Anyone supplement with formula and BF successfully?

[glauren]

I had my first meeting with an LC this morning where I learned my month old DS's frequent nursing is due to insufficient glandular tissue - essentially, I'm only capable of storing 2-3 oz total in both breasts. I'm going to work on increasing my supply with Fenugreek, Mother's Milk, oatmeal, pumping, etc. but have decided to supplement with formula because little dude is HUNGRY.
Has anyone had success with supplementing with formula and continuing to BF? My ultimate goal was to nurse for a year, and I'm wondering if that's realistic at this point.

Also, hi - I'm new here! I hope you'll have me.

[Brie]

Hi and welcome!

I supplemented starting at 6.5 months with my son. He's almost 14 months and we're still nursing twice a day. There are lots of combo feeders here! I totally believe that giving formula saved our BFing relationship.

Paging @fivedogs as her situation is similar to yours, IIRC.

[bunch]

Welcome! I haven't had this problem, but a lady on my BMB had the exact same issue and successfully bfed her daughters with the help of a sns system. I'm pretty sure she didn't wean either of them until they were 2, so it's definitely possible.

[redheadk]

We started supplementing (in place of pumping) around 4.5 months or so and I ditched pumping all together at 5 months (I'm a SAHM so she got about 6 bottles/week on average). DD is still nursing at 16 months. It can totally be done!

[pugz]

welcome! I have PCOS and my milk supply was terrible. I took Motherlove Special Blend supplements and they were helpful but I always had to supplement with formula. Pumping was not fruitful for me, I only got about an oz a day and it wasn't worth the time suck for me.

So I breastfed for as long as she would stay latched and interested, then followed up with formula, 1-2oz when she was one month old, and then more as her stomach/appetite grew. At 13 weeks she stopped wanting to latch. She was going through a growth spurt and grew frustrated with my supply and preferred her bottles. We weaned at that point.

It was a difficult experience but once I accepted that I wouldn't be able to EBF I was able to relax some and just enjoy it for what it was. I followed her cues and when she was ready to stop BFing we made the switch to formula. @fivedogs knows more about IGT than I do, she knows lots of stuff

[glauren]

This is so encouraging - thanks, everyone! pugz I was definitely disappointed at first, but I'm kind of excited about not having to stress myself out building up a freezer supply for when I go back to work.

Some dumb questions - do you nurse when out and about? Or bring premade bottles?
Any formula suggestions? Or is it all trial and error? We have a free sample of Similac Sensitive that I think we'll start with since DS has reflux.

I'm sure I'll have many more stupid questions soon!

[spwspw]

Yes, I supplemented with my first from the time she was 1 week old because of poor weight gain at her check up.  I was able to do both for as long as I was willing to BF (which was I was ready to quit at 7 months).

[pugz]

I mostly just formula fed when we were out and about, except at my mom's group since everyone else was BFing.

We used tommee tippee bottles, they are boob like and she was able to go back and forth between really well. They also come with these awesome formula inserts that make formula feeding on the go much simpler. LOVE them.

as for what formula. We used regular Similac for the first 6 months, then switched to Costco brand. Wish I'd switched sooner, it was about $20/month cheaper.

I wrote about my breastfeeding struggles in my blog if you are interested, link in siggy.

[glauren]

Nov 13, 2013 17:50:03 GMT -5 pugz said:

I mostly just formula fed when we were out and about, except at my mom's group since everyone else was BFing.

We used tommee tippee bottles, they are boob like and she was able to go back and forth between really well. They also come with these awesome formula inserts that make formula feeding on the go much simpler. LOVE them.

as for what formula. We used regular Similac for the first 6 months, then switched to Costco brand. Wish I'd switched sooner, it was about $20/month cheaper.

I wrote about my breastfeeding struggles in my blog if you are interested, link in siggy.

Awesome, thanks!

[hilwithonelary]

I had to supplement very early on with both kiddos. While I quit early on with DS, I BF until 14 months with DD. no matter what I did, I simply did not produce enough milk.

With DD, I pumped a TON in the beginning. I pumped after virtually every nursing session with a hospital grade pump (I didn't let it keep me in the house. I just didn't pump if we were out and about) and did a power pump every evening. At 12 weeks, I backed off the pumping because I felt my supply was likely established at that point.

I took fenugreek, blessed thistle, goats rue, and the ever controversial domperidone.

Until about 6 months, I only needed about 4-6 oz of formula per day. After that point, it slowly increased to 12-14 oz per day by 12 months.

I continued nursing but weaned off all my supplements after 12 months. DD naturally weaned slowly and was done at 14 months.

Good luck! Combo feeding is definitely doable!

ETA: I tried to include nursing in every feeding session even if we were out and about. DD was a very distractible nurser, so true NIP was difficult. I nursed in the car a lot because I could get her to focus better. I followed up with formula when necessary. I packed bottles of water and premeasured formula powder so I didn't have to worry about keeping them cold.

[SallySparrow]

That was my exact issue. I tried all the supplements, medications, blah blah blah and my supply never increased. I was making milk, just not more than an ounce or two. Finally a lactation consultant talked to me about IGT, suggested we started supplementing. I nursed first, then gave formula. She got so little from me when she nursed that it was almost more comfort nursing than anything.

I'm not a success story--we stopped nursing because she started refusing the breast and would just scream until she got a bottle. Then I pumped for a while and gave her the little I could get that way. Then I completely stopped producing, so...yeah. I don't say this to discourage you, just to share my issues. I had a really hard time with it for a long time. Still do sometimes. So go easy on yourself, whatever happens.

I hope it goes really well for you and you can combo feed with no problem!

[pugz]

combo feeding is actually really common but not talked about much.

[stealthmom]

Yes! I only ebf for maybe 2 mos. When he was an infant? I bf for 18 mos.

[brady2012]

I had to supplement starting at 7 mos with DD and last week at 5 mos with DS. I pump 3xs per day during the week but need 6 oz of formula to make up the difference. I nurse night and weekends.

As someone said combo feeding is common. Most of my friends supplement too. I noticed similac now has formula specifically for supplementing. I havent tried it though. DD used similac advance. DS is on earths best for sensitive stomachs.

[glauren]

I'm hopeful I'll be able to successfully do both! I'm fortunate that DS is gaining (8lbs 12oz at birth; 9lbs 13oz today) but his appetite is outgrowing my supply.
SallySparrow thank you for sharing your experience. As optimistic as I am, I need to make sure I'm realistic as well. I need to keep reminding myself that as long as DS is healthy and happy, I'm doing my job.

[heythere]

I also had IGT and combo fed my daughter who is now 3.5. We started supplementing when she was about a week old and I tried everything under the sun to increase my supply. I was never able to keep up though. During my maternity leave, I bf first and then have a bottle. Once she started daycare, I did that while I was with her but just sent formula to daycare. I pumped at work and generally got about 2-3 oz which I would use as a supplemental bottle at night. She nursed until she was 2 and a couple months, so it definitely can be done over the long term. Her nursing was primarily for comfort at that point obviously.

Good luck! I'm happy to answer questions if you have any. I am expecting baby #2 now and I've actually had some breast growth that I didn't have with my first pregnancy. I've heard that sometimes people with IGT have better supplies with subsequent babies so I am curious to see if that will be the case this time around.

[imojoebunny]

I did. My DD Bf, then had a bottle, then I pumped for a couple of months, at every feeding, then she Bf only until about 6 months, then BF, with a bottle after, if she was still hungry, then she BF 3 times a day, morning, lunch, and before bed, and had a bottle at other times until she was a year. She was small and had weight gain issues, so it seemed the best course of action for her. She didn't like puréed food and wouldn't eat solids until she was much older than a average kid, at least not in any quantity. I don't think it had to do with my supply, so much as with her ability to take the time and energy to get it out, but I am just guessing. No one could ever figure it out., though every doctor had a different theory. My son BF only and gained normally.

[kdubs923]

Hi! My son is only 3 weeks, but we're combo feeding. I don't have tons of advice as we're still trying to figure things out. He was born at 7 lb 12 oz and has been a very slow gainer (and often lost along the way), as in, he only hit birth weight at yesterday's weight check.

I always breastfeed, then offer 2 oz of formula if he still appears hungry. Sometimes he only takes an ounce, sometimes he blows through his bottle quickly and I'll offer another ounce.

Like pugz, we use Tommy Tippee bottles. They're very 'breast like' and he's switched back & forth without issue. He does seem to get a little overwhelmed, even with the slow flow nipples, so I stop him often to breath & burp because he will gobble it all and then spit up.

Also, while out in public, I'll generally try to BF. I'm not super comfortable NIP yet, but I'll go to the car if possible. Then we still offer formula. We bring bottles, bottled water & formula everywhere, just in case. Regardless of the amount of time I BF, he just doesn't get enough at some feedings, so I feel more comfortable bringing formula in case he's super hungry.

Wishing you lots of luck in your journey. I know it can be difficult. Part of me gets disappointed in my body for not doing what it's 'supposed' to do and the other part of me is ever so thankful he's tolerating the formula, otherwise my poor guy would starve. He's finally gaining & getting stronger, which wouldn't happen if I was only BF at this point.

[glauren]

This is so, so helpful - thank you so much to everyone for sharing their experiences! I don't know any combo feeders IRL but I'm now more confident than ever that it's the right decision for us.
H is giving DS his first 2oz of formula now. Hopefully he'll be full enough to sleep more than his usual hour and a half!

[ska]

We are back to combo feeding after the first 4 weeks of it and then 2 weeks of EBF. I have twins and at their 6 week apt. my girl had gained a pound in a month and my boy had gained ONE OUNCE. We BF first and then they both get 2 oz of formula. It seems to be fattening him up.

[djc315]

We had to do quite a bit of supplementing early on since N was a slow gainer. We are still BFing now at 12 months. There is no "right" way to do it, just do what works for you!

[glauren]

Nov 13, 2013 21:50:43 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

Oh, I forgot one more thing. If you decide to have another kid, talk to your OB beforehand about progesterone supplementation during pregnancy - some people are on it during first tri because low progesterone can prevent you from getting/staying pregnant, but there have been some cases in the literature where progesterone throughout pregnancy has lead to increased milk production. Progesterone promotes milk duct development and could help if you have IGT. That is one thing I wish I had tried during my second pregnancy (didn't read about it until after DD2 was born).

Yes, I was reading about this! We're a while away from thinking about #2, but I'll definitely keep this in mind when we do. Thanks!

[irish]

Dd2 is 6wks old and I've been supplementing from day 2!

With dd1, I never got a milk supply so I knew there was a risk this time. I gave up bf on day 5 with dd1 when she ended up back in hospital for weight loss.

DD2 feeds mainly from me and gets one or two feeds of formula per day of 4oz each. I did rent a hospital grade pump and I use it a couple if times a day to see what my supply is like. It hasn't really increased with her needs and some sessions are a paltry 2oz - nowhere near enough for her. But first thing in the morning I have a good supply and can get nearly 5 oz, if dh has got up with her and given her a bottle.

I'm not going to be unrealistic about the whole bf thing. I said at the start if I got to 6wks I'd be delighted. The pump is going back in a couple of weeks (I have a smaller one) and I don't know what will happen to my supply then. At this stage, I want to get her sleeping longer at night so if that means giving her more formula so I get more sleep, bring it on!

Never had any issues switching between me and a bottle. Will take a bottle from me too, even if I clearly have milk at the time (I supplement before bf sometimes so she can fall asleep at the breast)

[Deleted]

My BFF has been successfully doing this for 10 months now. She breastfeeds first and then supplements. In the beginning she supplemented a lot and now some weekends she doesnt supplement at all. She figures she will do what she can and then just give formula if needed. I know for a while this bothered her but now she has made peace with it and its working well for her.

[thebreakfastclub]

This has been interesting and encouraging to me. I only attempted to BF my son for a few days, but I already knew I really wasn't really invested in it to begin with.

I wish I had known that it was a possibility to do both though. I thought it was game over once he got bottles.

I think if I have a #2, I might want to give BF a try at least for a couple of weeks, but then move to mostly formula and maybe try to nurse in some limited way.

[glauren]

So far DS has had no issues switching between breast and bottled formula; hooray! Of course we're only 1/4 of the way in to day 1...but I'm still optimistic!

Nov 14, 2013 8:17:26 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

Nov 14, 2013 0:36:06 GMT -5 glauren said:

Yes, I was reading about this! We're a while away from thinking about #2, but I'll definitely keep this in mind when we do. Thanks!

LOL, I debated even posting it because no one with a 1-month-old should be thinking about #2 yet (except Tori Spelling, apparently), but I figured it was now or never.  

My doctor actually mentioned something about second babies usually being larger than first babies (in a "so watch out!" way) as he was stitching me up post-delivery. I almost kicked him in the face.

[irish]

Nov 14, 2013 9:42:24 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

Nov 14, 2013 9:35:05 GMT -5 glauren said:

So far DS has had no issues switching between breast and bottled formula; hooray! Of course we're only 1/4 of the way in to day 1...but I'm still optimistic!
My doctor actually mentioned something about second babies usually being larger than first babies (in a "so watch out!" way) as he was stitching me up post-delivery. I almost kicked him in the face.

LOL, they usually are, but that is a jerky thing to say in the midst of stitches!

DD2 was almost a pound heavier than DD1. But second time round I only had one stitch compared to an episiotomy and related stitches first time round!

[dlphndoc]

With my son I had a really crappy supply that just would not increase no matter what I tried. I supplemented pretty much from go with him and still BF for 10 months when my supply vanished all together.

This time I supplemented for a couple of weeks because she was losing too much weight. Once my supply caught up, I stopped the formula. She's EBF now. We also found out she has a milk intolerance so we are going to try soy formula this weekend. I don't respond well to the pump so if we go out a sitter will have to give her a bottle of formula. I don't think it will have any impact on how long we BF.

[liveintheville]

I supplemented both kids from day 1. Nursed both of them for a year, as well. I would nurse and then if they were still hungry give them some formula. They were both born with low blood sugar so formula was necessary immediately. I had low supply both times due to medical issues/meds.

[everafter07]

That's all I can make, too. 2-3oz per breast. My DD likes to comfort suck sometimes, but now only eats from a bottle.

If you're going to BF and bottle feed, use slow flow nipples. DD got frustrated and we went to medium flow, and that did our bfing in. The boob is too slow now.