I feel like anytime I ever read a post about breastfeeding everyone always puts a disclaimer about how they are not judging and how everyone has to do what's best for your family and what works for you and blah blah... so if you feel necessary you can insert generic disclaimer here :).
I personally think it stinks that's it's such a touchy subject. A while back Kelly from Kelly's Korner had a post about moms judging other moms and how come we can't all get along etc that I could not agree more with! I mean being a mom is stressful enough with your own insecurities, why would we want to put added stress and pressure on each other! And I spent the last 30 min trying to find the post I'm talking about so I could link it but I finally gave up...
So, I've been breastfeeding from the beginning and am trying to keep it going but now that I'm having to make bottles for Molly everyday it's becoming more and more apparent that I'm just not making enough! I am more than open to suggestions on how to increase my supply but I'm pretty sure I've tried them all!
Here are things I've tried.... eating more, drinking more water, pumping very often, although now that I'm back at work I can only pump so many times during the day, taking fenugreek, nursing molly as often as possible.
I think the best way to increase supply is to let her nurse as often as possible but that has become a problem because now that Molly is used to a bottle she gets very frustrated if I start to nurse her and nothing comes out IMMEDIATELY. Sometimes she can be patient enough for my milk to let down but sometimes she just gets so mad that she'll start screaming her head off and will refuse it! Then I go get her a bottle and she sucks it dry. Go figure... first she wouldn't take a bottle, now she won't take the boob!
When she is patient enough to nurse as soon as something stops coming out she starts tugging at it and starts crying/screaming and looks at me like, "WHY DID YOU MAKE IT STOP??" Poor thing.. so mistreated!
I guess I'm going to continue to pump as long as something comes out but supplement with formula because I'm only making enough for 3 ounce feedings (and sometimes that's pushing it) but she is ready for 4-5 ounce feedings.
So I can't decide if I should start giving her bottles of 3 ounces of breast milk and one ounce formula and eventually change the ratio of milk to formula if/when needed. Or if I should start using the bags I stored up in the freezer and giving her 1 formula bottle a day and increase the number of formula bottles if/when needed.
If I do mix the formula and breast milk, how does that work? I mix the formula with water and then add it to the breast milk and then refridgerate it? I'm assuming formula can be refridgerated and then heated?
And then what formula do i get???????? I mean there are like a BAJILLION kinds. I have some free cans that people/companies have sent me and I would like to take advantage of them but they are all different kinds. It is wrong to keep switching formula on her until I run out of the free ones?
AND FYI.. this was totally supposed to be a post about what I like and dislike about breastfeeding but my ramblings sent me in a different direction.. haha maybe I'll get to that tomorrow :)
7 comments:
sooo i'm definitely NOT the expert on this having no kids and not being a doctor YET, but we are learning alot about this stuff in Immuno right now.....and then i know that Lauren had the same problem alot earlier..... Truthfully if you start her on more formual it probably wouldn't hurt, she has received (i think) alot of the important stuff already in the colostrum at the beginning and is now only receiving mostly IgA which she has been getting the entire time since 24 hours after she was born, not to mention she got alot of the good stuff through the placenta before.........but that's also a personal decision as to how you want to keep going so don't listen to me too much, just thought i'd make you feel better about if you want to stop....... i know lauren had to stop early with kenadi and she put her on the enfamil non-gassy(probably spelled wrong) formula since she started, it's the big purple can........she's done great and has been on it since the beginning.......you can call lauren and ask her, or even troy if you want, they would know wayyyy more than me.......
I'm certainly no expert either - since I didn't breastfeed either one of my kids, but I think maybe you should talk to your doctor or sometimes the hospitals have a lactation specialist who will help with these kinds of questions/problems. I mean you will hear a "bajilion" suggestions from everyone, but I think I would go to my best option and then decide what you think is best for you and Molly based on trusted information....Love to all......xoxoxoxo
I had my daughter a day after Molly was born and I am having the same problems with pumping. I was pumping enough at first to last her through the day at her babysitters, not I am getting about 3 ounces out at each pump. She is also taking five ounces...I started combining th mile that I pumped into 5 ounce bags and when she runs out of that her babysitter gives her formula. We use the Enfamil Prosobee because she wouldn't take anything else. Hope this helps...
I think you have done a fantastic job. You have to listen to your body. You guys will do great either way.
Breastfeeding is frustrating to me too! What makes it more frustrating is that it seems to come easily to some women--why not me? Since we've been supplementing from the beginning, I've noticed that Will sometimes takes more from a bottle than breast b/c it's so fast. So maybe you had enough milk for what she needed but now that she takes a bottle she thinks she wants more. Does that make sense? I would def. use samples at first b/c formula is so expensive. Sam and Will have not been picky, but we had a time with Abby finding one that she liked and/or "agreed with her". Anyway, I know it's tough, but I'm impressed how well you've done!
hey I know how you feel. I was totally frustrated with breastfeeding and only lasted about 12-13 weeks. Hollyn had a horrible stomach and lots of trouble with gas. she was very picky after breastmilk...which i have heard is very sweet so she didn't really like formula. We finally ended up on enfamil gentleease. Our pedatrician told me to give her at least a week on each one to see how she does and if she still doesn't like it/ agree with it then change for another week and so on. I just used up all of my supply in the freezer and went to formula. It was a rough couple of weeks but all in all we did okay. you have done a great job and she is a doll.
Ok well don't try anything but Nutramigen or gentalease....we used one on Noah and Will and the other on Brooklyn. I don't think any child can do the regular formula, uhh I know you are going to get a lot of advice so ask your pediatrician but please don't even try the regular formula, it's a waste of time and sleep....
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