https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:05:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-4500 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:58:00 +0000 mommacommaphd 4500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had no choice but to supplement with formula once I went back to work. I could never pump enough to get my daughter through the day at daycare (meaning, I could spend lots of time pumping, but never got much out, I'd be lucky to get 4oz total pumping 3x over 8 hours). Pumps generally aren't as efficient as babies at extracting milk, and whatever it is about my boobs, the pump merely kept engorgement at bay. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-4186 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:55:35 +0000 hreichard 4186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I breastfeed and supplemented with formula, but now he's strictly on formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-4089 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:29:04 +0000 Mama Ek 4089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>5 days after he was born J's weight was dropping so we supplemented with formula and I found out he was tongue tied. So I pumped and supplemented with formula until my supply went up. Ugh exclusively pumping is hard work - I did it until I went back to work at 12 weeks then he was formula fed. I know it was perfectly fine but I did feel guilty. We aren't pregnant but I still don't know what I would do with the 2nd. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-4077 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:57:33 +0000 Honeybee 4077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I exclusively formula fed DD after developping a really bad case of mastitis when she was 2 weeks old. I don't feel any guilt about it whatsoever; formula feeding was definitly the best choice for me and my family. </p> <p>Although I'm not due with #2 until April, I'm 99% convinced I'll formula feed him/her from the very beginning. I think this is the best decision for me, and my husband supports me 100%. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-4073 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:49:31 +0000 anewme 4073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I breastfed for the first 3 months with the occasional formula supplementing if I needed to go out or something came up. Luckily we never had any problems with her taking to the breast, but I had no luck pumping. I just hurt so much, I was actually bleeding once and than I said, this wasn't worth it. I knew going back to work after 3 months, I would have such a hard time stealing time away to pump for her. So I made the decision to formula feed. You're right that there is so much pressure for women to BF nowadays. It's weird because my mom never BF us. We were all formula fed. </p> <p>Sometimes I still get the stare down when I tell people I've given up BF, but they are not in my shoes so I won't let myself feel guilty anymore. As long as she's still healthy and gaining weight, that's all my concern. I'm also grateful that my husband was always supportive from the very beginning. He never made me feel like I was giving my child poison. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3883 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:49:57 +0000 sandsandmore 3883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I fortify my son's breastmilk with preemie-specific formula to increase the calories. Since in the NICU he had human milk fortifier (HMF) added to the BM, I've never had a problem with giving him the fortification. Because I only now pump 3 times a day, depending on the time of the month, I can't pump enough. At those times he gets the preemie formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3869 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:39:01 +0000 geekinheels 3869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We supplemented with formula the first couple of weeks weeks while my milk supply was building up. Claire never took to the boob well so I continued to pump for 3 months...but it became too painful for me because I suffered from recurring thrush and mastitis. So she's been formula-fed since then.</p> <p>I want to try breastfeeding again with BebeDeux, but I've promised myself that I won't feel as guilty as I did with Claire (I used to cry about it all the time) if I can't.</p> <p>This is a great blog for formula feeders who would like support: <a href="http://www.fearlessformulafeeder.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.fearlessformulafeeder.com/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3793 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:20:56 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 3793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 3 months we started giving mavi food. He was hungry and my boobs weren't cutting it. That's just about when he decided to go on a nursing strike because Boobie wasn't fast enough for him. That's when I started the formula. He never wanted to go back to breastfeeding. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3781 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:41:19 +0000 sweetiek 3781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't supplement with formula, because my milk came in fast enough for my son and I had a good supply. I did feel guilty when I tried to supplement with it at 10 months because I was pregnant and he didn't want to breastfeed due to the changes and decrease in my supply. I had to remind myself it's not poison like some people make it out to be. He wouldn't drink it though, even if he hadn't breastfed all day. So at a little before 11 months I ended up switching him to milk (lactaid) because he didn't want to breastfeed and wouldn't drink formula.<br /> I do believe strongly that moms should breastfeed if they can. But I know it's not that easy for everyone, like if they work and have to pump or have latching problems etc. So I do not judge others choices. Personally I know I didn't realize until a while after my son was born how good it is for babies to breastfeed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3767 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:14:07 +0000 yin 3767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I supplemented with formula for the first month until my supply could meet my son's demand. I was very open to formula feeding, and I was happy to see that he was eating well that first month. He is now a week shy of 6 months and has been exclusively drinking breast milk. Once I finish pumping (not sure when that will be), we will go back to formula until he is a year old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3739 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:49:04 +0000 chopsuey 3739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I supplemented for the first month because it took a while for my milk to come in and Micah had jaundice. She was a hungry baby as well. I nursed her around the clock, pumped, and gave her about 2-4 ounces of formula a day.<br /> After the first month I EBF.<br /> Planning on nursing until she decides she doesn't want anymore (or until age 2). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-formula-feed-or-supplement-with-formula#post-3733 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:41:25 +0000 Mrs. Bee 3733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Charlie cried a lot the first couple days of his life I think because he was hungry. Once we started supplementing with formula on the advice of doctors and nurses because of his jaundice, he was a lot happier. He was a big hungry boy. We continued to supplement for the first couple of weeks, and then I was able to increase my milk supply enough (by taking more milk plus) that we didn't need to supplement. </p> <p>I eventually weaned him at 9 months due to his allergic reaction to my pesticide ingestion (we had bed bugs), and he had formula until he was one when we transitioned him to cow's milk.</p> <p>With olive, I supplemented with a tiny bit of formula for two days because of her jaundice, but then I was able to produce enough colostrum/milk for her tiny belly. I hope I can exclusively breastfeed for the first year with her, but it is tough! I can't stand the engorgement and breast pads.</p> <p>Did you formula feed or supplement with formula? I feel like there is too much guilt placed on moms to exclusively breastfeed, but my pediatrician said that as long as they get two feedings of breast milk a day, they're still getting almost all the benefits. I've lived by that and it makes me feel a lot better because I have nothing against formula.</p> <p>Did you formula feed or supplement with formula? </p>