https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 18 May 2026 02:35:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841893 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:43:32 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 841893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: I agree :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841814 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:51:03 +0000 photojane 841814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Same here! I was so worried about overfeeding after reading articles about how fat FF babies are. But, I trusted my baby to do her thing, and we've always fed her on-demand. It's worked out perfectly so far -- she's been around the 40th percentile since her 8 week appointment! I've really enjoyed learning her cues -- it's great for bonding. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841806 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:36:48 +0000 loveisstrange 841806@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My story is rather long and I don't have time quite right now. I'll come back in a couple hours after C goes to bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841803 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:33:15 +0000 photojane 841803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My story is a little bit different than most of the mamas, as I didn't try EVERYTHING to make breastfeeding work &amp; Sadie gets no breast milk (hasn't had any since 2-3 weeks old). </p> <p>The first few times I tried to BF at the hospital, I thought "Oh this is great! This is so easy!" Sweet, happy, sleepy said had my boob in her mouth, so I thought she was latched and feeding. I found out the next day after a visit from a nurse &amp; the ped that she wasn't properly latched &amp; not actually getting anything (even though I was making lots of colostrum). The ped found that she was tongue-tied, and the nurse assured me she would take to the breast immediately and eat "so much better" after she got it clipped. Lies. After her clipping, we got help from several nurses &amp; both of the LC's, but she WAS NOT HAVING IT. We tried a nipple shield, but it was really hit or miss. Most of the colostrum was leaking down her face. We introduced formula &amp; she GUZZLED it. </p> <p>She was born on Tuesday night, and by her follow-up on Friday morning she was down 11% from her birth weight. That made me sick. I sobbed in the doctor's office. We were instructed to keep on trying BFing if we wanted, but to supplement with formula to avoid admitting our daughter into the hospital. We scheduled a follow-up for the next week, got some formula samples, and went home to feed our girl. I tried nursing before every bottle, but she just wailed &amp; never latched. We both cried. Dan gave her a bottle &amp; she was happy, but I was miserable. I took three showers a day just so I could cry without anyone knowing. I was failing my daughter. "Breast is best" after all, and if I can't do it, I'm dooming my daughter to poor health &amp; a life without bonding. God forbid the internet judge me.</p> <p>The next week we had a follow-up with the plastic surgeon who clipped Sadie's tongue tie. He found that she had a retracted mandible, and that until it came out she wouldn't be able to latch onto my breast. He gave us info on an SNS, and I committed to pumping. We discussed the benefits of both BFing &amp; FFing. He was so open, honest, and helpful. He reaffirmed that it is important that we are BOTH happy and healthy. That appointment changed my whole perspective. She just physically can't do it -- it wasn't my fault. But, even if she could do it, formula is a perfectly acceptable option. As long as she's growing, I'm doing right by her. I'm providing for her. I'm a good mama. Screw everyone else's opinions.</p> <p>Pumping didn't work out. I found out that if I couldn't actually breastfeed I had to pump 8-12 times per day to maintain a supply. That was not happening. I tried just pumping a 1-2 times per day, but was only getting an ounce or two a day. It wasn't worth it. I'd rather cuddle my baby then be stuck to a machine all day. At around 3 weeks I stopped the futile pumping &amp; switched to EFF. </p> <p>We are SO happy with FFing. It works so well for our family. It's been easy breezy, and I love to watch Dan feed his daughter while she holds his arm. She is thriving, meeting/exceeding her milestones, and is such a happy baby. In hindsight I'm thankful for our troubles in the beginning and her inability to latch, because otherwise I would've been forcing myself to BF when I know it's just not for us. We'll be happily FFing all of our babies! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841761 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:02:53 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 841761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in my phone and no contacts on so when I get back to laptop, I'll write up mine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841760 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:02:08 +0000 Ginabean3 841760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO was in the NICU for 57 days (born @ 30 wks) and during her stay, I pumped. But....I wasn't pumping that much (even though I was so diligent about it...every 3 hours) and pretty soon she caught up with me and surpassed me. Everyone said, "oh, don't worry, when she comes home and you have her with you all the time, your milk will increase, blah blah blah". Well, we brought her home, I nursed her on demand and she cried and she cried...we went to the ped for a check up and even though she gained weight it wasn't as much as he'd like to see. Sooooo he suggested supplementation. It was really really hard for me to come to terms with it at first. I felt guilty that I couldn't provide enough for her, but ultimately we decided it is more important that she is gaining weight and healthy and formula was doing that for her. I mean, she's already batting from behind by being a preemie, I don't need to set her even more behind with my emotional feelings about breastfeeding! So now what we do is, at feeding times, I always start her off on the boob. Then afterwards, I top her off with formula. It seems to work pretty well. And I feel good that she's at least getting SOME antibodies from me in my milk. </p> <p>I just think FF vs EBF or a combination thereof is a really personal thing and no one should judge anyone else for it! The goal is to have happy healthy babies. :-) And however you need to do it....GOOD FOR YOU! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841745 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:55:41 +0000 Ginabean3 841745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarbear: I'm glad your OB was understanding about it...I feel like so many people are judgmental about people who FF! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841648 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:23:13 +0000 MrsF 841648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The first few months with M were SO HARD. She was colicky to a level that I have only heard when my mom describes me as a newborn. She almost never stopped crying. The only times that she was content was when she was moving (it had to be very violent though, almost shaking). We spent months where we would bounce on the stability ball all day long. If we were in the car she would only stop screaming if I hit a pothole and it snapped her out of it for a minute. She never once slept for more than 10 minutes during the day for the first 4 months of her life. </p> <p>I was nursing "on demand" so I would pretty much try to get my screaming baby to nurse all the time because I never knew what was wrong. I was depressed and anxious about what my life had become. I loved my daughter but I hated my life. I resented being the only person who could even attempt to soothe her by nursing. I dreaded every nursing session. I couldn't ever pump because I couldn't ever put her down. I remember DH coming home one night and finding me bouncing a screaming baby on the stability ball and pumping at the same time. Both of us were crying. I had panic attacks about the thought of going back to work 12.5 hour shifts with no stash at all. </p> <p>One day I realized that I wasn't continuing to BF for M and definitely not for myself. I was only doing it because I was afraid of the judgement from others if I quit. I was watching Giuliana Rancic on TV one day and remember feeling envious of her because she had had breast cancer and would not be expected to BF. Clearly I had lost my sanity and something had to change! </p> <p>Our switch to formula at 12 weeks was such a dramatic change for our family. Other people could feed her! I could finally step away for a few hours! I no longer felt solely responsible for her (un)happiness! I could look forward to going back to working part time at a job that I love rather than dreading pumping at work. BFing was not the cause of our misery, but something had to give. Now that we are so happy I wonder if I should have tried harder, but I really think that formula was best for our family in our circumstances. </p> <p>I am so sorry for the long post, but this isn't something that I talk about very often and it's nice to get it out there. Hopefully all moms (FF or BF) can support each other in these decisions, they're never easy ones! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841536 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 08:54:25 +0000 abmamma 841536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for starting this thread! I tried really hard to BF my LO but ended up going to all FF at 8 months. We struggled with BF from early on thanks to my flat nipples and DD’s inability to latch. With the help of a nipple shield (and an amazing LC) we made it through the first couple months ok; although she continued to be on the smaller side, she was still on her growth curve so our doctor wasn’t concerned. Unfortuantely, things went off the rails between 2-4 months. In retrospect, I don’t think my supply was ever really enough but it definitely couldn’t keep up with her 3-4 month growth spurt. At her 4 month appointment she had dropped well below her growth curve and the doctor said we needed to supplement after feedings. Until that point, DD had a bottle of pumped milk a few times a week since I wanted her to be able to take a bottle when I went back to work. But shortly after that 4 month appointment and our introducing the bottle after each feeding, she decided to refuse the boob altogether—I think she appreciated not having to work so hard to eat with the bottle. So I started EP-ing what I could (my supply was really only enough for half of her daily intake—no wonder she was not gaining weight!) and FF the rest. She was on 50/50 BM and formula until 7 months when I was forced to drop my pump-at-work sessions completely (too hard to keep up with everything). From 7-8 months she was getting one bottle of BM a day. I was barely getting anything from pumping by that point and decided it wasn’t worth it. There was also some symmetry to her having been EBF for the first 4 months, both BF and FF for the second 4 months, and FF for the last 4 of her first year that I appreciated.</p> <p>I had a lot of anxiety and guilt about not being able to EBF. There were lots and lots of tears and feelings of failure (especially around that 4 month mark when I realized my poor baby was probably hungry a lot of the time and the rejection I felt when she preferred to the bottle over me and then again around 8 months when I decided to stop pumping). To be honest, I still feel guilty some of the time and/or like I have to justify her being FF. I often feel like there is too much pressure put on mothers to BF without recognition of just how hard it can be for some people (as one of my friends put it, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s easy). I feel like a lot of blog posts (even on HB) tend to emphasize that anyone can breast feed if they just try hard enough. I tried. Hard. I pumped, I ate oatmeal, I drank copious amounts of water, I took supplements. It just didn’t work for us. Period. Yes, if/when we have #2, I will try again and I might do a few things differently from the start to increase our chances of success. But I am happy knowing that my DD is healthy (25th percentile in weight/95th percentile in height!) and happy and that’s all that matters for now.</p> <p>ETA: Sorry for such a long post....clearly I needed to get this off my chest :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841460 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:48:43 +0000 Honeybee 841460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my first child, my daughter, I developped a horrible case of mastitis very early on. She was only two weeks old when I was hospitalized for four days; luckily, my mom was available to take care of her, because my husband had to go back to work and I was not allowed visitors, thanks to hospital policy. It was very traumatic, for me, being separated from my newborn for that long, and when I was released from the hospital, I decided to go fully with formula and let my milk dry up completely.</p> <p>I think going entirely to formula feeding was the best decision for my family. It reduced a lot of my anxiety and made me feel a lot more in control. My daughter thrived on formula, and my husband was able to participate in all the feedings, which was really nice. Plus I didn't have to pump when I returned to work or worry about bottle strikes, supplementing, etc...</p> <p>When I was pregnant with my son, I decided I wouldn't try breastfeeding, and instead went straight to formula with him. It ended up working out because he was very jaundiced and the doctors wanted to monitor his intake/output for the first couple weeks of his life. I truely believe formula was the best choice for our family with both children, and if we ever have a third, I would absolutely formula feed again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841434 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:22:27 +0000 MamaBehr 841434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS was EBF for the first three months, but he had terrible latch issues and wasn't gaining weight (he was below the 5th percentile). The pediatrician recommended we start supplementing, if not more, with formula. She made it very clear that it was my decision, and I could keep trying to EBF if I wanted. We started him on formula that day. He LOVED IT! He chugged bottles. He quickly started to gain weight, and by the time he went to the doctors next, he was in the 70th percentile. Though I was super upset about not being able to nurse him, I had a wonderful experience nursing my daughter, I felt that we had made the right decision for us. Though I did feel like I got disapproving looks from moms from time to time when I would give him a bottle, but I knew that if I had continued to nurse him, he would have started to really suffer. My pediatrician even said that if I had gone much longer trying to nurse (aka starve him!) he might have started to suffer cognitively. Now, he is a happy, healthy, HUGE 15 month old (like 95th percentile in weight!!!) So it was GO FORMULA! for us :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841426 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:01:23 +0000 GrapeCrush 841426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We supplemented with formula from day one because he hated being at the boob. The LCs we saw in the hospital tried everything, and he would just scream and cry and get so upset that it made it worse. I even stayed in the hospital an extra day to get more BFing help. When he would latch, it was fine, but it was very, very rare. Once we got home it got worse and I dreaded when it was time to feed. I then decided at 5 days old to just pump and supplement. I hated pumping, because I felt like I was missing out, so after 2 weeks of pumping we decided to go 100% FF.<br /> at first I felt guilty, but only because I felt like people were going to judge me and say I was a bad mom for FF him. But at my 6 week pp checkup my OB asked if I was BFing...I got really quiet and tears started to well up and I said no. I thought for sure he was about to go on and on about how it was better, etc. he just looked at me and said 'are you ok? It's ok if it didn't work out. You have nothing to be ashamed of, or quiet about. Sometimes it just doesn't work'. From that point on, I was completely ok with our decision to FF. DS is a healthy, thriving 13 month old, so I have no regrets :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841401 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 06:28:20 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 841401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm coming back to this thread later to post my story but I wanted to thank everyone for sharing! Glad I'm not the only one :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841357 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 02:25:45 +0000 blackbird 841357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm at about 50% BM and formula. I was EPing from day 1 because her latch was painful and strong and the LC advised it. Then she had pulmonary hypertension. I pumped what I could and the nurses gave her formula. We started giving formula at home because I couldn't pump enough. We give it before bed and middle of the night and sometimes first feeding of the day. I find she is satisfied for longer on it. And I always have a serving in my bag instead of the cooler that breast milk requires. So I'm never without food!</p> <p>I had guilt for maybe one day? I was frustrated I was pumping so often and not making enough. But I gave myself a pep talk and realized I was being ridiculous. Plus I realized that DH could do a lot of feelings and it gave me more sleep at night once I cut back on pumping. I now once a night at 9 weeks and I wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. If I was up 5 times a night, I would cry and not enjoy spending the days with E because I do not care about breast milk to the point that it is worth that much of my sanity. I also started freezing from the start so I an continue to give as I wean. Most of my very intelligent engineer friends were FF and are very healthy and smart. </p> <p>Also I wondered if her body could absorb all the nutrients in being EBF. Was she just excreting the extra nutrients? Was 4 oz a day enough to provide the goodies? I've also had EBF friends say I am SO lucky she will take formula because dammit they're exhausted! So the grass is always greener, apparently. I never expected to BF for a year. 6 months was what I thought I could do. I'm TIRED of them aching and hurting and being so sensitive and their giantness. They are one of the two things keeping me from feeling like myself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841352 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:35:53 +0000 PinkElephant 841352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I switched my daughter fully to formula at 7-8 months old. The switch was (a) in hopes that formula would fill her up a bit more and help her gain weight and (b) in part bc AF had not returned and we were discussing TTC # 2 very soon.</p> <p>The first few days were hard, because she REALLY didn't want the formula bottle, and it was hard for me - I usually let someone else give her the bottle, and I started to doubt my decision. After that, she accepted the switch, and it got easier for me. Now it's to the point where when she sees my breasts in the bath, she's completely disinterested. She eyes up my friend's breastfeeding baby when he is eating, though!</p> <p>I felt guilty at first because the reason we switched her was half about us and half about her..though I guess I could argue that trying to give her a sibling is also about her in the long run. Having a pumped stash has helped me feel better about my decision as well, because she'll have had at least a little breastmilk (on her cereal) most mornings until she is 1 (the time until which I originally thought I'd breastfeed).</p> <p>Anyway, she's about to be 1, and is a happy healthy little girl. Next time around I do hope I'll be able to BF a little bit longer. But other than the frustration of formula shortages where we live (long story) and those first couple of rough days, I wouldn't hesitate to make the switch again if I had a compelling reason. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841342 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:02:21 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 841342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son was born at 25 weeks. He got only breastmilk until about 1 month adjusted...I ep'd and tried to bf while he was in the NICU. He has severe reflux and although he latched really well at first, he began to reject the breast (and often the bottle). We tried rice cereal to no avail, then tried formula (Enfamil AR whih is already thickened) and he took to it so well, we were out of the NICU in a week instead of getting a gtube! </p> <p>Since then I've given him a 50/50 mixture of fortified bm and formula. I've gone through quite a bit of anger/frustration especially after we came home, but once I accepted that this is best for him, i'm mostly ok. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841336 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:52:36 +0000 KT326 841336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When he started daycare at 4 months I couldn't pump enough to match what he was eating. I would send what I did pump but eventually he ended up with all formula at daycare and breast feeding when he was with me. At 9 months he went on a nursing strike and we never recovered from it. At 10 months he was exclusively ff. </p> <p>I felt guilty because I was so close to making it to a year, even though we weren't ebf he was still getting the benefits. I also felt guilty because I could have done more to up my supply. But I did what was best for both of us and we were both happy with him on formula and me not feeling like I was attached to my pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841318 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:03:53 +0000 Penny Lane 841318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we've just started supplementing with formula at 10 months, since being pregnant has crashed my milk supply. it doesn't help that I can't handle him latched for more than 5 min at a time these days. </p> <p>I felt guilty at first, just because we'd got so close to making the full 12 months, but I realized I couldn't do anything about it. the hormones crashing my supply are the same ones growing my new baby. we're only supplementing before bed right now, but I'm happy to increase his formula, when/if my supply keeps decreasing :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841274 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 23:22:12 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 841274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was unsuccessful with re-lactation, so we had to FF our second daughter. She did get 2 pumped bottles a day for 6 months of my frozen stash. We chose Earth's Best formula and little M. thrived on it. The hardest part for me was to know how much to feed her without overfeeding, but I used the same on-demand cues that her sister provided us and there were no problems with over or under feeding.</p> <p>The one thing I am a little wistful about is that her sister has only ever had one ear infection and she's already had 3... but I think a large part of being sicker is that she has an older sister bringing all sorts of illnesses home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841250 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 23:06:29 +0000 MaisyMay 841250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pump and supplement with formula, but lately she's been getting way more formula than milk. She didn't latch well at the hospital so we pumped and bottle fed, supplementing with formula as needed. A bad bout of allergies dried up most of my milk over a month ago, so now she get 20 or so ounces of formula and 4-8 ounces of milk a day. We're okay with that. Future kids we'll try to BF, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ff-mamas#post-841218 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:43:26 +0000 googly-eyes 841218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does anyone want to share their story? I know HB is full of breastfeeding stories but I'd love to hear some formula feeding stories since I know there has to be at least a handful of us!</p> <p>How did you end up using formula? Did you start in the hospital or switch after a period of bf? What, if anything, was your experience with breastfeeding guilt?</p> <p>How has your experience with FF been since switching?</p> <p>I'll share too, if there's any interest. :) </p>