Question

I'm going to be ending this breastfeeding journey unfortunately at 2 months. I'm not producing as much milk as I use to. I've tried everything to gain more but I'm now using what I have stored for when I go back to work April 1st. That being said, any recommendations how to transition to formula? Or what to do? What brand? Does anyone supplement and do both? I'm obviously a new mom.  

Answer 1

My advice on formula is get organic if you can. Read the ingredients and make sure milk solids, and not sugar, is the 1st ingredient.  

Answer 2

I don’t know what’s out there currently because my babies are much older now. But just want to send you hugs. don’t beat yourself up for this. I have three children. I breastfed two but I just couldn’t do for one. (No latching and not enough milk) I tried all herbal treatment but no luck and ended up giving him formula. All three grew up perfectly fine equally ! Hugs.  

Comments

@suzettesuzi yes! Good advice. I cried for days when the lactation consultant told me it was time to give formula because my milk just wouldn’t come in. but, he’s 13 and strong as an ox, so it all worked out.  

Answer 3

I supplemented with formula when I could never pump enough, even with mass amounts of supplements. My kiddo still kept nursing until nearly two and then self weaned.  

Answer 4

That happened to me as well with my second. It took several formulas to find one he could tolerate. That being said, we ultimately found out he was lactose intolerant and soy sensitive. We ended up using Gentlease as he didn’t spit that one up as much. may take a few for you as well. ask your pediatrician if they have samples.  

Answer 5

Good for you! You did a good job for your little one! You should be proud! My sons nurse recommended doing both. Like giving him a little hot of formula in his breast milk bottles and upping it a little at a time. That could help you keep him on it a little while longer if you wanted. And I suggest calling the pediatrician for formula recs! They may even have free samples to give you as well

Comments

@articulator agree with this, and that you did an awesome job! Breastfeeding is a crazy hard journey, and you should be proud for giving your babe what you did!  

Answer 6

Please don't feel like you need a freezer stash of milk. it's unrealistic(for most). All you need is enough milk for the next day. If you want to stay on you BF journey I'm happy to point you to resourses to help

Answer 7

If you’re even slightly entertaining the idea of continuing nursing, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription of Reglan, it’s a digestive med but it has even given adoptive mothers a supply

Answer 8

I had a very hard time nursing as well. I had to switch to formula around two months with both of my kids. So many people made me feel guilty , which was unnecessary because the mama get was already there . I felt embarrassed everytime I pulled out formula to mix the bottle and I'm not kidding when I say people stared. My kids are now are now 9 and 12 and super healthy. They rarely ever get sick. In no way did they suffer from the switch but thrived because they weren't getting enough breast milk from me. They would have suffered more also had I not switch because the mental and emotional toll that not being able to nurse weighed on me was terrible. Do what you need to do. The most important thing your baby needs is a happy healthy mom. Definitely talk to your pediatrician and see if you can get some free samples.  

Comments

@nonentity215 I experienced something similiar. I’m so sorry you experienced that. FED is best.  

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@nonentity215 I went through something similar to and agree with Michelle. My 3. 5 year old is healthy and happy and so is my 3 month old - both were/are formula fed for a variety of reasons. Fed is best.  

Answer 9

Do not be upset! Your child will be just fine. I was in the same situation. My daughter is now a freshman getting a 4. 3 with all honors classes, in a high school sport and spends 18 hours at a club sport. And she hasn’t had any major health issues. Breast feeding is great but so is formula! You are a great mom!  

Answer 10

Hi Lori, the same thing happened to me at 2 months. It was so frustrating and I always beat myself up about it thinking if I could’ve done anything more. Don’t be like me haha! For us, the transition to formula was a little rough. We had a hard time finding the right one and went through so many brands and types. I just did a mix between the breast milk and mixed formula with a higher breast milk ratio at first, then tapered it until it was all formula. Once my daughter was fully formula fed, we started to notice some reflux and other issues so we had to play around with different types to eventually find that Similac Pro-Sensitive was her jam  Enfamil AR was too constipating for her. Good luck mama! Everything will be ok!  

Answer 11

Thanks ladies. honestly I think I'm ok with this more than I was a few days ago. I was so pissed. At my babies 2 week appt they said I had dynamite milk. She gained all her lost weight back plus more, and grew another inch. I was complimented nicely. What happened I have no idea but I can't stress about this anymore. I'm able to go strong all day until early evening with the boob. It's like empty and she gets upset so I go and make a bottle that I produced earlier. I use to make bottles fast. now it takes every feeding after pumping little by little. Even if I can supplement for a little before I go all formula I'll be happy.  

Comments

@egotist13 I supplemented with formula after I went back to work as well, so no judgement on formula. However, I would venture that your supply is actually totally normal and stabilizing out as expected based on the supply and demand of your baby. The milk can come in full force in the beginning, in what is actually a bit of an oversupply, then when it stabilizes down people think they're drying up. If you go back to work and pump each time your babe would have fed, you're likely to produce exactly enough for the following day - not a huge freezer stash worth of extra milk which is a bit of a fallacy for most moms. All that to say you can do both, breastfeed as much as possible when together and supplement when needed. Lastly, check out the wonderweeks app. There are some very predictable developmental 'leaps' which are accompanied by baby being insatiable at the breast, particularly in the evening. Frustrating but actually 100% normal. Following that app helped me recognize that there was nothing wrong with my supply, it was just a part of the growth process. Best of luck to you and your babe, you're doing great!  

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I would have to pump 10 times a day to get enough milk for my son for the sitter. But he nursed fine when together and we went to 2 years. Pumping output is not an indication that your baby is not getting enough milk or you're not producing enough. She may be struggling in the evening because she's over tired, going through a growth spurt or it's part of purple crying. You won't typically just dry up in the evening if she's going strong all day. Try to push past this if you are up for it because it definitely all sounds normal to me.  

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Keep nursing and don’t worry about pumping exactly what she needs to eat. Supply always gets low at night, so giving her a bottle of she’s hungry is ok too. When at home, try to do long nursing sessions-the baby can stimulate you to make more, but also it’s very soothing to them and you too. You will pump way more at work than you think. If she’s having a growth spurt you won’t pump much while you are home-she’s likely taking it all. Supplementing is the best of both worlds-baby is fed, and you can keep nursing as long as you want. Good luck the first is always so hard, the second time around it gets easier imo. I always did pump at 6am(I’d be very full at that time), and that early morning pump was always the best amount I’d pump in a day.  

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@egotist13 I agree with @forster66. If what you need for you is to stop and go to formula, by all means, do what you need to do. Your little one will be healthy and loved either way. But as a first time mom, I thought my supply was waning when I stopped feeling engorged. It took me awhile to realize that it was just normalizing to what my baby needed. Then my little one would go through a growth spurt and I felt like my boobs were going to fall off because she was eating non stop and never seemed satisfied. It's what they do to increase your production. Then things would be back to normal until the next growth spurt. Whether or not this is what is going on, I can't say. There are certainly times when supplies do truly wane. But healthy milk supply isn't the same as engorged boobs all the time (it took my waaay to much fenugreek before I figured that I've out. I think I smelled like fenugreek for weeks trying to keep my supply up. It doesn't smell good). Anyway, keep loving that baby. You're doing great! BTW - I did eventually supplement with formula for all of my kids when I went back to work. I just couldn't pump enough to keep up. They had no issues with standard formula, but I've heard goats milk is a good option if you are trying to go more natural and it was mentioned in several replies.  

Answer 12

I am doing both currently, my son is 6 weeks. I was having so much trouble breastfeeding at first (bad latch no supply. ) That we were almost straight formula for the first two weeks. Went to see a lactation consultant through my ped office and she made me feel so much better. We tried lots of things but he is still about 50/50 breast and bottle but now takes both no problem. Think I just don't make enough milk for my hungry boy, and I don't have time to pump 10 times a day. I'd rather sleep or shower lol. I'm happy hes getting some breast milk as I didn't nurse with my first at all. I also like that Daddy or Grandma can give him a bottle if I need a break. Everyone can judge but if you have a happy healthy baby that's all that matters

Answer 13

We did Similac the orange one. He really liked that. I started 50%milk and 50% formula (alternating milk and formula feedings) and then slowly increases formula every other day.  

Answer 14

My older one was on formula early for a health issue. My younger we combo fed until 7. 5 months when she went fully to formula. I never made enough with either baby. We primarily used similar sensitive, but every baby is different. For transitioning my hungry munchkin took anything, any temp, no cares. My younger one wanted breast. With her we had to have dad do bottles first, warm the formula to body temp and use a super slow flow nipple. Once she got used to it I was able to feed her a bottle with her on my lap not looking at me. If I cradled her she expected the breast. With her I breastfed first thing in the morning, late afternoon and middle of the night. That eventually petered off and she was 100% on formula.  

Answer 15

Look into fenugreek if you want a supplement to help with your supply. Just a suggestion. The most important thing to remember is you know your baby best! Do what is right for your family!  

Answer 16

I have an 11 week old and I was doing both breast and formula pretty much from day 1. I just never produced enough. We use similac pro sensitive. I don’t like the ingredients bc the first one is corn syrup but I don’t know what to get, this one is what my doc recommended for his sensitive tummy so it is what we are doing. I basically stopped nursing a few weeks ago bc he wasn’t gaining weight like he should so doc thought my milk might not be rich enough. On just formula he still is having trouble gaining but at this point I’m only producing maybe two ounces a day so I think I’m gonna just let myself dry up.  

Answer 17

It’s ok. That’s all I’m gonna say.  

Answer 18

You are a great mom.  

Answer 19

I used Gerber Good Start. My son could not handle Enfamil. From what Gerber told me is that they use 100 percent whey in their formulas which other brands use only 50 to 75 percent. Whey is suppose to keep their poop softer. I tried breast feeding my child and it was really hard for me. When I was a baby my mom formula fed me only.  

Answer 20

@egotist13 there’s nothing wrong with supplementing when you go back! I used Baby’s Only formula with my oldest, but that was 6 years ago and there may be better options around now. I’d also highly recommend you check out Breastfeeding for Busy Moms - the group is amazing and there’s a ton Of super valuable info in there that can help you transition easier, or help you with providing a combination of pumped milk and formula if you want to.  

Answer 21

You tried! I did it for about 2 months with supplement as I never made anything and she never latched. We got free samples of different kinds. Cost wise Costco brand is great. My daughter ended up having reflux so we went to similac sensitive and she did well on that. Good luck!  

Answer 22

Long story short, I had to exclusively pump despite working with more than one LC. Eventually I had to supplement formula. Supply was low, I was exhausted and not able to pump around the clock to keep supply up. I did what I could. Initially it was maybe half formula & half breast milk. I kept that up as long as I could, using up all of my freezer stash too. Eventually as I had to use more than half formula, my son became very gassy and therefore extra fussy. At that point I consulted with the pediatrician & switched to a gentle-ease type formula. My son is 11 years old now & the brands/names have certainly changed. but that's what worked for us. My son is strong & healthy. He rarely gets sick. A fed baby is best & healthy happy mom is essential. Good luck to you. I really took "breast is best" to heart. I would say to a fault as my efforts to exclusively pump were definitely unhealthy for me (making me sleep deprived, I felt guilty and super stressed trying anything to breast feed. In the end I know I did not enjoy the first several months of my son's life the way I should have. Trust your mama instincts & I hope you find a formula that works well for your little one.  

Answer 23

I like Enfamil Neuropro for my kids. I currently have a 3 month old and he’s been doing great on it since day 1. I was unable to produce with my first and had the same issue with my 2nd. It was difficult with my first when it happened to me since I was a new mom. I was well prepared with my 2nd and went into it with the mindset of I’ll give my baby whatever I could but not to stress. If you’re able to supplement your own breastmilk do what you can. But most importantly don’t stress. Plenty of babies grow up strong and healthy on formula. My kids like the Tommee Tippee bottles. Just make sure you’re using the right nipples. You might want to start with a slow flow then in a couple months move to a medium flow. Good luck!  

Answer 24

You can call the Edward breastfeeding center, and talk to a lactation consultant for free if you want recommendations for continuing. But if you are set on formula, know that any amount of breastfeeding is great, and you have given your baby a good start. Don't ever feel bad that it didn't last.  

Answer 25

Try to start introducing formula while you still have breast milk left to ease the transition. Agree that Costco brand is a great option- used it with no issues!  

Answer 26

The best

Comments

I respect your opinion. We did order it from Amazon and had no problems. Not cheap

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@capreolate and Aarti, I agree. This is the best. We’ve done 1/2 and 1/2 to stretch the breast milk longer  

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@capreolate our kids both did great with this once I weaned!  

Answer 27

@egotist13 I supplemented with enfamil neuropro. Same thing happened to me he started needing more and I wasn’t producing more than 3 ounces at a time. Eventually he was only on formula and neuropro seemed to be his favorite.  

Answer 28

We do formula in addition to nursing and pumping. We like tge Similac Pro Advance but do its counterpart at Sam’s. You can ease into it and give a little more formula each time. Just try to have it at least at room temperature. You can always pm me for more help or support.  

Answer 29

Hey! You made it, great job mama! I’ve always transitioned each one of my three babes to formula. We always start with sensitive kinds because my kids had reflux, but you’ll find your rhythm and what works for you. I would maybe do a combo of formula and breast milk for a week or as long as you can, then go full formula.  

Answer 30

I was in the same boat with both of my boys. I wasn’t able to produce enough and went back to work at 3 months full time. I didn’t mix breast milk and formula. I just transitioned to Gentlease- every baby is different and tolerates each formula differently. I would just give a little to start but just remember their tummies are small and very sensitive at that age. Good luck momma ♥️

Answer 31

I wasn’t able to produce enough for my twins. I would pump as much as I could for them and follow up with formula. Gentlease is what we used but honestly if I ever have to supplement again, I would look into goat milk formulas. They are much closer to breast milk than other formula but in the end it’s really what your baby will eat and what their body can tolerate.  
https://mtcapra.com/2019/10/18/goat...cipe/

Comments

@egotist13 also whatever brand you decide to go with write a letter to the company explaining you’re a new mom and your situation. A lot of times they will send you “samples” which end up being full cans. And as any formula mom will tell you, it’s so expensive. Get it any way you can.  

Answer 32

First. Great job! 2nd my oldest was breastfed and formula fed. She had no problem with similac. You have make an oz of formula mix it then and another oz of breastmilk to ease baby into formula. Only good for an hour unrefrigerated

Answer 33

I don't make enough either for any of my kids so I've always supplemented and go to all formula around 6 weeks, I like Gerber Good Start also! I've always used Gerber Good Start Gentle, and a friend of mine really likes Gerber Good Start soothe, which is supposed to be even better for gassiness! I've never had any issues transitioning, I'll usually breastfeed them and then give them a little 2 oz bottle of formula afterwards. When you want to start weaning off of breastfeeding completely I would start by breastfeeding every other feeding and then skip two feedings and then three, just to alleviate your own discomfort because when you start skipping feedings they will get very full. until you feel like your breasts aren't really uncomfortably full anymore and at that point you can just stop. You can wear a more snug bra but not so tight that you'll cause a blockage, and if you do have any discomfort you can fill a diaper with water and freeze it to make a nice little cup shaped ice pack!  

Answer 34

I can get you in touch with a friend of mine who is involved in this stuff. Her background is mostly in massage therapy with a focus on fertility massage but she helps women out with all things maternity. Would you like her contact info?  

Answer 35

Please join the Joliet breastfeeding support page and try to make next weeks meeting.  

Answer 36

I am not familiar with the current formula options, as it's been awhile, but I do know that a truly pure Fennel essential oil really helps Mamas produce more milk. Sure wish I had known this back when my twins were babies.  

Answer 37

This was a long time ago, but I was unable to pump at work because of time restrictions. I ended up nursing before and after work and sending formula to daycare. It worked really well. I did use a formula for sensitive tummies though

Answer 38

We had a hard time transitioning. Goat’s milk worked for us. Holle and Kabrita are good brands. We went with Kabrita.  

Answer 39

I did both with my younger son. He lost a good percentage of his body weight within 24 hrs of being born and had jaundice, so we tried formula from day 1. The kid was STARVING and ate so much the first feeding So I nursed/pumped and did formula for a little over 6 months. I would say it was 50/50 and then tapered off the breast milk until he was 100% formula. He wasn’t very picky about formula so that was helpful. I typically would BF and then he would still be hungry bc I hadn’t produced enough and then he would take some formula after exhausting the breast milk. I also pumped a couple times a day. It was so much less strsssful compared to solely breastfeeding/pumping. Trial and error with the formula types. See what works with your babies needs and how they tolerate it. Remember, you can do both BF and formula, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Research shows that even *some* breast milk gives babies benefits (antibodies, etc)—it’s not an all or nothing deal. Also, a sane mom is a good mom, so don’t go crazy trying to do one thing or the other—do what works best for you and baby and for your sanity as well

Answer 40

If you have any allergies in your family history, a soy based formula is recommended. I worked in Newborn Nsy for years & we used Simlac products.  

Answer 41

Formula feeding mama here - two kids! I did a ton of research on formulas and in my opinion, the European brands are much better quality than the US brands. I have used HIPP and Holle with great success. PM me if you have more questions or want to talk.