Combination feeding

[ElizabethN]

It appears that even my awesome freezer stash (which peaked at 7 liters - about 230 ounces - and is now just under 200 ounces) is not going to hold up with my monster eater. His daycare teachers have been complaining that he is hungry and that I'm not sending in enough milk, so I sent a few giant bottles today to try to get a handle on how much he actually wants. He ate 18 ounces today in three feedings (two 7 ounce bottles and a 4 ounce). In the same time period, I pumped about nine ounces (today was a slow day - usually I get 11-13).

It seems that his intake at daycare went up dramatically when he started sleeping through the night, which I guess makes sense - he's not getting as many calories at night as he used to. I added one evening pumping, but I don't think getting up in the middle of the night to pump is good for me - I'm already very fatigued and stressed, and I think that fatigue is affecting my milk supply. I haven't added fenugreek yet, but I will start on that and blessed thistle as soon as I can buy some.

But the bottom line is that if he doesn't back off soon, I'm going to have to introduce formula.

Is there any formula that's better than others for combination feeding? Does it matter? I will still nurse him as much as I am able, although I may stop pumping at work if I can't keep up with him anyway.

I'm feeling pretty emotional about this right now. Any words of wisdom?

[bugsmom]

FIrst of all, I am sorry about the "monster" and his high demand. I have heard the best things about Carnation. Let me ask SIL who supplemented with her first.

[K. C.]

It must be the age. I am working in a daycare now, and some of our 4/5 month old Moms are struggling too. Perhaps it is a growth spurt time?

One Mom is thinking of introducing cereal in the morning to maybe help the situation.

Another Mom is going to try to keep up. I think it might work for her. Her DS is not always consistent with 3 or 4 hour feeds, and occasionally adding more after an uncontent feeding and other days no extra so it seems to level out.

Another Mom does mix some of her bottles with formula, but I do not know what brand.

Just a thought, are the daycare providers pro-breastfeeding? I have bf all of my children. But, I do know that the daycare providers who did not breastfed are a bit more pushy to put more in the bottle or to start food (or at least this has been my experience).

Best of luck and

[megbender]

I would also suggest adding in a morning pumping session when you first get up if you can manage that. Your milk supply is greatest in the morning. That seemed to help me. I pumped every morning whether I had to work or not....including on the weekends. Then whatever I pumped on the weekends was simply added to my stash and not necessarily used during the week. Granted I work 3 12 hr shifts so I am off 4 days a week where I can breastfeed all day.

[Skeeters318]

~~Lurking as I'm not nursing anymore~~

With my kids, first thing in the morning, I would nurse them on one side, and pump the other side. My kids were always satisfied on the one side in the morning, and I was able to pump almost 7 or 8 ounces most mornings. I did this on the weekends as well, and if I was home through the day, I'd pump the one side and nurse the other if my supply was low. Your body sees this as an increased demand, therefore it produces more. It worked well for me. Good luck!!

[ElizabethN]

Howard is definitely not satisfied with only one side in the morning, and anyway, I'm "lopsided" - my usual pumping session gets 3-4 ounces on the right and barely one on the left. So I would have to nurse him on the right to have a chance, and I doubt I'd be able to pump much from the left. When I first get up is whenever he wakes me up wanting to nurse.

I might be able to try pumping after he feeds in the morning to see if I can up the supply and maybe get a little bit extra. I am pumping in the evenings on weekends after he goes to bed and before I do, which gives me a few more ounces.

[Melanie]

I've been wracking my brain to remember what I did when I was running low. I know I ran out of stock long before we quit bf because I had horrendous supply issues, with both kids. I rarely mixed the formula with ebm, and they always preferred the liquid gold, but I think ultimately I went with plain old Similac to send to daycare. I was only working two days a week then, so usually they only got formula on the latter of those two days. It still made me feel like I had failed somehow.

FWIW, I was so horribly lopsided the first time around, I ended up exclusively bf on the left for about six months (I think it was that long). You can imagine how attractive that was.

[CodeNameMom]

I am new to all of this but I feel your concerns. I still have quite a bit of supply in the freezer but I had stopped pumping and now I am worried about my stash. At present I still have plenty as I don't work nearly as much as you do, but I will be intrested in what everyone has to say. I also may have to start pumping again.

[kianurse]

My supply has been up and down and I have been using the new similac with probiotics in it as I have not been able to keep up with his appetite and pumping as well. I am still pumping but I don't pump enough milk to make 3 8 ounce bottles. My stash has never been more than a few bottles at a time. This similac does not seem to cause the upset tummy.

[justrose]

I did both, and used Carnation Good Start w/ Anna (I have been boycotting Nestle for years, but her tummy couldn't handle anything else ) and Isomil w/ Thomas. The NICU nurses thought Similac made him ill and I never tried anything else after he was discharged.