Switching My 6 Mo. Old to Formula

2 thoughts:
1. At 6 mos, he's old enough to eat baby food. Have you tried that yet? My 6mo old DD eats 3 meals a day. We supplement with formula, if she's still hungry afterwards.

2. He'll take it if he's REALLY hungry. Some of it is just a strike, since he wants the breast. Give him a day or two where you don't offer any breast milk. He'll take it when he's hungry enough.

Ummm...didn't sound to me like you were asking about how to KEEP breastfeeding.

Formula is not poison and can also be fed with Mommy's love and close to a heartbeat--sheesh. I'm sorry but I am so sick of the GUILT being doled out by the breast brigade.

ANYWAY, I would keep trying and it might be time to completely wean. Keep trying the formula. He will eat if he is hungry, I promise. I'll bet if he skips a feeding, he'll drink the formula the next time.
**Have dad or someone else give the formula when you are not around.**

i wouldnt worry about it until you have a a job. he will be able to hold out if needed and eat solids until you come home and then prep for a nursing session. if hes hungry hell drink the formula. also pumping is a learned art so keep at it. also schedule in a pumping as hes eating what you produce ( remember its a suppply and demand cycle) so it may take a few days for your body to make extrra so you can pump it out. remember breastfeeding isnt an all or nothing. you can nurse and supplement if in the end that is what you need to do, good luck!

Keep trying. He will drink it if he is hungry enough.

Why not breastfeed exclusively while at home and offer organic formula for the caregiver to give your baby once you actually get a job? Interviews aren't long, even when you've set up 3-4 back to back.

Have you smelled or tasted the formula you are trying to force on your infant? I dare you to try it. Breastmilk smells and tastes sweet - it also comes prepackaged with love, Mommy's heartbeat and the feeling of safety and comfort. How can you really expect him to give that up for formula that tastes like chalky sh*t and smells just as bad?

You don't have supply issues - btw. Most Moms are unable to pump after the 4-5 month mark simply because the machines aren't efficient to start with and once baby stabilizes your supply - the inefficient pump cannot get any out anymore. But have no worries - your baby's suckling gets it ALL out just fine.

Never gauge your milk supply by what you can pump... you will only sabotage yourself and take away the precious nutrition from your baby to replace it with synthetic chemical compounds (corporate formula)

I agree with another mom's post that you may not have supply issues. I am also breatsfeeding a 4 month old. When I try to pump I only get an ounce or two. It is because that is what my supply is established at. (My baby eats small meals, more frequently because he has reflux.) If you want to stock up on breastmilk, you can work on increasing your supply. Nurse your baby like you normally do, but also pump in between feedings. It will take a few days for your supply to increase. (Maybe even a week.) Make sure you drink lots of water while you are doing this. And stay away from any medications that interfere with supply, like antihistimines and sinus or cold medicine. It is harder to start pumping at the age your baby is. That's why it is always suggested to store the extra milk you have in the beginning when we are all engorged and everything.
Will your baby drink breastmilk from a bottle? The reason I ask is because maybe it's not the formula he is rejecting, maybe it is the actual bottle.

Pumping is really hard. "Baby's Only" organic formula tastes much better than other formulas. The company that makes it states that it is a "toddler formula" because they believe in breastfeeding for the first year but it is nutritionally sound for a 6 month old as well. I used it with my daughter to occasionally supplement when I couldn't pump enough and needed to be away from her for work. She loved it!
We chose the dairy version because it is the most similar to breast milk. http://www.naturesone.com/dairy/

I know this must be hard for you and I'm sorry other people's comments can, at times, not be helpful at all. Certainly that's not what you need right now.

Keep trying and keep offering the bottle. Have someone else offer the bottle. Eventually your child will get hungry and will eat - this is not starving your child; it is your child choosing to only want the breast and holding out for the breast but eventually getting hungry and taking the bottle. A pattern like this won't go on forever. It would be like you throwing a tantrum because all you have in the house is salad but you want a steak - you may hold out a meal or so for the steak but eventually you get hungry so you eat what you have on hand.

Whether it is breast feeding or bottle feeding, the fact that you are nourishing your child is an act of love. Best of luck to you and hang in there - this too shall pass and it'll be okay :)

Your son knows the difference between food and poison. Formula is poison. It is a mix of sugars and cows milk. Have you thought about allergies. He could be allergic to milk from cows.
Read the ingredients in formula and ask yourself how much you would like to take that. Better to feed him something else if you cannot express much milk.
Some women runneth over and some women don't. Please do not feel guilty.
Today a friend told me that when she drinks a small glass of beer her milk production goes way up. You could try it and see if it helps you.

Have you tried someone else giving him formula?
yes breastmilk is best. you made it to the 6 month mark and that is good. Feed him breastmilk when you can. If you continue to try pumping your supply may increase. (But personally I never got good at pumping and getting a reasonable volume.) Otherwise try formula or introduce more baby foods.
If you are trying to find othermethods so you can work, then do what you need to. If you just want a little more freedom, then baby food to give you a few hours off or find a good nursing cover and a quiet corner in public.

Kudos for those who listened to your question - Denise P and MR.

Sometimes we don't have the choice and formula is what we have to do. It is a hard transition for some children. People who say formula is poison are just being un-sympathetic to those of us who had no choice. wow-It really makes me said to see people not be supportive to all moms. It's a tough job already with out having to be criticized by another mom. Sorry you got some of that on here.

Was he taking a bottle before? Because that could be some of the issue. If so, maybe try having someone else do the feeding, if possible. If bottle is new, then maybe try a different kind. Maybe try another type of formula. I would keep offering as it sounds like it might be your only choice. And chances are most likely he will eventually take it. You could offer nursing, if possible maybe just in the morning and in the evening to help slowly offer the transition. And definitely keep up with the solid food mix with formula. That is a good way to get the benefit from it too. Also, maybe have a chat with his DR for some advice.

I babysat for a little one who had never been fed a bottle until the day I got him. Even though his mother was able to pump and provide enough bottles, he wouldn't even take the bottle. It took a good solid 4 days until he would finally take that bottle. I felt horrible for him and his mom and me too. It is tough.

I don't know if you saw the blog on Mamapedia today - it was about eating and although it was geared to a toddler, it was a great article that explained children and their eating patterns and how change isn't easy to accept....

Good luck to you - from another mom who had to make the same choice as you. :-)

I was a pitiful pumper... very frustrating to have the nanny call halfway through my work day to come home or just drive my baby to me for a feeding because I couldn't get much pumped, no matter what tricks I tried... relaxtion, music, I would sleep with the pump on there, picture of my baby, warming up in the shower, I tried from sitting in a warm bath tub and bought the "Cadillac" of pumps. So, my wanting to get back to work.... well, it was the beginning of the end of nursing. However, my girls nursed in the morning and at night like champs until 11 plus months. One goobled shovel loads of pureed foods and the other went from the breast straight to gumming up small pieces. I dreamed of a freezer full of milk like my friends and mixing up cereal with it. Alas Cereal and Formula mixed is where I started too and introduced water in a sippy cup before 6 months. Just enjoy your baby, they eat when their hungry and grow, grow, grow!!! More power to ya momma! I've been down this road.

Your son knows better than you do. Do the research then make an informed decision. I am going to put a few articles here to read about it. You either need to forget the job and nurse him till at least one year of age, and that is only 6 months away. I would never feed a child infant formula, so toxic. Your child's future health depends on it. Another option, I have heard of other mothers who express/pump their milk and donate it, because they have too much, so maybe you could be on the receiving end of that.

For those below who want to say formula is o.k. for an infant, it shows complete ignorance in your statement. If you know the facts, then speak about it - but don't say otherwise to those in the know, because it shows your lack of knowledge in that area. I am not taking my information out of a hat - it has been scientifically proven. You can buy into the media's commercials and wear blinders if you choose - but your children will pay the price in the end....

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/0...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/1...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/0...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/1...

http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&am...

I had the same supply issues (only mine hit at 4 months) so pumping was not an option for me - even though I kept trying. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about using formula, those who try have no idea how hard it is when you are forced to stop instead of choosing.
Have you tried various kinds of formula? Perhaps try mixing the 1.5 oz that you pumped with 2 oz of formula. Try about 0.5 oz of Gerber juice mixed with the formula. Is there someone else who can offer the bottle of formula so your son doesn't smell you? Good luck- I know it's frustrating but once he decides that formula is ok, you will really enjoy the freedom and you will find that you can still bond while feeding a bottle.

Which formula are you using? Keep trying it. The formulas don't taste that bad..I've tasted them..and it could be worse LOL! Mix some of your BM with it so he gets used to it. Best wishes.