My breasts aren't pumping enough, and my 3 week old is going to start going to daycare in 3 more weeks, I dont want to take her completely off the breast milk, but i cant seem to pump enough for what she will need as she goes to daycare. I am going to be gone for 10 hour days! Can I give her breast milk at home and send formula for the daycare? or can't they be mixed like that?
2007-03-22 02:50:05 · 13 answers · asked by Angela 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
yes thats fine
2007-03-22 02:54:00 · answer #1 · answered by toomuchpain 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you can. Don't actually mix them together ever, but you can use formula at daycare and breastfeed at home. As another breastfeeding mother, I can tell you that the best way to build up your supply is to keep pumping, a lot. Breastmilk is a supply and demand issue, the more you demand the more you will supply. Try pumping right after feedings, every time. I would also still pump at work because if you are going to keep nursing when you are home, you will need to keep your supply going. Otherwise, when you try to feed your baby on the weekends, you will notice you are'nt making enough milk. Also, I would say it's really important to keep pumping because after 3 weeks, your milk supply isn't established yet and you may be able to build it up enough to that you don't have to supplement with formula. I wouldn't give up yet, you are just getting started! Congrats on nursing for this long!
2007-03-22 03:21:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Breastmilk production is a case of supply and demand and the mother's nutrition.
Nurse your baby often and for as long as the baby can. The "24 hour cure" works wonders. Stay in bed with your baby for 24 hours. Hang out, read, rest, turn off the phone, have no visitors, play with your baby and nurse as much as you can. Eat well, drink lots only get up to use the washroom. Have your partner treat you like a queen for the day. This often will help increase the milk supply.
Make sure you are getting plenty of quality protein and fats and drinking lots of water. You need it to make the milk, otherwise it is going to be made off your reserves and wear you down continuing the cycle of low milk production. Talk to a Naturopathic Doctor, a nutritionist or contact the La Leche League in your area for more tips and support.
Some herbs can help increase milk supply, but if your body is being drained for the essential building blocks you are doing yourself more harm than good for the baby. Look at your overall lifestyle.
Breast is Best! Take care of yourself and then you'll be in the best position to take care of your baby!
2007-03-22 03:55:24 · answer #3 · answered by Calluna 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi Angela. Bless your heart honey. I am sorry that you have to leave your baby so soon and that it is causing a problem with your breastfeeding.
The important thing to remember in this situation is that any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk!
Pumping does not stimulate your breasts to make milk like nursing your baby does! Even so you will need to pump while you are at work so that your milk supply does not totally disappear! If you can save the milk that you pump while you are at work ( a little cooler is all you need) then you should have at least enough for someone to give her one bottle of the real thing while you are working. Then you can nurse her as soon as you get home, before she goes to bed and in the morning before you got to work. That is not a bad schedule, you may be able to get away with only one bottle of formula and if you can possible pump some extra milk on the weekends ( freeze it) you might be able to accumulate enough milk so that you do not have to give her formula at all!
You might try pumping from one breast while she is nursing at the other, this will usually produce more milk than pumping alone. Remember that your breasts are easily capable of making enough milk for twins. All they need is the stimulation. You can do it! Make your weekends really count and nurse your little girl just as much as you can! Next to the gift of life it is the greatest gift you will ever give her and only you can make it happen!
Because you are going to be seperated from your baby girl while you are at work, those feeding that the two of you do share are even more special than ever! She will come to really look forward to that special time with her mommy and it will mean so much to both of you.
If there is anything I can do to help you please write to me at
Lady_Trinity_9@yahoo.com.
The other thing you can do is contact the La Leche League. Look in the phone book or go to their website www.lalecheleague.org They are the world foremost experts on brestfeeding and they will help you! It is what they do and why they exist. Their primary function is to promote breastfeeding and to help women like you continue to nurse their babies under trying circumstances! Contact them! Good luck to you and your sweet baby Angela.
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~
2007-03-22 03:30:06 · answer #4 · answered by Lady Trinity 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Feed the breast milk one by one first so none is going to waste. If the toddler remains hungry, then feed her formula. If there is a few left interior the bottle, then that's discarded, yet no powerful breast milk is wasted!
2016-11-27 21:58:08 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep they can, introduce the formula now, and slowly watching for reactions like rash and constipation so she'll be over that before she goes into the care of someone else. Keep pumping too... eventually you'll pump enough, trust me. My baby's 5 weeks and i'm slowly but surely pumping more and more. Still not enough for a full bottle at a sitting, but much better then the one or two ounces I pumped before!
2007-03-22 02:58:11 · answer #6 · answered by Gig 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I do that now. My son takes two bottles of breast milk and one of formula. He eats SO much that this way he is a little fuller for a little longer at the day care. It helps me because I am less stressed and produce enough milk.
2007-03-22 03:50:01 · answer #7 · answered by roguegirl25 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter breastfed exculsively the first 3 months but her son is a large baby and she couldn't keep up so the doctor told her to supplement a couple feedings with formula. It worked out fine for her. The doctor also told her not to mix together the two. He is now 6 months old and very healthy. You have to do what is right for you and not worry about it. Good Luck.
2007-03-22 02:58:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You can do both breast and formula feeding. I read somewhere that if you work, you can breastfeed in the morning before work and then after work and before bed. That way you don't even need to pump.
2007-03-26 01:46:07 · answer #9 · answered by EAW 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pump what you can, use formula to fill in the gaps, and nurse often on your days off to keep your supply up. Never let that machine undermine your confidence! This, by the way, is why formula was invented.
2007-03-22 02:59:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋