Formula

Kristen
I am feeling bad about our feeding situation. My baby girl always had trouble latching since she was born. It was always my plan to breastfeed but it ended up being an hour of her screaming while we tried every position. I worked three days with lactation consultants in the hospital and I finally decided that fed is best. We started pumping and supplementing with formula. For a while, I was pumping out a lot of breast milk, but it has recent gone dry. I have tried lactation cookies and tea and nothing has helped. So my girl is seven weeks and we are on formula only. She is a healthy 11lbs but I am still feeling guilty that we couldn't work it out. Has any one else gone through something similar?? Just looking for some support...
379 views • 2 upvotes • 16 comments

COMMENT (16)

C

Posted at
Yes! I had no plans to formula feed at all. I did have to start supplementing because my boobs couldn't keep up with my daughter. Anyways, she screamed in pain every single night, 4-6 hours straight crying every night. She would throw up so much, projectile vomit ounces and ounces. Choke in her bassinet. She has reflux problems. So I tried changing my diet, we still had problems. We also tried medicine for reflux, it didn't work. So her pediatrician ended up putting her on similac spit up. It's a thicker formula, and I have the happiest baby now. That's when I realized that fed is best. My baby was miserable on my breast milk and even with changes, it didn't get any better.She never cries for long periods of time anymore, she sleeps so much longer, she's so much happier.  Never feel guilty for breast feeding not working out 😊

al

Posted at
I completely relate, although my situation is slightly different. After leaving the hospital, my baby dropped in weight more than 10%, so we were at the pediatrician's office almost daily to check his weight and make sure he was getting enough milk from me. Things started to improve but about a week later, I had this terrible gut feeling he wasn't doing well again. After every feeding, he'd scream and act unsatisfied. We went back to the pediatrician and they confirmed he had dropped below his birth weight. I was so upset. At that time, they said it appeared he was tongue tied, but it took close to a week to have the procedure done. In the meantime, I pumped every two hours and started taking fenugreek to try to up my supply. After pumping for a week, nothing improved, I was still only getting 0.5 ounces combined from both sides. At that point, we switched almost exclusively to formula, and now supplement with a bottle of breast milk daily (I still pump and collect what I can for him). I cried for about 2 weeks because I wanted to do what was best for my son, but have now come to terms with it because he's gaining well and is healthy and that's what matters most! And now I feel as though I'm finally enjoying my time with him and hope the same for you! I don't think I'll ever *not* feel some guilt, but I did the best I could and I'm sure you did too. 💜

al

ali • May 25, 2017
No problem :)

Kr

Kristen • May 25, 2017
Thank you for sharing your story!

CR

Posted at
Don't let anyone make you feel guilty! Sometimes being a parent you will have to make hard decisions because it is what is best for your kiddo! You definitely tried your best and you are most certainly right that fed is best!

He

Posted at
With my first, I cried and cried about going to formula but I was wracking my brain and beating myself up for nothing. I quickly realized it's none of anyone's business how I feed my kid and sweet lord it was great to let dad help with night time feeding. When my second was born, I tried breastfeeding but it didn't work due to his tongue tie. He's being formula fed and doing just fine. You do you momma and know your kid will be just fine ether way! :)

Kr

Kristen • May 25, 2017
Thanks for the support!

Am

Posted at
I had a similar experience. Wasn't producing enough and he lost 12% of his body weight in 2 days. Milk took too long to come in, had to supplement with formula, then he preferred the bottle over me. After a few days of getting severe anxiety over it we finally decided fed was best. After a few weeks the guilt of breastfeeding not going how I planned disappeared because we had a much happier (and fuller) baby. You got this, mama! 😊

br

Posted at
My son was born at 36 weeks and didn't latch to well from the beginning. I tried so hard. I pumped till my nipples bled and I was refusing to give him any formula (due to the hospital and wic pushing and making me feel horrid that I can't naturally feed him) I gave up breastfeeding a week ago because he is not latching well enough and I can't pump anything out. Fed is best and don't let anyone put you down. I'm still hurting but he is feed and a happy baby. Also he was still at his birth weight and he 2 months now. I feel awful. 

Kr

Kristen • May 25, 2017
Thank you so much for sharing. It's good to know that other people are feeling the same. But our babies are happy and healthy and that's all that really matters

Mo

Posted at
I'm in the same situation. .. might have to go formula only due to me not producing much

Ve

Posted at
My baby boy wouldn't latch on and so I tried to pump but wasn't pumping enough and I was miserable trying to pump 4oz before he would wake up hungry..and then one night nothing would come out so at two weeks I decided that formula would be best for the both of us. But now he's getting closer to being 2 months and he's spitting up a lot with similac sensitive even after being burp and sitting up..idk waiting to see what the doctor tells us on Tuesday. Other then that baby is healthy and growing fast.

Ve

Veronica • May 25, 2017
I might have to switch him then. We even tried the similac for spit up and he still spit up a lot but got constipated. thanks for the tip

Kr

Kristen • May 25, 2017
My baby did not do well on similac but is doing very well on enfamil

Pa

Posted at
I am going through the same thing. Had trouble with latching since birth, so I pumped and pumped a lot at that, started using nipple shields so I could still nurse but also pumped at the same time but in the last two weeks my supply has come to almost nothing. I am very upset about it and also have tried many things to get it going again but am failing so little one gets formula and maybe 4oz of breast milk a day. Still going to pump and try my best to get it going or until I go completely dry but, my LO Is only 5 weeks and I wanted to breastfeed for at least a year 

Ma

Posted at
Im the same, tongue tie and tried for a good month with consultants, now exclusively pumping but im not sure how long it will last so have been supplementing formula to see if his tummy will be ok when we fully convert