Infant Formulas

A hypoallergenic formula is absolutely best and will help you avoid any possible food sensitivities. It is expensive but worth it to avoid possible food sensitivities to dairy and soy.

I used formula after breastfeeding and there are many different types. I have found that nestle good start is gentle to the belly, but you may go through a few different types before you find one that will suit her belly.

If at all possible, avoid ANY formula. There is just nothing out there that even comes close to mom's milk. Have you tried to pump and stock up some of your milk now?
When I went back to work, pumping worked for a while, but I could only pump once per day, so my production went down. So, when I did have to supplement, I gave my babies goats milk. My mom got it for me from a mennonite family near her. Scientists say the goats milk is the closest to human breast milk because the goat pasturizes the milk naturally.
My babies THRIVED on this and eventually went to 100% goats milk. I even continued with it past the one-year mark as it was easier on their digestive systems.
Sorry you have to go back to work, but at least you got more the the ususal six weeks at home with your baby!!!

hi J.; i think it is so fantastic that you are nursing your baby and i congratulate you! i am nursing my 1 yr old and still nurse my 2.5 yr old to sleep at night, and it's a subject that's near and dear to me, so i've done a lot of reading, thinking and talking about it.

before you decide to use formula, which is going to be profoundly different for your baby's digestion than breastmilk, i would urge you to reconsider pumping. pumping is really not as hard as many people make it out to be.

the best thing to do would be to rent from a surgical supply or medical supply store a Hospital Grade Pump; i reccommend, from experience, the Medela Classic. i used to get 4-10 ounces out per pumping with this contraption, it was amazing.

the other best thing to do would be to google La Leche League Intl and locate a meeting for your area; you do not have to become a committed member or a wacky crazy nursing enthusiast like I am or like some LLL's are; i am not in that organization any more because my family's needs changed but they really are the best, most honest, well informed and up to date resource on infant nutrition and nursing options. even if you don't go to a meeting you can call thier chapter leader for your area and she will gladly help you. or, you might go to a meeting, find that you really love it, and be involved! thier motto is take what helps and leave the rest, and you will get a lot of helpful information about what kind of pumps to rent or buy, how to use them effectively, and how to keep your nursing relationship with your baby.

J., i can't stress enough how phenomenonally much better breast milk is for your baby than ANY formula. formula is simply a chemically composed third-rate imitation of food; it's like giving a kid Doritos as opposed to a nice warm grilled organic cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, if you know what i mean. and you do NOT have to use it! you could probably not even have to ever pump at work if you start using a high quality pump now and storing the milk. considering the age of your baby, too, you could start giving her easy soft foods, like bananas, sweet potatoes, baby cereal, melon, and water to keep her hydrated, as you get ready to start to go back to work. between those things and a couple of breast milk bottles, she will be really fine while you're away! and best of all, when you get home, you two can sit down for a nice cuddly nursing session!

i commend you for your bravery and strength in going back to work and looking for good answers for your baby's nutrition. you are a great mom! good luck!

J.

Hello!

It really upsets me to see people being negative about formula. I tried to breastfeed my first for 6 weeks. In that time I had two things of Mastitise (sp) and yeast on my nipples from the antibiotics. I was sick with a fever for almost the whole time I was feeding. The lactation consutlants at my hospital suggested that I start to give formula. Oh, and I wasn't producing enough milk anyway, even with suppliments given by the LC.

You have obviously had a much better situation than I did and I'm so happy for you. But don't stress about giving formula. I went with what was suggested by my ped, enfimil w/iron. All the doctors I saw during that first month, and my family, told me a happy mom makes a happy baby. So if you are stressed or have problems pumping don't do it. Enjoy the morning and night time pumpings.

I'm due in less than 4 weeks and I'm going to try breastfeeding again. I would love to be one of those moms that are able to feed for a very long time. But it's suppose to be a happy time, not stressful.

Good luck! And enjoy!

I used regular enfamil with my baby and he adapted fine. He had no problem switching back and forth between bottle and breastmilk. In fact I nursed him until he was 14 months old and the bottle to breast ratio was changed a few times. He never showed any problems. Hope that helps!

Make sure you stay well hydrated and eat well @ work there is a lot of good pumps out there that you can use @ work that come very neatly packaged but if you cannot (I breast fed 3 kids and worked full time) I used the powdered formula from enfamil lo iron and did well w/ that because if I was unable to pump or felt I did not pump enough I could easily supplement without as much fuss w/ conc or opening ready made and possibly discarding it. Also try to plan as soon as you come home and relax for 10 min to put your child to the breast to stimulate production It can be very demanding but it is well worth it good luck

Please try to avoid soy. There are plant estrogens in soy, and giving an infant soy formula means they are getting the equivalent of 2-3 birth control pills per day worth of estrogen (depending on their body weight). Soy is also a goitrogen (disrupts thyroid activity). I highly recommend goats milk and goat's milk yogurt as supplements to breastfeeding once they are 6 months. Much less allergenic, alkalizing, and more similar to human milk than cow.

dear J.,
i was a breast feeding mom and went back to work after 8 weeks. If your child is getting sick after the formula try the soy formula and tahen breast feed when you are not at work...my baby has been on soy for about 8 months.when you can pump then freeze it it id good for up to 6 months in a small freezer and a year in a lrg. freezer. C.

A working mom is the hardest job!!! I nursed my daughter for about a year, and worked full time. Here is what I did... I nursed in the morning before dropping her at day care, and nursed in the evening when I picked her up. I did not pump during the day, because I hardly got any out it was painful, and I had no where to do it. So I formula fed during the day, and your body will produce the milk your baby needs, and will get used to those 2 times a day,of breastfeeding. As for formula, your baby should do fine on Similac Advance, regular cows milk based formula. If you like organic products, go for the organic, it is just a bit more pricier. If you find that her tummy is a little gasier the Similac Sensitive is very good and a good alternative to soy. Many of my friends are using it and it works really well. At that point I would check with your ped. Hope this helps, and you really can have the best of both worlds.

I'd encourage you to seek out a Lactation Consultant in your

area. Go to www.ILCA.org and click "find a local LC". A good

LC will work out a strategy that will work for you and your

infant, help you work through all of your options and come up

with ideas that you might not have considered that make the

transitions easiest for both of you.

Hope this helps!
H.

H. K., BS, IBCLC, RLC

Princeton Lactation Consultants, LLC

Princeton, NJ 08542

office: ###-###-####

____@____.com

http://healthprofs.com/504190

office & home visits by appointment

We have used parents choice organic formula for both of our daughters (found at Walmart) with no problem. The formula is cheap (half the price of name brand) and the ingredients are the same.

Right from the start my son took formula and breast milk since I was gestational diabetic during my pregnancy and he came out with his sugar being low. The nurses said he needed to get his sugar level up so they gave him formula since I was not producing anything substantial yet (plus he was a big boy at 8 lbs 9oz). After about 3 weeks of doing both breast (pumping) and bottle, I had to go on medication for an illness so I pumped for a week and threw it away and then went back to pumping since he really never took to the breast after the instant gratification of the bottle.

At first he was taking the regular Similac (cow formula) but he had really bad reflux and gas so I switched him to the Soy formula and he was fine after that. Good luck!!

Dear J.,
Breast feeding is the best for your baby at this time, if you can try to pump and store some milk now to prepare for going back to work and continue to breast feed in the morning, night and on the weekends you may be able to continue with a good feeding schedule. Your body will need some time to adjust. When I returned to work, I was able to pump after feeding in the morning which was a bottle for during the day as well as pumping a couple of bottles in the evening the night before, I can not say that there is a good formula to use, each child reacts differently to each type of formula and especially the fact that you have only breast fed your baby, is so naturally digested by your baby, a formula may take some adjustment. Although I understand that you may have no other choice but you would need to see how your child reacts before you select a formula. It may be best to try some before you return to work. Something else that you may want to consider is that your child will soon be able to start drinking Milk, so if you think that you can pump for another few months you may not have to worry about formula after all. I have five children and two of them were on milk at 9 months, the others began at a year old. I am now lucky enough to have my own business working from home although was in your situation where I had to return to work when they were babies. I do understand your situation and how difficult it is to make tough decisions.
With best wishes
S Messina
www.beautifulisskindeep.myarbonne.com
(If you or anyone you know would like information on working from home please don't hesitate to contact me anytime @ ____@____.com or call ###-###-#### pin 848093# for more information).

HI

I have a 5-6 month old girl as well. I had trouble brestfeeding, so she has been on formula for a while. She was on Similac advanced with iron and was constipated, so we switched to the Soy, that similac makes. She is better with gas, there is no spit up, and she is happy. We also had concerns with the milk based ones, as I have trouble with milk, she also has ezema, so we are careful as to what she has.

I am not sure about difficulty at work means, but they have to provide a room for you to do it. Take care, Alison

hi let me know what u find. i was doing both but more breast than formula...she's only had 3 bottles of formula, one of which she vomited. today she took one once and threw it up. i think she is allergic to the cow milk-based formula but i don't want to put her on soy cause i understand it causes problems later. so i've boiled up a pot of barley and she'll have that along with my breast milk. i have a medela hand pump but i'm thinking of investing in an electric one to have more breast milk available.

if u can get her day care very close to u , u can nurse in the morning, at lunch and in the evening.

p.s. i was using sma gold.tasted like my milk but the stomach knows best.

Hi J.,

I'm a first time mom, my daughter is now 9.5 months old. I went back to work when she was about 4 months old and pumped during the day. I too was afraid I wouldn't have enough to feed her, but I did for awhile. Ever since she was about 2 months old she's been getting one bottle of formula a day. I chose Similiac organic. Because I have some friends that had problems with the soy. Their children threw up from it. I would ask your pediatrian for their thoughts. I'm big on organic. And now that she's eating solids, I only give Organic fruits and veggies. It's all natural, that can't be bad.

I would recommend Nestle Good Start Formula with Natural Cultures because it helps to build babies' natural immunity. Also, it's easier to digest than most formulas, so it prevents the feeding problems that would otherwise lead to the need for soy, etc. As for breastfeeding after going back to work--it can definitely be done. Just make sure you get your baby used to the formula/bottle before you go back to work. Both of my boys were very happy to breastfeed when they had the chance to, but during the day took the bottle without question.