supplementing with formula and bummed

[puamama]

anyone else supplementing with formula???
i've had mastitis 5X (my babe is 6 months), I had a breast reduction years ago so my milk supply has always been on the low side. Every time I try to increase my supply my ducts get clogged and I get mastitis. I have been lucky to have friends who have been donating their milk for the past 2 months but the supply has run out since my babe has increase appetite.
I bought Earth's Best Organic hoping it would make me feel better but it hasn't...
misery loves company, anyone else supplementing?

[twinsarefun]

Yes. I can completely sympathize with you. I nursed two girls for two years and then got a loop thrown at me when I tried to nurse my twins. For some reason they were not gaining weight, getting deydrated, it was pretty scary. So not wanting to have nipple confusion in having to supplement, I started using the SNS. The twins have been hooked on it for about 9 months now. It was very heartbreaking having to fill that container full of formula. I would have loved to use donated milk. The milk banks in my area charged $3 an ounce! It would have cost me around $2500 to $3000 per month to feed my twins! So that was out of the question. My twins still get breastmilk from me but tons of formula. I have done tons of research on formula wanting to give my babies only the best. Make sure whatever brand you use is low in manganese. High manganese levels have been linked to ADHD since it is a metal that accumulates in the brain when in too high of doses. Babies just can't extrete it well due to having a immature liver. Soy is the worst. I have found Kirkland (Costo) and Similac to have the lowest amounts of manganese. Also, these brands do not use cows that have been treated with RBST/Steroids. I wish the organic brands would lover their manganese levels. I have written a few companies encouraging them to do so. Baby's Organic wrote back saying the levels were just fine and compatible with cows milk. I wrote back saying that it was not compatible though with human milk. Some of this research on formula you can find at mercola.com. Anyhow, it has been a long journey. I also put in 1300 mg of hexane free evening primrose oil in a large batch of formula made in the blender (mercola.com). This is supposed to help with the immune system. Another thing Mercola talks about it the use of virgin coconut oil. It contains lauric acid which is a component in breastmilk. It is supposed to contain anti-viral properties in it. So I give put that in the babies solids along with cod liver oil for brain growth.

I wish you well with everything. I am here to sympathize. It is heartbreaking in the beginning, but somehow as time goes by and our little ones give us such sweet smiles, the gloom will eventually fade away.

[wubanub]

Yes, Im doing both. Aidan refuses to nurse during the day b/c I have two other little girls who climb all over me. But once DH gets home he will nurse b/c they are busy with daddy. Plus we ended up having to supplement b/c he wouldnt gain his birth weight back. It took almost a month before that happened. This system is working well for us. Im hoping when he gets bigger he will take bm all the time, but at least I get nights and weekends..lol

[Meli65]

That happened to me with ds2 -- it was hard. He and I had thrush from the get-go and nursing was always anywhere from uncomfortable to excruciating. At around 6 months he went through a growth spurt and I just couldn't keep up with him -- I bought formula and a bottle on Christmas Day.

I felt pretty crappy about the whole thing at the time but .... it wore off. He was really hungry, and was thrilled with the bottles. He continued to nurse 'til he was 10 months old.

For me, it was a good exercise in not judging mothers who formula-feed for whatever reason -- or who make choices different than my own in many parenting ways. I am still very pro-breastfeeding and AP, but I think my attitudes have been tempered with a little more kindness.

Good luck! You are doing the best you can for you and your child .

[RobynFSU]

No personal experience here, but know that any bm your baby gets is beneficial to them no matter how much!

[indeospero]

I am BFAR too and had to supplement with formula till dd was 7 months old. It was very hard for me, even though I was prepared (I thought) before her birth for the strong possibility that my milk supply would be impaired. It's wonderful that you've had donated milk. Please know that the milk your baby receives from you is worth a great deal!

I don't know what method of supplementing you've chosen, but for me, using a Lact-Aid (like an SNS) made a big difference in my supply and in how I felt, emotionally, about supplementing. Supping at the breast ensures that your supply gets the maximum stimulation. I felt good about this choice because even if I couldn't give 100% breast milk, I was able to keep my dd 100% at the breast. Just my thoughts.

Edited to add: Have you been working with a good LC re: the mastitis episodes? Have you looked into any other underlying causes? Are you emptying your breasts often enough when you try the galactagogues? There are some great BFAR resources on the web if you need more specific BFAR advice.

Best wishes!

[2 in August]

Hi, we are supping too. It still gets to me, but without the little extra, ds doesn't gain wt. As it is he is 7lb 11oz att 9wks. Without the supp he was stuck at 6lb 7oz for 4 wks. nak

[MaryJaneLouise]

to you and your low supply

Have you tried lecithin for recurrent mastitis / plugged ducts?

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vi.../lecithin.html

[Ruthla]

Remember that you're doing the very best for your baby. This is the kind of situation formula is intended for.

[puamama]

thank you all very much

your words, suggestions and support are priceless, thank you!

[jenny-g]

We have to suppliment as I've never made enough milk, ever. Not from the get-go when she was incredibly ill, jaundiced, and dehydrated in the hospital. I felt awful but have come to terms with it. I pumped as well, take domperidone, treat my hypothyroidism and PCOS and just hope that we can keep what breastfeeding we have going for as long as possible!

We started supplimenting using goodstart as I was worried about allergies, and now we use parent's choice (walmart) organic. It's the only one I can get and has the omega-3 supplimentation in it, so at least I can get that.

We all do our best. It took a very long time for me not to cry every day about this. I hope people who judge other people for using bottles know the full story, and know that there are those of us who are more pro-breastfeeding than you can imagine who are forced to use formula so out babies don't, you know, die. I wish donated milk was more available, but it wasn't to me (and we don't have the money for it, even if it was). Luckily our baby seems to be doing fine, and hasn't been sick yet -j

[Sharondio]

Originally Posted by RobynFSU

No personal experience here, but know that any bm your baby gets is beneficial to them no matter how much!

Yep. In fact, the less often you nurse, the more concentrated the antibodies become. Even one nursing a day still gives almost a full dose of antibodies, so never discount "only X nursings", m'kay?

Also, once the child begins solids, the whole "open gut" problems associated with formula are greatly reduced.

Of course I'm not advocating it, but keep it in perspective. You've got six months of exclusive nursing in and you're not giving up yet.

Also, if you're prone to plugged ducts, make sure you get some lecithin as it's known to help with chronic duct problems.

[SarahA]

Ahhhhhh! I am completing panicing my dd has been on formula suppliments since birth, I used only organic thinking that was best (Baby's Only and Earths Best) what level of Manganese should I be looking for. Have you ever made your own formula ?

Originally Posted by twinsarefun

Yes. I can completely sympathize with you. I nursed two girls for two years and then got a loop thrown at me when I tried to nurse my twins. For some reason they were not gaining weight, getting deydrated, it was pretty scary. So not wanting to have nipple confusion in having to supplement, I started using the SNS. The twins have been hooked on it for about 9 months now. It was very heartbreaking having to fill that container full of formula. I would have loved to use donated milk. The milk banks in my area charged $3 an ounce! It would have cost me around $2500 to $3000 per month to feed my twins! So that was out of the question. My twins still get breastmilk from me but tons of formula. I have done tons of research on formula wanting to give my babies only the best. Make sure whatever brand you use is low in manganese. High manganese levels have been linked to ADHD since it is a metal that accumulates in the brain when in too high of doses. Babies just can't extrete it well due to having a immature liver. Soy is the worst. I have found Kirkland (Costo) and Similac to have the lowest amounts of manganese. Also, these brands do not use cows that have been treated with RBST/Steroids. I wish the organic brands would lover their manganese levels. I have written a few companies encouraging them to do so. Baby's Organic wrote back saying the levels were just fine and compatible with cows milk. I wrote back saying that it was not compatible though with human milk. Some of this research on formula you can find at mercola.com. Anyhow, it has been a long journey. I also put in 1300 mg of hexane free evening primrose oil in a large batch of formula made in the blender (mercola.com). This is supposed to help with the immune system. Another thing Mercola talks about it the use of virgin coconut oil. It contains lauric acid which is a component in breastmilk. It is supposed to contain anti-viral properties in it. So I give put that in the babies solids along with cod liver oil for brain growth.

I wish you well with everything. I am here to sympathize. It is heartbreaking in the beginning, but somehow as time goes by and our little ones give us such sweet smiles, the gloom will eventually fade away.

[twinsarefun]

Sorry I didn't get to you until now. I have been fighting bronchitis. All formulas are higher than the amount in human milk. So in light of that, you just look for the lowest amount among formulas. The lowest I have seen is 5 mcg in Similac Advanced and Kirkland Brands. Those also are the two brands that so far don't use rbst/steroids with their cows as of last time I talked with the company. There are wonderful organic brands, but the manganese levels are 15 mcg. I have read the Western Price formula recipe and a few others. They seem wonderful. My only concern was using raw milk and raw egg yolks. I get concerned about semonilla. So I haven't done that. Many people like it though. I wish you well.
P.S. I too was upset that I didn't know this earlier. For the first four months or so, I was using Lipil. That is very high as well - 15 mcg. This is all per 5 oz. serving.

[kangov]

Supplementing and Bummed

I have recently made the decision to supplement with formula as well. My little one hasn't had any problems gaining weight, but I just don't think I am producing enough milk to meet his needs. I feel like sometimes he would stay on the breast for hours if I let him, and I just don't have the time. As terrible as that sounds, I just want to make sure that he is getting enough of what he needs. I plan to start supplementing with every other feeding and see how it goes. I was really bummed because it feels like I have failed in some way. I also ended up having an emergency C-section and now this, it feels like one failure after another. I wish there wasn't so much pressure from outside forces. Oh well, hopefully adding the formula will make his life and mine better...

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Remember that you're doing the very best for your baby. This is the kind of situation formula is intended for.

You are doing the best you can for your baby--that's all any of us can do. Thank goodness for formula for cases like yours!

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by kangov

I have recently made the decision to supplement with formula as well. My little one hasn't had any problems gaining weight, but I just don't think I am producing enough milk to meet his needs. I feel like sometimes he would stay on the breast for hours if I let him, and I just don't have the time. As terrible as that sounds, I just want to make sure that he is getting enough of what he needs. I plan to start supplementing with every other feeding and see how it goes. I was really bummed because it feels like I have failed in some way. I also ended up having an emergency C-section and now this, it feels like one failure after another. I wish there wasn't so much pressure from outside forces. Oh well, hopefully adding the formula will make his life and mine better...

If he's gaining weight and having wet diapers, then I doubt there's anything wrong with your supply. Perhaps he just likes to comfort suck?