https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:37:46 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2686114 Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:03:17 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 2686114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my first, he ended up in the NICU with jaundice because I refused to supplement with formula. So please don't regret using formula to bring down the bilirubin. I wish my pedi had insisted, because the admittance to the NICU was awful (an IV into the scalp because he was dehydrated, for instance). I massively regret not supplementing.</p> <p>With #2 and #3, I used formula right off the bat and continued until they were cleared of jaundice and my milk was in. I successfully weaned off formula and EBF all three from that point on.</p> <p>I don't think a few days of bottle feeding will affect your nursing relationship. Good luck!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2686041 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 20:05:30 +0000 MrsSRS 2686041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally possible! Switch those bottles to a preemie nipple to slow them down tomorrow! Spend as much time topless with baby in only a diaper just relaxing in bed together as possible. When I was trying to help my NICU baby nurse or up my supply I would literally just hold baby skin to skin all morning and watch movies. It also helps sometimes to pump until letdown then latch baby for the first few times. When you find the magic spot between when baby is too hungry to be patient and not hungry enough to work for it that will help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685549 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 08:26:08 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2685549@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It sounds like your headed the right direction.</p> <p>The other thing Ive heard is to try to do lots of skin to skin time and let baby really smell you and learn to reach for it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685513 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:24:41 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2685513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ruby26 it's totally possible to get to ebf after some initial bumps in the road! My milk didn't come in for several days after dd was born in 2014 and I basically pumped while we formula fed her for the first 1-2 weeks. She would always fall asleep at the breast and it was super frustrating but I persisted. Ultimately a nipple shield was an awesome bridge to breast after she got used to bottles of breast milk. The lc I saw also had me use a syringe to put formula inside the nipple shield so she would smell there was milk and be able to get it easy instead of giving up on sucking for breastmilk. Once she was drinking that little bit of formula she would be sucking enough to get my milk flowing. Be patient, keep at it and come back here for encouragement if need be. I breastfed until 22 months so it's totally possible. Good luck...I've so been there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685512 Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:01:14 +0000 snowjewelz 2685512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ruby26: best of luck!!! BF didn't come super easy both times, but worth fighting hard for! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685496 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:49:54 +0000 ruby26 2685496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I'm really hopeful about our LC appt tomorrow especially after hearing all these stories! I have a feeling it's going to be tough for both of us, but I think I'll regret it if I don't give it my all. Thank you for your story!</p> <p>@gingerbebe: thank you so much for posting and sharing your story with me. I think you're absolutely right- I need to focus on the baby steps of getting her better, now bringing her weight back up, and then finally working our way back to breast. If I can be as successful as you've been with being able to nurse and bottle feed, I'll consider it a success! I appreciate your story and advice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685488 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:21:27 +0000 gingerbebe 2685488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both my boys had really bad jaundice. First son was in NICU for it and my milk didn't come in for a week. My LCs were fighting with the NICU nurses about formula supplementation and it made me feel like a failure because I was nursing and I pumping around the clock at my LCs' recos but he kept losing weight and his levels were going up and he finally got better with formula.</p> <p>With our second we didn't hesitate with the formula and just gave it liberally and we were able to avoid NICU with a biliblanket at home. He still had weight loss issues too but my milk came in 4 days PP instead of a week.</p> <p>I have not EBFed both my boys - they both got a bottle of formula a day - but I was able to nurse and pump for DS1 for 9 months and DS2 is 8 months now and still nursing and taking bottles just fine.</p> <p>Once the bili levels are down jaundice is over so you can just focus on the weight. 'Once you hit your 2 week check where the baby has met their birth weight, just try nursing as much as possible. Baby will probably fuss and be pissed but let them go for a while, take a break, try again, and go on 2 hour cycles. If you do breast compressions while you nurse it will help your milk to flow much faster and yes to hand expressing for a little bit before the feeding. If you do need to bottle feed use premie nipples - once my milk came in my second son actually got pissed about the premie nipple because it was slower than the breast!</p> <p>Ultimately my boys got 90% BM, they both nursed or took bottles of BM or formula just fine, and I liked the flexibility. </p> <p>I don't think you did you did anything wrong - it's better to triage issues one at a time. And honestly I felt more pressured by the LCs than anyone. For us it was: Safe delivery, then jaundice, then birthweight, then breastfeeding. By 6 weeks it was a lot better because their mouths are bigger and their oral muscles have strengthened. That's gonna be the big thing about nursing - getting their mouth strong through constant latching and nursing. So if it's important to you, keep nursing </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685485 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:14:50 +0000 snowjewelz 2685485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD2 unexpectedly went into NICU after she was born so I didn't breastfeed her till we got home (had her Tue night, went home Thurs afternoon). She had a little colostrum from me but otherwise formula. She was totally fine! Just had a shallow latch, a tongue tie, etc. Def see an LC! Pumping and putting baby to breast as often as possible will help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685446 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:52:07 +0000 ruby26 2685446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: my supply isn't great right now either. I hope I get back to ebf like you did!! </p> <p>@iluvboba637: this is so good to read! My situation mimics yours quite a bit. Thank you so much. </p> <p>@FaithFertility: thank you so much! Just reading your story gives me hope. I'm ok with continuing the bottle with BM, I just really want to be able to give her the breast as well. I'm glad you are able to do that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685392 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:56:38 +0000 FaithFertility 2685392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ruby26: You most definitely can switch back! DS was given a bottle in tbe NICU to get him off IV meds and I pumped as much as I could he hated to BF and for the first few weeks was 90% bottke fed with formula and BM<br /> He definitely perfers the bottle but I just kept trying to BF as much as possible!</p> <p>He would do it somedays and others get mad<br /> So I just kept trying<br /> He nurses great now but still always seems to want more ans get upset after 15 mins but hey it's something!</p> <p>Keep trying and best of luck!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685381 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:37:27 +0000 iluvboba637 2685381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS the pedi had us start formula on day 2 because of jaundice, my milk hadn't come in yet either. The hospital nurses were great. They told me to put him at the breast every 2 hours for about 15 mins then give him the bottle of formula. When my milk finally came in I tried to put him on the breast then give him a bottle while I pumped. He did not do well nursing at first. But something clicked when he turned 1 month old and he started nursing better. We weaned off the formula and he was breast milk only until 13 months. You can do it, don't give up. Good luck!! :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685373 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:29:37 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2685373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk didn't come in right away and I lost all confidence to breastfeed. I fed LO formula and breastmilk via a bottle and half assed breastfeeding until I felt better about my supply thanks to a home LC visit. You can definitely transition back. I ended up EBF LO for 2 months until I returned to work and weaned. You can do it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685370 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:27:55 +0000 ruby26 2685370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: that's a great idea. I'll try to express a little before getting her to latch so that she has a bit of a head start! Thank you! I'm sorry about your LO's tongue tie and latch troubles. </p> <p>@kiddosc: @LemonJack: I never would have thought of preemie nipples... thank you ladies!! I just immediately ordered some from Amazon!</p> <p>@oliviaoblivia: Wow! I'm glad to hear that your DD is still going strong! I'll ask the LC about a lactation aid or SNS tomorrow... I know nothing about either of those. </p> <p>I'm mostly just frustrated that my pediatrician didn't give me any others options before insisting on formula. As a FTM I panicked and just blindly did what he said, but now I'm regretting not asking more questions and finding out if there were alternatives to going straight to bottle with formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685352 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:02:16 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2685352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd feed her formula at the breast with a lactation aid or SNS. You'll get the stimulation for milk production and she'll get the day flowing milk.<br /> Good luck mama.<br /> They made me supplement my third and she was able to EBF from one week until she started solids and is still going at a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685333 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:33:13 +0000 LemonJack 2685333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with the others that you could try pumping or hand expressing until you feel let down, and then switch to baby. This might help with the frustration.</p> <p>I also like the idea of switching to the preemie bottle tops.</p> <p>I'm sorry you're going through this. You're doing a great job! I'm sure the LC will have some good advice for you tomorrow too! I'm sure they see situations like this often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685322 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:04:23 +0000 IRunForFun 2685322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ruby26: I don't have advice on the switch back, but my baby was born 1/19 with a bad tongue tie and had a terrible latch. My milk has started coming in and she has trouble getting it efficiently, so I get my let down started with a hand pump, hand express a little (and save it!) and then latch her. If she can't latch properly she gets fussy and angry at the breast but this method seems to work a little better... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685311 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:40:07 +0000 kiddosc 2685311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ruby26: It sounds rough, but you're only a few days in, so this is totally doable! Try putting premie nipples on the bottles, so they are less appealing. You can also try to hand express a bit so that there is milk at the ready when baby gets to the breast. Keep trying... good breastfeeding advice is to never give up on a bad day, good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685307 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:32:14 +0000 ruby26 2685307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: thanks for your response! Right now she gets really frustrated at the breast. The bottle releases the milk so much faster and easier and she has to work for it at the breast. I've been trying to start feedings at the breast, but let down has been taking a long time and she doesn't get anything from me when she does actually latch. DH was trying to help out this weekend with what you suggested, but I'm on my own during the week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685296 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:01:05 +0000 kiddosc 2685296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have experience, but what happens when you put baby to the breast now? Are you concerned that you're not producing enough? </p> <p>I would start by always trying to breastfeed first. Milk supply is a supply and demand thing, so the more often you put baby to the breast and/or pump, the better. Do you have a partner to help you? I would put baby to the breast, and then have DH top up with formula if necessary while I pumped immediately after to stimulate more milk production... if there's concern about milk supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transitioning-from-formula-back-to-breast#post-2685277 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 16:37:35 +0000 ruby26 2685277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Any advice you have would be appreciated!</p> <p>My LO was born on 1/17 and we planned to exclusively breastfeed for at least 4 weeks before introducing bottles. Unfortunately, she got a bad case of jaundice that did not resolve itself, and come 1/20, the doctor insisted that we immediately abandon breast milk and switch to formula in an attempt to ring down her bilirubin levels. She's now been on bottles of formula for 3 days and is doing much better.</p> <p>I really want to still breastfeed. I have an appointment with a lactation consultant tomorrow to see what advice she has, but has anyone successfully made this transition with an infant this young? I've been pumping to try to keep up my milk supply (milk hadn't even come in yet when we made the switch). Any stories or advice? </p>