Supplementing Nursing with Formula

Maybe start at 75/25 and work your way up to 50/50. I had to do the same thing. There were times I had to give straight formula to my children and it didn't dirupt nursing at all.

B.,

i agree with the ladies that said pump more. you may not notice it disrupting your supply at first but if you start supplementing that 1 bottle a day you will probably have to do it everyday when you could have just gotten your milk supply up a little more. If you pump & then the baby wants to eat 15 minutes later, your body will make it for him. Also, if your pump has different settings, the faster the suction, the harder the suction & the longer you pump will up your supply. Good luck & good for you on breastfeeding.

A simple answer... pump. Any supplementing with formula will disrupt your supply unless you pump. Breastmilk is very much supply & demand. The more you nurse, the more you will produce. Even though you're not able to pump as much, it doesn't mean that he gets less when nursing. He's much more efficient than a machine. Oatmeal helped me with my supply, also make sure you drink plenty of water.

There are natural supplements you can take if you wish to increase the amount of milk you are producing. You can ask a pharmacist or the folks at Akins for a liquid that will do this-it will include Fenogreek tea. Sometimes the problem is the times that you are pumping. You can pump at the beginning of the feeding-your baby is much more efficient than the pump, and can empty out a lot more of what is left. That way you start with more volume pumped, and also more formed as you empty more fully.

If the problem is not enough time to pump enough, using formula is your choice.

Babies have very good taste buds-in number the most they will have in their lives. There is a great deal of difference in taste between breast milk and any formula out there. You may have to introduce it more gradually-and eighth or fourth of a bottle. Many infants also spit up more with formula-breast milk has more live nutrients and is easier to digest than even the "easy to digest" formulas. You may just have to keep trying different formulas until you find one with a taste and smell he will accept.

Any formula feeding will disrupt breastfeeding. If he is taking formula from a bottle then he is not at your breast making more milk. The more you nurse or pump, the more milk your body will make. I would suggest staying away from formula and maybe adding a few extra pumping sessions throughout the day. You may not get much at first, but if you continue to pump extra, your body will start to make more. Supply and demand.

It could just be the temperature of the milk or the type of nipple you are using on the bottle (use a nipple that supports breastfeeding) You could also nurse 1/2 the time and bottle feed 1/2 the time--that is what i do. So he can get used to both a bottle and a breast for his feedings. I do 4 feedings a day: 2 of them are breast and 2 are bottle with formula or a mixture of breastmilk and formula.

My friend had a similar situation, and she found that Lacto-free was the best formula to supplement breastfeeding. It causes less tummy upset, and her son went straight to milk with no problem, when it came time to switch. Me on the otherhand, got the advise, and it worked a little, but my breast just dried up. There is an herbal tea at the GNC stores, called "MOTHERS MILK" Its great with a little honey, and maybe a tsp of sugar, and it helps your breast produce alot more milk. They also have a vitamin they suggest to help too, and all is healthy for you and the baby. Just ask one of the GNC employees about breast milk assistance, and Im sure they'll lead you to what I said above. But otherwise, the Lacto-free formula should help. Good luck and I hope we made some sense for you!!

Amber's right after you finish nursing pump any milk that's left over. Supply and demand is generally the sticking point with nursing. However, sometimes you just start to dry up and there's nothing you can do. So pump and freeze any extra. Make sure you are eating enough calories for a nursing mother and increase your liquids if you haven't already.

It might work better for you to have someone else handle the bottle feeding. If you do it, he can smell you and your milk and he's not going to want the substitute. If you do give him a bottle for a feeding, remember to pump to cover that feeding.

You might also try using 100% breast milk in the bottles until you find the right nipple. Sometimes it's not the formula, but the nipple on the bottle that the baby doesn't like. I also had more success with Carnation, but formula preferences are different for different babies.

I hope this helps!

B., sounds like you're doing a great job with a 3 yr old and a new baby. I wonder why your milk supply is decreasing, but I bet your busy life might be part of the problem. Another thought, have you started birth control pills? Sometimes, they can decrease your supply and you are not able to pump as much. Two thoughts here. One, keep things status quo, and start with tiny amounts of formula in the bottle and work up. If he is going to tolerate it ok, he'll gradually accept it. The other idea is to increase your milk supply, so you can pump more volume. Make sure you are eating enough calories and getting enough liquid, breastfeeding and or pumping 8 times/24 hrs. A mom with your schedule may not have time to do lots of extra scheduled pumpings, so you might try "super pumping" for a few days. Set up your pump and anytime you walk by, pump for a few minutes. Lots of times this will ramp things up. Call a lactation consultant about herbal helps. But all in all, if you are mostly breastfeeding and just giving a little formula, wow, you are doing a great job!!

suggestion that helped me when I was breast feeding and I heard still works. I used to drink a Shaklee protein drink everyday and my milk would go nuts. My son weighed 10lbs 12 ounces at birth so I had a hearty eater. He was my second and I drank Shaklee with all 3 of my kids, it really worked. If you need a local distributor you can go to Shaklee.com and find one or Debbie Leslie is a mamasource member and she sells Shaklee.