https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:14:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414902 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 14:30:10 +0000 daniellemybelle 1414902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, we still supplement, but less than we did at first. I am at peace with it now &amp; glad I kept nursing anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414246 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:07:55 +0000 yin 1414246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EP'ed and had to supplement with formula for over a month. Eventually my supply was able to catch up and he was given exclusively breast milk until his first birthday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414234 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:03:39 +0000 lemondrop 1414234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had issues with jaundice and supplemented for the first 3 weeks. I nursed 15 minutes on each side, then pumped for 15 minutes after each feeding. It was a lot of work, but was lucky to end up with a great supply and was able to stop formula and just continued with a bottle or two of pumped milk a day so I could take a nursing break. I'm planning to do the same thing again with #2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414216 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:00:01 +0000 regberadaisy 1414216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We supplemented from day 1 and I was hardly able to pump enough to supply her intake. I think I was able to match her intake maybe a handful of times? I nurse exclusively on the weekends but during the week we kept a tub of powdered formula at daycare. They knew if we didn't send enough bm to supplement with formula.<br /> I took many supplements, drank a ton of water, tried pumping between the golden hours. Nothing helped my supply. I'm really hoping it's better with #2. If not I'm willing to try domperidone. I didn't hear about that until I was almost done pumping with M. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414215 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:59:43 +0000 chopsuey 1414215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsH: both of my kids got mostly formula the first 1-2 weeks of their lives because they had jaundice! I was able to cut formula out completely and nursed DD until she was 28 months old and DS until he turned 1! (homey self weaned :( ) </p> <p>I would nurse and pump as much as you can, drink lots of water, take supplements if you have to, and eat well!</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1414204 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:56:52 +0000 MrsH 1414204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: i would love to hear more! How did you increase your supply? We are working with an LC who has me using a hospital grade pump and pumping after every feeding. We feed on demand (which is about every 2 during the day and 3 at night) I'm taking fenugreek and yea and more milk pills. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1412118 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:12:30 +0000 Mrs. Train 1412118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my twins I had to supplement in the beginning. My milk didn't come in for two weeks. So as I started producing more milk they needed less formula. I always ran out of milk at 1 in the afternoon so they got a bottle of formula and then they napped. At around 5-6 months they started some solids and I never had to give them formula again because their food intake was enough for me to catch up and feed them enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1412029 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 13:49:08 +0000 Turd Ferguson 1412029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For the first 4-5 weeks we BFed and supplemented. LO is 14 weeks on Wednesday and been EBF ever since! It took a lot of work, lots of nursing, pumping, 5 LC visits, fenugreek, Dom, tea, cookies, oatmeal, water...but something in that mess is working! LO is nursing and gaining well. </p> <p>I think I searched this sane question a million times when I was about where you are! Good luck, but it isn't the end if the world if you need to supplement! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1411783 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:23:55 +0000 MamaMoose 1411783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I personally didn't supplement at all but I had a few friends who had to use formula at the beginning for certain situations (jaundice, milk took a long time to come in, etc) and they were all able to wean off the formula and go to 100% breastmilk. But I think the sooner the better. The longer you rely on formula, the harder it will be to get your supply up to meet baby's needs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1411768 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 12:20:18 +0000 maybebaby 1411768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. We supplemented the first month up to 20 oz on one day. I gradually worked on maintaining and increasing my supply, continuing to nurse on demand and supplement after, and working with an LC. By one month he was EBF and was until I went back tower at 6 months and we now supplement between 4-10 oz a day. Happy to talk more if you have any questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1411681 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:56:08 +0000 DillonLion 1411681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, but LO got breastmilk until she was 1 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1411659 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:49:29 +0000 BlueWolverine 1411659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started supplementing around 6 months. At first, it was only a few ounces per week, but by one year, it was more than half of every bottle. My supply never recovered after I started work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-supplemented#post-1411655 Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:47:52 +0000 MrsH 1411655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Were you ever able to wean baby off the formula? At this point my supply just isn't there to take over for the 16 oz of formula she is drinking a day. </p>