how to start formula?

We've started introducing formula due to low supply.

having read the rest of your post, I think it would be better to phrase this
as not being able to pump enough, which is almost certainly not due to low
supply. Sorry to be picky, but I'd hate for someone else to stubble across
your post and think that formula was the one solution to low supply.

Cheers

Anne

Yep, you're right, at least I think so since DD doesn't seem to
complain about low milk in the evening or weekends, but she eats so
much during the week it's hard to tell if she's just coasting on that.
I'm pumping a respectable IMHO 11-16oz per day, but it's a decrease
from the 16-20 oz I used to get, and certainly less than my ravenous
daughter can eat (as much as 24 oz in just a 9hr period at daycare!).
FWIW for others reading stumbling across the thread, I'm tackling the
problem by using a good quality double electric pump (Ameda Purely
Yours), taking Fenugreek until I smell funny , eating oatmeal,
drinking Mother's Milk tea, trying to pump every two hours while at
work, and pumping at night with an Isis manual pump. It actually seems
to be working I think, as my freezer stash has stopped hemorrhaging and
we haven't had to give formula except for the test bottles. (I wanted
to give just a couple of ounces of formula to see if it would be a
problem for her before she HAD to have a full bottle of formula because
there wasn't any EBM available)
Anyway, just wanted to acknowledge that I used the term "low supply"
incorrectly to refer to an output/input problem not that my breasts
weren't able to make enough milk (I hope).


Amy

Linz wrote:

She would probably start taking fewer BM feeds around then, so the expressed
milk might last even longer that way.

That was my thought. DS still has the same number of feeds, but since
starting solids the amount he drinks is significantly reduced. I can
tell because his breastfeeds are shorter and I pump less for his Sunday
ebm feed.

Jeni

In my opinion, formulas are the same. Just choose what you think is
right for your baby Emily. But when the time comes, don't give a large
amount of formula in one time. Make sure that she's not constipated or
having a diarrhea. If she has one sign of them, she's probably not
doing fine with the formula. Stop it and pick another one.

However, I prefer you stay on breastfeeding Emily. I still do. My son
is 1 year old now and I bf him in the evening, while he also gets
formula during the day.

Cheers,
Cinnamon Leaf
http://cinnamonleaf.lipblogs.com

wrote in message
However, I prefer you stay on breastfeeding Emily. I still do. My son
is 1 year old now and I bf him in the evening, while he also gets
formula during the day.

That's your preference. However, everyone is different and everyone's
circumstances are different. You do what is right for your family and the
rest of us will do what is right for ours. )

--
Sue (mom to three girls)

wrote in message
ups.com...
In my opinion, formulas are the same. Just choose what you think is
right for your baby Emily. But when the time comes, don't give a large
amount of formula in one time. Make sure that she's not constipated or
having a diarrhea. If she has one sign of them, she's probably not
doing fine with the formula. Stop it and pick another one.

Well, maybe from brand to brand they're pretty much the same, but there are
so many different formulations (dha, ara, lipil, etc) there has to be some
difference...

However, I prefer you stay on breastfeeding Emily. I still do. My son
is 1 year old now and I bf him in the evening, while he also gets
formula during the day.

I understand your opinion, but that just won't work for me. I consider it a
miracle that I have provided breastmilk this far, and also that I have
stockpiled enough to go at least 3 more months. I never liked
breastfeeding, and have been pumping exclusively. I am exhausted with
explaining why, and am content in knowing that I have done the best I could.

"Sue" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
However, I prefer you stay on breastfeeding Emily. I still do. My son
is 1 year old now and I bf him in the evening, while he also gets
formula during the day.

That's your preference. However, everyone is different and everyone's
circumstances are different. You do what is right for your family and the
rest of us will do what is right for ours. )

--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Thank you. Sometimes I'm afraid to even post here because so many people
pass strong judgement...

"oregonchick" wrote in message
...
Ok, my ability to pump an adequate amount breastmilk is dwindling, and now
I am feeding mostly thawed breastmilk that I have stored up since January.
We have about 400 6 oz bags - enough to last about 3 more months, which
will put Emily at almost 8 months. At that point, we will need to do
formula. I guess it's a little early, but in looking at all the formulas
available, it's mind boggling. There's powdered, ready to drink and
liquid concetrate. Then there's "supreme" with dha and ara, and all this
other nonsense. When we get to the point we are close to running out of
breastmilk, I'd like to have some plan in mind on how to switch. Or do I
supplement now? Like, feeding formula in the morning, or evening and feed
breastmilk the rest of the time?

A lot of this is personal preference I imagine. Personally I would start
now with just one bottle of formula every few days. I'd do this to make
sure you have plenty of time to try different kinds of formula if the first
one you try doesn't agree with her for some reason. FWIW Luke did fine
(both health wise and accepting it) on the first bottle of formula I gave
him so it may be quite easy.

Personally I'd use up all the freezer stash before starting the formula. I
know some people mix the formula and breastmilk together in the bottle but I
kept them separate and it worked fine. I supplemented a few bottles of
formula a week when I couldn't pump enough for daycare.

I've heard that the Parents Choice brand is just as good nutritionally as
the others and more reasonably priced. I personally used powder. I can't
even remember which brand I used with Luke but I did use a low iron formula
because he got so few bottles a week that I was more concerned about
constipation issues then I was with iron intake. If I were to use formula
in more significant amounts I'd get the kind with iron for sure.

You've done great with the pumping btw!


--
Nikki, mama to
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Brock 4/06
Ben 4/06

On 28 Apr 2006 02:35:45 -0700, wrote:

However, I prefer you stay on breastfeeding Emily.

What you prefer is not the issue here.
--
Linz
YB: 2 years, 11.5kg, 83cm, still breastfed.

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:10:27 -0700, "oregonchick"
wrote:

Ok, my ability to pump an adequate amount breastmilk is dwindling, and now I
am feeding mostly thawed breastmilk that I have stored up since January. We
have about 400 6 oz bags - enough to last about 3 more months, which will
put Emily at almost 8 months. At that point, we will need to do formula. I
guess it's a little early, but in looking at all the formulas available,
it's mind boggling. There's powdered, ready to drink and liquid concetrate.

Powder is the cheapest and has the same nutritional values as the
other forms. The ready to drink and concentrate are just more handy.

Then there's "supreme" with dha and ara, and all this other nonsense. When

I always chosed the one with DHA and ARA and Iron. I started with Good
start from nestle because they claim that their proteins are the best.
I later switched to similac and enfantmil (?spelling). I used both
brands to be sure that the baby will get from one what he is missing
from the other. At the end I used the costco brand, but then he was
eating a lot of solids.

we get to the point we are close to running out of breastmilk, I'd like to
have some plan in mind on how to switch. Or do I supplement now? Like,
feeding formula in the morning, or evening and feed breastmilk the rest of
the time?

I would introduce the formula step by step. Starting with a feed a
day. If she doesn't like it you might have to mix it with breast milk
and increase the content of formula over time.

Anne