https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:01:28 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in/page/2#post-1962799 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 18:21:34 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1962799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: our pediatrician wasn't too worried about J because his levels were always borderline. he said it was because of breastmilk jaundice, but it was no reason to stop nursing him. it's really interesting reading these comments because with my experience with noelle - my hospital wanted to push formula on me as the first line of defense for jaundice without even giving me a chance to try other methods. i had to fight tooth and nail to pump and try only breastmilk first. </p> <p>like you, i did feel pressure to "do things right" as a first time mom... but i guess because noelle always had a strong latch from the getgo, and didnt end up dehydrated.. i felt like we made the right choice by advocating for ourselves and countering the ped and nurses' recommendations to jump straight to formula. my colostrum was enough for her. do what feels right in your heart - every baby is so different - and as a second time mom, you're going to have a natural confidence that you didn't have with your first! i hope everything works out smoothly for you the second time around. the experience was a nightmare with noelle, but with jaren... it was smooth sailing even though both were diagnosed with jaundice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in/page/2#post-1962794 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 18:11:14 +0000 cookiemomster 1962794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: my milk never came in. I have an issue with my milk ducts that caused me to just not produce- pumping every two hours, hand expressing, and her nursing never reaulted in more than 10ml. While she was in for the jaundice they did weighted feeds and at one point she actually lost weight after a feeding. The first ten days of her life were easily the hardest of my entire life, in large part because LCs who "meant well" gave me awful, misinformed, and just plain incorrect advice. Formula is the best thing that ever happened to us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in/page/2#post-1962761 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 16:53:27 +0000 LemonLong 1962761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in much faster with #2.</p> <p>Both my babies were IUGR, the first left the hospital at 4 lbs 11 oz and no one ever brought up supplementing. My second left the hospital at 5 lbs 2 oz, but the nurses did ask us to give one bottle of formula at the hospital because she was only 37 weeks and her bilirubin was high, but that was the only formula she had. You know your child best, but you might be surprised how your second does without needing supplementation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in/page/2#post-1962610 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 10:19:48 +0000 Freckles 1962610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: @Charm 54: @keepcalmcarrie: Thank you, I'm so glad you shared your experiences - i think we feel so pressured to "do things right" from the beginning as FTMs that we feel like we can't push back on the nurses/LCs/doctors. When i look back, i'm so embarrassed at how opposed i was to giving her formula. A bottle of formula here and there didn't end up causing nipple confusion with my LO either (though i realize it is something that happens to some babies). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in/page/2#post-1962579 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 09:13:10 +0000 autumnlove 1962579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: yes, I was nursing, nursing with sns and pumping around the clock until my milk came in. I never saw any colostrum. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962561 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 08:35:53 +0000 ShootingStar 1962561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: sorry I posted while half asleep on melatonin! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962559 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 08:31:55 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 1962559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Add me to the list of mamas whose babies were admitted to the NICU for jaundice and severe dehydration. J was admitted on day 4 with a bili level of 21. It was the worst few days and nights of my life. I was consistently told that colostrum was enough until that point - it just wasn't for him. I was producing colostrum in normal amounts, but my milk didn't fully come in until day 5. I will absolutely supplement with LO#2 if necessary. It caused zero nipple confusion or preference for J. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962519 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 06:24:52 +0000 Charm54 1962519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: yes I agree - "colostrum is enough!" is not great advice when applied as a sweeping statement ... For 3 days people (LCs, Drs, nurses) kept telling me "just put her to the breast.... Put her to the breast..." Over and over...and so I did.</p> <p>When I expressed concern that she was hungry and not getting enough (constant crying) they assured me "your body knows what to do, her stomach is so small she only needs a few drops"</p> <p>When I asked for formula I was told "one drop and your BFing relationship will never be the same... She doesn't need it". One kind nurse finally snuck me in a tiny bottle of formula. My daughter gulped it down and slept for 5 hours. The next morning I was lectured by this extremely rude nurse who saw the empty bottle on my bed that it was "unnecessary and detrimental" to my daughters health. When I asked for more formula the LC was sent down to try to discourage me from taking it. When I insisted, she took the bottle away and started using a ridiculous finger contraption without even washing her hands first. (I know it's a great tool for some women, but I wanted a bottle dammit and no one would listen to me!!)</p> <p>Then, as we were packing up to be discharged, I was told my daughter would have to be admitted to the NICU for severe jaundice and dehydration. :crying: I KNEW something was wrong but everyone kept telling me "your colostrum is enough! Just put her to the breast!" I think it's a dangerous message that gets overgeneralized and applied to too many women in too many different situations. :bummed: I will be much more firm and listen to my intuition the second time around.</p> <p>OP I hope you have a great experience this time around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962506 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 05:01:52 +0000 Pumuckl 1962506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO was too sleepy to eat a lot of the times. So I nursed him and pumped immediately after (starting on the day he was born or the day after). The colostrum gained was then fed to him with a syringe. We kept up with that until my milk fully came in on the fourth night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962501 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 04:33:21 +0000 regberadaisy 1962501@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HappyBaker: :( this was us. By that point she was so distraught she wouldn't take a bottle from us. When the ER nurses gave her a bottle she guzzled down 3oz in no time flat. By the time we got home she guzzled another 3. That experience made us both completely comfortable with supplementing.<br /> By our second, every nurse or doctor that had something to say about formula, we told them what happened and they shut right up. There was one particular nurse who kept harping on it and DH basic had to tell her to f*xk off. </p> <p>I wished the colostrum was enough for all babies advice isn't there. Because it's just not true.<br /> I wish more Los had the goals to help and make sure baby is fed, period, and not just maintain breastfeeding. </p> <p>Fwiw @freckles my milk still came in a day earlier the second time around. We still nursed round the clock and on demand boobs got plenty of stimulation. DD 1 had no issues going boob to bottle, BM to formula. DD 2 actually won't take formula or bottles right now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962487 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 01:33:00 +0000 wonderstruck 1962487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: I meant for the first day or so, not the first several days! If you look at the link I posted it's pretty clear that just colostrum wouldn't be enough past the first day or possibly two, but if she hasn't produced any of that either it would make a difference in the kind of advice I would give. I had to start pumping pretty early on because my son was a very inefficient nurser, but I had tons of colostrum so I was able to wait a few days to start pumping - I've heard dry pumping can be pretty awful, so while it may help I wasn't sure if recommend it right off the bat unless she really had/wanted to, that's all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962476 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:56:24 +0000 Freckles 1962476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: That must have been so incredibly frustrating (the pumping for 45 minutes)!! I'm glad that baby is doing well now though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962468 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:42:31 +0000 gingerbebe 1962468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: We had jaundice, NICU, etc. after our LO was born and needed to supplement. We nursed, then supplement, then I would pump whatever I could to give before the next nursing session via syringe while we were in the hospital. It was exhausting and my milk didn't come in for SIX days and I made literally 4-5 drops of colostrum after 40 minutes of pumping. There was no effing way just nursing and colostrum was going to cut it with my son. He screamed nonstop for a week even with formula top offs bc our hospital and LCs kept insisting he needed a bare minimum to pass the bilirubin and that I should quit formula cold turkey when I got home. LO lost a ton of weight and he screamed nonstop when we got home despite nursing around the clock. I will never do that again. It took my supply a good 6 weeks before I was making a decent amount and my son would have been totally off the curve if I hadn't supplemented. He's happy and chunky and has no nipple confusion or anything and he's 12 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962467 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:42:24 +0000 Freckles 1962467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FannyMae: I'm trying to block out memories of bad nipple pain!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962466 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:41:40 +0000 Freckles 1962466@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: @Espion: @ShootingStar: @HappyBaker: @dolphin: @Charm54: @regberadaisy: @LuLu Mom: We had nurses come to our house every day and we thought everything was fine until we saw orange crystals in her diaper for a couple of days...and she was just so miserable and inconsolable. I really wish that they had encouraged me to supplement with formula instead of making me believe i was giving her enough. The 2 days i spent at the hospital after an episiotomy(!) for her light therapy was just awful and i don't want to go through it again. I know LCs mean well, but i put so much pressure on myself and believed that my LO wouldn't breastfeed if i gave her formula.</p> <p>@rattles: @erinpye: @sungirl: You've given me some hope!</p> <p>@autumnlove: Did you dry pump after nursing sessions?</p> <p>@twodoghouse: Thanks for sharing your experience! I can't imagine how difficult it was having to deal with two! Ugh, i remember doing weighted feeds for a 24 hour period to see if i had low supply...i almost bought a scale so that i would know exactly how much she was taking in.</p> <p>@Mrs. High Heels: Thanks for the link - i was actually on that site earlier today! So were there never any concerns about J's br levels? They were concerned with hers because she still hadn't had a real poop yet.</p> <p>@cookiemomster: Were you dry pumping, or had your milk come in at that point? </p> <p>@mrsjyw: How long did you supplement? Was it right until your milk came in?</p> <p>@Seattlemom: @littlejoy: Thanks for the advice - some things to keep in mind. I'll see if i can brave the finger/SNS feeding if that's what it comes to!</p> <p>@Kemma: I think i may call up the LLL hotline, as i've missed the last meeting of the month for local chapters. I completely forgot about going to a meeting this month - i only started panicking about breastfeeding last week and i'm due this weekend!</p> <p>@ScarletBegonia: Thanks for sharing - i'll see if i do the same. How often were you hand expressing?</p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: Did you end up having to supplement?</p> <p>@Becksabee: Did you have to continue supplementing? Or was your supply okay once your milk came in? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962449 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:16:10 +0000 FannyMae 1962449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>just reading through this thread bought up memories of feeding my daughter while in the hospital. ohhh the pain of squeezing out colostrum into syringes for the nurses to feed my jaundiced baby. honestly, that squeezing and prodding destroyed my nipples much more than nursing baby every hour and then pumping. paediatrician ordered the nurses to give baby formula overnight on 3rd night, and by the morning my milk had come in but my gosh my nipples were in agony. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962444 Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:00:20 +0000 photojane 1962444@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The LC kept telling me my baby was fine, and she didn't need hardly anything in the beginning, so not to worry. She told me that Sadie was getting what she needed, and that formula would mess us up. Then, we went to Sadie's first check up 3 days after she was born and she had already dropped 11% of her body weight. The LC was wrong. My baby was miserable, hungry, and dropping weight quickly. I will definitely be introducing formula right away next time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962413 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:11:27 +0000 Espion 1962413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am absolutely supplementing this time around if I need to. I mistakenly listened to the LCs (who I know meant well) that "babies are more efficient than pumps". My baby was <i>not</i>. I wasted so much time letting my son both starve and torture me for weeks. It did some pretty amazing damage to my psyche in those first few weeks. Hell yes, I'm giving this kid formula if he/she needs it and I'm going to start pumping early and often if he/she is not latching properly. </p> <p>I know in many cases, it is important to let the baby nurse to stimulate supply, but I should have listened to my gut feeling and ditched the guilt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962409 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:03:46 +0000 ShootingStar 1962409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: I know you mean well, but that can be an extremely dangerous attitude. For some babies colostrum is just not enough. When DS was born my milk didn't come in for a week. On day 4 he was inconsolable. He'd scream himself to sleep then wake up and start again. We did this until about 4am when I had DH grab some ready to feed from the nurses. DS ate and quieted down right away. The next morning the pediatrician noticed orange crystals in his diaper, a sign of dehydration. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962286 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 21:23:02 +0000 sungirl 1962286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wanted to say like Rattles with my first it took 5 days for my milk to come in but with DS2 it came in less than 24 hrs after birth and supplementing was not necessary. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962185 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 20:22:49 +0000 erinpye 1962185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Your milk will come in faster the second time around. Supplementing that early on can delay milk coming in, and hit your supply. You need baby to do all suckling at your breast to ensure the fastest and best supply, if your plan is to BF. Pumping will help too. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962146 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 19:58:42 +0000 HappyBaker 1962146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had the exact same experience as you with our first, and now for #2 (due in January) I am planning to EP from day 1 and give formula at the hospital if I'm not pumping enough colostrum. I definitely don't want to go through an ER visit with a 4 day old again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962076 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 19:22:48 +0000 littlejoy 1962076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would nurse, nurse, nurse. Colostrum will be there, and that will help meconium move out. That process will help with jaundice. Lots of baby in the sunlight (through windows is okay). Baby's belly is the size of a large marble at birth, and your colostrum should be sufficient. Starting at 36 weeks, you can hand express colostrum onto a spoon each night, and suck into a tiny syringe. Store in the freezer, and bring to hospital. You'll have quite a bit for babe by the time s/he is born. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962016 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 18:27:19 +0000 lady grey 1962016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: I would say just keep on nursing (you will need to stimulation to get your milk to come in) and just suppliment with 5-10mls until your milk is there. </p> <p>You can ask an LC to teach you "finger feeding" so you can avoid bottles if you're interested in that. Basically you tape a little tube to you pinky finger and LO sucks on your finger to get the milk. So a bit more like breatfeeding and helps avoid baby getting used to a plastic nipple. Plus bottles flow so fast, which is not how bf'ing works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1962002 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 18:06:03 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1962002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't give formula, but I did hand express colostrum very regularly and ended up collecting about 15 or 20ml which the nurses sucked up into syringes and stored for me in the minifridge in my room - I would nurse my son pretty much every hour, and when he was done I would put 5 or 10 drops of colostrum in his mouth. It seemed to be enough to keep him hydrated and reasonably happy for the first 4 days, til my milk came in. The first night home (night 3), he frenzy fed every 1/2 hour or so all night - I thought I was going to die of exhaustion (hadn't slept since the night I went into labour) and nipple pain, but I think it really worked to get my supply up by day 4. I would have had no issue giving formula but I think I was one of the lucky ones who had just enough. Good luck! Do what feels right for you and your baby! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1961992 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:42:26 +0000 mrsjyw 1961992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We still nursed but had to supplement with formula because my milk didn't come in until late day five. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1961966 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:15:26 +0000 cookiemomster 1961966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk never came in because of screwed up milk ducts causing me to not produce any milk. She was also hospitalized for breastfeeding related jaundice. Before they would fully accept I just don't make milk, they had me nurse until she got frustrated, offer a bottle, and then I'd pump for twenty minutes every two hours. You may not need to include the pumping part but I think you'll know the baby best and if your milk hasn't come in and they seem hungry, offering a bottle after nursing isn't going to hurt and may offer some peace of mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1961880 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 16:12:45 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1961880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: I started pumping right away in the hospital... both my kids were jaundiced. They gave me pumping parts, and I pumped out colostrum several times a day, and continued to put her on the breast. With DS I mainly nursed and my milk came in faster. We never needed to supplement with formula.</p> <p>This is an interesting read.. <a href="http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/jaundice-in-the-breastfed-baby" rel="nofollow">http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/jaundice-in-the-breastfed-baby</a></p> <p>DS was yellowish until about 12 weeks because of breastmilk jaundice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1961861 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 16:00:04 +0000 LuLu Mom 1961861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD was in the NICU and I started pumping right away at their request. They syringe fed her what little I produced (she refused to latch or drink on her own.) they also offered her formula when she finally came around to wanting to eat, I will not hesitate to do this again. We still dealt with jaundice and had to stay an extra night because of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/giving-formula-while-waiting-for-milk-to-come-in#post-1961856 Wed, 26 Nov 2014 15:56:41 +0000 dolphin 1961856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish someone had warned me about dehydration. The first night home with DD was AWFUL. Colostrum was not enough and she was dehydrated. Her lips were chapped and she was CRYING ALL NIGHT LONG. The next day I called my pediatrician and she said to give formula right away until my milk comes in. Once I have her formula it was like magic. She was so happy and calm. Poor girl was starving. I definitely plan to have some formula and supplement right away if I see any signs of dehydration. </p>