO had an issue with jaundice so the doctor wanted me to supplement with formula and get her bowels moving. I still continued to pump anytime she ate but still ended up getting maybe 4oz for the whole day. She was eating 2-3oz every 2-3hrs so she was only getting one bottle of breast milk a day. After feeling terrible at my lack of supply I decided formula will be the best bet. All the pumping to get such a small amount just wasn't worth it. I'm down to pumping once a day and having her nurse once a day just because she likes it and it always puts her to sleep when she's fussy. I was a formula baby and turned out fine so she'll mainly be one too and that's ok. After accepting that fact everyone in the house is happier and full!

kwilliams3402 · August 2016

Pumping here, and supplementing---about a 1/3 pumped and 2/3 formula mix here. Pumping is definitely hard work, and it's frustrating to spend all the time doing it and only produce 1/3 of what baby needs. I stopped pumping for one of his feedings after 2 weeks and plan to cut another at 4 weeks so that husband has sole duty and I don't have to even get up to pump for a 6-8 hour stretch at night... It's tiring to keep this schedule up!!

cy&damonsmommy · August 2016

sbelle474 said:

Thank you all! I have struggled mightily with feeling guilty about not "providing" for my little one. I feel like so much pressure is put on mothers to breast feed, and it is hard when things happen to prevent that.

@winnielou82 i love that hashtag! #fedisbest

On a side note, anyone have constipation issues with their formula? We switched from enfamil newborn to enfamil reguline but no poop so far. #poopwatch2016

Lurking June 16... Try soy formula. Both my son's were allergic to formula. But the soy worked wonders.

kwilliams3402 · August 2016

kcolly32 said:

I've just recently decided to throw in the flag for breastfeeding. My milk took 5 days to come in and my LO had an issue with jaundice so the doctor wanted me to supplement with formula and get her bowels moving. I still continued to pump anytime she ate but still ended up getting maybe 4oz for the whole day. She was eating 2-3oz every 2-3hrs so she was only getting one bottle of breast milk a day. After feeling terrible at my lack of supply I decided formula will be the best bet. All the pumping to get such a small amount just wasn't worth it. I'm down to pumping once a day and having her nurse once a day just because she likes it and it always puts her to sleep when she's fussy. I was a formula baby and turned out fine so she'll mainly be one too and that's ok. After accepting that fact everyone in the house is happier and full!

You've made the right choice in my book! I know some breastmilk is better than none, but when you get to a point of spending hours to generate only one bottle... Anywhere from 1/6 to 1/10 of total food depending on number of feeds... That's insanity in my book! Surely extra snuggles are better for baby at that point!!

breadit124 · August 2016

I don't normally post but in case this is helpful to you--
We are also doing a mix of breastmilk and formula and called our doctor last week concerned about constipation. She said it can be completely normal for the baby to go even two days without a bowel movement (which really surprised us), and that the thing to look for was when he did eventually go, did it look normal or was it dried out/pelleted. He ended up going 26 hours between bowel movements but sure enough it looked completely normal when he did go, and since then he's been back to a more regular diaper schedule without any change in formula. Maybe your baby has gone longer than this or the constipation has been officially diagnosed already, but I wanted to mention this because it was a relief to us. Their digestive systems can be very irregular at this age even when they're healthy. Good luck.

bearsandbeets7 · August 2016

LO has been ff since he was born almost 3 weeks ago. He's had a few times where he forcefully spits up but the past few days it's gotten a lot worse where he will do it 2-3 times a day. Plus his poop has been a little watery almost so I'm giving the pediatrician a call today because I think he may not be tolerating this formula well. I really didn't wanna have to go through the whole switch formulas to see if this is better. I feel so bad for him though.

ballofmeat · August 2016

How long should it take a 3 week old to eat 2-3 ounces? DD sucks it down so fast, I'm thinking we need to figure out a different game plan. With burping between ounces and trying to give her breaks, we can make it 10-15 minutes if we are lucky.

sbelle474 · August 2016

@midwestbaby sometimes my little guy will do the same thing, almost like he hasn't eaten in days, when it has been two hours. Lol

kwilliams3402 · August 2016

midwestbaby said:

How long should it take a 3 week old to eat 2-3 ounces? DD sucks it down so fast, I'm thinking we need to figure out a different game plan. With burping between ounces and trying to give her breaks, we can make it 10-15 minutes if we are lucky.

Ours will eat that fast on certain bottles then spit it back up. Dr Browns are a good intermediate flow for us--not so hard that it wears him out to finish, but not so fast that spits it all back up.

WinnieLou82 · August 2016

@midwestbaby What type of nipple does the bottle have? We use Avent Natural bottle that all come with a size 2 (1+ month) size so the pedi recommended we buy size 1 nipples to use until she can handle the stronger flow. DD is still pretty quick at 5 weeks, it takes her 15 minutes for 3 ounces but doesn't choke or spit up.

jacmkelley · August 2016

@Lynnlove28 I'm so sorry! Your poor little guy I hope he feels better soon. Maybe he needs a soy formula??

@midwestbaby Formula feeding always took longer than breast feeding. With DD we had a hard time finding a bottle that had a slow enough nipple because the entire time she used the bottle she couldn't keep up and it was so fast. I mean seriously she drank a 2-3 oz bottle in 5 minutes if we didn't stop it. We tried Dr. Browns and Playtex and had eventually settled with playtex but never felt super happy. This time around I've found that he Mam bottles (I know you're a target girl but I couldn't find them at my target) are the Bomb.com. And I got it at babies r us. The size 1 nipple is slow enough for DS and we have had zero issues. He's even had moments where he's tried to go too fast and the bottle seems to be too slow for him at times when he's really hungry. We got a sample bottle at a elective sonogram place when we went for a 3D sono and I just tried it one day. I honestly usually throw things like that out but after all the trouble I had finding a bottle for DD I kept it just in case.
OH! And I tried the avent bottles with him this time around, before this brand and it was too fast too. Bananers mentioned something about a preemie flow nipple you can purchase online for Dr.Browns bottles - if you've already got the bottles maybe try that.

beenabee · August 2016

@midwestbaby My LO is 3 1/2 weeks old and sometimes he'll eat it in 10 minutes and then other times it will take him 30 minutes or more. Usually he downs it pretty quick though.

jacmkelley · August 2016

@midwestbaby I agree with @BrunetteBabe722 sometimes they will just drink it quickly. If you aren't having issues with choking, gas, spit up or throw up I would agree 10-30 minutes makes sense.
When I transitioned DS from BF to formula he did struggle with falling asleep a lot still. So for us it does vary.

sbelle474 · August 2016

Hey ladies, i plan on continuing to supplement with breast milk until i go back to work around 7-8 weeks pp. How long does it take for your supply to dry up and did you help it along in any way? Trying to breast feed, formula feed , then pump is the pits. No time to rest. Honestly i may stop sooner, but am trying my best to give little bit anything i can.

jacmkelley · August 2016

@sbelle474 I just stopped. I didn't want to que my boobs to make more so when my boobs felt super full I hand expressed. Take lots of pain relievers my suggestion would be ibuprofen to help with swelling. Ice packs help with the engorgement. As you decide to remove a feeding or remove a pump session use hand expression that day and the next if needed to help your body adjust and to keep from getting clogged ducts etc... But I just chose to stop entirely from fevers and did what I said above and didn't have any issues.

oh and I stopped two weeks ago, there is still milk, not sure when you actually dry up. I still haven't but I'm not leaking all of the time or anything.

nanner26 · September 2016

DD has been eating about 2oz. every two hours. She's 10 days old and I'm just wanting to make sure this sounds right. I thought that formula was more filling but it seems she's just constantly hungry and I want to feed her on demand now. I was trying to feed her every 3-4 hours but she would get incredibly fussy. What do you guys think?

sbelle474 · September 2016

@hannah0726 If i remember right, they are supposed to get 20 to 24 ounces a day, but depends on weight. You might ask your doctor about it to see. Ours told us about an ounce an hour. Sorry i am not more helpful!

nanner26 · September 2016

@sbelle474 Any advice is helpful! Thanks!

ballofmeat · September 2016

Hannah0726 said:

DD has been eating about 2oz. every two hours. She's 10 days old and I'm just wanting to make sure this sounds right. I thought that formula was more filling but it seems she's just constantly hungry and I want to feed her on demand now. I was trying to feed her every 3-4 hours but she would get incredibly fussy. What do you guys think?

2 ounces is about right according to my pediatrician. She said anymore than that could stretch their stomach and cause gastrointestinal distress. To be honest though, we have a big baby. She's at least ten lbs now. When she goes two hours between feeds, we give her two ounces. If it has been more than three or four hours, we give her 3 ounces. Probably not what is recommended, but she seems happier and less fussy.

I would still consult with your pediatrician. It takes about two and a half hours for their stomachs to completely empty from a feeding. Also you want to make sure to not feed them too fast. It takes us 20 minutes a feeding with burping in between every half to one ounce.

tmk0325 · September 2016

Glad I saw this thread. I was EPing for my boys and finally after 11 weeks threw in the towel. I couldn't handle the constant clogs. I'm much happier now that I'm done with it!

Anywho, I have been doing half breast milk and half formula but I have yet to find a formula that works. My boys are very gassy, spit up, and I believe have reflux although are not on anything. When we left the nicu we had to fortify my breast milk with Neosure and they did horribly on it. They were always grunting in pain when trying to pass gas. Finally I just stopped and gave them straight breast milk and they seemed better. We only made it 2 weeks before I quit. I have enough frozen and my SIL gave me the rest of her stash (she was an over producer for my 1 yr old nephew), so we have enough to get though another few weeks before officially transitioning.

In the meantime I've tried Gentlease which seemed to make them cry more, and now honest company sensitive which is making them horribly constipated! In 6 days they each have only pooped once and they were once a dayers for sure. I feel so bad. So today I went back to just breast milk and tomorrow I'm going to introduce a new formula. Has anyone tried Gerber Good Start Soothe? Of all the reviews I've been reading this one seems to maybe be the best fit based on the issues my boys have been having... I have similac sensitive sitting here but am reluctant to try it just because they did so horribly on the similac Neosure. My ped didn't really have any suggestions just said try a couple and go with what works

ballofmeat · September 2016

@tmk0325 totally off topic, but did you see the fb thread? I wasn't sure if you joined yet.

carolinw · September 2016

@tmk0325 I've used Similac Sensitive and it worked fine for about a week (I have a colicky baby though who is rejecting formula once a week). No major issues with the Sensitive version. I also tried Similac For Spit Up which was great for a few days but ended up causing constipation issues. Have you tried Milicon drops to help with the gas? Good luck!!

tmk0325 · September 2016

@midwestbaby I did. I haven't joined yet.

@carolinw yes I did try gas drops, doesn't seem to do much. I finally got one baby to poop after 5 days and am waiting on the other until I try a different one. Right now they are just having breast milk.

ballofmeat · September 2016

tmk0325 said:

@midwestbaby I did. I haven't joined yet.

@carolinw yes I did try gas drops, doesn't seem to do much. I finally got one baby to poop after 5 days and am waiting on the other until I try a different one. Right now they are just having breast milk.

I bought those windi things by the same company that makes the nose Frida. They really work! I highly recommend. I found them at Walgreens.

ballofmeat · September 2016

midwestbaby said:

tmk0325 said:

@midwestbaby I did. I haven't joined yet.

@carolinw yes I did try gas drops, doesn't seem to do much. I finally got one baby to poop after 5 days and am waiting on the other until I try a different one. Right now they are just having breast milk.

I bought those windi things by the same company that makes the nose Frida. They really work! I highly recommend. I found them at Walgreens.

Also I put Aria on gerber soothe formula. It has a probiotic and now she poops every other day instead of going days without going. Also seems to help with her crying spells at night. They are shorter and shorter since we have switched.

tmk0325 · September 2016

midwestbaby said:

midwestbaby said:

tmk0325 said:

@midwestbaby I did. I haven't joined yet.

@carolinw yes I did try gas drops, doesn't seem to do much. I finally got one baby to poop after 5 days and am waiting on the other until I try a different one. Right now they are just having breast milk.

I bought those windi things by the same company that makes the nose Frida. They really work! I highly recommend. I found them at Walgreens.

Also I put Aria on gerber soothe formula. It has a probiotic and now she poops every other day instead of going days without going. Also seems to help with her crying spells at night. They are shorter and shorter since we have switched.

We switched to that formula too this week after I read a Ton of reviews! I like it so far! Target has a gift card on it this week too, so I stocked up!

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