the dreaded "f" word...

[singermom]

No, not that "f" word, the other one...formula.

For a variety of reasons, I am thinking about starting to supplement some formula for my almost 8 month old dd, and I would just like to know some guidelines to aim for, any particular favorite brands anyone has, and stuff like that.

I am just coming to a point where I have to recognize my limitations--my milk bank is diminishing quickly, I'm pumping three times a day at least, plus nursing her on demand, and I'm just tired. Plus now I am sick with a colossal sinus infection, which isn't helping, and my husband and I are supposed to go out next Friday night, and my daughter will need at least two bottles of milk, more if she is fussy, and I just can't see where it is going to come from at this point. So I'm about to admit defeat and see if she will take some formula.

I don't want to wean her, I just want to have a back up plan. Anyone out there who can provide some feedback?

Mia

[lilyka]

First of all I would see about doing things to increase milk supply. I am sure there are plenty of threads started on overcoming difficulties board if you do a search. If you do decide that formula is the way to go there is a good organic one and the generic brands (all the same just with different names made by weyth pharm.) Anyhoo, the only reasons I prefer these is because they don't do the all out nasty advertising of the others and that is to be commended. And prganic has the organic benifit. Also there is a thread about making goatmilk formula (or at 8-9 months you could probably go streight to goats milk) .

At anyrate I would recoommend introducing it early, before your stash runs out. perhaps one ounce of formula to every 3 ounces of breastmilk. and gradually increasing the amount of formula if nessecary (although this might stretch it enough). This will help her get used to the flavor more gradually and will help her dijestive system adjust more gradually. Also you won't have one or two feedings a day that are drastically different. They will all be (at least the ones while you are away) about the same. Does all of that make sense? My friend had to wean suddenly (one of the few medications you absolutley can't nurse with) and did this with her stash of milk so that her baby didn't have to be switched so dramatically. She was very happy with the ease of the transition. There have been a couple of babies in daycare I did this with and they seemed to tolerate the formula better this way (rather than 3 bottles of breastmilk and one bottle of formula, they got 4 bottles of 75% bm and 25% formula). much less spitting up with the mixed than with the streight formula.

[Piglet68]

I'm moving this thread from the working mamas forum to Support and Advocacy. I'm sure the ladies there will be able to give you some good advice and support!

[TiredX2]

Have you started solids yet?

If yes, I would consider just "upping" the amt of solids she gets and avoiding formula. Both cows milk and soy are fairly allergenic, so if you can avoid them, longer is better.

Congrats on making it 8 months. I don't think I could make it pumping.

Kay

[MinnieMouse]

I think the 6mo to 10mo time period was THE most difficult for me pumpingwise.

I pumped for dd (now almost 22mo) from 3mo to 1yr while working. It was VERY hard work!!! I was a very low volume pumper and managed to pump JUST what she drank over a week during that week. (ie I didn't necessarily pump what she drank each day...but managed to match it over the week's time). Some sessions I would get as little as TWO oz!! And I never got any more than 6oz...and that was VERY rare.

During the four months I was pumping the worst I did the following.

Ate 2pks of instant oatmeal/day. (increases milk production in some people)

Pumped up to 5-6x a day. (Once in the am right when I got up, 3-4x at work, sometimes when I got home and once before going to bed)

Worked hard at increasing dd's solids intake.

Nursed dd on demand at night. (This involved dh's FULL support and help...he would ALWAYS get up w/ her and bring her to our bed if she needed to nurse...then return her afterwards if either of us were awake enough :-).)

Another thing that helped me IMMENSELY to get through those 9mo of pumping was this message board....

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppworkpump

It is ALL about Working and Pumping moms and how they do what they do. If it wasn't for the moral support from that board I wouldn't have made it to 1yr. There is also a bunch of other breastfeeding "boards" there as well.

I KNOW how hard this is....I also KNOW how you deliberate in your mind the dreaded "f" word. I was tired, I cried, dh was SOOO helpful and supportive. Some of the moms on the W&P board ended up taking Fenugreek or getting prescriptions for Reglan to help boost their supplies.

At one point during my "lean" months I was down to TWO 4oz bags of EBM in the freezer. But we made it through!!

BIG for you. If you want a shoulder to cry on or some cheerleading PLEASE feel free to email me a [e-mail].

Just so you know....Beth had EBM at daycare until her first birthday...made the transition to whole milk AND sippy cups like it was nothing.....AND is still nursing at night...w/ no problems!!

You CAN do this :-)

Christine

[singermom]

Thanks very much!

To all who responded to my somewhat whiney post:

Thanks so very much for the support and advice! I am pleased to report that I have "gotten over the hump," as it were, and am back to feeling like I don't need to supplement my daughter with formula.

This was a hard week, mostly because I was sick with the sinus infection. I refused antibiotics, but for two nights, in order to sleep, I took a decongestant. I knew it would diminish my milk supply, but I justified it by saying that if I didn't get some sleep, that would diminish my supply as well. I was unprepared for just how much my supply would diminish those two days. So I quickly stopped that, went to the chiropractor, and began to feel better. Not surprisingly, my milk supply improved, and I felt better about life. So, lesson learned. No antibiotics and no decongestants! And yay for chiropractic!

Thanks again!

Mia

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

YAY! and if u ever need it. fenugreek does work wonders, reglan works, but can have some nasty side efdfects ( domperidone works as wel with fewer side effects)

[dentente]

Water.

Water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water water!!!

To replentish your stock of frozen breastmilk try this on a day off: Drink water at bedtime the night before your day off. You might have to pee during the night but so what, that first pumping of the day will be amazing. Feed with the boob that produces less and pump the good boob out. Now pound water like you were about to have an ultrasound. I mean drink, drink, drink. You will have so much milk to pump. Try pumping at 3 to four hour intervals. Always feed with the poorer producing boob and pump the good one. A weekend of this kind of frenzied drinking and pumping and you will be restocked.

Denny

[singermom]

Denny:

Good point about the water. I often drink so much I feel like I am going to float away, but then other times I forget or don't get down to the cafeteria in time, or whatever. So thanks for the reminder.

Things are still going well. We have not had to add any formula. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but today I did NOT go to nurse dd at the day care center (too many meetings too close together) and things worked out so much better with the pumping...I feel a bit like I'm focusing on the wrong thing, but since I NEED the milk pumped for the next day, maybe I will have to give up going over there on my lunch hour...half the time I get over there and my dd is sort of like "eh...", about the nursing anyway...so maybe she is really telling me she doesn't need that feeding...

Oh well...thanks again for the reminders and support!

Fondly,

Mia