continue breast feeding or switch to formula?
I just started offering my 6 month old son formula over the weekend, as I’d like him to be able to take formula when I need someone to watch him because I don not have breast pump or money for one. He has been exclusively breastfed up until now and is a very good eater, finishing in only about 10 minutes, 5 on each side. I have been giving him 2-3 oz twice a day in a Playtex Drop-Ins bottle. My problem is he is starting to loose interest in the breast now and is being lazy when eating from the breast, stopping to look around and not really finishing. Its affecting my milk supply a bit.
My partner wants me to start feeding formula only, as in his opinion it would be better, because I don’t have the best eating habits (I take prenatal vitamins and a DHA supplement and my son gets liquid Polyvisol though) I would also be able to take my medicine for depression if I quit breastfeeding, though I’ve been managing okay so far…..BUT… My son seems fuller after a feeding of formula and is spitting up less. With breast milk he tends to spit up several times between feedings.
So, should I just give up breastfeeding all together, stop the formula except when he’s away from me, or just go between the two? He’s been breastfed for 6 months, that’s a good start, right?
I get food stamps, which would cover the formula so it would be no out of pocket cost to me
Tagged with: breast • continue • feeding • Formula • switch
Filed under: Prenatal Depression
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I’m a full believer on breast feeding, but I’m a bigger believe on if it works, why break it??
its working and he’s happier… I would stop nursing, just slowly wean a feeding every day until your done… Just so you dont have huge engorgement.
The longer the better for him but I know that it’s actually more convenient to stop. Kids who are breastfed are healthier and smarter
6 months is great trust me be happy you got to breastfeed that long! theres nothing wrong with formula and if its helping with the spitup i say go ahead …a good start for breastfeeding is just making sure they get that first colostrum in the first few weeks after birth ..dont worry about the DHA just look for it in the formula you buy…dont give up breastfeeding all at once you dont want to get engorged (it huuuuuurts!) but if your milk supply is tapering off dont worry about it.. i alternated between the breast and the bottle (i was like a midday snack ) and niether one of my kids had an issue with the so called nipple confusion (truth is babys dont care where its coming from they just want it)
well your husband is wrong. even if you don’t eat well, your milk is by far better for the baby. Some babies do get lazy at the breast when they have been bottle fed. Still it is not too late to reverse this trend.
If you can’t afford a breast pump you for sure can’t afford to formula feed exclusively. Do the math on this it is extremely expensive. Within one month of what it costs to formula feed, you can have bought one of the most expensive breast pumps on the market, and if you are only supplementing occasionally then all you really need is a decent manual pump. Say around $30. You can also pump and freeze milk so you can leave it for others to feed your baby for you.
Breast feeding is ideal for multiple reasons. Unless you can’t breastfeed for some reason you should really try to go at least a year.
One last thought, at 6 months your baby is ready to start on solid foods. So you can always supplement his diet with 1st stage baby food at this point also. If your husband just wants some bonding time feeding the baby this may be a good substitute.
well if you stop the formula ur supply will go back up and if its too pricey to buy a pump think about the xspence of formula but any breastfeeding is better then none
i would definitely continue to breastfeed if you can. we started our bub on formula at around 4.5 months but only because i had to return to work and being away from her, caused my supply to drop. if you choose to give him formula, only do so when necessary. what i mean is, as long as you are with the bub, breastfeed. there is no reason to give him a bottle if you are around. most children don’t need to be given formula to ‘see if they like it.’
good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Any amount of time breastfeeding is better than none. Currently the US recommendation is a minimum of 12 months; people in most other countries nurse significantly longer than that (2-4 yrs and more). Formulas are incapable of providing all the micronutrients and antibodies your body creates. BTW, your body puts priority on creating the healthiest milk possible, and the balance of proteins and fats changes over time to meet your growing child’s needs.
Part of the distraction while nursing is his age. This is a normal thing for him to do. The book What to Expect the First Year is an excellent resource.
There is more to nursing to just the nutrient content of the milk/formula. The physical/emotional contact and baby’s feeling of security/comfort is different with nursing than with bottle feeding. The antibodies in breast milk will keep him healthier longer, and less susceptible to colds and ear infections. There is a direct correlation with length of breastfeeding time and IQ, improved neuromotor development, reduced infant mortality rates. Nursing toddlers and preschoolers are measurably less prone to allergies, asthma, ear infections, diarrhea, and many other infections and illnesses. Longer nursing duration also reduces risk of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, lymphoma, and high blood pressure in later years.
Expressing breast milk, whether manually or with a pump, and freezing it in ice cube trays is a common and reasonable way to have milk available for your son when you can’t be with him. Start nursing him to get the milk flowing, then express what you can, then let him finish. This method will also increase your milk supply. You can also check with your local La Leche League and local hospital for low/no cost pump rentals, as well as local new mom’s groups and Craig’s list to obtain used pumps.
You should just go on and off with both. Then as time progress’s give him the formula. It will help me become used to both, that way when you stop breast feeding him it won’t affect him as much. Also make sure you’re taking vitamins, that way your son is getting all the nutrients he needs.