# is it possible to exclusively breastfeed after 4 weeks of supplementing with formula?



## ckc (Jul 2, 2004)

please help me, i am so nervous. my first baby,oscar, died during birth, my second child, rex, is now 5 weeks old and we have been having a really hard time learning to breastfeed. my stress and anxiety over it have been really huge, so any help is so appreciated.
here's our story: rex was born via c-section, at 9.2 pounds at 38 weeks. One week after birth he was down to 8 pounds and not pooping. His jaundice was not clearing either. He was not latching on well, due to tongue issues, etc.
we saw a lactation consultant, she advised formula to get him pooping and gaining. in one week we were gaining, by 3 weeks we were above birth weight but the nursing diffuculties have taken a few more weeks to correct.
I feel confident we can breastfeed now, although i am afraid to cut out the formula for fear he will not gain enough weight. plus my husband really enjoys the feeding time with rex...
OUr routine has been that i breastfeed all day and night with the exception of 7pm to midnight, when i try to sleep and my husband feeds him formula and any breastmilk i have pumped. can we quit the formula and exclusively breastfeed? how often should i pump? any comments are appreciated. thank you.


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## proud mama of 2 (Dec 16, 2004)

First I want to give you a









I would recommend exclusively breastfeeding. If you are making milk and he is latching you should be able to just stop the formula.


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

i eventually was able to exclusively bf DS1 after about 4 weeks of supplementing at neartly every feeding. he had some breathing problems at birth, nipple confusion, dropped a lot of weight, etc - so we were supping at almost every feeding, and dh was taking 1 night feeding most nights. eventually, i just got tired of it and did a nurse in - a few days in bed with just the baby and me. it was a lot of nursing, but we got through and he did fine. good luck mama - i'm sorry you've had sch a tough time.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Yes, it can be done, but the supplements should be cut down slowly so your supply has a chance to catch up. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html


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## LeosMama (Sep 6, 2005)

Let me see if I understand the situation as it currently stands.

Rex can breastfeed and move a lot of milk?

If he breastfeeds well, with no pain to you and can move milk, then I'd throw the bottles AWAY! I know his daddy loves to feed him, but breastmilk is SO important to a child's health and well-being that it just shouldn't be messed with for any reason other than real life-and-death health reasons. And after a month or two of solid exclusive breastfeeding, you may be able to pump some milk for daddy to give in bottles.

Go for it! You'll never regret stopping the formula and feeding your baby with adequate nutrition and sweet nurturing.

I really understand your fear and your desire to the best thing for your baby. But it doesn't sound like he's getting much supplementation at all. If it's really just a bottle or two, all it's doing is interfering with the development of his gut and immune systems, it's not even providing enough calories or nutrition.
It sounds like you are making enough milk for him and he can get it out of your breast. That is all you need. Please have faith in your body. Have faith in your little son to tell you what he needs. Nurse him whenever he wants to nurse. You really shouldn't need to pump at all. Your body will make enough milk if you let Rex regulate it. You are not in charge of your milk supply, Rex is. And he knows what he's doing. Just trust him.









Please let us know how it goes!


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## sandrahoo (Oct 4, 2005)

Go you!
You've done great so far!

I think you could move to exclusive BM. You may be able to just drop the formula. I had to supplement my DS for the first several weeks out of the NICU. My LC helped me work on decreasing the formula supplements by increasing my supply by feeding frequently, pumping in between feedings, plus taking a fenugreek supplement. I spent a lot of time nursing to get my supply up, but it was well worth it. Some mammas take a "nursing vacation" and nurse & co-sleep for 3 days straight. I've never actually done this, but it sure sounds nice to me!

Hugs to you!!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I expect you could get rid of the formula entirely within a week or two tops. You can do it!

-Angela


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## babycarrier (Apr 2, 2004)

you can do it! i just did it and my guy is all ebm now. i understand the fear. different circumstances but a stint in the nicu and the fear and stress that ensued. getting support from my trusted lc helped a lot. my guy could nurse but just wasn't getting enough, he could nurse continually and the diapers stayed dry. eating oatmeal daily and lots of fluids seems to have helped my supply. nurse-a-thons and pumping have gotten my supply plenty abundant and I do have ebm that dh gives to our son. plentiful supply wishes your way!


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

Your story sounds kind of like mine:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=359605

DD was tongue tied and we also were told to supplement by our pediatrician when she did not make up her birth weight at 2 weeks. I was pumping and feeding pumped milk, and then when that wasn't enough we gave her some formula. My supply started out low, but through pumping I started giving her more and more EBM and less and less formula. We got the tongue tie corrected at one month, she is now 5 weeks and after the tongue tie was corrected last thursday I just breastfeed. There have been a couple of instances when I gave in and gave her a bit of formula or EBM when she seemed hungry and my nipples were killing me because she had just fed (not yesterday or today though, so we are doing good!) I guess I would just try going strait to breastfeeding, but if he seems hungry (she was fussing all the time at the beginning when she wasn't getting enough because she couldn't suck well enough due to the tongue tie) give him a little bit of supplement. My DH also misses being able to feed her and help out in that way, but he knows this is best for her, so he is happy to just help out by supporting me when I feed her (offering to get me a drink of water, etc.)

Good luck you are doing a good job!

Oh, edited to add, I understand so much about being stressed and anxious about this, I noticed that when I was pumping the amount I pumped definitely was controlled by how much stress I was feeling at the time. When things were looking up, it got better, when things were going badly, I couldn't get anything out at all. Try to convince yourself that things are getting better (which it sounds like they are) so you can relax more.


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

I've done this twice, first with my dd who had a high palate and I had low supply at the start. I used formula for several weeks with her, maybe a month. But I was pumping the whole time, just not getting much.

Then recently with ds who was a 36weeker, in NICU and got bottles for a few weeks. I was told by NICU dr. and ped. I could stop supplementing (I was using EBM as soon as my milk came in, formula before that) when they weren't concerned about his jaundice anymore. I didn't think it wise to stop supplementing a very sleepy, easily fatigued 36weeker. Although with 2 doctors telling me I could, I tried it. He lost weight immediately. BTW I rented a weight scale. I find them invaluable when you're trying to wean off supplements and you want the reassurance that they're still gaining weight. So I went with a SNS instead of bottles and I gave him supplement after every 2nd feed. Initially he maintained his weight for a few days then started gaining. so then I dropped the supplement to every 3rd feed. After 2w on bottles and 1 week of SNS, he's now nursing exclusively.

Sounds like you haven't been pumping at night, so I'd recommend adding in some pumping sessions at night. Maybe one before you go to sleep and one in the middle of the night (hey it's only 10-15 mins). Night nursing is important for your prolactin levels.

Your ds is probably taking in more formula at night than he needs so don't think you have to make up for the whole amount of formula that he's been taking.

You might find he'll wake more at night when he stops getting formula. Formula is harder to digest and therefore fills the tummy longer. BM is much more easily digestible so he'll want to feed more often.

I'm sure your dh will sleep better if he understands how important BM is for his son. Continued supplementing with formula like that at night will cause your supply to drop (if you're not pumping at night) and you might find your breastfeeding relationship ending sooner than you wanted.


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## ckc (Jul 2, 2004)

to all of you who took the time to respond. we are about a week into exclusive breastfeeding and while the weight gain is slow, i am optimistic. i never dreamed i'd ever work so hard, its so worth it to see the milk dribble from mt little guys mouth, thank you


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## LeosMama (Sep 6, 2005)

Oh,







to you mama! How wonderful. You can do this!! Yay!

If you're concerned at all about weight gain, take him to a lactation consultant and do a before and after weighing to make sure he's getting enough milk at each feed. It sounds like you're doing fine, b/c the real test is if he's a happy and satisified babe!


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## celrae (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla*
Yes, it can be done, but the supplements should be cut down slowly so your supply has a chance to catch up. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html


As always, this is a great recommendation!
I would just like to offer you support because, I was so tired and overwhelmed with twins that had latch problems that we used supplements and I wish that I would have got more support to BF. Keep up the good work, don't stress out, get local support, and keep hydrated.


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## royaloakmi (Mar 2, 2005)

I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done! You are doing fabulously under a great deal of stress!

I think you could slowly cut the formula (maybe try nursing first, then allowing your husband to "top him off" with a bottle of expressed milk). Or, if you feel like taking the plunge, you could forget the formula entirely and just allow your ds unlimited access to the breast (a nursing vacation, I believe one pp called it.) Your husband understandably wants to feel close to ds; you could suggest additional ways for him to get snuggly with him - take a walk with him in a sling, bathe him, give him bottles of expressed breast milk.

Pump as often as you can. It will also help build your supply and even if you don't need all the milk now, it might be nice to have a "bank" in the freezer for when he's older and you want to get out. (And drink a lot of water!)

Again, kudos to you!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Glad you're rid of the formula!

-Angela


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## Catrinel (Jul 18, 2005)

Well done Rex and mummy. It's not easy switching from bottles but isn't it a great feeling? So sorry to hear about Oscar.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

You can do it!! My ds1 was supplemented until 4 mos (many issues- we had to fingerfeed b/c of a bad latch among other things) and once he started nursing exclusively, he didn't wean until almost 2.


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## mighty-mama (Sep 27, 2005)

yeah.... to you and your "healthy" baby


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