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Monday, September 01, 2008

Question

~~~~~Updated ... thanks so much for all of you advise but I think I made the hamburger thing worse than it really is ... I am just exhausted!
So I am breast feeding ... with Tatum I breast fed her 100% until she was almost 5 months old, then for a month we mixed stored breast milk and formula (then I had to stop because I found out I was all knocked up again ... haha) anyway ... The new little man in the house is eating WAY TO OFTEN for me to pump ... I am like hamburger meat over here. Tender, sore and really over it ... so my question ... have any of you ever formula and breast fed off the bat?! If you haven't do you know if I can ... if you have any suggestions on how to introduce him the formula?! What kind of formula should I use and HOW MUCH?!!

~~~~~ I guess I should not have said tender and sore, because I am not ... he is and has lached on great ... no bloody nipples or soreness ... just not enough sleep has made me re-think all of the buzz of breast feeding! Sorry for misleading so many of you ... I just need a physical break for my mental state of mind!!!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions ... ps I am exhausted, he is still eating every 1.5 hours from start time!



Here are some pictures because I know all of you love my babies like I do ... haha

Tatum wanted to hold him ... so I tried to let her ...


Bowden's Tiny New Shoes

Snoozing ... PS he doesn't sleep like that at night :(

Tatum's new pool from PopPop Kemp ... Thank You she loves it!

Picnic table and umbrella came with the pool ... she loves it!

12 comments:

Andre Pope said...

We started at 4 weeks when Heidi had to go back to work. It has worked out pretty well for us.

Goodrow Gang said...

We adopted our little boy and started him right out on formula. The hospital would give you Similac advance with Iron to start with. They usually start on 4 ounces every 2 hours.
Have you tried talking to someone at the LaLeche League? They may be able to talk you through some things. If you are feeling like "hamburger meet" something may not be going quite right. I breast fed my daughter for a year and she ate every 1 1/2 hours from start to start. It was gruelling at times, but my body adjusted. Anytime I had soreness, it was usually b/c she wasn't latching properly. The constant feeding didn't cause any pain...just a FULL schedule.
Good luck!

Dawn said...

Me personally, I would ask my doctor, but then again, it's been 15 years since I had a baby to feed! I love the picture, especially the shoes & Tatum in the pool!

The Smith Family said...

Check with his pediatrician to what type to use. We started with Isomil because Ben's tummy is very gassy. In order to keep up my milk production we have a rotating schedule to feed Ben formula (4 oz at a feeding). I start the morning with 2 breastmilk feedings (either me or from what I've pumped) and then 2 warm formula feedings and continue the rotation throughout the day. I always make sure the feeding before bedtime (between 10 and 11) is a nice warm formula bottle. It has worked for us, he sleeps for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours with a full tummy. Then when he wakes up in the night I nurse him.

It's working for us. I go back to work tomorrow and plan on pumping during my morning, lunch and afternoon breaks. I mean, people get smoke breaks so I should be able to use my breaks to pump!

I am still producing a ton of milk even though we are supplementing. In the beginning (the first 2 weeks you supplement) make sure you pump either before or after each formula feeding. It helps you keep up production.

My email is misti.smith@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Good luck and I hope it helps you get some sleep at night. It's helped me a little!

kimmyk said...

sounds like your lil guy isn't latching on properly. you kinda gotta make sure you get your whole nipple in his mouth or else you will be raw and sore and oh so painful.

i wouldn't just start formula without talking to his pediatrician first. babies have delicate stomach's especially going from breast to bottle-they tend to get more gassy. if you can still breast feed during the day and then give him that extra oomph at night he'll probably sleep better.

it sounds like if he's nursing alot too that he's pacifying himself on you. like he's just playing and not really hungry. i would stop that too cause then he'll get use to eating like that-and omg...that's probably where you are now in all of this.

talk to your pediatrician. i'm not a big fan of laleche as i believe they are breast feeding militants and i think they can make you feel badly about using formula if you need it.

good luck. i went through this with adam....i could only breast feed him til he was 6 months then i couldn't keep up. abbie used me as a pacifier and i swear my nipples were bleeding in the early stages.

The Partins said...

My cousin does both (per her Doc's orders) because she isn't making enough milk and Bella was 5 weeks premie. They alternate every other meal with the bottle and boobie (I think her hubby does bottle duty). I'm not sure which formula she uses.... you may want to do a gradual transition...start with 3 parts breast milk, 1 part formula and work you way up from there???

Heather said...

At three weeks we started Laney on the occasional bottle - mostly breast milk, but sometimes formula. Up to you & the doc what formula you use, we loved the stuff from Sam's that was like Enfamil.

For the first formula bottle, we picked a bottle that looked as much like mom as possible and I lfet the room. Dad took care of it. If I was around on those first few, she wanted nothing to do with the bottle.

Good luck!

Louisa Claire said...

hi hi, first you are doing a great job...go you!!! i haven't personally used formula but a good friend whose baby was born 2 weeks after LP had to top up from the beginning and was advised to give her baby an extra 60mL. He has pretty bad reflux though so I think you'd be better off talking to a midwife/breast feeding consultant to work out what's best for you?

Also...tredding gently here, but are you guys using any sort of routine with your guys? we started LP on one from the start and though the early on feeds took ages she was never closer than 3hours from start and learnt to take a full feeding each time. i know it doesn't work for everyone and it's pretty hard work in the beginning but i'm just putting it out there....

good luck & thanks for the gorgeous pics!!!

Elleoz said...

First, you are doing great! This is the hardest part (other than the Terrible Two's and Horrible 3's at the same time) and you will get through it.

I am sure that you can do both. I agree with the pp'ers that you need to ask your DR what they think the best way to accomplish this is. There are some excellent formula's out there.

Josh was a barracuda from birth. I breastfed him for 1.5 weeks. The last time I breastfed him he was latched on to me from 11 am to 2 pm. I kid you not! I just couldn't keep up and I learned real quick that it was ok. Don't let anyone make you feel bad if you decide to go strictly formula. You have to do what is right for your family (both your son and you).

If it were me, I would try to steer clear of the La Leche people (or Breast Nazi's) as they tend to make you feel terrible for even condsidering formula.

Huge Hugs!

Jenny said...

Great pictures! Oh, hamburger meat - ouch... I'm praying for you!!

Anonymous said...

love.

those.

little.

feet.

and, miss tatum bug?

now, she is LOVE!!!

i can't believe how grown up she looks! maybe just because i'm comparing her to bowden & he's just a little guy...

:0)

i love you. thanks for calling me a little whilte ago.

I MISS YOU...can't wait for november!!!!!!!!!!

Melanie said...

Tatum splashing in the water is awesome! Good pictures! Love little Bowden's shoes!