supplementing with formula - does anyone here?

We took Moo boy swimming today and afterwards I settled down to
breasteed him, nothing unusual there, a few people do, some with
bottles, some with boob. Us parents were talking afterwards about
weaning and I said that I was going to wait until Moo was ready for
it, we talked about how we'd know that he was ready etc and one of the
dads was really surprised that he only ever has breast milk. Moo is
one of the healthiest looking babies there, he's so fat I swear the
water raises in the pool when we get in! The dad asked if it was
tough on me, and I agreed it can be but as it's not forever I was
prepared to do it for the good of the Moo.

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

cheers (the first time I typed this it came out with a typo -
'chewers', maybe thats more apt for a teething boy!

teapot

teapot wrote:

The dad asked if it was
tough on me, and I agreed it can be but as it's not forever I was
prepared to do it for the good of the Moo.

"the good of the Moo" ...hehehehe...that cracked me up.

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

I didn't, but I know that there are many who do/have.
--
'Tis Herself

teapot wrote:

We took Moo boy swimming today and afterwards I settled down to
breasteed him, nothing unusual there, a few people do, some with
bottles, some with boob. Us parents were talking afterwards about
weaning and I said that I was going to wait until Moo was ready for
it, we talked about how we'd know that he was ready etc and one of the
dads was really surprised that he only ever has breast milk. Moo is
one of the healthiest looking babies there, he's so fat I swear the
water raises in the pool when we get in! The dad asked if it was
tough on me, and I agreed it can be but as it's not forever I was
prepared to do it for the good of the Moo.

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

cheers (the first time I typed this it came out with a typo -
'chewers', maybe thats more apt for a teething boy!

teapot

The only reason why I would supplement with formula is because I'm
working away from the baby the entire day, I can't produce (pump) enough
breastmilk for the baby. If I'm with the baby fulltime then there's no
reason to supplement.

Jeanne

(teapot) wrote,

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

Will got some formula for a few days around the four-week mark, when I was
desperately trying to get my painfully cracked nipples to heal. I have
regretted this for eight years now.

Neither Matthew nor Margaret ever got a drop of formula. I am a WOH mom and I
pumped all that they needed in my absence.

None of my babies started solids until past six months, and none of them were
interested at all for quite awhile beyond that.

Mary Ellen
William (8)
Matthew (6)
Margaret (2)

"teapot" wrote in message
om...

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

There's a very good chance that those folks who do so, do so largely because
they think they're supposed to. I mean, the jars of baby food say 'from 4
months', follow-on milk is advertised for "larger babies" and lots of people
get poor advice from their doctors or health visitors.

I've never needed to supplement for supply reasons. Mercy, I have always had
too *much* milk, and the idea of offering something instead when I've got
breasts painfully full with perfectly good milk is a ridiculous thought in
my case. However I certainly see the need for it in many situations, f'r'ex
when a woman cannot pump enough milk at work, or if her supply is genuinely
too low for baby's needs. But I'm talking about formula, here, *not* about
solids. My philosophy on solids, now that I'm nursing babe #4, is that she
can have them (in appropriate amounts and types) when she can put them in
her own mouth with her own two grubby little hands. I spooned glop into my
firstborn's mouth because I didn't know any better, and because honestly I
believed it was part of having a little baby - you have to spoon stuff into
their mouths even if they don't know how to eat it. I think a lot of people
are like that, especially with first babies. But now I'm too busy with
other kids, and too lazy besides. Nursing is easier, more nutritious,
and takes me a lot less time.

--angela

snip
It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

cheers (the first time I typed this it came out with a typo -
'chewers', maybe thats more apt for a teething boy!

teapot

The only reason why I would supplement with formula is because I'm
working away from the baby the entire day, I can't produce (pump) enough
breastmilk for the baby. If I'm with the baby fulltime then there's no
reason to supplement.

Jeanne

I wouldn't say we "supplement" - DS is nine months now and he gets a
bottle of formula about once a month when we leave him with a
grandparent or aunt for a few hours in the evening. He usually only
drinks enough formula to comfort "nurse" to sleep - two or three
ounces - and other than that he has water from his sippy cup and his
dinner. I always make sure he gets a big nurse before we leave and
again once we're back. I used to pump but I hated it, and I decided
for the few times we leave him with a sitter these days, formula would
be more convenient. He doesn't seem to mind, from all reports. No need
to supplement for nutrition, though!

Melania

"teapot" wrote in message
om...
We took Moo boy swimming today and afterwards I settled down to
breasteed him, nothing unusual there, a few people do, some with
bottles, some with boob. Us parents were talking afterwards about
weaning and I said that I was going to wait until Moo was ready for
it, we talked about how we'd know that he was ready etc and one of the
dads was really surprised that he only ever has breast milk. Moo is
one of the healthiest looking babies there, he's so fat I swear the
water raises in the pool when we get in! The dad asked if it was
tough on me, and I agreed it can be but as it's not forever I was
prepared to do it for the good of the Moo.

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

cheers (the first time I typed this it came out with a typo -
'chewers', maybe thats more apt for a teething boy!

teapot

I have had friends who have and it often works for them. The lady I know who
is doing it now is lucky enought that her supply seems invincible and she
has no objection to formula (in other words thinks that breastmilk is best
but formula is okay as a back up)so she's quite happy to do it.

This is a slightly older baby though. She didn't introduce a bottle untill a
few months and even now it's just every now and then.

I'd do it later on if I had to go out and I hadn't any EBM in the freezer.
Especially after baby was on solids.

Speaking of which we plan to start at six months at the earliest depending
on babyGive his gut a chnace to get ready but to be honest with a toddler
around there is also the fact that it's a hassle pureeing stuff and the mess
especially with a toddler around. So we will leave it as long as possible

Judy

I have never supplemented. I never saw the need, nor would have wanted to.

However, almost all of my friends--with children the same age as
Zach--started supplementing with formula at around 9 mos. I also witnessed
that shortly after they started supplementing, their breastfeeding
relationship had ceased.

Annie
happily still bf Zach at almost 16 mos old

"teapot" wrote in message
om...
We took Moo boy swimming today and afterwards I settled down to
breasteed him, nothing unusual there, a few people do, some with
bottles, some with boob. Us parents were talking afterwards about
weaning and I said that I was going to wait until Moo was ready for
it, we talked about how we'd know that he was ready etc and one of the
dads was really surprised that he only ever has breast milk. Moo is
one of the healthiest looking babies there, he's so fat I swear the
water raises in the pool when we get in! The dad asked if it was
tough on me, and I agreed it can be but as it's not forever I was
prepared to do it for the good of the Moo.

It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

cheers (the first time I typed this it came out with a typo -
'chewers', maybe thats more apt for a teething boy!

teapot

teapot wrote:
[...]
It seems the others have either started their babies on solids at
around 4 months and/or are supplementing with forumla. Is this common
practice? I am not considering it for us but would like to know if
any of you lot supplement.

We do not. Pillbug got formula his first week,
but that was it. No formula since!

-- Anita --
Pillbug is 4 months today!!!

--
SUCCESS FOUR FLIGHTS THURSDAY MORNING ALL AGAINST
TWENTY ONE MILE WIND STARTED FROM LEVEL WITH ENGINE
POWER ALONE AVERAGE SPEED THROUGH AIR THIRTY ONE
MILES LONGEST 57 SECONDS INFORM PRESS HOME CHRISTMAS.

Hi -

I supplemented my first starting at a couple of months old, when I went
back to work. I had a good EBM supply, so he didn't get very much
formula, but he weaned at about 10 months, to my regret. My second
had violent vomiting from formula at 4 months old, when we tried it out.
We wound up supplementing with Alimentum, but very rarely (in large part
because the stuff is SO expensive). This one weaned at 13 months (again
to my regret) because he just was NOT able to hold still long enough to
nurse properly.

Both kids also had EBM. If I knew then what I know now, I would not
have supplemented at all, but would have tried to keep up with the EBM.
I wish I'd been able to nurse longer. WIth #1 I think the supplementing
did lead to earlier weaning. With #2, I think formula wasn't nearly as
much of a factor.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.