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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Breastmilk & Formula
Does anyone supplement Breastmilk with formula at night?
I heard that if you give them formula at night it fills them up so they sleep a little longer than Breastmilk.
Does anyone find this to be successful?
If so what formula did you use? Was it based on Dr recommendation?
TIA!
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Posted 9/1/06 11:32 PM  |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Never helped us. I had to supplement due to supply issues otherwise I wouldn't have but I tested the theory out and it never made a damn bit of difference. My daughter didn't sleep long stretches until maybe 4 months old and finally slept through the night at 7 months.
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| Posted 9/1/06 11:35 PM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Posted by monkeybride
Never helped us. I had to supplement due to supply issues otherwise I wouldn't have but I tested the theory out and it never made a damn bit of difference. My daughter didn't sleep long stretches until maybe 4 months old and finally slept through the night at 7 months.
I feel that I may also have a low supply. When I pump its getting hard to get 2 oz and I can be pumping for 20 min.
What formula do you use?
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| Posted 9/1/06 11:36 PM |
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pharmcat2000
Mom of 2 + 1
Member since 10/05 7395 total posts
Name:
Catherine
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
I think I noticed a difference when I first gave it to her, but after that it was business as usual. I was giving her Alimentum at the time, and now she gets 1 bottle of Good Start a day. I don't see any difference. We also didn't see a difference when we added rice to the milk to thicken it up (ped recommendation to reduce spitting up).
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| Posted 9/1/06 11:52 PM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Posted by pharmcat2000
I think I noticed a difference when I first gave it to her, but after that it was business as usual. I was giving her Alimentum at the time, and now she gets 1 bottle of Good Start a day. I don't see any difference. We also didn't see a difference when we added rice to the milk to thicken it up (ped recommendation to reduce spitting up).
how did you pick those formulas? i have so many samples I wouldn't know where to start!
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:01 AM |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Are you just pumping or BFing and pumping? Your baby will always get more than a pump. Also supplementing with formula will not help you establish a good supply. My daughter wasn't gaining weight and actually spit up blood so I had a true supply issue. Most women's bodies will regulate and make enough milk based on supply on demand. In the beginning I would just keep feeding on demand, don't try to schedule. Of course this is all if you are BFing. I would hold off on pumping for now.
If you are only pumping. You need to pump every 2 hours consistently with no longer than 4-5 hour stretch at night. You need to pump for no less than 20 minutes at a time.
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:14 AM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
thanks. i am pumping only since i was not successful at true BF. i try and pump every 2 and then someone told me every 4 the other day. i guess it depends on your body but right now im struggling to get 2 oz.
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:26 AM |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
How old is your daughter?
I used a lactation consultant so I feel pretty comfortable with the advice I give. She had me nurse or pump every two hours for 6 weeks. My supply definitely increased. I went from pumping less than half an ounce (yes that's right to providing my daughter with 20-24oz of breastmilk a day. Sure most women make more but to me that was huge. Most of my daughter's nutrition came from breatmilk for 7 months when I thought I would never make it 7 days. You can do it if you really want to.
As for which formula to supplement with you have to decide what to start with and see how she does. It's really trial and error. By far of all the ones I have tried my daughter did best on Enfamil Gentlease but she was a bit older when we finally tried that one.
Also there are things you can take like Fenugreek, More Milk Plus, drink Mother's Milk Tea, eat oatmel, etc to help increase your supply.
www.kellymom.com has some excellent BFing information.
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:44 AM |
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MrsSchwags
Soccer Baseball Lax Mom
Member since 10/05 11240 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
my daughter is 11 days old. the other day i was able to fill 4 oz in less than 10 minutes so things were going great. I was pumping about every 3 hours. Then the next day it all went downhill. So for the past 2 days its been hard getting enough for her.
What kind of pump are you using? I really want to be able to give her breastmilk for at least the first 6 months. I don't know when I will be returning the work so I would like to slowly start building up a supply just in case. However, I can't do that until I have enough to feed her!
What does a L/C actually do?
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:51 AM |
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monkeybride
My Everything
Member since 5/05 20541 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
I rented a hospital grade pump. Honestly if you are only pumping I highly suggest renting this. At least for the first month. Even the Pump in Style doesn't compare and if you are exclusively pumping it might be worth a consultation with a LC to set up a good routine for pumping an establishing a supply.
You should also FM Michele31. She pumped exclusively for a year and is a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Hang in there, you can do it!!
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| Posted 9/2/06 2:11 AM |
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yankinmanc
Happy Days!
Member since 8/05 18208 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Its a myth that formula fills a baby up more at night. Nutritionally BM has more nutrients for a baby to digest, however it takes 3 hours for a baby to digest BM and 4 for formula. However, it doesn't hurt to give the baby formula, its just not necessarily true.
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| Posted 9/2/06 3:34 AM |
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Stacey1403
Where it all began....
Member since 5/05 24065 total posts
Name:
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
I second everything Jen told you! Definitely FM Michele31 she will help you!! Good Luck
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| Posted 9/2/06 8:13 AM |
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pharmcat2000
Mom of 2 + 1
Member since 10/05 7395 total posts
Name:
Catherine
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Posted by MrsSchwags
how did you pick those formulas? i have so many samples I wouldn't know where to start!
I started with Alimentum because my ped told me that he thought she had a milk protein allergy. So, at 3 months, I was told to alternate bottles of BM with bottles of formula. I then went to a GI doctor who said that she does not have a milk protein allergy and that she can be put back on just BM or back on the Alimentum, or on any formula I want to use. Well, we went back to just BM for a while but then I started to wean my pumping because I have to go back to work next week. I wanted to use the rest of the Alimentum since it was so expensive, so she got a bottle per day of that for about a month. When that was done, I wanted to choose a formula that would be as easy for her belly as the BM was so I tried Gentlease but she was horrible with that. So, now she get a bottle per day of Good Start and she seems to be okay with it (it's only been 2 days though).
As far as pumping, I also recommend renting a hospital pump. I pumped exclusively for the first 3 months and was able to give DD everything she needs plus build a freezer supply to last at least another month or so. When my supply started to diminish (when ped told me to start giving some formula), I ate the oatmeal, drank lots of water, and took the Fenugreek but nothing seemed to help. I suppose I could have increased my pumping (I was doing it about every 6 hours), but that just wasn't realistic for me. I couldn't take care of DD and the house and pump every 2 hours. It just wasn't going to happen. Not to mention that when I pumped much more than every 6 hours my nipples really paid the price. 
Anyway, I hope some of this helps you, and feel free to FM me if you need anything else.
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| Posted 9/2/06 10:06 AM |
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-Lisa-
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Member since 5/05 6530 total posts
Name:
Lisa
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
I started giving her formula at night in the hopes that she would sleep better, but it didn't make a difference. She started sleeping much better around 6 weeks - whether she had formula or not.
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| Posted 9/2/06 11:59 AM |
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cloddy
Holiday 2011 photo
Member since 8/05 8088 total posts
Name:
Kristen
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
I second everything said about the sleeping at night. Unfortunately I have to supplement some with expressed bM or formula and we are pumping. I didn't get a hospital pump. I have the PIS original and it's working ok. I just this work tried double pumping which definitely allows me to get more than my normal measely 2 oz and it's twice as fast so I'd recommend that to free up some of your time. I bought a hands free bra and now I can be online while pumping or tending to the baby. Good luck. I know it's not easy.
ETA: we use Similac Advance b/c that's what the ped recommended and I happened to have samples of it and some others so we went with the one that the Ped recommended. No problems with it so we're sticking with it.
Message edited 9/2/2006 8:15:59 PM.
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| Posted 9/2/06 12:45 PM |
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ThreeCats
Train Ride
Member since 5/05 3127 total posts
Name:
A
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Re: Breastmilk & Formula
Posted by MrsSchwags
Does anyone supplement Breastmilk with formula at night?
I heard that if you give them formula at night it fills them up so they sleep a little longer than Breastmilk.
Does anyone find this to be successful?
If so what formula did you use? Was it based on Dr recommendation?
TIA!
I BF and pump just so I can have some milk back up in the freezer.
DR. Suggested Enfamil - have not tried it yet
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| Posted 9/2/06 8:00 PM |
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