Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Which formula did you start out using?

Enfamil Lipil
Similac Advance
Nestle Good Start

And did your DC do okay on it? Did you stick with it?

DD is 4 months and I am going to have to start supplementing very soon as my freezer stash is GONE and I can't pump enough for her anymore.

Also, dr. said I can start her on some cereal on a spoon and mix it with BM or formula. Do you think I should start out with cereal mixed with formula?

Message edited 12/15/2009 3:14:42 PM.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

We started witht he Similac Advance since I had some samples....thankfully she had no problems, so we switched to the Similac Organic (same formula as regular Similac Advance, just made organically).

I don't think it really matters which you mix with the cereal, personal preference I guess.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

When we started to supplement (now she is on all formula) we used Similac Advanced.....

I would mix the cereal with formula, in the beginning my daughter didn't eat too much cereal. Since you are going to be feeding both formula and breast milk, if it was me I would make the cereal with formula so less BM is wasted...

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

hey I used goodstart. she did great with it right away. and usually mixed the cereal w/ formula. sometimes bm but usually formula so i didnt waste any bm.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

We started with Similac Advance since that was what I got free samples for. He transitioned really well. He was a little gassy, so I add mylicon drops to his formula.

As for the cereal, I mix Justin's oatmeal with formula. Like another person said, I'd suggest mixing her cereal with formula too so you don't waste any BM. She wont eat all of the cereal you make at first, and no one wants to waste BM!!

Message edited 12/15/2009 3:29:38 PM.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

i started with RTF similac then changed to powder enfamil premium.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

I didn't BF.

But my BFF did, and when she switched to formula, our other friend (who is a NICU nurse) said to use either Gentlease or GoodStart

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

I started on Enfamil Premium. seemed to have a problem so I switched to Gentlease. he still has gas problems so I am not sure.

your dd is a bit older, so her little belly may be ok now for the Enfamil premium or similar.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Enfamil Gentlease.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

i know what you are going through right now!!

just keep telling yourself that formula is food not posion! ( this is what i had to keep reminding myself in the beginning)
you will prob only have to supplement with one or two bottles of formula, the rest will be breastmilk, so dont worry!

i use smiliac advance shield. it's the white canister with blue/silver label. i chose it b.c it said it was most like breastmilk...

i highly recmd. introducing the formula first before the cereal. give it atleast a week before you introduce cereal that way if she starts fussing or seems gassy, you can switch formula. if you introduce new formula and cereal at the same time, you wont know what is effective your dd negatively.

rice cereal can cause gas...

good luck!!!


eta- my dd never had any problems with the formula.. i never had to switch. i dont think she even noticed a difference

Message edited 12/15/2009 4:08:58 PM.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

i supplemented with similac advance early shield... i did origionally mix the cereal with bm because ds always ate it all.... once my supply started to dip due to being preg again i started making the cereal with formula

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Similac Advance RTF ... first try was with the powder and she spit up both times (could have been something else but whatever).

I'm still mixing an ounce of BM with it.

And I use the powder with her oatmeal (that way they can just add water at daycare).


And same as some of the others, went with it because I had free samples!

I also tried the organic Similac but it seemed to smell even worse to me so I went back to the regular.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

The doctor told us Similac Advance

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

I used the Similac Advanced when I started to transition over to formula. I used this to mix the cereal too. DS has done really well on it!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Posted by CaMacho

Which formula did you start out using?

Enfamil Lipil
Similac Advance
Nestle Good Start

And did your DC do okay on it? Did you stick with it?

DD is 4 months and I am going to have to start supplementing very soon as my freezer stash is GONE and I can't pump enough for her anymore.

Also, dr. said I can start her on some cereal on a spoon and mix it with BM or formula. Do you think I should start out with cereal mixed with formula?

Message edited 12/15/2009 5:15:37 PM.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Thanks guys! I think i'm going to go with the Similac Advance... dr. said any of those 3 are good to start with. Hopefully I can pump enough for this week and then i'll be home with her for 2 weeks!! So I don't have to worry about supplementing until Jan.

Posted by hunnybunnyxoxo

i know what you are going through right now!!

just keep telling yourself that formula is food not posion! ( this is what i had to keep reminding myself in the beginning)
you will prob only have to supplement with one or two bottles of formula, the rest will be breastmilk, so dont worry!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

We started out on enfamil lipil and DS didnt have any problems with it. I stuck with it and DS was off BM entirely by 4 months old for a number of reasons. He took fine too it, and really couldnt care less as long as he was being fed.

I think whatever you mix the cereal with is fine. We always just added water.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Posted by CaMacho

Thanks guys! I think i'm going to go with the Similac Advance... dr. said any of those 3 are good to start with. Hopefully I can pump enough for this week and then i'll be home with her for 2 weeks!! So I don't have to worry about supplementing until Jan.

Posted by hunnybunnyxoxo

i know what you are going through right now!!

just keep telling yourself that formula is food not posion! ( this is what i had to keep reminding myself in the beginning)
you will prob only have to supplement with one or two bottles of formula, the rest will be breastmilk, so dont worry!

Thanks! It's just hard for me to start her on formula, even if it is one bottle/day. Is that weird? I know so many people do and it's fine (I was formula fed!) but I don't know what it is. I'm sure i'll be okay once I see that she is okay with it.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Posted by hunnybunnyxoxo

Posted by CaMacho

Thanks guys! I think i'm going to go with the Similac Advance... dr. said any of those 3 are good to start with. Hopefully I can pump enough for this week and then i'll be home with her for 2 weeks!! So I don't have to worry about supplementing until Jan.

Posted by hunnybunnyxoxo

i know what you are going through right now!!

just keep telling yourself that formula is food not posion! ( this is what i had to keep reminding myself in the beginning)
you will prob only have to supplement with one or two bottles of formula, the rest will be breastmilk, so dont worry!

Thanks! It's just hard for me to start her on formula, even if it is one bottle/day. Is that weird? I know so many people do and it's fine (I was formula fed!) but I don't know what it is. I'm sure i'll be okay once I see that she is okay with it.

not weird at all! i totally remember! i think it's because we are their main source of nourishment. breast milk is all natural and so good for them that it was strange at first to give her something that was not from my body.

i am sure she will be fine. it's always harder on us then on them.

dd is 11 months and i went through everything you are going through right now. you go back to work, you nurse in the morning, pump before you leave, pump at work, nurse when you come home, pump before bed...
and somehow you still dont make enough bottles!!! arrghh!
eventually, i eliminated the morning pump and just nursed and got ready for work. i pump twice at work, nurse when i come home and nurse her again to bed. i no longer pump before bed. i just have too many things from the time i walk in the door till the time i go to bed and to worry at about pump parts will break me.
my lifestyle is much easier now. i still produce enough to feed on the weekends, and morning and nights during the weekday.
so good luck!! hth!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

We use Similac Advance and it's been fine. Just remember that even if she is a little fussy/gassy at first, give it about a week before you contemplate a switch - it may take her system a bit of time but at her age she may just take to it fine.

I agree with PPs that mixing cereal with formula is definitely better than wasting BM, because she won't "get" eating in the beginning. After a few weeks, though, I just switched to mixing it with warm Brita water. Much easier for me.

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Enfamil premium lipil

we just started DD on oatmeal, we mix it with formula...she'll be 5 months old this Friday

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Thanks so much for responding and for sharing your experiences!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Posted by hunnybunnyxoxo

dd is 11 months and i went through everything you are going through right now. you go back to work, you nurse in the morning, pump before you leave, pump at work, nurse when you come home, pump before bed...
and somehow you still dont make enough bottles!!! arrghh!
eventually, i eliminated the morning pump and just nursed and got ready for work. i pump twice at work, nurse when i come home and nurse her again to bed. i no longer pump before bed. i just have too many things from the time i walk in the door till the time i go to bed and to worry at about pump parts will break me.
my lifestyle is much easier now. i still produce enough to feed on the weekends, and morning and nights during the weekday.
so good luck!! hth!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

Jess, I was reading your pumping schedule and thought I'd see if you have tried pumping first thing in the morning.

I am working also, and I get up and pump first thing. I can wake up around 6:15 pump and my DD doesn't wake until after 7 so by then I am able to BF her. At that pumping session I usually get a ton of milk since I didn't feed her all night. Even if she gets up and eats in the middle of the night, I still have a strong pumping session. Sometimes up to 8 ounces.

My first week back at work I actually was able to freeze some at the end of the week due to an oversupply.

She was teething last week and hit a growth spurt so last week wasn't as successful but I am pumping enough for her to eat while I am away.

Just wanted to share!

Re: Those who BF and started to supplement with formula...

From a ped. dietitian:

Great job BF!! Be proud of yourself!!
As far as formula goes, here is a breakdown:

Enfamil Premium: Most like BM, has 60/40 whey to casein, prebiotics, and DHA levels that meet recommendation of .2% and above (contains .3%).

Similac Early Sheild: Mostly caesin (hard curd of milk protein), prebiotics and is the ONLY formula that DOES NOT meet DHA recommendations. (contains .15%)

Good Start: 100% whey (easier digestable protein), pre and probiotics, and has DHA levles that meet recommendations (.3%)

I often find that babies to the best on enfamil products - especially gentlease. I no longer recommend similac products since they are the only formula on the market w/o proper DHA levels (super important for brain development).

HTH!