Going on Vacation - Not Enough Milk

Mixing breast milk and formula would not be a problem. Towards the end of my breastfeeding my son, I wasn't pumping enough at work and would have to mix the two to make a bottle. My son did fine with it. Hope this helps.

E., Hi. I would pump every day until you go. You will need to pump regularly on vacation to maintain milk supply. I would do 3/4 bm and 1/4 formula at first, then 1/2 and 1/2 and then 3/4 formula and 1/4 bm. I don't know how long you will be gone or how much you have. If need be then go totally to formula. If you do use formula, check with your Dr. on what to use. I wouldn't do soy unless your baby is allergic to milk. It has been linked to estrogens. Found that out through lactation consultant. Also it's perfectly safe to mix them. Good luck! J. J (mom of 3)

E.,

I would mix your BM with the formula 50/50. It will still give her all the great stuff she gets from you, and it will keep her system okay to handle the small amounts of formula. Have a good trip...it will be okay ;)

I would take her.
But,
otherwise I would try the fomula before you go in case she's allergic or has some bad reaction.
It won't happen the first time you give it to her, if anything does. It sometimes takes several days for a reaction to show up in a baby, which is why it's so hard for Dr.'s to figure out, sometimes, what the allergy trigger was.
Good luck.

I don't think I would actually mix the formula with the breast milk, but she certainly can have both. I give my son (who is 10 months old and breastfed) a bottle of formula here and there (due to mastitis issues months ago) and he doesn't seem to mind one bit. We use Enfamil Lipil with Iron, which is supposedly most like breastmilk.

Figure out how much she is nursing each day and you will probably need that many bags of milk (or less, depending on how many ounces are in each bag). If you don't think you'll have enough, just supplement one bottle of formula each day.

Good luck!

I am glad you are getting a lot of postitive responses. I was worried all you would hear is take her with you. that is what I heard when I left my daughter with grandma and went on vacation for a week with my husband. The best quote I ever heard was that parents need to remember they are a couple first, parents second. The marriage should be the center of the family, not the children. Kudos to you. One thing you didn't ask, and I want you to be prepared for, your daughter may make you 'pay' when you come home. She will 'ignore' you at first, to let you know she was not happy you left her. It will pass, just to let you know it will not last, maybe a couple of hours depending on her temperment.
Enjoy yourself, don't worry about your daughter. She must be used to getting bottles since you work part time. She will adjust to the formula/breastmilk mix just fine. She may not eat as often since the formula stays with her longer. Also, if she isn't already on juice, you might try a bottle of that a day. That would also make you milk last longer.
Have fun! I envy you.
R.

I know several people told you it was okay to mix the breastmilk and the formula. I asked my pediatrician about this when I was breastfeeding my oldest and starting to have difficulty pumping enough off for her to have while I was at work. He said you should never mix breastmilk with formula (or anything else for that matter). If you have to give formula, give one bottle of just formula, and give the breastmilk at the other feedings. And you should introduce the formula a couple of weeks before you go, so she has time to adjust. You should check with your pediatrician about juice or other beverages though. She may be a little young for juice (even watered down).

I need to concur with Melissa. It's okay to go without her. Don't let anyone's comments make you feel bad about your decision. It is YOUR decision.

Do make sure you are diligent about pumping while you're gone so you don't reduce your supply. If you feel short when you get back, nurse, then pump an hour later for a few days to bulk up your supply. Also, spending 10 minutes laying down after you nurse will help bulk your supply to help with your pumping before you go.

Good luck! And relax and enjoy yourself.

Hi E., I too breastfed my two children. I recentley had to go on a weeks vacation and left my youngest at home with Grandma. I introduced the formula to her before I left to make sure there was no reaction to it and that she was ok. I gave Grandma all the milk that I had, which was not all that much, and the formula. THat is what she had while I was gone. I pumped on vacation about 3-4 times a day ( becuase you will keep the stimulation up so you can continue when you get home). Dont think that you will be getting the same amount that your daughter drinks, that you get from the pump. She always gets more from you ! So the amount that you pump while you are away will seem like less. BTW you will have all that left over milk stored for later :) that helps out too. Also if you feeding her solids that will help keep her satified as well.
I hope this helps, I know becuase I was just there and we continued brestfeeding until last friday- she is one year old now:) You are doing a wonderful thing for her- keep up the great work-
D.

Do not feel guilty for leaving her! You are your own person, as well -- both personally and professionally. It's okay to be away from your daughter for little bits at a time. You'll miss her like crazy when you're gone! :)

I'd also introduce the formula before you leave so you can be sure her tummy is going to accept it. 50/50 is good...or 25% forumla/75% breast milk if you think you'll have enough. Any combination is really okay.

Have a great time & strengthen yourself while you are away. If you feel guilty the whole time, you'll ruin the experience. Good luck!

I'm glad your freezer is full now. I just wanted to add don't mix the breast milk and formula unless you have to. Your breast milk is the liquid gold, you don't want to waste it. If she doesn't drink it all you have to throw it out. I would go through all the breast milk first, then use formula if it's not enough. Especially since you know she will do ok with the formula since you tried it. Good luck!

Hi,
I know how hard this is for you. I went through a similar situation with my daughter. I actually cried the first time I had to use formula. Looking back, it wasn't as bad as I made it out to be, but at the time it was very hard (for me). Don't disregard your feelings. Breastfeeding is just as much for you as it is for her and it is a very emotional issue. That being said, my milk supply completely went down when I was stressing over everything! It's unbelievable how your worries affect your supply. So as hard as it is, try to stay grounded about the whole trip/bf issues, etc. Way easier said than done, I know :) I also enlisted the advice of a post-partum nurse and a doula to see what formula was the closest to breastmilk and best way to give formula while breastfeeding. Their advice was Simlac Organic formula (it's more expensive, but worked great!). Their advice was to initially feed some breastmilk (for me I started with 4 oz, but this will vary for how much Josie is eating per meal) and then supplement each feeding with 2 oz at a time (give 2, then evaluate if still hungry, then try 2 more if needed). It worked very well and was definitely more traumatic for me than our daughter. I don't think she even noticed the change to be honest. Since that initial event, my milk supply kicked up incredibly. We are actually back to exclusively breastmilk, although occasionally we do use a little bit of formula. I've also read of moms who overnight what they've pumped back home on ice. Do whatever lakes you feel comfortable and in control! Good luck, and enjoy your vacation!!

I agree with the mom's that suggested mixing the formula and BM 50/50. If you do that, I would get the premixed formula. It's more expensive, but so much easier to deal with than the powdered stuff. Try the formula before you leave. Maybe start out with just an ounce or two of formula w/ the BM until she gets used to the taste. Someone mentioned giving juice in a bottle. I would caution you against that. We were told to not start juice until 9 months and to NEVER put it in a bottle. Also, the juice needs to watered down (at least 50/50) and doesn't really provide any nutrients. We just give it to my dd as something else to drink besides water. Enjoy your vacation! You have no reason to feel guiltly for leaving her. You need some time for YOU too! :D

Side note, I am a speechie too! Hey! Well back to business. If you are planning on introducing formula you should do that b/f your vacation. I am in the same boat. Have been breastfeeding the past 8 1/2 mos, Will be going on a cruise in Dec, definitely want my baby to be weaned off by then. I started introducing formula(organic)very pricy but definitely worth it in the long run, to supplement feedings when I am not @ home, but of course, she will not take it. She takes it from other individuals but not me. The plan is to breastfeed until Nov when she turns a year, but my milk supply seems to be dwindling b/c I do not pump anymore, along w/ lack of sleep. You should definitely introduce it now if you want her system to get use to it & try the organic available @ babys R us.

You do not say what you are planning to do on vacation to keep up your milk supply...if you do not pump regularly you will be miserable will not maintain your supply.
At 7mos., your daughter should be going with you.....

Def intro formula before you go. Think of the person whos watching her you dont want to leave them hi and dry with a screaming baby. I couldnt imagine leaving my son for that long while BF but its always good to have a back up plan. Remember to pump often while away so you dont lose supply.

If you are concerned about not having enough milk for her then get some formula and introduce it to her. I would recommend getting soy formula and not the milk based because a lot of infants stomachs can't handle milk based formula. I would get her isomil soy formula. Also, you can of course keep pumping until it's time for you to leave on your trip. I am not sure about mixing milk and formula though. That may be a little harsh on her belly but what you may want to do is try mixing before your go and see how she does.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

You may also want to consider shipping your milk home as you pump while on vacation ... be sure you get a hotel room that has a fridge or freezer and then consider shipping your milk home (take enough bottles with you for storage). You would need to ship it on dry ice. It's a little costly and takes some planning but if you don't want her to have formula, then I would try shipping milk home every few days. Plus, the last thing you want to do is pump and dump. Regardless, enjoy your trip away and I'm sure you'll love coming home to your beautiful baby when it's over.

Yes, buy some formula for her, just in case. I wouldn't mix the formula and breastmilk together though, because if she doesn't drink that entire bottle you'll be wasting that little bit of breastmilk. Plan this out carefully so you don't have to give her tons of formula since you don't want to. If you notice you won't have enough for the vac time span have the sitter make a 4 oz bottle breastmilk, then a 4 oz bottle formula -- or however much she eats. Does she eat cereal yet? Take that in account as well. Just be sure you introduce the bottle beforehand if you haven't already...and yes I would introduce formula too since it tastes a lot different than breastmilk. Good luck!

I did both with my son and he did fine with it, however, he was a newborn when I did this. You might want to mix the two and her her used to the taste of formula, just follow the directions on the can: mix 2 OZ water with one scoop of formula for two ounces liquid formula and so on and mix as much breastmilk as you want.

It's fine to mix breastmilk and formula half and half. However, I would probably try introducing her to a bottle and formula before going on the trip. Once she's used to it, that's just a little less stress to think about when you are away from home.