Hi Ladies, I have had to come to a decision that has been really hard but I need to start taking medicine. So I am looking for advice on a good formula that will help with the transition for my little one. She is six months and I have the Enfamil pouches. I have always given her a bottle of breast milk and nursed so she is not afraid of taking a bottle at all. I was warned by my mom from her experiences so we have that covered. I just need to find a good formula. What have you turned to that has been a good transition from nursing milk to formula? Also, what are some schedules of eating has everyone transitioned to once the baby has turned six months?
ps. I understand that there is nothing better than mothers milk. So to everyone that has nursed till the child was two I commend them. I absolutely loved nursing and this has been an incredibly hard decision. I could also use some supporting words. Since the struggle to change our method has been hard:)
Thank you!
UPDATE...So we have been trying Enfamil formula for her afternoon feedings. I have been pumping on the side to save some nursing milk for after the 9th which is the 6 month date for her. So far she has done ok sometimes with the enfamil and other times it comes back up. She already has gerd so its har to figue out if its the food or the gerd. Another thing is that with her milk she never has any on her lips or in her mouth it goes sraight down with enfamil she has the formula on her face etc. I have a couple friends using good start so I may grab a container and try it. How soon can you tell which one the baby is adjusting to the best? When you do your taste tests how are you conducting them?
I have to say a HUGE Thank you to all of you for your support. I really need it!! Again, it's just the hardest decision and I couldnt go forward without such incredible support.
I'm not sad but thank you for asking I just have a great deal of family that believe in nursing. I loved nursing because I am proud of how well my little one is thriving because of me. I just feel like its something that I have accomplished and I feel incredibly proud of how well my daughter has done with nursing. So making the change to formula will be like her gradguating to real food:) Letting go of the bond is also hard. I just need to find other ways to continue the bond:)
I think we have found the right one for her. She was very hesitant with Enfamil and was really gassy. So we tried Goodstart and she loves it. She's still gassy but not as bad. So I think we are going to stick with the good start. I just wish it came in more convenient packaging like enfamil packets. Any tricks out there on storing everything in the diaper bag etc? I also want t thank all of you again! My mind frame has definitely changed with everyones words of encouragement! I am kind of excited to no longer pump!!
M., both of my children did not have a problem going from breast to bottle. Gracie did it at 6 mths and Andrew at 2 mths. With Andrew I was not producing enough milk to feed him and Gracie gave it up on her own. I always had luck with Nestle Carnation Goodstart formula. My kids did not have excess spitting up with that one, and their stomachs handled it fine.
Good luck with the transition!!
I would definently buy the store brand which is half the price and the exact same thing as Enfamil (read the back of the cans they are word for word!). And even if you have coupons for all the other ones its still SOOO much cheaper for the store brand!
First off just remember a happy, healthy mommy is the best gift you can give you and your child. That's what I had to tell myself a year ago when I wound up in the hospital and my daughter had to be weaned with no warning. She did fine...not so happy at first, but it worked out. What we did was to use Lactose Free formula because it is easiest for them to digest. Soy can make babies really pukey, and it turns out a lot of people have allergies to soy. Also, I have found no major differences from anme brand to store brand, except in cost. Store Brand like Target or Meijer's costs about 13 or 14 dollars for 25 oz can versus Enfamil which is like $25 for same size. Good luck, feel better, and hang in there. There are plenty of other ways to nurture your little one...like getting up through out the night and giving thema bottle while you rock them back to sleep :)
P.S. I always like that you can gaze into their sweet little faces while they feed from a bottle :)
P.P.S. It's also great when they can hold their own bottle so you can do something else like cook dinner :)
I'm hoping that nobody will judge you for choosing to do something that you need to do for yourself and your health! My daughter decided that nursing was passe around the same time that she started cutting teeth and i stopped nursing her at 2am (about 5 1/2 months--she'd always gotten 1 or 2 bottles of formula/day because I never got good at pumping). And good for you for always giving her a bottle, too!
At any rate, the FDA is ON TOP of formula! They are all pretty much the same in terms of nutritional components and it's kind of a matter of trial and error. We had Evie on Similac Advance and tried the Costco stuff and found it to be very frothy though the nutritional information was IDENTICAL! Since she spit up till she was about 10 months old, I didn't want to give her anything foamy. I have friends who used the Target formula exclusively and LOVED it (it's the same as Enfamil). I'd recommend buying small containers and seeing what works best for you and your baby.
Good luck!
Hi M. - personally I think it is a great decision for you to also be considering your health needs while taking care of your baby. So many times people think they have to sacrifice the world, their health, their sleep, their marriage, their everything in order to breastfeed. I know your decision was probably difficult; I exclusively pumped for about 4 months and for personal reasons that would positively impact my health (and the health of my family) I decided to switch to formula. And guess what? My baby hasn't grown a second head or turned into a monster! He's thriving just fine! So, as difficult as it was to make the transition don't spend a single minute beating yourself up over it. As mothers, we all make decisions that suit our family best and what might work for one does not work for all.
We used Enfamil, but our baby wound up being a happy spitter. As a result, we switched to Enfamil AR and noticed a significant decrease in the spitting up. You might wish to consult your pediatrician to learn more about what formula is best for your child.
Good luck to you!
M. -
I transitioned my little one at the same time (6 months) and as I weaned her, I added a small amount of formula to her breastmilk bottle and then gradually increased it to all formula so the transition was fairly smooth. My little one has a sensitive tummy so we found the Good Start to be the easiest on her stomach.
Every child is different so try what you have and if you don't see any issues, go with it. Our little one was very gassy on Similac so that is why we tried Good Start and it has seemed to help.
Good Luck and keep your chin up! You should not feel bad about your decision :o)
I'm sorry you have to give it up:( Don't let it get you down, you have to do what's best for you or you can't possibly do what's best for your children. Someday they will do more research in to safe drugs for breastfeeding mothers, it's too bad so many women have to choose between bfing and taking care of themselves. Take heart, 6 months is far longer than more than 50% of the population, so you've already put your daughter at an advantage over many other babies!
Just remember you did what you could for as long as you could and she's better for it.
HI! Great job on the nursing! I stopped breast feeding around 7 months for my son, we just switched to Enfamil (and I looked at labels to make sure it had all the stuff like DHA and the such) without issue. It was smooth, I did miss it but was glad also for the freedom of letting go as well! You have done a great job by the way!
T.
We used GoodStart when I weaned my daughter at nine months...after trying all the other ones... my baby loved it, until she came down with rotavirus, ever since then, she has been on lactose free formula and GoodStart does not make lactose free :( I tried to switch back, but she would have diarrhea multiple times a day. She will be one on Sunday so it will be interesting trying to switch to whole milk... hopefully I can find an organic lactose free milk! Who knew it was going to be so hard to stop nursing! My goal was three months, then six, then at nine I had to stop pumping due to my work schedule getting crazy, so the decision had to be made. Good luck! I think you are wonderful for doing it as long as you have! :)
I'm going through a similar experience with my little guy right now. He's almost 7 months and I'm feeling like it's time to stop pumping. Fortunatly he's making it easy for me though by seeming to prefer his bottles (and spoons) to the breast these days.
Anyway, after talking to other moms that have made the transition one thing you don't always hear is that you should ween the baby over slowly. So as you're trying formulas instead of going to straight 100% formula in a bottle try switching at intervals. So at first make a bottle with 70% BM 30% forumula, then swtich to 50/50 then conintue to decrease the amount of breastmilk. It should help your baby adjust to the taste and ler her body get used to the formula also.
Another thing I learned from my lactation consultant is that the make up of breastmilk changes as the baby develops but obviously formula does not so the quantity of formula may be different than breastmilk. At night my son drinks 8 oz of formula before bed but there's no way he ever gets that much from my body in any one nursing session. You might see something similar as you make the transition.
I'm not sure about you but breastfeeding was very hard for me for a number of reasons. 4 months was my goal, then 6 and I'm still going at least a big. God for you for making it this far!
Hi M.,
I have had to nurse and supplement my son w/ formula b/c of problems with my milk supply. My son will be 9 months old this Saturday and I am nursing him in the morning and at night and then giving formula at his 2 middle of the day feedings (lunchtime, and mid-afternoon)
As far as formula goes, I have been using Similac Advance. I use that though b/c that is what he had in the hospital, etc. My best suggestion would be to ask your pediatrician at his 6 month old physical. Or call them and ask what they recommend. As it is, you will have to watch for things like spitting up, constipation , etc and determine what's best from that too. Sorry I can't be more helpful, but I would ask your pediatrician for the best advice.
M. ~ Like you I had to stop nursing because of some meds I had to take for an infection I had. I was pumping and dumping for a week while I was on the meds, but when I went back to nursing I wasn't producing as much milk. My daughter was four months old at the time and I felt so terrible about having to quit, especially since I was finally starting to enjoy it. I did pump as much as I could and what I did was freeze a bunch of milk and then mix the breastmilk with the formula. We did go through about four brands of formula before I found one that didn't make her gassy. It was the Similac Soy, but every baby is different so see what works for her. I know that losing that bond is so hard, but know that there are other ways to bond. Hugs to you and good luck! L.
You sound sad, I'm sorry to hear you so sad.. I'm on an antidepressant and am still nursing. Have you double checked with your OB/GYN for a safe meds. I nursed both kids while taking them & they are both perfect. Good luck, God bless n take care good care of yourself!
Just wanted to let you know. You are not alone, I too had a smiliar problem. What I did was I pumped away and suppliment with formula( Enfamil ). I would freeze the breastmilk and once I knew I had a 2 weeks supply, I would do 3 ounces of BM and 2 ounces of Formula. It worked for me. You will be just fine. By the way, my family is from Puerto Rico and all they did was BF. My mom notice how I was doing and she wanted me well, instead of being down for not BF. I kept pumping for 4 months and let me say, it was hard not easy for me. I just keep telling myself, yes, I breastfed for 4 months and I am happy with that.
Now, my little guy just turned one in December and he is doing so well. So, enjoy those time BF or giving him the bottle by the time you know it, your baby will be one.
Keep doing well.
Good Luck! Hope this helped.
*hugs* this must be very hard for you. Any formula is probably just as good for her as any other but I have heard that Good Start seems to be tolerated a little better by breastfed babies than others...jus from like a word of mouth type of thing. Do lots of cuddling. I can't imagine how hard it must be to stop at 6 months when you have been doing so well. Keep your chin up!
I understand your internal struggle in this decision. *hugs* It's never easy to stop nursing. Depending on your daughters sensitivity, will decide the formula she needs. Our son nursed and at around six months I stopped pumping for his in-between feedings while I was at work. We tried a few different formulas and his stomach was very sensitive, causing him lots of gas and constipation. Even though he was still nursing three times a day. We ended up using GoodStart. This was easiest for him to digest, and according to other mothers that use the (yuck) taste test method, it was the closest to breast milk. We even tried to use the closest generic and that was a no go. If your little one has any kind of sensitivity then you might want to try gas drops with the formula until she gets used to it. And as always talk to the pediatrician first to see what their opinion is. Good luck and just remember you're not alone.
My second child had gerd and was lactose intolerant. We used the enfamil lactofree or what ever is was called(not the soy)and she did just fine. I had to stop nursing at 9 months because of her lactose issues. 6 months is wonderful and most people bond just by being close with their babies. Always hold the baby while feeding (I'm sure you know that but I'm a nurse and its in my nature to state the obvious). Breast feeding is only best if it keeps both mom and baby happy and healthy. It would be much harder on her to have a sick mommy. Good luck!
Nestle Good Start always worked much better than enfamil for me. With my second I nursed him until he was 4 months and we had a hard time finding a formula for him. What did he take to?? Parent's Choice from Wal-Mart. I wasn't complaining..it was much cheaper!
Hi M.--make sure you sign up on the website to get all of the free coupons. Formula is expensive and you will go through a lot of it, so every couple of dollars off helps. I also had all of my friends and family register as well so they could get the coupons too. We are on SImilac which is $25 a can, and we get anywhere from $5 to $8 off per can. Best of luck!
R.
M.,
Price is no differentiator. My 3 month old daughter nurses and gets formula. My mom & sister kept pressuring me to going with a big corporate brand (Enfamil/Similac) instead of a store brand (Sam's/Costco) saying that I was being cheap with my daughter and it would have lasting effects on her development. However, both Consumer Reports and my Pediatrician say that all formula is regulated through the FDA. More expensive doesn't mean better. It's up to you and your child to see what suits them best, i.e. soy, etc.
M.,
I am late in posting. I breastfed exclusively until 6 months as well and then started giving my daughter formula. My husband is allergic to dairy so we went with a soy formula and used Similac Isomil Advanced Soy formula. We didn't have any problems with it. I don't remember Mackenzie having it on her face when she was finished, but perhaps that is due to the bottle? We used Dr. Browns bottles and loved them. My daughter didn't burp much at all and I didn't have to deal with those baggies all the time. Everything was dishwasher safe and our dishwasher sterilized so it made life much easier.
Good Luck.
My second son went to just formula from nursing at 10 months. He did alright with Enfamil at first. Then Similac he did okay with at first...he went mostly through our sample cans, and then somebody told me to try Good Start because it is supposed to be the best for babies going from nursing to formula I guess. He actually really liked Good Start and did well with that, so we continued Good Start through the 12 month mark. Best wishes to you!!
I believe Earth's Best makes an organic formula (Whole Foods would have it. You can also make your own formula if you have access to raw milk, but that is a lot more work. Good Luck!
