What to use to supplement breastfeeding besides formula.

[Orionsmama]

DS is almost 10 months and we are going strong with BF but I am wondering what most mamas are doing if supplementation is needed. Does anyone use rice milk? soy milk? or just go straight to the cow?  I cant stand the thought of using formula but my little guy is an animal and loves loves loves milk and I am worried I wont be able to keep up with production. What are some of you doing to make up the difference?

[mommy212]

He mostly breastfed, and still does at 18 months. Let him nurse as much as he wants and your supply will keep up with him. Are you talking supplement as in replacing for a time while you are gone or not nursing for a long time? Or just additional liquid during meals and such? When my LO was around that age I started feeding him water and soy milk with meals and snacks since he ate a lot and got thirsty. For a replacement, at that i age I would say it's safe to add in whole foods formula, like the one from nourishing traditions.

[womenswisdom]

There's no reason to think you wouldn't be able to keep up with him in terms of supply, is there?  I mean, after all, women nurse TWINS without supplementing!  Surely he doesn't eat more than 2 babies ;)  It's hard when we don't have a lot of examples IRL of women who are able to EBF, but it doesn't seem like there's any reason to think you can't!

[Sharlla]

at 10 months I wasn't pumping enough, so we had to use whole milk (lactaid) to supplement when i was at work. 

[Ravin]

Is he eating solids much yet? If so, letting him experiment with a cup/sippy of water would be a good place to start. If you have to be away from him, or you're just ready to introduce a different milk, goat's milk is a good choice as long as he's still getting most of his milk from you. It's a bit more digestible than cow's, and is a natural rather than synthesized food like soymilk.

[Adaline'sMama]

Im with the PP who said unless there is some problem that you didnt state in your OP, then you shouldnt need to worry about not being able to keeep up.

However, at 10 months DD was eating all kinds of stuff and I would sometimes let her have almond or coconut milk. I quit pumping around 6 months so if someone else is watching her then she will have organic cow milk in her sippy. We do this pretty much just when Im not there to nurse though. I cant imagine giving her any milk if should could have my breast milk.

[Lucy Alden]

Originally Posted by mommy212 

Let him nurse as much as he wants and your supply will keep up with him.

I will say, with my second my milk dried up when he was 10 months old because I was pregnant.  I tried boosting my calories and taking some supplements but it just didn't work.  He was eating a ton of solids with lots of good fats (coconut oil, butter, olive oil) added.  However, when he dropped from the 50% percentile to the 10% percentile in weight in just under 2 months, my naturopath recommended supplementing with goats milk.  I definitely wouldn't use soy or rice milk.  They are lacking in many of the vitamins and minerals a baby needs and are highly processed.

Edited by Lucy Alden - 4/15/11 at 9:36am

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

Im with the PP who said unless there is some problem that you didnt state in your OP, then you shouldnt need to worry about not being able to keeep up.

If I had to supplement a 10 month old I'd look for donor breastmilk.

But if you've got this far, OP, except for a pregnancy, there is no reason to think your milk supply can't keep up. Keep nursing and your body will know to keep making milk! I had an unexpected 5 hour absence from DS a couple of weeks ago, and I found out pretty quickly how much milk he gets when he nurses. At 5 hours my breasts were rock hard and lumpy and leaking - something that hasn't happened since he was little! Nothing like engorgement to calm fears about milk supply - now I have no worries :)

[JudiAU]

I'd consider looking for donor milk or using formula. Other milk substitutes (cow's, goat's, coconut, soy what have you) are not adequate at 10m. I understand that you prefer not to use formula but it and breast milk are the only nutrtitionally complete options. Other milk substitutes are not suitable infant food.

[Orionsmama]

so far so good on keeping up but I work really long hours (12hour shifts) and we are burning through our freezer stash. During work hours I just dont produce as much as I would at home so I am a little nervous DH will run out while Im at work. I was thinking of mixing a bit of rice or almond milk with the breast milk but I have also heard that 10m isnt suitable for those enzymes yet. It is just so nerve racking to always think "is this my last stash before having to use formula". He is eating tons of solids but really loves the milk more than anything else. I am going to try some milk maid tea tomorrow and see if I can jumpstart my production.

[JudiAU]

I didn't realize you were working. I work ft too. I found that a pumping session right before bedtime and after a shower can help. That way your babe can help adjust the supply. Much easier and more relaible then pumping.

I knowmit stinks to be a full time working pumping mama but a bit of formula at the end isn't the worse thing in the world. And it really is better nutrition an sugar water which is what rice milk is.... And you can pump longer than a year to get this goodies into your baby too!

[Marissamom]

when I was working we did solids and expressed milk when I wasn't home and no solids when I was home (so my days off she didn't have any solids) and that kept my supply up enough that we didn't have to supplement with other milks except once. I did do formula as the alternative milk, but she only had a couple of onces, so I was okay with it.