Just curious how many exclusively breast feed, or supplement with formula or give formula only.
I supplement with formula, I just don't think I'm producing enough to sustain bb M!
Hopefully when my pump arrives we'll be able to at least reduce how much we supplement.
Currently she'll feed for about 10 mins each side and take down 2oz of formula.
58 votes
GOLD / pomelo / 5167 posts
I started with breastmilk exclusively until 3 months then he ha a nursing strike and I didn't have enough milk pumped so we supplemented with formula. By 4 months he was only formula fed. No longer wanted boob
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I only lasted with breastfeeding exclusively for a few days, then I supplimented, and now it's only formula.
kiwi / 545 posts
DD is 9 weeks. We are still ebf. But now that I am going back to work I hope that doesn't change!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I supplemented with 1-2 ounces of formula in the early weeks because I wasn't producing enough for LO. From months 2-5 I exclusively breastfed. At 5 months I introduced solids, but continued to breastfeed.
persimmon / 1099 posts
I do a mix of both right now. Some bottles are formula some are pumped breast milk and I'm nursing her a few times a day. My supply is dwindling I think but I can't tell if I'm totally upset by it I or not. Breastfeeding is super hard and I love that DH gets to feed baby girl too.
cantaloupe / 6687 posts
We had to supplement with formula when LO was almost 2 weeks old bc my milk didn't come in and LO lost too much weight but once my milk came in we have been exclusively breastfed. She is almost 6 months (in 4 days) and I just started her on solids yesterday 
pomegranate / 3008 posts
I ran the gamut. From Day 1 until 8 months my son was EBF. During Month 8 we supplemented with formula (I went back to work at 8 weeks and by Month 8 I had too much trouble keeping my supply up that I threw in the towel) and by Month 9 my son was exclusively on formula.
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
I don't know how to vote as I have had all three situations. My first son was exclusively formula, my twins were breastfeed with formula supplements and my daughter is exclusively breastfeed. They are wonderful and healthy children.
bananas / 9118 posts
We had to supplement with formula for his first 3 weeks, with the help of my lactation consultant and pediatrician we were able to transition back to only breastmilk. We still give a bottle or two of pumped breastmilk everyday to reinforce the habit (and all day when I work). Early we offered bottles to monitor how much he was eating after a full breastfeeding.
kiwi / 549 posts
We did a bit of formula by SNS in the first few days at home because Baby X was dehydrated and lost a full pound before we came home from the hospital... but once my milk came in and the pediatrician was satisfied with his weight gain (he was back to birth weight 4 days after going home) that didn't last long at all and he was EBF (from the boob) until 9 weeks, and after we introduced the bottle for while I'm at work, he has only had breast milk.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
olive has had maybe 2-3 bottles of formula before my milk came in and she had to stay an extra week in the hospital. since then she's been breastfed or bottlefed breastmilk.
i only have 8 bags of frozen milk though, and my supply has dwindled a bit since getting sick recently, so maybe i'll have to supplement in the coming months, but i hope i don't have to. olive is 7 months old.
pomegranate / 3980 posts
With my first daughter I was able to ebf until about 4 months but because I was in school I wasn't able to pump or anything so I started to dry up and had to start supplementing. I am definitely hoping I can ebf for a lot longer this time since I will be a sahm and can work harder at keeping my supply.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
I supplement one bottle a day w/formula. I go back to work in 3 weeks and I wanted her to get used to formula b/c once I go back to work I won't have the time to pump as often as I would like to.
pear / 1764 posts
EBF until 6 months & then began using solids slowly but she still nurses @ 12 months
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
When you do get your pump, try pumping after the morning nursing. I had a low supply issue and just pumping that one time a day helped jump start things. Now I can freeze and extra 6oz a day (4 mos later). Good luck!
pomegranate / 3983 posts
We exclusively BF (but only because I was stubborn about it) until we started adding solids at 5.5 months.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Thanks EveryOne. I really wanted to give EBF my 110% but unfortunately I was just not producIng enough to keep baby content. We supplement with 1-2oz of bottlefed formula at each feeding. I'm really hoping when my pump arrIves I can reduce the amount of formula we give her.
We had a really tough first few days. I was guilt ridden with not knowing that she was still hungry even though we fed her what the LC recommended. I was guilt ridden with not producing enough for her. I've accepted it now and her feeding enough is way more important than breast vs formula. Thankfully she switches from breast to bottle just fine.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrs. Bee: This is pretty much where were are right now at 9 months. My 100 ounce freezer stash is down to about 4 bottles and I'm not sure I'm pumping enough during the day to keep up with demand.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@regberadaisy: pumping definitely helped boost my supply, as did taking supplements like fenugreek, mother's milk tea, more milk plus, etc.
good luck!
@Thehistoryofus: will you do anything to try to boost your supply? i'm thinking about taking mother's milk tea and more milk plus again.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrs. Bee: I'm not sure. I haven't seen a huge increase with fenugreek or the tea but I've never taken either religiously. Hostely it comes down to my work schedule. I can only get 2 sessions in now so unless I can produce 3 bottles from 2 sessions I can't keep up and I don't know that tea and pills will increase my supply that much.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@Mrs. Bee:
Thanks! Do you take the fenugreek in pill form? Is mother's milk tea just a kind of tea?
pear / 1728 posts
I had to supplement for 6 weeks, but from 6 weeks to 6.5 months, Liv wsa EBF. Now she is BF and has solids, but still no formula. @regberadaisy: @Thehistoryofus: More Milk Plus worked WONDERS for me. I also took fenugreek and drank the tea religiously
pea / 17 posts
When our LO was born, we had to supplement because I wasn't producing enough. Now at 9 months, we're still breastfeeding and eating solids - about 6-8 oz per day spread out throughout the day. She was EBF from 1 to 6 months though. I'm a SAHM so EBFing was the best choice for us.
honeydew / 7917 posts
We supplemented with formula for the first 1.5 months until my milk supply met his needs. I exclusively pumped, and it was more difficult for me to fully understand and learn how to pump for my LO. He has been drinking breast milk ever since, and I'm starting to wean him at 12.5 months.
Breastfeeding is difficult, and I admire everyone who tries.
coconut / 8299 posts
LO was born a month early so the nurse recommended we supplement with a little formula while he was a hospital for a few days. After that, we exclusively breast fed him until 1 year. And then he just switched to cow's milk.
nectarine / 2039 posts
I'm surprised how many people supplement at first.
My hospital discouraged supplementing early on because they said it's a supply-demand thing and they just work really hard to help patients with the latch and frequent feedings. I'm sure there are some situations where they would get you to supplement, but it sounded like it was rare here.
persimmon / 1379 posts
I don't produce enough milk, so both daughters have been supplemented. I am also on domperidone, taking more milk plus and drinking 2 pots of nursing tea/day. Keeping my limited supply up is lots of work!
GOLD / pear / 1845 posts
Breastfeeding happily for the second time. I'm very busty, so I'm glad their good for something!
grapefruit / 4823 posts
We supplement. We had to start in the hospital because we were having trouble breast feeding. When we got home I tried to EBF for the first few nights, but mommy, daddy and baby were not happy. Everyone was stressed, he wasn't eating do we had to. The last 2 nights have been much better and his pediatrician said he's doing great and what we are doing is fine and he's gaining properly
pineapple / 12526 posts
We are formula only. I tried to breastfeed but it didn't work out for us for several reasons.
I do feel guilty. I feel like I could have tried harder but I had a traumatic birth and have PPD and I just couldn't handle the struggle mentally and emotionally.
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