https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:56:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2136024 Wed, 08 Apr 2015 08:04:23 +0000 snowjewelz 2136024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: Thank you :happy: :heart: The struggle is real lol! It's like logically it's not a big deal, and obviously there are even benefits from supplementing but it's like my emotions have to catch up with my logic! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2136016 Wed, 08 Apr 2015 07:59:38 +0000 maybebaby 2136016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: It can be so hard to find balance. When I was pregnant EBF in my mind was what we'd do...reality sets in and I was beating myself up for not being able to do it. Not good for me, not for baby. When I finally realized that was the best option for all I was so much happier. What is right for you is so personal and only you can make the decision. I hope whatever you end up doing makes you more relaxed and happier! &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2136009 Wed, 08 Apr 2015 07:55:34 +0000 snowjewelz 2136009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: that is really great! I much rather be able to give her BM for as long as possible if it means supplementing with formula now, then crash &amp; burn and have to stop EBF too soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2135990 Wed, 08 Apr 2015 07:48:27 +0000 maybebaby 2135990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I should have also said that we went on to BF until almost 16 months, so supplementing did not impact my plans to BF past a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2134826 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 08:40:27 +0000 regberadaisy 2134826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I've been able to power pump again at night after dd2 goes to bed. She's gving me a first 4 hour stretch. It takes 2-3 sessions to get enough for a. bottle. but so far I have one bag with enough for a bottle in the freezer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2134799 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 08:17:59 +0000 snowjewelz 2134799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: I live on vitasoy, lol :silly: I've hated milk since I was young... I guess I still grew somehow! How's your output doing these days? I know you were having some issues! </p> <p>@Mama Bird: The things we do for our LOs haha! That's good to know that you eating prunes kinda worked! I know, I pump 3x at work and each time takes me almost half an hour total... I don't think it's sustainable! </p> <p>@bamblm: Haha they are so smart! Like uhh you trying to fool me mom?! I think it's really great too that it helps to extend the stash so she can get bm for at least a year! If I don't supplement I prob won't make it that long! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2134754 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 07:28:27 +0000 bamblm 2134754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I mix 50 /50 formula with pumped breast milk. Maybe the first bottle or two she hesitated, but no issues since. I also use just formula when we are out and about since I don't have to worry about keeping the BM chilled. I just pack the powder and plain water in the bottles and mix it up as needed. My pumped stash is now lasting twice as long, and I may be able to keep giving her breastmilk up to one year! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla/page/2#post-2134736 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 07:07:13 +0000 Mama Bird 2134736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Wow, three times is a lot! I started out at three times a day too, but it was taking almost an hour total and my supply dropped fast, so I ended up cutting down to two times. The tummy issues got bad once in a while so I was eating a lot of prunes and hoping their pruney benefits would get to DS through my milk. I think it sort of worked... but it was so much better once he was eating purees! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134729 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 06:52:57 +0000 regberadaisy 2134729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: yup, I elimin major dairy from my diet. My pump output suddenly dropped from 1-2 oz per session after she turned one. It didn't seem worth it any more to pump when I could transition to milk. So around 13 months I slowly introduced cows milk and she did fine. Funny thing is she has been on soy milk now for almost a year! She had a stomach issue a year ago and cows milk started to bother her so we switched to soy milk and haven't switched back since! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134727 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 06:49:31 +0000 snowjewelz 2134727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pmrlady: oh boo. Well that's good to know tho, and I agree it's a small price to pay! </p> <p>@2littlepumpkins: so true! I need to do an inventory of the samples I have to make sure I have some variety in case she reacts to something! </p> <p>@Mama Bird: so the constipation just didn't reslly go away till solids? Was it bad? And yes the time drain at work! We are not busy right now so I can pump 3x but once we are I dont know if I can! </p> <p>@Rocker2014: wow so feeding formula actually helps in your case more than breast milk alone! That's great :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134689 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 05:17:58 +0000 Rocker2014 2134689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I knew I wouldn't be able to pump at work, so we started offering a little bit of formula at 8 weeks in advance of my going back to work at 12 weeks. Despite major issues with reflux since birth, she did great with it! We stated with the Enfamil newborn formula (samples!) But at 3 mos we switched to Enfamil AR on the advice of her doc. It is slightly thickened, which is intended to decrease spit up, and it really helped LO. She had been spitting up a ton after every feeding, both breastmilk and formula, and the switch helped her keep more of both foods down. She's now nearly 6mos and is 50/50 breastmilk and formula and doing great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134675 Tue, 07 Apr 2015 01:51:19 +0000 Mama Bird 2134675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We supplemented from one month to one year, and eventually DS got half formula and half milk. It took a lot of stress off me when my supply was too small or I had to cut down on pumping at work because it's too much of a time drain. The only issues we had were that the formula gave him constipation, and that he had some reflux from bottles. Once he started solids at five months, the tummy issues got much better. By one, he didn't need the formula any more, but I kept up nursing and a little pumping for another few months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134607 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:57:38 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2134607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm mostly just reading along thinking ahead for baby #2. But I did want to suggest that even if it does upset the tummy a bit, I would suspect that it's the type of formula rather than the fact you're using formula at all. You may have to experiment a little- we did and dd was completely ff from 6 weeks on. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134588 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:24:08 +0000 pmrlady 2134588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Oh I forgot to say, the only downside to giving formula was that she started pooping everyday and sometimes more than once hehe. Before, she would only poop once every few days so this was one of the drawbacks. Oh well, it's still worth it. :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134583 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:20:50 +0000 snowjewelz 2134583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pmrlady: thanks for sharing! I think that's the road I'm headed down... I pump 3x at work and at least another time at home too and it sucks when in like constantly looking in the fridge to see if I can juuuust get enough. I hope our transition will be as smooth as yours! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134573 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:12:00 +0000 pmrlady 2134573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I started having trouble with meeting my daughter's demands once I went back to work at 8 weeks. I tried to pump as much as I could but we ended up using our freezer stash because I just couldn't make enough. I really wanted LO to have exclusive BM for at least 6 months but I realized it was probably not gonna happen as my supply continued to decrease (even though I pumped 3x at work and once in the morning). It was really stressing me out and I would try to get in extra pump sessions just to squeeze out a little more but I didn't want to pump instead of being with my daughter, and I hated pumping! lol</p> <p>Anyway after the 3 month mark, we started mixing formula with BM. We used enfamil gentlease because we had a free sample and she had absolutely no problems with it! At first we did a 2:1 ratio of BM:formula, then DH tried it the other way and even gave her formula-only bottles and she took it just fine. No extra gas or tummy troubles at all. I am soooo much happier now that I can pump without having to stress over how much I'm making. Whatever I make, she drinks and the difference is made up with formula and I still BF when I'm home. It's really liberating and I think I should have introduced formula sooner lol. </p> <p>Good luck to you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134551 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:56:20 +0000 daniellemybelle 2134551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We supplemented from the beginning (day 5) because I had chronic low supply. We used a few different formulas but settled on Similac Total Comfort. She had colic but it is hard to know if it was the formula since we did it from the start. But she is a happy, healthy, smart kiddo now at 18 months and still nursing :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134475 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 20:08:20 +0000 snowjewelz 2134475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: was the diary intolerance there with your breast milk? and were you able to drop formula by then bc she was on solids and nursing less anyway? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134397 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 18:47:26 +0000 regberadaisy 2134397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I regularly supplemented with DD1 because I couldn't pump enough. So daycare had cans of formula and they knew to give her formula on days I didn't send enough. She had (mild) dairy intolerance so we gave similac soy. No digestive issues, no issues going back and forth. And obviously when we're together we nursed.<br /> We dropped formula at one years and continued to nurse till about 25m. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134333 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 16:51:41 +0000 gingerbebe 2134333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Yeah Mylicon drops. I use half a dropper in the bottle and shake it up. I get my drops cheap on Amazon (major brand gas drops). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134291 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:59:05 +0000 snowjewelz 2134291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: Ahh gotcha. Thanks for answering my endless questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134284 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:43:41 +0000 Chillybear 2134284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Really just that one bottle, more so because she knew I was around (in the next room, pumping....) and just knowing "hey, this is different, this isnt breast milk" kinda way. Within a few weeks I was able to get her to take a bottle of formula from me, and it was pretty seamless between BFing, bottle feeding BM and formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134282 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:38:25 +0000 snowjewelz 2134282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: So she could tell it was diff and didn't want anything to do with it?! Did it just take that one bottle to get her used to it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134244 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:08:04 +0000 Chillybear 2134244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: The relief was huge, once i allowed myself to offer the formula instead of constantly trying to squeeze blood from a stone. It freed me to go out for a couple hours on the weekend without feeling like i "needed" the pumped milk for monday. I did cry a little the first time my mom fed her a bottle of formula and she cried and refused for the first 20 minutes (at the time she wouldnt take a bottle from me and i wanted to make sure she was ok with the formula before i just sent it to daycare) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134238 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:59:45 +0000 snowjewelz 2134238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: I am in the exact same situation and DD just turned 4 mo on Sat! I try to get 12 oz during the work day too and I barely make it... And then I go home and pump and I def do not get 4 oz from there... So far I am able to steal from earlier's pump, or if there's a lil leftover throughout the week.. But I don't want to live like this, counting every single oz and trying to find time to squeeze out some more! </p> <p>I am so encouraged that with the supplementing you are able to BF her well till a year and beyond! I feel like if I don't start supplementing our nursing relationship as a whole will actually suffer </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134231 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:52:42 +0000 Chillybear 2134231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EBF'd while home on maternity leave (so 14 ish weeks) thought i had everything going well when i went back to work. By the time her 4 month appt can around she didnt gain what they felt was appropriate. At the time i was sending 4 3oz bottles each day they wanted me to up that to 4 4oz bottles and i just wasnt pumping more than 12 oz a day at work. So i burned through everything i had stashed in the freezer during my maternity leave. At the next weight check i told the ped this and they recommended Enfamil Gentle Ease when i expressed concern for how her digestive system would react to the change. They gave me a couple cans to try out. </p> <p>For awhile i would send 3 4oz bottles of BM and 1 4oz of formula. Sometimes on weekends she would get a bottle if i didnt feel like i was satisfying her or we wanted to go out. I stopped pumping at home, so she either got formula or from the tap. She continued to BF and I pumped until she was 13 months. she completely weaned around 15 months. </p> <p>Sometimes the formula was just easier and it was definitely a relief to not be so concerned about being short for the next day when i pumped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134219 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:44:27 +0000 snowjewelz 2134219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pumpkin Pie: good for you! you must be so excited about that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134218 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:44:24 +0000 Mrs. Train 2134218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my twins I had to supplement one bottle a day. By 1 in the afternoon I was always out of milk and they were always hungry. I just used standard enfamil and they had no troubles. At around 6-7 months when they started getting some foods I didn't have to supplement anymore so then they would eat and nurse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134215 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:38:50 +0000 blackbird 2134215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never had an issue going between breastmilk bottles and formula (regular ole Sam's Club Simply Right blue formula) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bf-moms-who-supplement-with-forumla#post-2134210 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:31:26 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2134210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: yup. pretty much. LO might go 2 weeks without any formula, and then one day I'm short so I'll just give formula. For awhile when she was only getting BM, she refused formula, and then eventually started taking it. So, now even when I do have BM, if its been a while, I'll offer formula so we dont have the same problem. But now, I'm trying to wean off the pump. </p>