Weaning and Starting Formula

So my original goal was to breastfeed DD until she was 6 mos. She is now 5 mos and 5 days(!) and I think I will make that goal.

My problem is that I'm just not producing that much. I mostly breastfeed her and pump about twice a day and get enough, around 8 ozs, for DH to give her a bottle for bed.

I'm working from home right now so I have the luxury of being able to feed her. But starting next moth, I will be working onsite and I also will be gone for a week for training. I don't have any type of stash. If I had to go into the office, even tomorrow, I would have no milk to leave for her.

I started her on solids last week and mixed the oatmeal with formula and it went well. So my question is how do I start this process of giving her formula? I don't want to completely stop breastfeeding. It's not all or nothing for me. I'd like to be able to give formula during the day when I'm at work and then breastfeed and also pump.

Anyone do this? Any tips/suggestions? Thanks for getting through this! I know it's long.

Weaning and Starting Formula

I ebf for a month and then slowly introduced formula. At that time I stopped nursing and was just pumping so I would alternate bottles of bm and formula. Slowly it become more formula than bm and by 12 weeks I stopped pumping and she was just on formula.

Weaning and Starting Formula

I would introduce it slowlym mix formula with bm ounce by ounce until its all formula. For example if she drinks 7 oz bottles:
Day 1: 1 oz formula to 6oz bm for 3 days
Day4: 2 oz formula to 5 oz bm for 3 days
Day7: 3oz formula to 4 oz bm for 3 days and so on until its all formula.

1 thing to consider if your on any special diet like no diary then yoh may need a non dairy based formula. If not some people just like to strar with a gentle one others dont. Its up to you.

Just a questions if your not producing enough what are you supementing with?

Re: Weaning and Starting Formula

Thanks for the replies!

Weaning and Starting Formula

No problem at all. I had to transition dd at 2.5 months because of issues with digesting dairy and she needed special formula. And like you my supply was dipping, but I was supplementing.

Then do it a lil more at a time so it will take less bm. I only did that way because formula has a different taste and her formula especially has a VERY different taste (alimentum) so that's why I did it so slow.

maybe try 2oz formula to 4 oz bm for 2 days only
and then jump to half and half for 2-3 days
and then full formula bottles after another 2-3 days...
AND youll have a lil more bm to spare because that nighttime bottle should be the same as the above bottles so it wont be all BM. Start making a small stash of BM when you pump the 8oz because you wont need 8oz at night. Youll need only 6 the first night and you can save the remaining 2, kwim?

And make sure you heat it if the formula is cold. my dd hated cold formula at first especially since bm is warm.



eta: don't get worried if her bm change. it takes like a week for their bodies to get used to digesting it. This even happened when I transitioned my dd to almond milk. she got soooo constipated for a week and after that she was fine.

FM me anytime! =)

Message edited 1/6/2014 12:13:25 PM.

Weaning and Starting Formula

Pump/nurse what & when you can & give her formula in between. I supp w formula (just one bottle) when my supply takes a dip or don't have time to pump..apprx 2 times a week.

Re: Weaning and Starting Formula

Re: Weaning and Starting Formula