Switching from Breast Milk to Formula - Linden, VA

I'm with the rest of you Mama's that feel baby comes first. Why would anyone Mama feel that it's best to leave baby at home I don't know because babies only are for a season.

I'm sorry, I just don't understand why you're going on an adults only vacation when you have a 4mo baby. Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you wean your baby at such a young age just to go on vacation? Seems a little selfish to me. But if you must, the first poster had good advice I suppose, I just wanted to add that you may be able to pump enough if you're drinking enough water, it'll just take a lot of hard work. It depends on what your priorities are.

You're not leaving until February. You will be gone for 4 days. I think you have plenty of time to pump. For 4 days, you'll need about 20-25 4oz bottles available (and some of that is extra just in case). You have plenty of time to pump that much. Don't give up on it yet. :)

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I am editing my response beacuse I also got a scolding message for being "judgemental". I would just like to state that A. was asking for advice, and I was making it clear that my advice is to cancel this vacation if possible until baby is older. One poster wrote that A. needs a vacation after 4 months, well I would say that her baby NEEDS her more than she NEEDS a vacation and I believe baby's needs are always more important. After all, it's not like they can take care of themselves. So no more nasty-grams please, you're not going to change anything I have to say so save your breath.

I wouldn't plan a vacation while I was breastfeeding unless I was taking the baby with me. But, that's me. Or else, I'd plan far enough ahead so that there was enough pumped breastmilk to last 6 days (just in case). In any case, 4 months old is a bit early to stop EBF. The literature states that EBF for the first 6 months at least provides many more health benefits to you and the baby.
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I am editing this response because I got a private message scolding me for being judgemental. I was trying to be brief, not harsh. As I told her, sometimes the only advice one can give is to state what you would do in a similar situation. If there are other issues going on other than a vacation that mean you need to start giving a baby formula, such as a dairy sensitivity or trouble with latch, then I would start exploring that option. However, the only thing you stated as a reason was the vacation, and you stated that he didn't like the formula. So, I would do my very best to pump like crazy between now and and February. I was able to pump an extra 30 ounces in one week a few months ago in order to allow my son to spend a night with my grandmother so I could go to a friend's concert. Trust me, if you include an extra 2 pumping sessions a day you'll probably have 4 days worth of extra milk at least by the middle of January. I did this by only feeding my baby on one side when I got home from work instead of switching to the other side for the next feeding like I usually do. Your body will get used to this and compensate. If you pump at the same time as the baby nurses, then you can take advantage of the strong letdown. Another thing is to look at what kind of pump you're using. I switched to a Medela pump from one that WIC issued to me (Bailey), and I'm getting at least an extra 2 ounces every morning now.

A.,

I breastfeed my son for a whole year, unfortunately, I work full time so I have to supplement with formula. What I did was mix the formula with the breastmilk that I had pumped for a few feedings and then Each feeding I would lessen the amount of breastmilk and increase the formula until I had a full bottle of formula. It helped my son adjust to the taste and made the transition easier. It may also help to have someone else give him the formula bottle, he may smell you and decide he prefers you over what ever is in the bottle.
Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

A.,

When my oldest son (now 12 yrs old) was a baby, I had to switch him to formula during the day while I worked, and I nursed him at morning and at night. He fought taking a bottle of formula and I thought we would never get him taking one! But the strategy of mixing breast milk with formula and gradually changing the proportions so that the bottle was finally all formula did the trick (we did 3/4 breast milk to 1/4 formula, then 1/2 and 1/2, then 1/4 breast milk to 3/4 formula, then finally 100% formula). It also was necessary to have my husband feed him; he would NOT take a bottle from me for a while. A couple other things that helped: we found that soy formula worked best (he threw up the regular formula), and we used an AVENT bottle and nipple. I'd say it took about a week to make the transition, and after that he took a bottle of formula and nursed equally well.

As a mom to four now, and a little perspective under my belt, I would say that it's wonderful that you are going away for a few days with your husband. Nurturing your relationship is the best thing you can do for your children. Your baby will be fine while you are gone, and you will come back refreshed and reinvigorated. Mothering an infant is hard work, and we all need a break sometimes. Enjoy your trip!

H.

mix the formula and breastmilk. lke 3 ounces breastmilk to one ounce formula then try half and half then 3 formula 1 breastmillk til he gets used to all formula.

Mix the formula and breastmilk together to help his system adjust. Start this by using just 1 oz of formula (for ex: if he drinks a 4 oz bottle, make it 3 oz breastmilk and 1 oz formula). After 3 or 4 days of him being fine with that, you can add another ounce of formula and take away an ounce of breastmilk (ex: 2 oz breastmilk, 2 oz formula).

If you find that the formula you've tried doesn't agree with him, you may want to try other formulas. Keep in mind that breastmilk is lactose free, so he could have a sensitivity to lactose that you haven't noticed while breastfeeding.

The formula may also change bowel habits - less often, stronger smell, more solid, etc.

hi A.,
good for you for planning this far in advance! you can easily provide for either contingency this way, either by having sufficient milk pumped or having him ready to take formula by february. i think the other posters have it nailed, start mixing formula with breast milk. that way while you're gone he can continue to enjoy the combo, and if the frozen milk runs out he'll be okay with formula only til you get back. i would continue to pump while you're gone so you can pick up breastfeeding when you return.
enjoy your vacation and don't worry about the naysayers. sometimes a bit of pampering for mom is the best possible thing to do for the whole family.
:) khairete
S.

If you don't want to stop breastfeeding altogether, bring a pump on your trip and store the milk. You can also pump as much as you are able in advance and mix it with the formula. My pediatrician suggested 50/50 mix. Talk to your son's doctor about the best formula for him and how to prepare it. I personally wouldn't quit breastfeeding for just a four day trip. I'd try to work it out so that I could pick up later, even if I continued to supplement. I'd actually start now. You can freeze small portions to get what you need, even if it takes a while. Good luck.

Hey A., when i switched my daughter to formula, I started gradually, adding bits of formula to breast milk bottles. I also had to experiement to find one she liked- you might need to try a few different kinds, bc they do taste differently. :)

Also, don't let anyone make you feel bad about doing this- like some posters are doing. That's unfair. You're doing great, and after 4 months heck you need a vacation! What i'd do is pump as much as I can (the more you pump the more milk you'll make) and nurse frequently to increase your production. Save as much breast milk as you can, but also start adding tiny bits of formula, just in case you can't save enough.