I went to a meeting yesterday and ran into my old boss. (No, neither of us got hurt! 
) She asked me how the old "work-family" balance was going. We talked about it, and then she asked how I was doing with the pumping. She said, "You know, it's okay to give formula if you can't pump enough milk." And she went on to say that she, too, had experienced the problem of not getting as much milk when she was stressed or tired from working and mom-ing.
Now I know she meant that supportively. But I really don't want to give my baby formula. I only said, quietly, "I'd like to avoid giving him formula if at all possible, so I'm taking herbs and being conscientious about drinking water." It was a pretty good thing to say, I didn't criticize her choices or act offended or anything, just said what I'm doing.
But then later I felt totally terrible. I'm really struggling to keep up, even though I get very good yields from pumping. Somehow my baby is ahead of me 1-2 oz. several days a week!
I would like to know if other women have successfully pumped and nursed for a year without using formula. Several folks have said they had. It would feel great to hear it.
I posted this at Breastfeeding Support and Advocacy as well.
) She asked me how the old "work-family" balance was going. We talked about it, and then she asked how I was doing with the pumping. She said, "You know, it's okay to give formula if you can't pump enough milk." And she went on to say that she, too, had experienced the problem of not getting as much milk when she was stressed or tired from working and mom-ing.Now I know she meant that supportively. But I really don't want to give my baby formula. I only said, quietly, "I'd like to avoid giving him formula if at all possible, so I'm taking herbs and being conscientious about drinking water." It was a pretty good thing to say, I didn't criticize her choices or act offended or anything, just said what I'm doing.
But then later I felt totally terrible. I'm really struggling to keep up, even though I get very good yields from pumping. Somehow my baby is ahead of me 1-2 oz. several days a week!
I would like to know if other women have successfully pumped and nursed for a year without using formula. Several folks have said they had. It would feel great to hear it.
I posted this at Breastfeeding Support and Advocacy as well.
My dd never took to the bottle too well and kind of adjusted to waiting for mama to come home. I would nurse her during lunch and pump 2x a day. Around 11 months, I pumped only 1x a day. By the time she was 12 months, she wasn't really taking any of the ebm and was, instead, waiting till I got home. May BF babies do that when mom isn't around. We're still nursing and she's 16 months old now....almost 17 months
Anyway, you can definitely do it. Don't let the stress get to you. I always tried to pump over the weekend to have an extra stash in case during the week I fell behind. After a couple of months, however, I realized that she wasn't taking all that much, so I only pumped once or twice on the weekends. Keep doing what you are doing! It sounds like you are on the right road! Also, don't let well-meaning advice get you down or anger you. Sometimes people say it because they are envious that you are doing what you are doing. Others, however, mean it as a way of being supportive and letting you know that you don't have to kill yourself to bf your baby. Either way, take everything with a grain of salt and a smile. 
:. There were difficult moments - stress, illness, not enough water, etc. - where I wasn't pumping quite enough. My freezer stash got us through that. I also used herbs like fenugreek and my favorite, More Milk Plus. That stuff was a godsend for me!
. That being said, don't let anyone discourage you. Everyone is different, so her experiences have nothing to do with you. It's hard work and blessings to you for doing this wonderful thing for your little one!
). I saw on the other thread that DH sometimes brings DD to nurse with you. I would say that if you do that for a few weeks, even a month or two, every day you work, you will be able to avoid giving formula. It may be a PITA for them, but it's a huge benefit for both of you and can really get your supply in gear. I also had the (dubious) advantage of my DD being a major reverse cycler. She will take the bottle sometimes, but has never been a fan of EBM, so I was able to get away with about 20 oz. per day when they weren't doing solids (now it's about 10-14 oz in one pumping session).
Follow Mothering