nursing with a side of supplementing :)

[braidmama]

Just wondering what ya'll think of this...

So since about the time ds was 3 months (when I went back to work and started pumping...oh, the dreaded pump) I've had low milk supply. I've tried EVERYTHING under the sun and after having milk dry up and come back and on and on I just cannot stress about it anymore. I still drink fenugreek tea, but I am no longer going to go crazy with the herbal supplements and whatnot because for some reason they haven't helped me a bit.

Usually I get up at 4:45 am for work (yes, that's right) so I nurse ds then for about 15 minutes (that's all I have in there...) and head off to work. He drinks 8 oz of formula and I come home around 12:30. After that he nurses on demand all afternoon and for most of the night, although he does also drink the milk I pump at work and an occasional bottle in that time because I sometimes just don't have any milk in there for him. Days off usually we nurse on demand for most, if not all of the day (work schedule varies from week to week). I personally think that 8 oz of formula from 5 am until 12:30 noon is not enough...that's a loooooong time to only have one bottle. If I was home he'd nurse several times in that period. He IS a very skinny baby (80% for height and 25th for weight) but his ped says since he has gained its nothing to worry about. He's also a very fussy baby. We are giving him solids but not a ton yet (he's alomst 7 months olds) and not every day. I realize that solids are not really fully of calories anyway and I'd prefer him to get most of them from breastmilk (ugh...or formula if we have to). Do you think we should be giving him an additonal bottle in the am? I'm thinking yes but just want second (or 12) opinions! I'm not sure if this is something I should say but I'm not really worrieda bout overfeeding him since he's so so so skinny and he lets me know when he's full.

[SubliminalDarkness]

*Shrug* 8 oz is a lot for a three month old in one bottle, IMO. So it doesn't sound too off to me that for that time period. Maybe a little on the light side, but not a whole lot. And it seems like he might be making up for it later in the day with you anyway, which I wouldn't consider a problem.

[Adaline'sMama]

From what I understand your LO is almost 7 months old. I dont really think 8 oz is enough. I would probably make a smoothie for my DD if I was going to be gone for that long. I use stoneyfield yobaby yogurt mixed with cooked and frozen swwet potatoes and apples to make a slushie smoothie. (I mix mine with breastmilk, but you could use something else...formula or coconut milk)

[Snapdragon]

yes! Give him more formula. If you feel that he needs more, and he is skinny, I am wondering what your question is? Why wouldn't you give him that extra bottle?

[Shanesmom]

First of all, I wouldn't too much about percentiles. I hate them!! Every baby is different and develops at different speeds. I wish we didn't have to compare our babies like that.

Your baby may or may not be eating enough while you are away. I can tell you that when I work nine hour days, besides nursing for maybe 25 min on my lunch break, my son will eat only about 2 ounces at best while I'm away. But that's because he hates the bottle. He makes up for it by nursing more at night and on my days off. Sounds like your little one does the same.

[braidmama]

Originally Posted by SubliminalDarkness

*Shrug* 8 oz is a lot for a three month old in one bottle, IMO. So it doesn't sound too off to me that for that time period. Maybe a little on the light side, but not a whole lot. And it seems like he might be making up for it later in the day with you anyway, which I wouldn't consider a problem.

He's going to be 7 months next week!

[braidmama]

Originally Posted by Snapdragon

yes! Give him more formula. If you feel that he needs more, and he is skinny, I am wondering what your question is? Why wouldn't you give him that extra bottle?

I was just wondering if anyone thought that was a minimal amount of formula for that amount of hours. Usually after drinking 8 oz of formula or breastmilk, either way, he doesn't seem to be looking for more milk necessarily but I think if there was more offered he'd definitely want it. Today he took down about 14 oz in one sitting, leaving about 2 oz in the bottle so I know he stopped when he was full and wasn't just eating to eat. I think I've been so harried that I hadn't really connected the dots there before and today ds still nursed fine when I got home from work.

Thanks, ladies, I was just having a little freak out moment last night, haha.

[sageowl]

"I personally think that 8 oz of formula from 5 am until 12:30 noon is not enough...that's a loooooong time to only have one bottle. If I was home he'd nurse several times in that period."

I agree--assuming the baby is awake during that time.  Who is caring for him while you are at work?  Has this person mentioned anything about feeding frequencies?  Are they feeding him on demand?  If so, the problem should solve itself--just provide an extra bottle or two, and track the rate of consumption--you should get a better feel for how much your child needs in your absence after a few days.

[tzs]

i know it's hard to feed on demand if the LO isn't really "demanding" it. mine pretty much stopped hunger crying around 5 or 6 months so we pretty much just nursed and fed on a schedule with solids as regular meals and nursing at wake-up, nap times and at nighttime.

so in answer to your question....at that age if dd nursed in the am (way later than 4:45 btw.....i give you props for that!) we would nurse down for the first nap in the am and then again at the second nap in the afternoon. so based on that schedule, i would think that your LO might need a bottle in the am as well.

i also gave/give the occasional formula bottle and mine would take around 6 oz but may have taken more if i had given it to her (plus, she was pretty heavy into solids) so i don;t imagine an extra 8 oz would be too much.

good luck! 

[BathrobeGoddess]

Moved to breastfeeding challenges....