Supplementing with formula - which tastes best?

[1stBabyAt39]

I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, so I thought I'd start here.

My DD is 7 months old and drinks breast milk and eats some solids. She has gotten so big that I can't keep up with her needs! I BF at home and pump at work, but sometimes she goes through all her bottles during the day & has to have a bottle of formula.

Unfortunately, she doesn't like the taste of formula & is reluctant to drink it. I can hardly blame her, that stuff smells so fishy! I know most adults don't do formula taste comparisons (LOL), but maybe it would help to know what kinds of formula your little ones like. I can't remember which one we currently have, it was a freebie they sent me when I was pregnant. Luckily we haven't had to use it much.

Thank you for your input!

[organicmidwestmama]

id work super hard at keeping my supply up; ie. letting baby nurse all night, a lot in the am before going to work, staying very hydrated myself, pumping every 3 hours, using a really good/expensive pump, talking to a la leche league leader and/or ibclc about ways to keep breastfeeding successful.

[chattyprincess]

I was just curious if you are pumping on the weekends as well?? maybe that would help you have some back up bm?? just a thought..

[hotharmony]

I did the never ending pumping dance with my LO and even thought he never had a drop of forumla, it caused a LOT of stress in my life to be constantly pumping pumpin pumping.

So for taste of formula, and FYI she probably won't like any formula because they all taste gross. Is Organic Milk formula because they add more sugar to it. I don't know if you have ever tasted breast milk but it is really sweet.

Maybe try to up her solid intake while your not together. Or have your caregiver review this information on how to bottle feed the breast feed baby.

[sanguine_speed]

We tried a variety of formulas when we had to supplement, and they all seemed to taste/smell the same unfortunately .

[cristeen]

Unfortunately, if you start comparing brands, they all basically follow the same recipe, with very little variation. So finding the one that tastes "best" is a bit futile.

You can try slowly introducing formula by mixing it with the BM, but there's no guarantees.

I agree with the pps though - I'd try other ways of increasing supply... have you tried pumping one side while nursing the other? Herbs, foods, plenty of water, and more pumping would be my first steps before trying a dozen different types of formula.

You can also try encouraging her to reverse cycle.

[1stBabyAt39]

Thanks everyone for your input. I already pump every 3 hours at work with a good pump (Ameda Egnell Elite) and BF before work & a few times in the evening. I occasionally pump after she goes to bed, if I have enough left.

hotharmony - yes, I have actually tasted the milk (to make sure it was fresh) and the formula. There really is no comparison! I feel bad for those times when she has to drink that smelly formula. But I also need to remind myself that plenty of babies drink only formula & do just fine.

Maybe I'll try some things to get a higher volume of milk when I pump. The amount varies from 3 to 4.5 oz...hopefully I can get some higher numbers. You'd think that after 7 months I would really have the hang of this! Heh heh. Thanks again.

[ZoeyZoo]

If you are open to making some, there are some nutritionally complete formulas on the Weston Price Foundation website and they are also in the book Nourishing Traditions. They have some with milk, dairy free, etc. Someone on the TF forum might also be able to help if you're having trouble finding it.

[hjrowan]

Just a thought but how much are you leaving her each day? I was also getting 3-5oz at each pumping session by that point - sounds pretty normal... and how many times are you pumping?

If you are getting 2 or 3 4oz bottles to leave for your DD to have while at daycare, and she's also getting solids, as an ex-pumper myself I'm curious as to what makes you think she needs formula as well? Have her caregivers said she's fussy or something?

Good luck!

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by ZoeyZoo

If you are open to making some, there are some nutritionally complete formulas on the Weston Price Foundation website and they are also in the book Nourishing Traditions. They have some with milk, dairy free, etc. Someone on the TF forum might also be able to help if you're having trouble finding it.

I suggest not discussing this here... it is a very heated subject and I have gotten flamed for it. We did use this for a little while with our little guy before switching to donor milk. If you're interested in it, feel free to PM me.

Originally Posted by hjrowan

If you are getting 2 or 3 4oz bottles to leave for your DD to have while at daycare, and she's also getting solids, as an ex-pumper myself I'm curious as to what makes you think she needs formula as well? Have her caregivers said she's fussy or something?

This is what I'm wondering too... if you're pumping 3x a day and getting about 4 oz at each pumping... that's 3 meals worth. On top of solids, I would expect that should be enough (at that age, that's half a day's worth). How often is her CP feeding her a bottle, and is she truly wanting/needing a bottle at those times, or is the CP just following a schedule?

[Brigio]

3-4 oz is the perfect amount. You don't make more milk as your baby grows as they drink about the same amount from 3 months on ward. Generally 1 oz per hour. I exclusively pumped and my DD had 4 oz bottles every 2-3 hours until a year when I stopped pumping. Your milk changes with your baby. Make sure she is using a slow flow newborn nipple and only ever use that. Babies will drink faster out of bottles so she may seem hungry but she may just be looking for longer comfort.

[organicmidwestmama]

try encouraging middle of the night nursing, that is when lactaion hormones are highest and milk production is also highest. i know it sucks to be woken up but the first year is so crucial, and just that, one year of both your lives! my daughter is 15 months and still nurses more all night then th day.

[1stBabyAt39]

I usually send 3 or 4 bottles to her caregiver, depending on how much I'm able to pump. Sometimes I only get around 2.5 oz, typically 3 oz, and rarely 4 oz per bottle. So the amount varies daily. On days where she only had 3 bottles, she needed something more.

She was getting solids once during the day the past few weeks (and once in the evening), which is probably why she was still hungry & wanted another bottle. We just decided to start having her caregiver feed her solids in the morning and in the afternoon, so hopefully that will keep her full & not needing a bottle of formula. Overall, I'm not too worried about it because she is growing like crazy & appears to be getting plenty of nutrition. And her caregiver (her aunt) has a lot of experience with babies, so she's good at figuring out when & how much to feed her.

Meanwhile I'll keep on pumping & am determined to make it to that one-year mark in July! Thanks for all your help ladies.

[LilacMama]

My breastfed baby truly enjoyed this formula:
http://www.amazon.com/BabyOnly-Organ...5566904&sr=8-4

It's called a "Toddler Formula" because the company says they want to encourage breastfeeding for babies under 1. It's perfectly fine for younger babies and it really does taste better than the other formulas (in my baby's opinion).