Switching 10 Day Old Baby to Formula from Breastmilk - Which Formula to Use?

Breastfeeding did not go well for me either. I had a very low milk supply and my babies would get frustrated that not enough was there so they just threw their head back and screamed... I pumped for a while and gave them whatever breastmilk I could, then formula for the rest. This lasted 3 months with my oldest and about 1 week with my second. I realized that the stress of it all was not good for any of us, and once they were on formula full time, we were all happy and relaxed. They both did great on Nestle Good Start. They are now strong, smart healthy girls at almost 6 and 3.

We used Similac Advance--the liquid & found it to cause less gas/discomfort than the powder. It was more convenient and not really that much more $$. Good luck!

You can probably order it from Amazon.com. If you get the Amazon Prime -all 2 day shipping is free!

We used store brand soy formula with our second baby. I wish I had done it with my first and saved hundreds of dollars! The FDA MANDATES that ALL formulas be identical in composition because it would be unfair for the "cheap" stuff to be less adequate for poorer children. I found this out from a WIC consultant and then did my own research and it's true! Of course there are some special types of formula for preemies and whatnot that you can't find in a store brand, but if a store brand puts out a formula -it has to be identical to the Enfamil or Similac or GoodStart formulas.Our Kroger even sells an organic, store brand(Comforts) formula and I think Target does too. It's $10 a can cheaper than name-brand! The non-organic is 50% less than the name brand. Check it out!

You could always pump for a while and that will ease with the pain of stopping cold turkey, as well as provide breastmilk for your baby and supplement with formula to offset the cost, while you search for a good formula for her. I know several people who pump breastmilk and formula feed, it works for them and saves them money.

If you are considering continuing at all, I would talk to a lactation consultant and maybe check out a breastfeeding group. They can really help with the latch, and the pain really does decrease, I promise. :) I would hate for you to miss out on this experience, and incur the additional cost if you don't need to.

If you are going with formula, can you have an emergency container on hand? When I was younger, I used to hide money from myself and in an emergency, "oh look, there it is!" Can you do that with a container of the formula? Hide it in the closet and cycle it through occasionally so that it doesn't expire? That way you always have that spare, just in case.

I strongly recommed Gerber Goodstart Protect Plus - its the green can. It has probiotics in it for their immune system. This stuff is great. I used this with both of my kids. And its not that expensive anymore. When it first came out 4 yrs ago it was $26 per can. Over this last year when I was buying it for my daughter, I didn't pay more than $22 per can and Target actual puts it on sale for $20 sometimes and you will also see it with 25% more free too. Seriously, its sooo worth it!!! The last thing you want is more feeding issues, with a gassy baby. (There are even studies that have found probiotics help reduce colic) What I found is that this brand is definietly easier to digest and is NOT foamy. My little boy was born 6 weeks early and he had to be on 22 calorie formula for 4 months and we used Enfamil and it was so foamy that I actually would stir it instead of shaking it. My little boy had problems feeding on the Enfamil stuff until he was able to switch to something else and I used the Goodstart, recommend by our dr and other medical professionals that I know. I would also wean your baby from breastmilk to formula. Meaning, go gradual. 2/3 breastmilk and 1/3 formula and gradually increase the formula. Good luck! Congrats on your new baby.

I used the Enfamil Premium with my youngest son and it was great, a bit more expensive but awesome. Actually Wal-Mart has a Parent's Choice version of it that is the exact same and tons cheaper. We found the Similac to be to gassy for our boys so that is why we chose Enfamil.

Personally I occasionally supplemented my breastfeeding with Carnation Good Start in the Orange can and my little guy had no trouble with having breastmilk and this:)
Would you be able to maybe pump and bottle feed to alleviate the pain and latching problems?

I switched from breastmilk to the Target brand of Enfamil ( the gentle formula--it is in the white can with purple writing.) My son was fine with that. It is at least $10 cheaper/can than the name brand.

I suggest calling the doctor and asking them. I would think either one would be fine, since most formulas are pretty similar (unless your baby needed lactose free, soy free, etc.). And just in case (because we both know it is going to happen), don't worry about the mamas who will inevitably try and convince you to continue to breast feed. It isn't working out, and your baby will be fine. My son also had problems latching properly and we went to formula. He is rarely sick, healthy as can be, and very smart. Formula is not the devil! ;)

Anyways...as far as drying up, my doctor suggested that I wear an insanely tight sports bra. It was quite uncomfortable on my shoulders, but my boobs never hurt because they were so compacted. I would suggest calling your doctor and finding out what they recommend for that as well!

Good luck!

Edited: Another poster commented about not wearing a tight bra because of mastitis...I never had any problems. In fact, like I said above, it was the only thing that helped my boobs not hurt! Again, I just think you need to talk to your doctor for their suggestions, but because you have not been breastfeeding that long (just like I hadn't), I would assume it would probably help you as well.

I didn't read any of the other answers, but I do have a question for you. If baby is having a hard time latching and you are experiencing pain, have you tried a nipple shield for nursing? I used one with my twins because they couldn't latch properly and it worked wonderfully. No more pain, and they nursed really well. You should also check to see if your baby is tongue tied, which can cause improper latch and quite a bit of pain while nursing. Our youngest son was tongue-tied, and I ended up with blisters...I was going to quit nursing, but thankfully the Lactation Consultant checked for tongue-tie. We had it fixed right away, and have had no problems since! He's now almost 5mos. and nursing like a champ.
I switched my twins to formula at 4mos., as I exclusively pumped, and I was so drained of energy that I couldn't do it any more. We used the Good Start Gentle Ease formula, and it worked really well for them. A bit of gas and lots of spitting up at first, but after about a week they were fine.
As far as stopping nursing, you can just stop cold turkey, but you will be very uncomfortable for a few days. I would suggest that you buy a small cabbage, cut off the base, and when you are overly uncomfortable, take a leaf off, put it in the freezer for a few minutes, and then apply directly to your breast. The cold helps the swelling, and there are chemicals in the cabbage leaf that leech through your skin as it warms up to your body temperature that help your supply to dry up. It really works! I did this with my daughter, and with my twins when I switched them over. Whatever you do, DO NOT express any milk while you are trying to dry up your supply (other than the unavoidable leakage), as it will stimulate your body to produce more milk.
I do suggest that you speak with a Lactation Consultant before you make your decision, though. You may find that the latch and pain issue is easily resolvable - and if that is the case, you may want to continue breastfeeding.
Good luck.

I had a lot of discomfort as well at first.. It took a while to get my boy to latch properly. I stuck with it though and it got easier. I havnet read your previous posts but have you talked to or gotten hands on instruction to help baby latch right? If not you could contact a lactating counselor at your hospital or something. Could you give it a couple more weeks? I don't want to sound like I am jumping on you cause I promise I am not. I just loved breastfeeding my babies and think everyone should give it a real good chance ya know? =)

Anyway, there were time that I didn't have quit enough milk (or could not use my milk because of an emergency surgery) I used Carnation Good Start. My kids seemed to tolerate that one the best. Although we had to sweeten it a little because breast milk is kinda sweet.

Good Luck!

Go generic. All formulas have to abide by FDA standards so there is no reason to pay the extra $$ just for a name brand. I use the generic Gentle Ease (in the purple can) The great thing about generic formulas too is that they are all manufactured at the same place so it doesn't matter if you buy them at Target, Sam's, Walmart, etc. They are all the EXACT same!. I get mine from Sam's. It's $20 for a DOUBLE sized can! Target's price is $15 for a regular sized can (still a great deal compared to name brand formulas but Sam's really is the way to go!!!)
I always tried the regular (generic) Enfamil first since it was cheaper, but found that made my girls gassy and constipated. The Gentlease works great!

I don't have any formula advice but just wanted to offer some advice about the engorgement issue you will probably face-do not bind your breasts or wear anything tight. Just a solid, good fitting bra. You risk mastitis with binding. You can put cabbage leaves in your bra, pump off just enough for comfort (this *will not* signal your body to make more) and it will again keep you from getting a plugged duct or being extremely uncomfortable.

But I just want to toss out that a visit with a lactation consultant can make a world of difference if you would like to try breastfeeding. Sometimes it's something very simple to fix.

Best to you and baby.

I had the same problem, and we used Enfamil lipil with our sons. I did use both that and breast for about 3 months, but my supply was never good. I did not really suffer any engorgement since he never fed well off me. If I did get slightly uncomfortable a hot shower would allow for a small amount of let down to ease it. You can pump off small amounts if you need. Since he has not been latching well chances are you will dry up very fast if you do go cold turkey.

I breastfeed for about 2 months and then I switched to Similac Advanced until the recall. Now I am using Enfamil Premium Lipil so far so good!

im sorry that you are having such a hard time. is she tongue tied? this can solve a lot of problems if she is tongue tied; they just clip it and all better! remember too, its only 10 days in. normal babies take up to a month to get used to nursing, and so would you! make sure shes getting enough of the nipple in her mouth. this can solve a lot of your pain issues. go to www.llli.org to seek help and diagrams on proper positioning and latching positions. she cant just have the tip of your nipple in her mouth, she has to have a lot of the colored portion in there too. the nipple will be far back on her tongue. if shes tongue tied, shes going ot have a hard time getting her tongue to cooperate.

but i understand if you want to stop. im a strong breastfeeding supporter, but i dont know your situation, so heres the stopping info.
its likely if you stop cold turkey, you will be in a lot of pain from engorgement, and can develop mastitis, and she will likely not take to the bottle right away. drop one feeding and get her used to the bottle. maybe once a week or so drop a feeding at a time? its probably easier if someone else did the bottle when you arent in the same room. she will sense smell and see you and she would prefer to nurse. but its up to you.

just take it one day at a time. if it works for you, you can nurse her once or twice a day and bottle feed her the rest of the time. she will get a GREAT immunity booster (that formula will NOT ever give her) and she will still be able to grow and be healthy and it will give you a break. your body will adjust to whatever amount of time you nurse her.

but anyway, i would stop gradually and let your milk supply naturally diminish in order to prevent the engorgement problem.
but if you are willing and able to deal with it, do whatever feels best for your family, in all things. good luck.