How Can I Keep up with the Demand?

It is great that you even kept up with breasfeeding for this long. When my daughter was three I started giving her formula and I felt guilty too. She did fine. I also gave her formula periodically before she was three months and she transitioned from one to the other just fine. You may want to try a bottle with half breast milk and half formula so you don't feel you have to supply more than you already do and you may even have some to spare. Pretty soon he may be strictly on formula but that is ok they say the first three months are the most important for the breast milk. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

I'm in the same situation, working full-time with a 4-month old as well as a 20 month old.. I pump as much as possible during the day to store in the freezer for future use (like a night out if that were ever to happen!!!). The only thing I have been able to rely on is that my body WILL keep up with demand. I drink a ton of water - no caffeine and eat plenty (2K cal/day at least).

One trick that really works for me is that I pump while I'm nursing...takes some coordination, but it allows me to take advantage of the let-down reflex that my son generates. If all I do is capture just those reflexes, I get an incremental 6-8 oz/day!!! Since you, I assume, don't work from home, you have limited opporunities to take advantage of this, so you may have to take over that night-time feeding and give your husband bath-time so he can still bond. Your son will adjust to the new process. Sleeping through the night isn't necessarily a result of milk quantity, but more of their body weight and neurological maturity. Give it a few nights and stay positive!! Hope this helps.

Still - if you need to supplement - formula is not evil! I started by mixing it in with my breastmilk with my oldest boy when I started going on longer business trips.

Good luck,

P.

If you want to supplement with formula now is a good time to start. He may not like it because it smells yucky compared to breast milk. I feel for you because I was in the same situation. I worried for the 15 months of breastfeeding that my little girl wasn't getting enough because like you I was working full time and pumping and tired. But she was thriving and was always at the highest percentile of the growth charts. My day care providers even put added pressure on me because they thought I should be giving her more but she would not take formula and I was giving them all that I pumped. Just make sure that you eat well, drink tons of water and rest as much as you can. As long as he is growing and thriving then you are doing well. We coslept and she breastfed most of the night so the whole time that I was working she actually consumed most of her calories in the night and helped to keep up my milk supply. You definitely need to physically nurse him if you are home instead of pumping if you can because it will help you to physically produce more milk. If he sleeps through the night now, that may change if he goes through a growth spurt and wants more milk. But don't worry about, just continue to pump and nurse him and as long as he is growing you are doing fine. Just think in a few months you can start introducing solids which will help him too.

Hi M.,
First of all, don't feel guilty....I wanted to breastfeed exclusively to both of my children (7 years apart) and I just wasn't able to produce enough milk. The Dr. made me feel much better when we discussed it. I still breastfed and pumped, but I also supplemented with formula - I mixed formula and breast milk together to help with them taking it. Both of them did just fine and I didn't feel so pressured or stressed about it and we all felt much better! I know it is a personal choice, but nowadays, formula has alot of the same qualities as breast milk. The most important thing to remember, is not to get to stressed about it. That doesn't help you or your wonderful baby! I hope this helps!
good luck...

I know you have already received a lot of advice on this, but thought I would put in my two cents worth. I have a 4 year old who I nursed (not exclusively by the end) until he was 20 mo. I now have an 11 month old, and I work full time. I nurse her and pump at work, but I also made the decision to supplement with formula while she was away from me. I would have who ever takes care of him during the day give him a formula bottle, then save the breastmilk bottle for dad at night, that way he is only getting breastmilk at home (which is what happens with my daughter). As for solids, that is up to you. I had a lot of people ask why my daughter wasn't on solids, but I waited until she was 6 mo old before giving her anything other than milk or formula (I did the same with my son). There really isn't a need for it. I actually skip cereal all together, because with the breast milk they really don't need it.
Well, I guess the point of my advice is, don't feel guilty, have someone other than you or your husband give him the formula. One (or two) bottles of formula a day is not going to hurt him with all the other breastmilk he is getting from you.
Also, I must commend you for your pumping! When I first went back to work, I only did it twice during the day, but it wasn't very effective the second time, so now I just pump once! Don't feel guilty, congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Can you pump another time while at work? Don't employers legally have to allow for that?

I personally would be very hesitant to give ANY formula - but everyone has to do what they feel is best for their child. SIDS rates go up with formula use and if you are currently vaccinating your child then breastfeeding is safest for a babies body to handle vaccinations. You would be amazed at the "SIDS" deaths reported after vaccinations.

You could also try some natural remedies for increasing milk supply like fenugreek or eating oatmeal. It sounds like you are doing awesome and I just want to applaud all your efforts. You really are doing awesome.

I also wanted to offer some links. The first is to a message board spefically for moms who are pumping (I am sure they could offer some awesome suggestions):
http://www.justmommies.com/boards/index.php?showforum=676

And the second is to the same website but another board for breastfeeding moms (is more active and you would probably receive more and faster replies):
http://www.justmommies.com/boards/index.php?showforum=7

Good luck!

Guilt is a FIVE letter word...everything you do is for your child so do not beat yourself up over 4 oz. I would begin to supplement a bit...nothing major, however, it is good to do just in case you become sick. Sounds like you have a great routine with Dad and baby! Good luck!

I've actually heard that they get more from you, I'd substitute the night feeding from the bottle with feeding from you. He might need to be feed again earlier in the day, my little one feeds at around 6 and right before I go to work at around 7, then she is feed again around 9/9:30. Here are two great resources for breastfeeding:

http://www.workandpump.com/

http://kellymom.com/

Don't give up, you are doing great!

Hi M.,
I am mother of three who breast fed the 2nd and 3rd ( 3 months and 8 months nursed ) . I also work full time, but had the luxury of taking 6-8 month maternity leaves. I think it's great when a mom nurses and it works out. And going back to work and pumping is a huge effort on your part. Of course as moms we do anything for our kids,and don't complain. So , it sounds like you are doing all you can. But you also need to take care of yourself . It definitely sounds like your little guy is ready for supplement. You would not be messing with routine, since he already takes a bottle. With my first I too was not able to produce enough and was lucky enough that he liked formula. To start I mixed breast milk and formula and increased the ratio gradually until I realized that he actually liked the formula better. It was different with my daughter, and I produced enough. GO FIGURE!!

Also, at 4 months, I assume you are starting cereal.It sounds like he is hungry and it is time to get him on solids.

Good luck with the formula. There are so many brands now a days, it makes my head spin. I wouldn't go cold turkey, so try mixing it with your pumped milk. Just remember every baby is different. You may be surprised how easy the transition is. Take care!

No guilt about supplementing! You are breastfeeding him a lot and suplementing one feeding with formula will not take away all the bonding and health benefits of the breastmilk he does get! I've had to supplement from the beginning with my baby who is now 5 months and I have suffered many guilt-ridden tears over it. We all do the best we can and if you're too exhausted, you won't be able to do your best. It's not selfish to give yourself a small break here, as taking care of yourself means you can take better care of your baby! My baby also sleeps through the night and you couldn't pay me enough money in the world to tamper with the routine that makes that possible, so I know your pain. Plus, I'm willing to bet your husband enjoys his bedtime bottle with his baby. I know my husband LOVES to give our baby a bottle and I wouldn't want to take that joy away from him. Good luck!

Everyone has strong emotions about breastfeeding. I am a public health professional, so part of my job description is to encourage women to breast feed as much as possible, but I have to say that my profession has gone too far. You feeling guilty and horrible about the thought of supplementing with formula is not good for your health or well being, and thus, not good for your son. Formula was originally designed as a supplement, not a replacement for breast milk. My son also had far greater a demand than I could produce. I would sit and breast feed him continuously from 8pm till midnight and it still wasn't enough. Once he was supplemented he was happy, I was happy, our whole family was happy. He still got the antibodies and other protective factors from the breast milk, plus the extra calories and nutrients he needed from the formula.
We have emotionally traumatized women around breastfeeding. Do what you feel is right, and don't feel guilty. You know what is best for your son, which includes what is best for you. Take care of mama too.
About me: 32-year-old full-time working mom of a fabulous and very healthy 26 month old boy, Benjamin.

I work full-time and have a 5 month old boy. I was very reluctant to supplement with formula with my first child even though I had to, but with the second I was more relaxed about it. I can only pump so much at work and I am exhausted too. I have enough stress from work and no time, so I just have the daycare providers mix the breastmilk with half formula or less and my baby doesn't seem to mind. He has been fine. Not sure if he will take all formula well. I feel that at least he is getting a good amount of breastmilk to reap all the benefits and I can continue breastfeeding. Seems like you wouldn't need to use much formula to make up the difference if you're OK with doing that. Like with my first child, I will at some point switch to all formula during the day and breastfeeding morning and night. The one thing I don't have milk to do is to give a big bottle at night which is probably why he still wakes up to breastfeed. In reading your comment I may have to switch to a mixed bottle if possible or a bottle of formula and then breast. Good luck.

The more you nurse, the more milk your body will make, the less you nurse, the less it will make, it's as simple as that. The bottle is interfering with your milk production.

M., I was in a similar situation as you...working full-time, pumping at work, and a 4 month old that was always hungry. I did decide at that time to start supplementing him on formula. He was much more satisfied. Shortly thereafter he started on oat cereal and we joke that he almost swallowed the spoon from being so hungry. By this time he stopped breastfeeding. He is 10 years old now and still at the top of the charts in height and weight and as you could guess, always hungry!

My second child was the opposite. He only breastfed on one breast, had acid reflux and never accepted formula. He needed the closeness to me so I breastfed and pumped until 13 months. He is still small, doesn't eat much, and at 7 years old still loves to snuggle.

I believe both of my boys are healthy even though one was breastfed longer. In the daycare-preschool years they were both sick a lot. But now they are only sick about once a year.

The thing I found so difficult when raising babies is that you get tons of conflicting advice from parents, books, friends, and doctors. Sometimes I followed these various channels of advice and it would be totally wrong for my child. Only you know in your gut what is right for your child. Each child has different needs and what works for one woman/baby may not work for you. Good luck.

Hi M.,

First of all, you should be VERY proud that you've been able to keep up with such a demanding scheulde this long! I'll share my experience with my two kids, and hopefully it will help you.

I breast fed my son (now 4YO) for three months, until I had to return to work. I then pumped for another three months, until he was 6 months old. When I'd had enough pumping, we moved to formula and it took a LOT of trying to get him to take it. Eventually we did find a formula he liked, but he was never really into it. Nevertheless, he grew into a strong, smart, active little boy!

It was a much different story with my daughter (now 15 months old). I never got her to latch successfully. I felt SO guilty about it!!! I pumped 5 times a day for six weeks and finally realized that it would be better for both of us to move to formula. Surprisingly (and thankfully) she took to it great.

Looking back on both experiences, I'm sad that there was so much pressure on me to breastfeed. It really affected me and my ability to enjoy the first several weeks with my daughter. If I had it to do all over again, I'd certainly give breastfeeding a shot - there's DEFINITELY merrit to it. But I'd be more open to formula than I was. Ultimately what's important is that you bond with your baby and find a routine that works for BOTH of you - if you're not happy, your baby won't be either!

Hope this helps,
M.

Go for it M.! I had all the same concerns with my son at 5 months but switching to some formula (Similac Advance) rather than exclusively breastfeeding was a great choice for us. The first few months are the most important for baby to get breastmilk. I cried the first bottle he took but oh baby, did he LOVE it and actually plumped up a bit. He is almost 2 now and has an incredibly strong immune system which of course, I will contribute to the early months of breastfeeding. Give it a go, you have to wean him off at some point. Hope this helps.
Take care.

you are doing a great job with the feedings and yes it is hard to keep up with the demand and also the thought of taken the feeding away from dad.it all comes in to play but start giving him the formula and it will help to take the stress of you and free up you a little and he will still get your milk at other times when you give it to him and he will get that is your time with him. I know it is hard at frist but this will to pass and he will be fine and still know who mom is I have been there and done this two girls older now keep up the good work you are doing great don't stress he is now growing up mom it will also let other people be able to feed him and get use to that. enjoy keep smiling your doing great job.

Hi M.!
Check out the Baby Cafe in Melrose! We are a great bunch of nurising moms.
In the meantime, try Fenugreek and/or More Milk Plus. the more milk is a tincture you put in water or tea. Works fantastic in increasing milk supply!!
http://www.hallmarkhealth.org/babycafe.php
Best wishes!
T.

I was always against formula - but had supply issues from early on & my son was not gaining enough weight. I worked with a wonderful lactation program but in the end had to supplement with a little formula. It worked, he thrived & is extremely healthy. I'm determined not to feel guilty and encourage you to do the same. Sometimes we have to make the best choice for our families and can't always predict what that might be. Good luck, you are obviously doing a great job.

I appreciate this challenge- I have been trying to do exclusively breast milk with my now 8month old son. I had basically the same schedule when he was 4 months, but would feed him twice at night- 7pm and again at 10:30 or 11 when I went to bed. Maybe that would be enough to get him through the night? If you want to stick with your same routine, then let your husband feed his as usual at 9pm, then you can breast feed him again at 11pm or so. My son basically nurses in his sleep at that hour and gets enough so he doesn't wake up again until 6:30 or 7am. That way you will use everything you pump but not need any extra. Good luck- it is a tough challenge, but worth it!

I am a mother of 2 beautiful 6 1/2 month old twin boys. I exclusively breastfed them for 6 weeks. Then I supplemented with formula. The reason is that if you aren't giving the baby enough to eat, their feeding habits won't naturally develop the way they should. You will find yourself exhausted (like you do!) and you will still have a hungry crying baby. YOu may not be at this point yet, but trust me it will come! You can mix formula with your breast milk if you are more comfortable with that than a formula bottle; however, a formula bottle at night before bed might be your best option. The baby is already used to getting a bottle at night and this is the time you need to make sure you're feeding him the most. Then you can save the breast milk you've been giving him before bed and get up to the qty you need. Also you can take a pill called fenugreek, it's an herbal supplement that helps to increase your milk production.
Hope this helps!

If you do choose to nurse him at his last feeding (9:00pm) he'll get enough. The more he nurses the more milk you'll produce! I breastfed exclusively for nearly 6 months-don't know how much milk my baby got (as far as ounces) but she was healthy and satisfied.

My son is now eight months old and we have been supplementing with formula for the past 2 months. Like yourself, I was keeping a keen eye on the "numbers" and anxious about introducing formula. He was growing so much and wanting more than I could produce. We had already introduced cereal and some fruits/veggies. After the first bottle of formula, he was more content than I had seen in a few weeks because he was finally "full". That was enough to convince me to stop stressing. While breastfeeding is wonderful for babies, it was becoming less enjoyable for both of us. We still nurse a few times a day. I don't know what he's getting, but it seems to be more of the "reconnection" that is most enjoyable. Congrats for having a job that allows you to pump as often as you do! One other thought... I noticed a drop in my supply around 3 months when I returned to work, but also my "cycle" returned. Didn't think that was supposed to happen while nursing!!!

Hi M.,
I would try doing his last feeding by breastfeeding, he will get enough, you don't always pump as much as they can get. And continue with the pumping adding one more before you go to bed maybe just to get that extra. Do this for a few weeks and he will help you with the supply! You sound like you make enough you don't need to supplement with formula!
Good luck!!

As a mother of two beautiful children ages 4 and 6, I say please do not feel guilty. I made every effort to breast feed my first child. It was a horrible experience, and she was never able to latch. Leter we determined she had tongue thrust which prevented it. Anyway, I pumped and fed for eight weeks and then finished out remaining supply for the next several weeks. People made me feel awful , and it affected my relationship with my daighter. I was exhausted and emotional trying to make it work. When my second one was born, my husband and I made a decision to not put ourselves through that again. With that said, I have two beautiful very healthy children. Please do what is best for you and your child, not what you feel you have to do. Whole generations were raised on formula, besides the first three months had the most affect. I hope you take this from a mother who is concerned about your mental health, which is just as important to your baby's well being.

Good luck
K. R.

Have you ever thought about freezing your breast milk for that extra

I'm in almost the same situation as you. My second child is 5 months old and it seems like the supply isn't keeping up with the demand. My husband (darling that he is) takes care of the kids during the day. He's introduced a little formula to the breast milk which has been working well. At night we give the baby a bottle of breast milk with some rice cereal and that has helped too. Don't beat yourself up about trying to pump more. Do the best you can with your schedule. I know how hard it is to pump at work. If you have to supplement, remember that generations of kids have survived on the stuff (including myself). Take care. :)

Hi M.,
It depends on how important it is to you to have your husband take over the nightly duties vs. how important it is to you to keep using solely breastmilk. I'm sure you've heard about how supply and demand works. If you breastfeed your son, you will make more milk. The more you supplement with formula or maybe even expressed milk, the less milk you will produce. My background: I am a mom of 3 grown girls (one of whom is with us only in spirit now due to a tragic accident just under 1 year ago, at the age of 21). My girls were fed breastmilk solely. They nursed for a couple of years each. It was important for me to do this the natural way, so they were never even fed expressed milk. I did have the good fortune to be able to afford to be an at-home mom for many years. (I dreamed up several schemes to supplement my husband's income while at home.) You really do need a lot of support to do it this way, a desire and opportunity to be at home. Looking back, I'm so glad I did because I got to spend all that time with my precious girls. They're only little once and we don't really know how long we will have them, even though we think we'll have them forever.
Ultimately, though, we each have to do what fits best for our family. What worked for me won't work for everyone. You will figure out what to do for you and your family and your son will be ok and thrive whatever you decide.
Good luck,
D. M.

I breast fed exclusively until I went back to work and my pediatrician gave me the best advice as I was planning on pumping and continuing to feed my daughter exclusively breastmilk. I had her on formula during the day and breastfed when I was with her. I continued to pump at work to keep my supply up but "pumped and dumped" which made the process easier. As my pediatrician told me the main benefits of breast feeding have been realized in the first couple of months. It made for an easier transition and my daughter adjusted beautifully.

I am surprised that your pediatrician has not suggested adding a bit of rice cereal to the bottles. It is safe after four months, and will help to prolong time between feedings.

You have to nurse more to get more, maybe you should nurse him at 9 and let Dad give him a smaller bottle right after that if Dad wants to bond and you don't think you give him enough milk. The only way to produce more is to nurse more, so any time you can fit an extra nursing in will help stimulate more milk. If you are worried about him waking up at night why not have Daddy get out of bed and get the true bonding joy of a night-time feeding. You are working, pumping, and nursing YOU need your sleep. If you could sit and nurse at 9, because you are probably standing or running around cleaning while Dad is giving the bottle, he just might not wake up in the night and then you'd have that extra bottle of milk and more milk coming because you nursed. One of the best perks of breastfeeding is that it is easier, but all that pumping you need to do must be hard. It will get easier, your baby will need less when he's eating solids. You can get through this! Formula may introduce constipation and other problems that may wake him. Resist the temptation.
When I needed more milk supply I would pump right before I nursed, the baby will always get what it needs, your body makes sure of that. Make sure you are eating and drinking enough. If your swithching breasts during a feeding try just feeding one at a feeding and pumping the other one, all that rich hind milk will hold your baby longer anyway.
Good Luck! I hope you stick it out, I admire your efforts, I hope Daddy realizes the benefits you are giving your child and how much your body is working. S.

M. - I would recommend you pump AFTER your 6 am and 6 pm feeding and you will start to make more milk. Also, 8 oz sounds like a lot! I give my 3.5 month old 4.5 at 7 pm and she'll get up once if at all. Maybe give him 7 oz and save an oz?
Also, eat oatmeal and granola bars and bread with oats in it. Oats are supposed to increase your supply.
Lastly, you can rent a hospital grade pump and you'll be able to pump more in a shorter period of time.
Good luck!

I would not stress yourself and begin supplementing with formula. My daughter is about 7 1/2 months and it was right around 4 months that I began supplementing her with formula.

I introduced a little bit of formula at a time, in the beginning. I initially mixed the formula in with breastmilk, and then eventually just gave her formula alone. My doctor recommended Similac advanced, and it's worked great for us.

When I first started supplementing it was only a few ounces, and now she gets about 8-10 oz. of formula a day plus breastmilk.

Trying to keep up will eventually be just too stressful, which also isn't good for your milk production. It was difficult to get to the point of deciding to supplement, but then once you make that decision, I found it was a real relief.

I also started asking many of my friends who had children whether they supplemented with formula at a certain point. Almost all of them indicated that they began supplementing at about 4 months.

Gook luck!

Hi M.,

I would definately breast feed him at his 9PM feeding. Breast feeding really is a supply and demand thing; so you will probably make more milk in response to this demand. If you really find he won't make it through the night and demand feeding at night is too interruptive to your rest, than you could always give him a couple of ounces in addition to breast feeding at 9PM. Just make sure you breast feed first and let him empty the breast. You will probably find within a couple of days your milk supply will increase. Best wishes and enjoy your new baby boy!

J. L.

Hi M. I am on my third baby and have breast fed all exclusivley till 6 months when it gets hard to keep up with the supply I take 2 herbal suppliments called fenugreek and blessed thissle sorry for the spelling I went fenetic but I was told by a laction consultant about them with my first daughter and taking them together 2 times a day almost doubled my milk supply and have done the same with each child.
You should know it is not you right around 4 months is when keeping the supply up gets tough.

Hi M.,

First of all, I LOVE your son's name. That was one of my choices, but my husband and I compromised on a different name. Anyway, I'm going to take a different approach than the other posts that I have read. First, let me clarify that I don't think you should worry about supplementing with formula if that is what you and your husband agree is the best solution. I was taught that what you are able to pump is not necessarily what your baby gets when you nurse, so maybe some of these other posts that suggest you nurse before bed would be a good idea. It doesn't mean that he will only get the 5 oz. that you are able to pump. It will increase your supply and likely not affect whether or not he sleeps through the night.
But that said, I guess I reading all of these posts about people not having enough milk supply for the demand, and you seem worried about not producing enough, etc. makes me curious. I am no medical expert, but I have always wondered when I hear about people not having enough supply for the demand, "HOW?" I mean, that is how are bodies were designed - to be the sole food source for our children until they were able to eat "solids." What did they do back in the "old days" if you will, when there was no option of formula?? I wonder sometimes, based on my personal experience (I will explain momentarily), if we just don't misunderstand our babies and /or our bodies. WIth my first, there was a time when my breasts didn't feel as full/large anymore and I worried that my supply was going down. I called a lactation specialist and expressed my concern to her and she said it probably wasn't, but just that my body was adjusting, to keep nursing and see how it went. She was right. Within a few weeks, my breasts felt "nursing normal" again. I nursed him for 17 months. Another friend had stopped nursing because of that same feeling, and had no support to encourage her to nurse through it. The other thing I have learned is that sometimes I misread the baby's crying. There had been times where I nursed him and an hour later he acted as if he was hungry again. I began to get frustrated that he seemed to be hungry so much, and then my husband stepped in to try to help out. He would take the baby and try to console, just to make sure it was hunger (I tried that and it never worked!!). Sure enough he just had a burp, or was tired, etc. I think he sensed my frustration when I tried to console him and it triggered him to continue crying. My only recourse was to nurse him, and when he calmed after that I assumed it meant that he MUST have been hungry. SO I thought his demand was so great, when in fact, he just needed to spit up again, or burp or something. Now that I know this, I don't stress when it takes a little while to get the burp out. Anyway, I guess I'm saying that maybe sometimes we misread baby and "boobie" and really we ARE producing enough, and maybe their demand isn't as high as we think. Anyone else experience this? By the way, I'm no medical professional, and I'm sure there could be exceptions. I'm not criticizing. Just honestly curious. I just can't help but wonder what they did back in the day when there was no formula... I think formula was developed so that mother's had the option to go back to work if they needed to? I don't know... I've always been very curious about all of that.

Try nursing him more when you are with him. Pumping is not the same as nursing, your body will not produce as much milk and since it works on supply and demand eventually if you pump too much your body will produce less and less milk. The suckling of a child works better than a pump, even if you try this for a little while til your milk production is up. Are you close enough to his day care to fit in one nursing during the day? Also try nursing at bedtime & see what happens. If he is waking during the night, try a bottle with breastmilk & formula. The formula should fill his tummy for longer periods. Dad could also try this at bedtime after you nurse him for a short time. It probably is very helpful to you as a working mom to keep him on a strict feeding schedule but try nursing him more on the weekends to up milk production also. Good luck!! & try not to feel guilty, parenting is a learning process there is no corret way, take what advice works for you and your family

Please don't be so hard on yourself! YOu can do only what you can do! If it's taking it's toll on you, you need to pay attention to that. I nursed exclusively for only a couple of days before I couldn't take the exhaustion, so I commend you! WE started supplimenting at night and it worked out very well. My son is 13months old and he's very healthy. You shouldn't feel guilty, sometimes your body just doesn't do what you want it to do! The best advise I ever got was "You need to take care of you so you can take care of your son." I truly believe that he needs a rested (at least a little), less stressed mom more than he needs breast milk 100% of the time. I hope that helps a little.

I would definitely have you become involved in that nightly 9pm feeding! I know you don't want to take that away from your husband and as you say "he's also very used to the nightly routine" but you can break a 4 month old of ANY habit. You need that breastfeeding contact with him to help keep up your supply....and if he's getting an 8oz bottle at that feeding that's going to really eat through whatever you have stored. I had a rule with both of my kids that if I was home, there were no bottles alowed!!! Bottles were only allowed at daycare and that's because I needed to have that contact with the baby in order to continue to product more/better. If you supplement with formula at night, your body will just respond to the lack of demand. Don't worry, it's just short term since cereal is probably right around the corner for you. I went by the book with my daughter and waited until I was "supposed" to start cereal, but my son was a different story....he was HUNGRY so I started cereal at 15 weeks knowing that I was heading back to work soon. The cereal really took the load off of me feeling like he wasn't getting enough at the bedtime feeding. However, I still nursed at bedtime, regardless.

I also found that 4 months was the turning point of sleeping through the night. It really doesn't have as much to do with that 8oz bottle as you think it does. It comes down to what my husband and I call "tough love." He needs to learn how to settle himself in the middle of the night without you having to soothe him. Turn the baby monitor down to a tolerable level and let him cry it out for a few nights. It's a rough few nights but you'll be so happy in the long run. Sleep for Mom is a wonderful thing....especially when you're back to work.

I am in the same boat as you. I work full time and exclusively bf my 6 month old daughter. She's never had formula. My supply was starting to dwindle so I googled "stimulate milk supply" and an herb tablet came up called Fenugreek. It was mentioned so many times with such miraculous results I decided to try it.

I got it at the Whole Foods store. I took it for 2 days and my milk supply tripled. I actually have a freezer stash again! You smell like maple syrup too while taking it ;-)

Hi M.,

My experience with breast feeding and pumping was about the same. What I found was that my son did get just as much if not more from direct breast feeding - babies are very efficient at getting the milk out - and the more water I drank helped tons with producing enough milk. You are still in the early stages so this time is hard, but you are about to turn a corner very soon and the demand on you will let up. When your son is 5 or 6 months old (ask your Dr.) you will start him on foods and slowly your breast feeding will become more manageable. I had no set goal, but I did eventually make it through 8 1/2 months of exclusively giving my son breast milk, even with a full time work schedule. It is hard but worth it if you can keep your sanity. Good luck!

I am heading in the same direction as you - my 5 month old has started drinking more at day care than I can pump each day. I am not sure if I want to add another pumping session (it is such a drag) or start a little supplemention. Of course very soon solids can slowly start filling a little of the gap as well. I heard that the good things in breast milk like the antibodies adjust to how much milk the baby is drinking - so if they nurse less often they get more at each nursing. I tell you that in case you go the supplementation route and want to feel a little less guilty about it. Otherwise probably the best way to keep up is to add a bit more nursing and a little less pumping. I am sure you will get lots of suggestions about drinking fluids and herbs - all of which I have heard work. So I will be reading the responses too.

LISTEN TO SARAH! and Thank you Sarah for saying that. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed my daughter and we had terrible latch issues. I breastfed as much as possible and pumped in between. I worked with lactation consultants and tried everything I could. It was very emotional for me, and I ended up pumping all the time. I mean ALL the time, and I could never pump enough. It was exhausting and very sad for me. I had to start supplementing with formula and then made the decision to switch to formula only. After a few weeks on formula, I broke down and was devastated that I was no longer nursing. I felt guilty and terribly sad. Everyone always says breastmilk is best, and I do believe that. But how are mothers who CANT breastfeed as nature intended meant to feel? It shouldnt be a source of guilt. You have given your son the best start, be proud of that! And know if you do decide to supplement that he is still getting what he needs. My daughter is 2 and people still ask me about nursing and it still brings tears to my eyes. When she was 3 months old a lactation consultant I was working with told me that I needed to grieve stopping nursing. I half thought she was a nutcase, but it turns out she was right. I still have guilt over switching to formula, but my daughter is thriving and thats what is most important.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and when we began supplementing with formula the only "reaction" my daughter had was a few constipated bowel movements.

when my daughter was born she came 2 months early, in order to give her enough of what she needed we added a little formula to the breast milk. Maybe you could try something like this. Your child would still be getting the breast milk but also a little more.

Hi M.,
i have one daughter who is now 3yrs old. I breastfed her for the first year. But, I also began feeding her rice cereal at 4months old because she seemed so hungary and so interested in us when we would eat. She loved it. At first I mixed it with a little breast milk and then moved to formula, and then to water if I remeber correctly.

When she was tiny because she was a little underweight we were told to supplement the breast feeding with formula, and that seemed fine.

I also heard, some water before they go to sleep helps keep their tummies full. I don't think I tried it though.

Good luck. S.

Hi M.,
You can only do what you can do, especially working full time. But if you want to exclusively breastfeed, maybe you need to pump another bottle at night to meet the demand?? Pumping is a lot of work and you should feel proud of what you are doing!
I am very envious of your sons schedule... my 5 month old eats every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. I'm hoping sometime soon she'll stretch out those night feedings!!

M.-
Have you tried pumping more frequently, like every three hours? I know it seems counterintuitive because you think if you pump less frequently more will be stored up inside of you, but the reality is that the more let downs you get, the more milk you create. I am sure others have offered you advice on supplements to take, and you obviously can't take a nap at work - but maybe you could go to your car once a day and lie down in the back seat so your feet are up and you are resting for 15-20 minutes? Rest is really one of the key ingredients to milk production. If you can swing it with your schedule, I would even try pumping every 2 1/2 hours.

Hats off to you still at four months is great my daughter was not tough to feed every four hours on the dot my son however a monster always wanted more and more I only lasted seven months with him however let dad do the bottle and maybe only give him one ounce of formula at night it might be just enough although it seems like alot you have a breastfeeding baby that sleeps throught the night do not feel guilty about giving him a little bit of formula you are doing the greatest thing for him by giving him your milk and for this longkeep up the good work and he might need ceral at 5.5 months every baby is different and it is boys I swear just eat a ton my son is 16 months and is still always wanting more food

The more he sucks the more milk will be made. It always seems that you are not making enough milk but as long as they gain weight and continue to thrive - go with it. You can also try to have him suck longer after he is done with his feeding the stimulation will help increase production. Check out some of the breastfeeding sites. La leache league, kelly mom and breastfeeding basics were ones I used all the time, they have alot of great info.
To Shari A back before formula they use to breastfeed to about age 5. If they mother could not produce milk or had money and didn't want to breastfeed they used a wet nurse, another mother who had nursed and just continued with your baby. If there were no wet nurses around they used goats milk. It is suppose to be close to human milk.

I have an almost 8 month old and recently started having concerns that she wasn't getting enough milk from me. I started taking fenugreek at the recommendation of her pediatrician and it seems to have boosted my supply a bit. It doesn't work for everyone, but it is worth a shot. I have not had to give my daughter formula, but have friends that have had to and their kids are doing great.

I also did something very similar to Rachel's response as far as the Mother's tea. Our pediatrician (who also worked and breastfed her children) recommeded Fenugreek herbal supplement as well as drinking a beer a day. It worked well for me.

It may be time to start adding cereal. I am not a fan of formula myself (I understand why some use it, but not for me), so when my daughter was requesting more, I decided it was time to thicken up her nightly bottle (pumped milk) with rice cereal. I had full support of the doctor. She was only 3 months, but was an early developer physically, so we decided she was ready. I then added a bowl of cereal at four months, etc...Might be worth asking your doc about...

Ask your doctor or lactation specialist about prescribing Reglan - it's not designed for increasing milk supply but it's a great side effect of it and allowed me to pump for over a year - almost effortlessly. I started on a higher dose and was able to cut down to a pill every few days or when I felt my supply was diminishing. Good luck and don't give up!

M.,
I never produced enough milk for my daughter to keep up with her demand. I am a stay at home and I still couldn't satisfy her. She slept through the night at 5 weeks and I still got up in the middle of the night to pump just to try and get enough milk out of me to make it through the next day. She was supplemented from 4 days old because my milk didn't come in for so long and we had to maintain supplementing because she was not getting enough from me. It's a hard thing to accept because you feel like it is something you are "Supposed to Do" but sometimes nature isn't perfect. For my daughter it was all about results so she didn't care what she was drinking, milk or formula, as long as she was getting something to eat.
Hope this helps you deal with the dreadful feeling that you are doing something wrong by not exclusively breastfeeding. My daughter is now almost 3 and is a perfectly healthy, happy, robust child. Formula is better than nothing!

i had to supplement with formula for my daughter, and if your son is already used to the bottle, i don't think you will have a problem, at least i didn't,

Hi M.,
We supplemented our daughter at about the same age because our doc thought she wasn't gaining fast enough (it wasn't true). But anyway, we used a goat milk formula that we made at home from dehydrated goat's milk by Meyenberg. I can't remember the exact recipe but it included a little maple syrup, a liquid multivitamin/mineral and cod liver oil I think. You could ask a natropath about it.

Good luck,
M.

Boy I can totally relate to this... I actually breastfed until I had to go back to work. That's the decision my husband and I made because I had no way of pumping during the day while I was at work. Unfortunetely I work with all guys in a big office. I have no privacy and I wasn't about to pump in my car or the bathroom, and then store it in our office refrigerator. With my luck someone would have mistaken it for cream.
Anyways, I couldn't have done it even if I tried. I couldn't pump more then 2 oz at the time. My daughter started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, so the demand wasn't there anymore. I think that if you decide to start formula, you should be so proud of yourself for giving your baby the best food possible thus far. Please don't feel guilty for even thinking to start formula. There is nothing wrong with that except it's too expensive. You are a working mom and you need to rest and give yourself a break. You can always start by mixing a little bit of formula with breast milk. Do that for a while and then start weaning him off the breast milk or do both. IF you don't have enough milk then compensate with formula. Please don't feel guilty for giving your baby formula, it's OK. Oh and don't let anyone make you feel guilty, I know a lot of moms are anti formula and tend to voice their opinions about it pretty loudly.
Good Luck.

I know the books say babies shouldn't eat solids until 6-months but it is standard in other parts of the world to start babies on cereals and mushy grains around 4 months (or when they seem ready!). It could be that he is just not getting enough calories from plain milk and may need some hearty foods to satisfy him. Talk to his pediatrician and see what they say. My daughter started nibbling on mushy rice around 4-5 months and was fine!

Good luck!
~Liza
29 year old single mom to 4.5 year old daughter.

If your baby doesn' last his 4 hours for his bottle give him a little bit baby cereal maybe milk doesn't suport him enough even1/2 teasp in his milk.

Hi M.,

Your son might be in a growth phase and need more than usual for a limited period of time or the breastmilk might just not be enough for him anymore. Don't feel guilty about supplementing with formula! If you still also give him breastmilk in addition to the formula he will have an excellant nutrional diet and protection. You might also want to start him on stage 1 vegetable and fruit purees to give him a little extra. I started with that at 4 months for both my children and they both loved it. Remember, you don't have to exclusively breastfeed to give your child protection against colds etc.

Good luck!

regards,
V.

M.,

I think your question is one that many of us have had. I am also a full-time working Mom of a 8 month old boy. Right around the same time as you I was not quite producing enough milk for all feedings. For a period of time I supplemented with formula and it was totally fine. If you supplement one bottle Evan is still getting primarily breastfed which is an accomplishment. Once we introduced other foods at about 6 months I actually no longer needed to give him the formula as his feedings slowly have declined. You should feel great that you are able to primarily breastfeed but regognize that it is fine to use formula. It's all a personal decision though! Good luck!

Hello. I nursed both of my kids. I didn't work so I don't really know what you're going through, but I did pump on an occasion. One thing I did notice is that the more often I pumped, the more I produced. Maybe you should pump one more time at night, or even twice, depending on how late you stay up, let's say for example, at 9pm (while your husband gives him the bottle) and at 11pm at bed time. Also, you could try for a few nights nursing him at that last feeding at 9pm and then letting your husband put him to bed, just to see if it'll work and he'll sleep through the night. He could after a few days get you to produce more, because babies are so much better at getting all the milk out. And they say, the more you nurse the more you will produce. It's worth trying. He might wake up for the first few nights, but I bet your supply will go up and then he'll get just what he needs. Just do whatever you think is best and try some different things, and if it's too much for you or he's just not getting enough, then don't feel guilty about giving supplemental formula if it's what you have to do to keep your family happy. You don't want to be exhausted all the time and you certainly don't want your baby hungry. Hope this helps and good luck!

Hey M., I understand what your going through, I went through it too. My daughter was a little demanding milk girl and honestly could not keep up with the demand. I do honestly respect everyone's opinion but her doctor told me to mix half breast milk and half formula a few times a day. WOW did it make a huge difference she seemed more satified after. I was at the same cross road that you are at and didn't want to give up totally at nursing or breast milk. I also pumped more then I was home so that I could freeze my pumped milk for later to prepare bottles ahead of time. Consult with your son's doctor and see what you can do. They might have a few ideas that you never knew about. Hope this helps.. Take care

First of all you are doing a terrific job. Second, as I recall the babies go through growth spurts and Evan could slow down in a week. Also, I wonder whether he is really hungry every time he is crying. I used a pacifier by four months and breast fed until one year old w/o an issue. If you do try formula, you can start by mixing it in with breast milk. If Evan is that hungry though he may be fine with the formula. My daughter had a combination of breast milk and formula starting around 6 months. Try not to feel guilty about formula. Any breast feeding is wonderful for him. A friend of mine with twins said that having a Guiness beer would help her milk production. GOOD LUCK!

I breastfed exclusively too & here's what I did. At that age, they need about 4 oz. every two hours or so and the average baby needs 24-32 oz./day, depending on their size & needs. I had the Medela Pump In Style Double Breast Pump and I supplemented with the Yogi Tea brand Woman's Nursing Mom teas. I drank the tea three times a day during work, when I'd most likely be pumping. I breast fed in the morning before work, pumped about eight ounces (4 from each breast) at around 10:30 in the morning, pumped eight more (4 from each) at 2-3:00 in the afternoon, came home from work & breast fed exclusively for the rest of the night and on weekends. I only used the pump for work. In the beginning before my milk supply was well established, I had to get up once in the middle of the night to pump if I didn't make enough during the day and sometimes I'd pump again after she went to bed to get a little extra. If you want to increase your milk, let the baby feed off both breasts & them pump the excess and even if you're not getting much out, it will stimulate your body & tell it to pump more. Be sure you're well nourished & well hydrated. Keeping up my fluid intake had a lot to do with how much I was able to pump. My baby girl co-slept with us until about six or seven months and she also breastfed throughout the night, which kept my supply consistent too. I have lots of tips if you want to email me or have more questions.

Good luck!