Breastfeeding but Supplementing for Weight gain--Schedule???

Hi T., I am sure you know the first three months are the most important so that the baby gets your immune system until she can produce her own.
I breastfeed and loved it with my second child. But my little girls weight went up significantly, she jumped a couple growth curves when I switched to formula. And I was still taking my prenatals and eating tons and healthy food at that. As a matter of fact, I did not start loosing weight really until I stopped breastfeeding. But I think it is possible some people have food sensitivities that don't allow them to absorb all that is needed for our little ones. Not sure if that is your case and I am not saying to stop breastfeeding by all means, it is such an amazing privelage we have as women. But just wanted you to hear another side of the story.

Make sure you are eating enough calories. If you are feeding so much it's possible you are not taking care of yourself and therefore producing "skim milk." If you pump, does your bottle have a layer of something that looks like cream on top or does it look watery like skim milk? If you do feel you need to eat more, eat "healthy" fats like nuts, seeds, salmon and avocado in addition to whole grains, dairy and fruits/veggies.

If this is not the case, then check with the pediatrician and make sure she is a healthy weight and then try breast-feeding every 3 hours again but make sure you breast-feed for at least 20-30 min and that she eats enough. If she begins losing weight again, add a few ounces of formula after each feeding. It's likely she is just grazing and not getting a full feeding and that's why she wants to eat so often. I'm sure you know that not every cry means she is hungry though. Good luck1

Hi, T.! Breastfeed on demand as much as possible whenever the baby is hungry. However, please don't feel guilty if you end up having to suplement. I had to do the same thing at the begining as I worked to get my milk to come in and now when my baby is 10 months because my high metabolism will not allow me to keep my weight on. The most important thing is that the baby is getting the nutrition she needs to develop properly. Best of luck with those four lovely babies!

I had to do the same thing for both of my daughters. The second, however, seemed to be on the same schedule as yours (every 1.5-2 hours) which can be very consuming of your time. However, she did start to eat more regularly (every 3-4 hrs and sleeping for 6-7 hours at night) in recent weeks. She is now 10 weeks. Just know that she will "cluster feed" from time to time also as she hits a growing spurt to make sure your milk supply increases. So if you are supplementing, you may want to pump also (in all of your spare time) to make sure you continue producing enough. We are still supplementing, as it gives my husband time with her and me a break. But I do pump occasionally. I hope this has been helpful. If you need any help or support, please feel free to contact me directly! Sounds like we are in the same boat! Congrats on your new addition!

I would try "bundling" the feedings, as in give her the breastmilk and then follow right away with some formula. "On Becoming Babywise" has wonderful guidelines for scheduling, and it really doesn't matter how the baby is being fed/what she's eating. The idea is to stretch the time between feedings to about every 3 hours, depending on how old she is, and what her pediatrician recommends. Try different things to calm her, such as distracting her with playtime, a puppet show, reading a book so food is not her only comfort, and not your only source of calming her! Good luck, and glad to hear about the weight gain!
M.

I had to do this with my first daughter. I was afraid my milk supply would suffer and it wouldn't be able to catch back up, but I figured out what worked for us and I was able to breastfeed for ten months (only the first two with additional supplements). What I found worked best for us was to feed her on each breast when she was hungry and then immediately after I would "top her off" with formula. When I started doing this she stopped being so fussy and started gaining weight. She would usually only take an addition 2 or 3 oz of the formula and she would stop drinking when she was full. Around her 2 month b-day she was hardly drinking any formula at all. I guess I was finally producing enough for her (and we had finally worked through all of our latch on issues - I had an inverted nipple that made latching on a nightmare). Stick with it and I know you'll be glad you did. My doc said as long as your baby is getting some breast milk he/she is getting the benefits regardless of additional formula being given. Good luck. I hope this helps.

This "schedule" is normal:) Both my children had several "growth humps" -- they would breastfeed every 2-hours, up the 45-min, and then take another 2-4 oz of formula:) They "scheduled" after a few months with only a few minor humps after that.

While it was a chore, and "giving up yourself" for awhile seems like "too much" for many moms, I enjoyed the bonding. I work full-time and pumped, supplemented 30-50% and made it to 15-mos with both kids:)

Don't fear lack of weight gain unless your baby strays from her growth chart trend -- if she's making enough diapers and staying on-course, you can too! That's not to say everyone can do this -- you cannot watch your calories (you need all the fats you can get), you need to drink almost 1 1/2 gallons of fluids daily (1/2 for you and 1/2 for milk), talk with La Leche or get support somewhere. You can do it!

Schedules? No way...just feed on demand. I personally don't eat at a particular time each and every day. I eat when I'm hungry and I think especially as a newborn that goes through grow spurts like crazy here and there, they shouldn't be put on a schedule. Sure, you can withhold until the time is right or feed even when they aren't hungry at that time, but to me...I'm rather feed them on demand...when they are needing it.

I also wouldn't worry about the weight gain either. Some kids just don't gain a lot of weight especially if the make up of the family is smaller. I don't know if that is the case with you, but I have friends like this...one child may be 15 pounds now at 1 year....they are just petite and small...nothing wrong with the child and her mother has plenty of rich milk.

Hi, T..

Breastfeeding is a very sensitive topic, as you will find out from the responses to your question, and as I have found out from my questions here and in other places. I think you should do what is good for both your baby and you. So, here is my experience. I had to start supplementing with formula, because my daughter was constantly hungry and I was exhausted from breastfeeding around the clock for 2 months, while trying to work at the same time. I tried different things to increase my milk supply, but nothing worked, diets, tea, pumping. My opinion is, all these make the breastfeeding experience stressful if you have to continue for a long time. I think our bodies sometimes just do not produce enough milk (or good enough milk), and that may vary with each pregnancy.

I found out that I could collect enough milk in 4-5 hours (by pumping milk different times in the day to check my milk supply). I told this to my doctor, and she suggested that I try alternating breastfeeding and formula. This has worked great for me, and helped me keep my sanity. I love breastfeeding my daughter, and she is happy and content with this schedule, and gaining weight just on track. Usually, breastfeeding would give me 2 hours betweeen feedings, and formula 3 hours. The moderate advice is any breastfeeding is good, and the longer you can go the best. I have found out that I can breastfeed my daughter for much longer with this schedule.

Good luck with any decision that you take, and please remember to be comfortable with your decision. And, yes, please let us know how your baby is doing.

I would agree. Feed on demand is best. I would suggest nursing and on both sides at once if baby lets you and then if she still acts hungry possible supplement with a small amount of fourmula. My son nursed every two hours for the first two months and my sister-in-law had the same experience. If you are going to go back to work/start work you can try a schedule about a week before hand when she will have had a few weeks to settle into her own body needs...I am assuming she is relatively new. Hope this helps!

N. Karrels
Mom to 22 mo old John Michael

hi T.! i am sure your hands are full with four little ones! i don't think you mentioned the age of your nursing baby but when i read your post it really hit home with me. i had to begin supplementing my third child due to failure to thrive at 4 months (who is now 22 months and anything BUT underweight--he eats more then both my other kiddos put together :). it was such a hard situation to go through especially when my other two breasfed exclusively with no issues. i did not want to give up my brestfeeding bond so back to the lactation consultant i went and i was able to use a supplementer that attached to my breast as he nursed and gave him the extra calories he needed. just thought i would throw my situation into the mix. please let us know how things are going for you. would be glad to talk with you more if you need any more info about supplementers or lactation consultants. hand in there!!

I would nurse my son and an hour later he wanted to nurse again. It was like that for the first 2 months and then he started to go longer. He was just hungry and doubled his birth wieght in 2 months. Just nurse on demand and don't worry about how much you should or shouldn't be nursing. If she is gaining weight you may not have to supplement anymore.

Personally I think the word schedule should be banned from every breastfeeding mom's vocabulary. I HAVE to feed the baby when they are hungry. Whether that is 3 hours later or 30 minutes later. The only way your baby has to regulate your milk supply is by eating. They eat more, you make more. If you feed them when they are hungry you will always have enough milk and they will gain weight fine. There is NOTHING in formula that your milk cannot provide. there is NO NEED to supplement a baby with formula. It is an INFERIOR product. Your milk is perfect for them as long as you are eating a decent diet as well. Yes, formula makes them feel full longer so they go longer between feedings, but this is only because they have a harder time digesting it and it is just sitting in their bellies. It's not helping them. If you want to give extra so that you can "see" how much she is eating then I would pump and feed a bottle of expressed milk in between. This would also increase your milk supply. By supplementing with formula you are setting yourself up for a bad cycle. Here's how it works:

Baby breastfeeds, then you give her formula next feeding. Well, unless you pumped that feeding you just skipped one she needed so your body says, "hey, I don't need to make that much anymore, I'll make less" the formula sits in baby's gut longer so she doesn't need to eat as often as she would breastfeeding so again, you start making less. This causes a lot of woment o feel like their milk supply isn't sufficient, but they are causing this cycle.

I have 4 children, all breastfed for 11-16 months apiece. I NEVER used formula. Not even once. Yes, there were times when the baby wanted to eat every half hour. I fed them. These are called frequenncy days and are incredibly tiring, but if you go along your body will do it's job, make more milk and the baby will even out.

Formula is not what you need. Don't buy the lie.