Is Natural Formula and Oxymoron? - UPDATED 2/16/12 Thank you!!!!!!

[jenluv37]

I've been pumping and feeding since day 4 with DS. He turned Edward Cullen on me and I just couldn't take the pain. Been pumping and feeding ever since. Until recently I've been able to keep up with him and feed him exclusively milk. Now I've got to supplement with a little formula.

Any of you have to supplement BFing with formula? What formula did you choose? Is there a formula that is more natural than the rest? Even the organic stuff I've seen is full of crap! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: 2/16/12

So, I took your advice. I joined the exclusively pumping mommies group which has been wonderful! Also, I started nursing again! I never would have thought to try if it hadn't been for your advice. Things are going incredibly well now and I rarely have to use any formula. I wanted so much to be able to nurse my baby to sleep and now I can! It brings a tear to my eye when I think of it.

Thank you so so so so so much!!!!

[PEEK05]

My son is almost 8 months old and I have never supplemented with formula.  Why do you think you are not pumping enough? He should not get more than 3 oz. in a 3 hour period.

[Nighttiger]

No advice.  I ebf mine until 6 months and then continued to bf until 22 months.  I agree with PEEK that you should be feeding him pumped milk of 1-1.25 oz/hour of seperation.  If you are doing that, then you are doing great! Personally, when I felt like I couldn't keep up, I added an extra pumping session in the middle of the night (he was up then to nurse anyway, so I pumped one side while nursing the other).  Either way, good luck :)

On a side note, I know there is a group for exclusively pumping moms on here that may be able to help you with ideas on how to up your supply if you don't want to do formula.  I just pumped while I was seperated for work (50 hours a week) and then fed on demand while at home.

[reneawesley]

 I used enfamil with my oldest and similac with my youngest. My youngest refused to take enfamil so that's why we used similac. She also had reflux. Neither girl had any problems using the formula.

[jenluv37]

Quoting PEEK05:

My son is almost 8 months old and I have never supplemented with formula.  Why do you think you are not pumping enough? He should not get more than 3 oz. in a 3 hour period.

He ate like that until about 4 1/2 months but it isn't enough anymore. I'm pumping about 24-28 oz. a day and DS is having about 4-8 oz. of formula (yuck!) a day as well. I believe in feeding on demand so I really need something else. I've been drinking a nursing tea when he started eating more and it helped me to get about 4-6 oz. more a day but I still need more.

Quoting Nighttiger:

No advice.  I ebf mine until 6 months and then continued to bf until 22 months.  I agree with PEEK that you should be feeding him pumped milk of 1-1.25 oz/hour of seperation.  If you are doing that, then you are doing great! Personally, when I felt like I couldn't keep up, I added an extra pumping session in the middle of the night (he was up then to nurse anyway, so I pumped one side while nursing the other).  Either way, good luck :)

On a side note, I know there is a group for exclusively pumping moms on here that may be able to help you with ideas on how to up your supply if you don't want to do formula.  I just pumped while I was seperated for work (50 hours a week) and then fed on demand while at home.

He eats between 28 and 36 oz. per day. I pump once in the middle of the night plus DH and I wake up 3 or 4 times a night to feed him an ounce or two. Thanks for the advice on finding the group for exclusively pumping moms. I'm going to look right now! :)

That's great that you were able to give your baby breast milk until 22 months while working 50 hours a week! That's real dedication! WOW!!

[jenluv37]

Quoting reneawesley:

 I used enfamil with my oldest and similac with my youngest. My youngest refused to take enfamil so that's why we used similac. She also had reflux. Neither girl had any problems using the formula.

Thanks. :)

[rkoloms]

Starting with formula will only decrease your supply of milk. Call the hospital where you delivered, or La Lache League, and have some one help you help your baby with his latch.

[Alyson121]

If you need more milk, having the baby suckle your breast is the best way to get it.  Yes "natural formula" is an oxymoron.  There's a breast feeding group here on Cafe Mom and the ladies there have a great wealth of info, you may want to check them out.

[darbyakeep45]

Good idea to direct her to the BF group:)

Quoting Alyson121:

If you need more milk, having the baby suckle your breast is the best way to get it.  Yes "natural formula" is an oxymoron.  There's a breast feeding group here on Cafe Mom and the ladies there have a great wealth of info, you may want to check them out.

[darbyakeep45]

Good luck to you mama!  My son was in the NICU for 3 weeks and had breastmilk mixed with special formula as he's special needs so I have no advice for you since I just pumped and never actually breastfed.  Good luck!

[youngashleyd]

We use majority breast milk with similac. Don't go for soy or lactose free though the main ingrediant is corn syrup yuck. 

I really wanted my son to eat the gerber good start because it is broken down more than other formulas and so it is more "similar" to breastmilk as far as tummy wise. But he would not eat it at all. 

With formula came constipation... That sucks... So watch for that, and talk to your dr. ours has him on 1oz of prune juice now a day (that i give using a syringe so maybe it seems different than a delicious food)

My wife works 9 hr days and pumps as much as she can, but no matter if she pumped every 2 hr or every 4 we would still end up with not quite enough milk. Luckily we have freezer reserves from when he was smaller and did not eat as much.