Pro Breastfeeding Moms

At six months you can probably give her oatmeal or rice cereal for dinner - that might help...

I didn't have to supplement with Greg - but with Nicky - there were times when I thought I was gonna have to - he self-weaned at one year - broke my heart...

DO NOT feel like a bad mom!!! You are doing what you need to do!!!

ROCK ON MAMA!!!

could be teething why she is not sleeping...keep BF you will be fine. You can give a feeding right before bed to tide him through the night.

You're doing a great job! I just read only about 13% of moms who started breastfeeding their babies actually keep it up until 6 months, so you're way ahead of the game!

I would caution a little about starting formula if you would like to continue breastfeeding. The more you use it the less milk your body will produce so you might end up quitting a lot sooner than you think.

My supply dipped at around 5 or 6 months and then again really low at about 8 months. I saw my lactation consultant who recommended More Milk Plus, and herbal supplement. That really helped me. Good luck!

1. Don't feel bad. We do what we have to do! And kudos to you for exclusively breastfeeding as long as you have!!

2. Breastmilk is more easily digested than formula, so it's not uncommon for breastfed babies to wake more frequently at night. My daughter was 14 months old before we gave up the overnight feeding.

3. There is no scientific evidence that formula helps babies sleep better at night. Because it is harder to digest, formula fed babies do tend to go longer between feedings but it's not a guarantee.

4. I'm not sure how it happened but I always managed to have "just enough" EBM to make it through those times, so I hope the same for you too! Will she take a bottle of EBM?

There is a wealth of information on breastfeeding/supplementing/sleeping through the night, etc on kellymom.com It was my go-to site when I was nursing my daughter.

Good luck this weekend at your meeting!

Don't feel bad.

No matter what, a baby needs sufficient daily intake and especially during growth-spurts.

You said you have difficulty with supply.
Did you see a Lactation Consultant? If so, then try that route, too.
Does your baby latch on, properly?
If not, then seek a lactation Consultant to help, too.

Now: FULL or not, a baby wakes.
A full baby... does not, not wake. They wake too.

6 months is a time of: teething, growth-spurts, more hunger, and time of MANY developmental changes and hitting milestones. ALL of these things, occur at one time. Not one at a time. THESE things, tweaks a baby's sleep, too.

Now, yes, if baby is not getting enough intake, you need to supply her with adequate intake, per her appetite, and if that means giving a chaser of Formula, then fine.

Try, to give the Formula as a 'chaser' after nursing. NOT to replace, a nursing. Otherwise, your milk supply will drop, further.

Also, if on solids, ALWAYS nurse BEFORE solids, not after. If giving nursing after solids, baby will be too full to nurse, and this will cause weaning from breast. This is also per our Pediatrician.

I breastfed, both my kids They both had GINORMOUS appetites. 24/7.
With my son though, he started to hate breastfeeding and by 1 year old, weaned himself. Then he had bottles.
He had a HUGE appetite, I nursed using both breasts per session, he'd drink me dry... and STILL wanted more. THUS, I at times, had to give him Formula as a chaser. AFTER nursing, from both breasts. Though I had plenty of breastmilk. My Pediatrician was aware of this.

The MAIN thing is: that your baby get adequate intake, daily. 24/7.
If not, then a baby, will be constantly hungry and sure, not be able to sleep.
But other developmental occurrences, tweak their sleep, too.
Regardless of having a full tummy or not.

Also, feed baby on-demand. NOT per a 'schedule.' Otherwise, baby will not be getting adequate intake nor will it reflect her growth-spurt changes and needs for more intake at these junctures.

You're a great mom, you want what's best for your daughter and she has to eat this weekend! Stop feeling guilty.

I breastfed my son exclusively, I was terrified if I gave him any formula my supply would go away, I don't know where I got that idea :-/ But with my daughter i gave her formula occasionally at our doc's suggestion as I was returning to work when she was 3 months. She was fine and your daughter will be as well.

Well, I don't think you should feel like a bad mom for giving her formula. However, if you feel like your supply is not enough, giving her formula will only compound that problem. She is possibly going through a growth spurt. My babies always nursed through the night. I would just tuck them in bed next to me and let them nurse when they wanted. The reason formula "fills them up more" is because it is harder on their digestive systems, and it takes longer for them to process it. Breastmilk is the perfect food for them, and it is very easily digested. So, they need more sooner. My thought is that this is the way God intended it to be, so it must be that they actually need the milk more.

Eh, all three of my breast feed babies had formula too, usually mixed with BM so other people could feed them. Doesn't make me feel like a failure, should it?

As far as the sleeping goes, interruption could be caused by a zillion different things. It won't be the last sleep strike she goes through.

Sounds to me like you're doing everything right, only for the wrong reasons.

Maybe try a little oatmeal before bed if you think she's getting hungry.

:)

You did great!!! In my case I pumped for 6 months and I was keeping frozen milk in the freezer... I was giving him formula just at night...
You are doing great by testing the formula for a few days... you don;t want to be surprised in the middle of a work day...
Just relax and don't be so hard on you.... Maybe she needs more solids at night, or she might be teething... The teething process is really very painful... They get cranky and usually gets worst at night....
Good luck and don't feel bad....
N.

You've done a great job nursing your baby for 6 months! And you can continue to. You have no reason to feel like a bad mom. You are not! Please don't be so hard on yourself. You haven't done anything wrong! :)

sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone.. it is not dependent on milk versus formula. is she growing?? then she is getting enough milk.. formula feeding is very differnt than breast feeding.. breast fed babies normally eat more often, they normally wake during the night to eat, they grow a bit slower (but end up thinner and not obese)

There is nothing wrong with formula.. but try to nurse as long as you can. if you want to increase your milk take fenugreek - buy it at the health food store.. really really works.. I took the fenugreek when my son was 6 months and it seemed like my milk was low.. actually I think he was just growing and was eating more often to get more food. keep up the nursing.. good job.

Don't feel bad! You are a wonderful mom for keeping her needs/comfort level in mind. When I was pregnant, my pro-bf friend told me "Try it for 3 months. Give it 3 months. If you don't like it after that, then at least you gave your son 3 months of it. If all's going well, then you can continue." Needless to say I nursed for 15 months total.

If you're worried about your supply, then pump MORE and try to nurse MORE to send the message to your body "I need to produce more milk!" Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and eating well too. Your baby is perfectly capable of sleeping well at night with breastmilk. I have never heard that formula fills them up more. Perhaps it's teething that is keeping her from sleeping well. Have you felt any teeth protruding?? Stick your finger in there. I would bet that or something else is your culprit. Keep up the pumping and nursing if you want. But if you give your child formula, please please do not feel like a bad mom. There are MANY MANY women who give their chidren formula and they turn out to be wonderful children. Don't beat yourself up, M..

Okay, first and foremost: YOU ARE NOT A BAD MOM. :)

Second, breatmilk supply does tend to start going down as the baby starts solids. Mine was also deeply affected by sleep, so when I wasn't getting as much sleep as possible, my supply went down. I worked, came home, nursed the baby, sometimes made dinner and just focused on resting (the rest of the house was a wreck, but that was okay by me for a few months).

Yes, formula does stay in their digestive tract longer---but that is because it's harder to digest than breast milk. Some people nurse at night, then give the baby some cereal or other solid food on top of the nursing in order to keep them fuller. But a lot of babies just don't magically sleep through the night without some help or training.... We really struggled with this; I remember going to my baby's 6m appt and having the doc say "Well, you know your baby CAN physically sleep through the night now, at 6 months." And me feeling like "then give me a bloody suggestion on how to do that!!! Telling me that info doesn't actually help get it done!" :) At 7m, we ended up doing cry-it-out (the Ferber Method), after doing a lot of reading and trying Dr. Sears and a couple of the other "softer" approaches.

Another tip: If you are starting solid foods, be sure to nurse before feeding the solid foods--otherwise, if you switch it around (solid food then nursing), the baby won't nurse as much and your body will respond by making less milk.

Frankly, there is nothing wrong with using formula, especially now that you're at the 6 month mark. Do what is right for you and the baby, and don't worry about the rest. :)

Hi ,

First let me say, YOU are not a BAD mom!!!!! It sounds like you are doing a fabulous job with your little one!!!! A little formula is not going to harm your baby. Bottom line, you need to do what you need to do as a mama to get the best balance for you and your baby. If you need to formula feed---don't worry! There are great choices out there. If you want to breastfeed and formula feed, you can do that too! There are options! The best option is finding what works for both of you. I would tell yourself that you are a good mom and you are feeding your baby proper nutrition, loving her and caring for her like you should. Take the pressure off. Its ok! You made it to 6 months!!! Give yourself credit and take the pressure off of yourself. Do what is right for you. Best wishes!!!!

M

You're not a bad mom, no way!!! I know exactly how you feel! I remember when I started supplementing... First, no, formula is not a better choice, but if you need to use it, it is perfectly fine. Babies don't sleep for a million healthy developmental reasons. Imagine what it must be like learning at the rate she is! You know how excited you get when you discover something awesome, and you can't sleep because you keep thinking about it! She's the same way. She will sleep through the night, I promise! Assuming you want to continue breastfeeding, for now, take advantage of co-sleeping and night-nursing. If you let her nurse off and on all night, it will keep your supply up. BTW, when you are with her, do you give her bottles or does she nurse? Babies get the rich fatty milk better than a pump ever can. You are an awesome mom! I am so happy to know your baby girl has so much love in her life! I always tell people to love their babies with all their heart, and you are the most loving mommy!

You should not feel bad at all. You have breast fed your child for longer than many moms could. Giving her formula is not a bad thing at all and it could help her to sleep better. If your milk supply is low then she is not getting enough to get full and therefore she is hungry. Would you rather her to be hungry but you can say you breast feed or give her formula so she can be full ans sleep well at night. Many mother are unable to breast feed their children due to medical reasons or they just choose not to. You gave your daughter a great beginning and eventually you would have to stop anyway. Keep your head up and take care of your beautiful daughter.

I think guilt just goes along with being a parent. In your situation, whether you supplemented with formula, or let your baby be fussy at night, possibly from poor milk supply, you would feel guilty. Sometimes no matter which decision we make we still feel guilty! I think if you have your child's best interest at heart you really cant' go wrong, so stop beating yourself up!

Having said that, there certainly could be other reasons for her being so fussy at night. I don't know why we BF'ing mom's always assume it's a supply issue, like we question our body's ability to do it's job. She might be teething or getting ready to meet a milestone. Actually she might be growing and all this crying is an attempt to get you into her bedroom so she can stimulate your milk supply. It could be a combination of things. Listen to your mommy intuition on this one!

Don't feel like a bad mom!!!! You are so lucky to have been able to nurse for so long!
It is true that formula can fill them up. At around six months, babies can start eating real food also (if that is what you want). Maybe just give a bottle at night. She is growing a lot and might need a bit more.

First, don't feel like a bad mom! We're all doing the best we can, and you're no different. Let yourself off the hook. I'm a HUGE breastfeeding proponent, but I can't pump, so I choose to supplement so that I can get a night or day away every now and again.

Now, a couple of notes in case you want to avoid formula in the future (totally up to you):

1. Babies do go through growth spurts where it seems like maybe they aren't getting enough milk. Nature works in weird ways, but it works. If you keep nursing exclusively your supply WILL catch up.
2. Babies go through different sleeping patterns, and it usually isn't connected to how much they're eating or nursing. My little man woke up literally once an hour all night long for months. I was exhausted and had post-partum depression. We decided to do cry it out around 6 months so I could finally get some much-needed sleep. It took a few weeks to really get him sleeping through the night, but it did work.
3. If you feel like you're having a hard time keeping your supply up, that is when you actually want to avoid giving formula. Your body makes milk on a supply and demand schedule. The more baby needs, the more your body makes. If you skip feedings to give him formula your body will actually start producing less milk. It's a slippery slope.

Good luck! I run the "Happy Nursing" group on Facebook (just do a search for us) if you want some more support from some really helpful mamas: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Nursing/238746032814035

K the reason you feel bad is because you know (as well as we all know) that breast milk is better than formula and the best thing for baby BUT that doesn't mean formula is bad for a baby. It's not! Your baby won't have anything bad happen to her just cause you gave her some formula. She will be just fine. Still healthy and happy. And I have heard that formula can help a baby sleep better. So give it a try. You can still nurse her too but give her some formula and then you both might be more happy.

Don't feel bad about feeding your child! She NEEDS to eat and if you have decided by need or want to give her formula, she will still get her vital nutrients that she needs to be healthy and happy. We had a supply and latch problem, and in the hospital they HAD to feed my son formula (from a dropper). I was devastated at first, but I know that it was right for me and my son. I pumped and supplemented for the first 6 months of his life and then switched to just formula. My son is as healthy as an ox and I know that I gave what I could to him. When we had to supplement in the beginning, and when we first switched to formula only, I felt bad too, and I know how you are feeling, but it will get better. Just look at how happy and healthy your daughter is and you will know that all is all right.

Why would you feel like a bad mom for feeding your child? Isn't that what we are supposed to do?! I nursed until I dried up, which was only a few months with each child. Yes, I felt upset because of the closeness, etc. You just have to think about your child. You feed them when they're hungry, now matter what. Good luck!

You shouldn't but my 6 month olds were also on cereal at this age plus the breast milk.

oh no...no way are you being a bad mom. you are doing what you can to help her grow the best she can. I want to say that my baby, my last, was breastfed for 2 weeks. I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks, she was formula fed that duration along with whatever breastmilk I could pump. My 5 months she was just breastfed from the boob, at 9 months she started needed a little formula to help her gain weight and we are now just finally weaning at 15 months old. babies are very flexible and I don't see any issue with the choices you are making. I did tough however learn that my little one didn't sleep any better on formula then on breastmilk. She just finally started sleeping better around 10mo. keep up the good work.

Don't feel bad! I will say it is a wives' tale that formula helps babies sleep through the night. I tried it, it didn't work. Sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone, much like walking, talking and potty readiness. Every kid is different. My son (now 2) was such a barracuda when it came to eating that I co-slept with him for the first 6 mos so I could get any sleep. And even when he started giving me 4-5 hr stretches, he was never a good sleeper.

I would suggest not supplementing with formula, if you're planning on continuing to breastfeed - only because it will sabotage your supply. If you're able to pump extra, that would be better. As one of your responses mentioned, your baby could be going through a growth spurt so it's a matter of building up your supply - don't think that you aren't producing enough.

Trust your body! And good luck!