For BFing moms who supplement

[Qestia]

Well, we've made it almost six months -- within a week -- with no formula, ever, for DD, but I'm about 75% sure we are going to have to supplementing with formula next week. I pump about 12 oz a day but she drinks 16. I do pump a couple extra oz days I'm home with DD (Sat, Sun and Mon) but it still doesn't add up.

I'm pretty okay with it, proud of making it this far when I only BF DS 5 weeks, but I am worried that supplementing will eventually affect my ability to BF DD when I am with her.

So, question to moms who send formula to daycare-- do you find you are still able to exclusively BF at home, or have you eventually had to supplement there as well?

I figured it made more sense to ask this here than in BFing but mods, feel free to move it.

[mama lipenga]

I had to start supplementing at 3 months , but he's now 14 months and we're still bfing at home. So yes, it's totally possible!

[Qestia]

Thank you! That is a relief.

[Alyantavid]

We had no trouble nursing. We had to supplement alot and he still nursed all the rest of the time without any issues at all. Your body will get used to having enough for the times when you are home.

[namaste_mom]

I started supplementing with DS about that time. I pumped what I could at work and then gave him formulate when there was no more milk for the day. I didn't effect our bfing relationship one bit. Good Luck

[mclisa]

I think you will be fine at home especially if you feed as often as she wants.

She might take solids at daycare rather than formula. Your other option is to leave a can of formula and if she runs out of breast milk that day, then they can use it.

Congrats on making it this far!

[Belleweather]

Yep, I have always only supplemented at daycare and nursed at home. I pumped as much as I could and left a can of formula with the DCP for days when what I pumped didn't match what my little guy needed. As soon as it was practicable we switched him to getting extra solids instead of formula at daycare.

He's 15 months now, I don't pump at work, and we're still nursing at home. You can do it!

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by Qestia

Well, we've made it almost six months -- within a week -- with no formula, ever, for DD, but I'm about 75% sure we are going to have to supplementing with formula next week. I pump about 12 oz a day but she drinks 16. I do pump a couple extra oz days I'm home with DD (Sat, Sun and Mon) but it still doesn't add up.

I'm pretty okay with it, proud of making it this far when I only BF DS 5 weeks, but I am worried that supplementing will eventually affect my ability to BF DD when I am with her.

So, question to moms who send formula to daycare-- do you find you are still able to exclusively BF at home, or have you eventually had to supplement there as well?

I figured it made more sense to ask this here than in BFing but mods, feel free to move it.

Your baby already loves to breastfeed, that is not going to change just because she has bottles at daycare. Mine has had bottles (out of necessity) since she was 6 wks old and she STILL loves to nurse now and she is almost 27 months old! (She proclaims "I WUFF boobies!")

[LilMomma83]

I supplemented pretty heavily from 4mos on and BF at home...I think as long as you do BF at home you should be fine.

FYI we are still BF at 22mos.

[lauren]

We supplemented a little but it never affected nursing at home with any of my three!

[Treece]

We've been supplementing since about that time also. I pumped at work from 4-6 months, but when I changed jobs, it was more difficult. I didn't have a sink handy and didn't wnat to use the one in the break room. Or the women's restroom. I never thought of going to solids now that he is 14 months instead of formula when I'm not around. We may start doing that.

As far as nursing, he exclusively nurses around me although if he sees a bottle in the fridge, he'll grab it and carry it around, though he doesn't really drink anything from it.

[Qestia]

Originally Posted by prettypixels

Your baby already loves to breastfeed, that is not going to change just because she has bottles at daycare. Mine has had bottles (out of necessity) since she was 6 wks old and she STILL loves to nurse now and she is almost 27 months old! (She proclaims "I WUFF boobies!")

oh yeah, we've been doing bottles since 3 wks cause I had to go back to work a couple days a week at 6 weeks. but so far just pumped milk. I was worried about the formula-if using when I'm at work would affect my supply evenings and weekends. sounds like we'll probably be okay, which is a huge relief.

[Elismum]

Originally Posted by Belleweather

He's 15 months now, I don't pump at work, and we're still nursing at home. You can do it!

How many times a day do you nurse at home?

[janerose]

OK, so my circumstances are a little different. When my girls were BF I was a SAHM, but I ended up supplementing them both from around 3 wks thanks to health issues that made me unable to EBF & that they were both still significantly under birth weight & miserable at that point.

That said, I had really good BF relationships with both girls. They both BF until just shy of 1 yr, even with getting bottle supplements daily.

I've worked as a BF counselor & the #1 piece of advice I can give is as long as you keep BF, and possibly pumping, like you currently are there is NO reason your supply should be affected.

Seeing lots of moms over the past couple years who ended up supplementing & then stopped BF, I can honestly say that the main reason BF fails for them once supplementing starts is they get "lazy" about BF and start relying too heavily on the bottle.

Also, since your DC is 6 months how do you feel about adding some solids into the diet? Are you getting any signs that she's ready for solids (sitting up on her own, able to grasp things, loosing tongue thrust, etc)? For a 6 mo my first impulse would be to add pureed fruits, veggies, whole grains, and possibly goats milk rather than jump to formula. Especially since it doesn't sound like you're falling that short with what you're pumping. She's likely to get just as much, if not more, nutrition out of table food at this point than she is from formula.

Would starting solids be an acceptable alternative for you at this point?

[Qestia]

thanks for the feedback, we have tried solids a few times and she does seem ready, so maybe I'll try sending some along to daycare and see how it goes.