To Supplement or Not to Supplement

This question is really a question only you can answer. I have been breastfeeding my son for almost two years. At four months, he stopped taking a bottle. I really only preferred breast milk, but if I wasn't home, my husband or friend could at least give him the formula. In the beginning, it really didn't make a difference except I started noticing that his tummy would bother him. I had many bags in the freezer but he wouldn't even take those. He only wanted fresh from the tap. Needless to say, there isn't any way that I could work. Like I said, he is almost two years old and I'm very tired. I wouldn't change a thing but I think working is to your advantage. I would try the formula as it is so important to get your rest. I really have to watch what I do. I wait to drive or cook sometimes because I just don't get enough sleep. For almost year, I was getting may be two hour intervals. It's a little better now but he doesn't sleep through the night.

I have been slowly weaning him for a year. I thought it was cruel to cut him off, but some mothers say it's the only way.

Hi D.,
Try getting your daughter on a feeding schedule. At 13 weeks, you should not need to feed/pump more than 7 times per day (that's every 3-4 hours without having to get up at night). Your breasts will adjust and she will get all the nourishment she needs.
Good Luck,
S.
www.CreateWealth.myarbonne.com

Every family has it's own needs, so do what YOU need to do in order to be a "good" mom, wife, and employee!!! don't feel guilty, be happy you have been able to do it this long and just do what you think you need to do.

With my son I had to go back to work when he was 3 months. I am a teacher, so pumping was left for special breaks and lunch. By the 4th month I was really behind at work and my supply started to diminish... so I supplemented and pumped as I could. You have to do what you have to do. With my daughter though, i went back at 7 months and I had a different pump (double medela). I actually could pump waaay more in a lot less time than with my old pump. (6-8 oz in 10 minutes! lol) So if you are really wanting to try to stick to pumping that is another option as well.

hope that was helpful!

Hi D.
Congratulations on your sweet baby and on giving her such a wonderful start! I also have an almost-13 weeks-old baby girl and it sounds like maybe your baby is going thru a growth spurt. It happened with mine at around 2 weeks, then again at 5 and 8 weeks, and now at 12 weeks. Is she cluster feeding? Meaning eating many times in a row? Or eating very frequently?
During a growth spurt it seems like they will never stop eating but they eventually do go back to their normal "schedule".
Also, are you feeding her when you are home or are you expressing at home too? I would definitely recommend feeding her directly whenever you are home and on demand. The baby is ten times more efficient at extracting milk than a pump, and it would also help save some of your stash from when you are working.
This is my second child and I can tell you from experience that the first 3 months of breastfeeding are very tough and demanding. Once you get past them it all becomes WAY easier,
and I mean WAY easier.
I don't think you should feel guilty about supplementing but I do think you need to be aware that it can compromise the breastfeeding relationship. Breastfeeding is 100% a supply/demand relationship. If you give a bottle of formula and you don't pump to compensate for it, your supply will decrease. It can become a slippery slope for some because if you don't compensate for the supplement your body adjusts to produce less milk and then you are in a pickle... Lesser supply so you supplement more and you see where that can go.
You asked for advice so I will be 100% honest with you... Your baby is only going to be this little once. I can only imagine how tired you must be but just try to remember that this is a very small period of time in the grand scheme of things. If I was in your situation I would breastfeed on demand when I came home, in the morning before heading out to work and on the weekends and I would ride out the growth spurts. You are giving your daughter such a wonderful start and the fact that she is above 100% in her percentiles shows that you have a wonderful breastfeeding relationship established and that you are doing an incredible job.
Don't give in just yet! Trust me it is 100% worth it!

D.:
If you relax and imagine your baby feeding from you your breasts will let down more milk. Also Whole Foods sells Mother's Milk Tea, Mother's Milk Drops, Natural Black Licorice, Malt Drink, Fish Oil vitamins...these all help with the production of Healthy Breast Milk...keep them by your pumping station and you won't forget them. It is worth loosing and hour a day at work now to keep a healthy baby, child and adult...the breast milk educates the immune system to fight anything present and future. You'll see...if you keep it up your child will miss less school and have less medical issues. If you are tired of cleaning breast pump parts, they sell extra parts...you can buy them now and save time...time is money. She may just be having a growth spurt...they call it cluster feeding...it'll pass...she'll go through it from time to time. The breast milk is all they need...trust me my daughter ONLY breast fed until 10 months...NO food!!! she didn't want it. She is the healthiest kid I know. My son on the other hand is 7 moths now...I had to start feeding him food at 5 months to keep him satisfied. If you need to supplement though, try an organic brand from Whole Foods...it is not worth the risk of chemicals and hormones to a tiny baby:)
The time flies...she'll grow up faster than you can imagine...she will only be this little once....give her what she needs you'll live through it and soon after forget most of it.
Good Luck
L.

PS: there is a great store call "The Upper Breast Side" in Manhattan, NY that sells a pumping bra that is hands free...it's so cool...you can probably even get some work done or call while pumping.

Hi D.,

I feel your pain but don't feel guilty! I went through a very similar problem but was told by the pediatrician that as long as my baby was growing, I shouldn't worry. You should talk to your pediatrician before you supplement with formula. However, I eventually supplemented when my baby was about four months old because it got too difficult to pump as much as I needed to. Not to mention, it was pain! Make sure you drink a TON of water. Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories so you may have to eat a little more than normal too.
Good luck and just the fact that you're breastfeeding at all is amazing.

Give yourself a break! Your baby will do just fine with supplements and the extra rest will benefit you and also your little one as she gets a more relaxed mom! I did the pumping at work thing too and eventually....about three months....I just couldn't pump enough to keep up with the demand either. The problem was the pediatrician told us to add soy formula, which made my daughter sick! Finally we found a formula she could tolerate, which turned out to be Carnation Good Start. It was really trial and error to see which formula was best. As she grew, she lost interest in the breast because it was easier for her to drink formula or breastmilk from a bottle (and faster too!), so she weaned herself at about four months. You know, I've seen these moms who breastfeed for a year or more and I envisioned it being that way, but, every situation is different and there is no one "right" way to do things....you'll find that applies to many areas of child rearing! Every baby is different and even with my 2 kids, we needed to take a different approach with each one. I'm proud to say that my daughter, the little baby who weaned herself at four months and switched to <gasp!> formula(!) will be 16 in November and she's grown up to be a beautiful, smart, successful, popular young lady! (if i say so myself!)The world will not end if you add a supplement....just be sure it's the right one! :)

I was going to respond, but Victoria has written almost EXACTLY the advice I would suggest to you. =) So I will just say, I totally agree!

Hi D.,

Congrats on your daughter!! I was a low producer and still am (sigh!) after 9 months of breastfeeding and pumping during the week. The important thing is that you are giving all you can to your daughter. If you have to give formula, then it is only as a supplement... remember that. You can't do more than you already doing. There are natural herbs you can take and teas, but I didn't get much increase. I am and have been consistently 3.5-4 ozs each pump. My son eats 4-5 oz at least. One additional thing that I do is pump after his feeding in the morning. That is when you are the most full and I can get another 2-4 oz depending, that I use for the next day. Also, in regards to the pumps, I keep the bottle bag in my office w/ ice on it. I use 2 bottles to pump, and store in one bottle. Everything is kept cold and I can reuse one bottle and the flanges. I change every morning, have never had any issues and it has saved a lot of time at work. Hopefully that will be helpful advice.

Best of luck!