This is such uncharted territory for me since LO1 didn't have a drop of formula his whole life. I BFed him until 13 months. However DS2 and I are really struggling with his MSPI and I can't seem to figure out what needs to be eliminated beyond milk, soy, and eggs. I am also off peanuts. He still is having issues. Therefore, I would like to start introducing formula. I bought some allimentum at the doctor's recommendation. Yesterday we gave him two bottles of it and I pumped. He drank 1 ounce then refused. Then half hour later drank the rest. Later he had 3 ounces and refused any more. (This is a kid who drinks 7 ounce bottles of expressed milk normally.) So, not sure how to proceed. Ideally I want day care to give him formula during the day. I've seen people recommend mixing the formula with bm, but if I do that, do I just count the bm as the water and mix in the powder? Or do I make up a bottle of fomula and mix the liquid formula with the liquid bm? Or just keep offering and hope he starts to like it? TIA for any tips.
-
Don't count the BM as water. If you want a 4oz bottle to be 1/2 and 1/2, put in 2 oz of water, a scoop of formula and mix. Then add BM. I've heard people have mixed results with combining formula and BM though. I'd try a really small bottle first and see how he does with it. We supplemented on and off with DS and we only ever gave him straight BM or straight formula.
Also, be aware that formula has different feeding guidelines than BM does. With breastmilk you're totally fine to offer a bottle that doesn't get finished. But there are more restrictions on doing that that formula, since it doesn't have the antibacterial properties of BM.
-
When you're mixing, combine the formula first with water , then add the BM. I mixed the two, slowly increasing the formula:BM ratio, when getting her used to formula. It took her a couple of weeks and now she's on 100% formula fine .
When I was combo feeding, my DD refused powdered formula - I'm not really sure why - but the liquid concentrate formula seemed to mimic BM more in terms of consistency so that's what we've stuck with. It's slightly more $ than powdered but much cheaper than ready to feed
-
@travellingbee: i agree with previous posters the breastmilk doesnt count as water. You have to mix formula with water then add bm. I did this a lot i would have a 4 oz bottle made up of 2oz water and formula powder and 2 oz bm
-
No advice ther then I feel like I remember reading on here that specific formula tastes really bad when mixed w BM?! I think it was that one anyway.
Good luck!!
-
@travellingbee: just wanted to hop in because I know our LOs have dealt with similar issues. Despite me eliminating tons of foods my son is still not symptom free (still has mucusy poop and spits up, though the reflux is no longer severe). My pedi and the GI were basically both out of ideas on foods to eliminate. But they both agreed that just sticking with the diet I was on was not harming him even if he's not symptom free. As long as he's gaining and not screaming all the time, both docs encouraged me to continue to EBF. I just wanted to throw that out there in case you were feeling like you HAD to introduce formula.
-
@Truth Bombs: No I know. That's where we are at too. The G.I. did say that it wasn't dangerous, but he has been increasingly more and more fussy. He no longer let me put him down on the ground to play. He wants to be held constantly or he screams. So I thought we would want to try at least supplementing with formula to see if that would lessen some of his symptoms. I would just like to try it.
-
@Charm54: this is how we did it but our LO hated the liquid formula, little stinkers
-
I never mixed my BM with formula. I gave daycare formula and fed BM at home. I had a low supply, so I was crazy protective of my pumped milk!
I had to supplement early in, so DS never showed a preference either way. Give it time and I'm sure he'll adjust to the new taste.
-
@travellingbee: totally understand. I just wanted to make sure you weren't being pressured to make a choice you weren't comfortable with!
-
The dairy free formulas are pretty gross, and they taste worse combined with breastmilk. You're not supposed to heat them, but the only way DS would drink them was borderline HOT. Then we worked on decreasing temp once he adjusted to the flavor.
-
@MrsSRS: they smell horrific.
@Alba4: that's what I want to do.@ShootingStar: @Charm54: @Mrsbells: @Mrs. Champagne: thank you for the advice!
-
Yeah they stain too, so bib up! Just keep offering. LO will adjust. I think taking that much the first time is pretty good.
-
We did formula and BM mix when I went back to work and couldn't pump enough. I did not count the BM as water. I started with about 75% BM and then gradually added in more and more formula until she would agree to drink a whole bottle of it.
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
13 comments