Disclaimer: If you are a man, quit reading now. And if you don't care anything about breast milk, you will probably want to catch us next time too.
Oh. my. gosh. {Those of you that know me well know that I start every big story with those words.}
Remember this?
It's all gone! All of our frozen breast milk died tonight, along with our freezer.
I almost cried I am supposed to be gone Wednesday- Friday, but I can drive back late Thursday night. I will have plenty of milk for Wednesday but none for Thursday.
We decided to do the smart thing and give him formula tonight to make sure he could tolerate it. Never in our wildest dreams would we have guessed that our child who eats every single kind of baby food and cereal we've given him would REFUSE formula. He kicked, screamed, turned his head, anything to avoid the bottle. I tried for 15 minutes and got 1 oz in him. Then, I heated up a bottle of breast milk, and he took 8 oz.
I don't know what to do. I only have until Wednesday morning to make double the milk I normally make, and I think that's impossible. I'm thinking of putting 6 oz in each bottle and trying to give him more baby food {he currently gets fruits and veggies.} I could try to mix the formula with breast milk, but I'm scared to waste any breast milk if he won't take it. And I guess we could try another kind of formula. Advice anyone?
20 comments:
OMG! False alarm- I have no advice of course, but I just wanted you to know that I feel for you!
Wish I could help!
Oh, April, bless your heart. It takes so much work to get that stored up supply only to have your freezer go out. I definitely would have cried. I had a very difficult time getting Matthew to take formula at first. I would always give him a formula bottle when he was the hungriest...first thing in the morning...and he would take it then. I just kept replacing breastmilk bottles with formula bottles until it was all formula, but I know you don't have that kind of time. I am so sorry. I wish I had more advice. Maybe try another formula bottle in the morning and see if he'll take it. Good luck!
Oh, my heart hurts for you! I can't imagine...but I do love the sad faces on top of the freezer!!
It may have to be a trial & error thing...I went threw 3 formulas before I found one for the Hud. {FYI only...we used Enfamil Gentlease...it is "easier to digest" and lower levels of lactose. He was quite picky as well but the reduced lactose seemed to do the trick.} Good Luck & have a good trip!
Oh No!! I can only imagine how upset you are. We had to mix Lucy's formula with the breastmilk for a while. It makes the breastmilk go further and doesn't change the taste so drastically. He will be okay!!
Dale & I are rolling right now at your post (although, I know it's not a laughing matter... and I do feel quite bad for you)! We used Enfamil with Lipil with Tripp & GA and they both loved it (more than breast milk actually). Hope you find something he likes soon! :)
April, I totally feel for you!!! Have you tried taking fenugreek (they are a natural supplement you can find at Whole Foods). Take these until your pee smells like maple syrup and drink lots and lots of water and then drink some more. Stick with the same forumla, just give him some time. As far as supplement, start and see if you can mix 3/4 bm and 1/4 formula then after a couple bottles try 1/2 and 1/2. Try and stretch out the feeding where he is really hungry when you try to feed him the 1/2 and 1/2 hungry babies will take. I hope this helps, good luck!
So sad!! Savannah was the same way. I would try a different formula (the yellow lipil was what worked for us) and I would try warming it up really good. The little "school" that Savannah went to would call her bottles "lattes" ;). Just keep trying, he'll get the idea! Plus, he may take it better from someone other than you since he can probably smell it on you - that sounds gross but you know what I mean.
Blogstalker here..yes, try the enfamil lipil and I agree with the other person who said to start them off with it in the morning when they are the hungriest. Then just gradually build up. You may can also try the liquid type instead of the powder. Sometimes the powder is rougher on them going down than the liquid (take that from a mom who suffered through acid reflux!)
Oh I am so sorry!! I only have one days worth of milk in the freezer and it took forever to get that! I definitely would have cried! I have no advice for you because I couldn't get any of my kids to take formula. I will tell you that even if he doesn't take it on Thursday, he will be okay! When I tried to wean Emma Jane at about 6 months I left her with my mom for two days and she refused the bottle the whole weekend! She was fine (a little ticked but fine) and I managed to keep my supply up with fenugreek and she kept nursing until 16 mos. (little stinker!) I will be praying for you this week! *hugs*
wow. that really sucks. advice from the world's greatest mom here...if he's hungry enough, he'll eat it. throw in some sugar and it's sure to work! seriously, i ran out the first day tanner was w ms. carol and was left with no other choice but to do the force formula thing. i did mix it w bm tho. i agree w laura, the enfamil gentlease was a great way to introduce and easy on the tummy.
As a mom of a child just 2 days younger than Trent, I totally feel your pain!!! I would freak out too. I will tell you that I asked all kinds of questions about this at our 6 month check up. I have moved to just pumping 3 times a day-still getting enough for Will each day but not enough left over to freeze. This is just going to be easier for me at school to not have to pump. She did tell me that she does not recommend mixing breast milk and formula in the same bottle. She said something in the formula does something to all the good stuff in the breast milk. I am sure she explained it much better than that but she said that it was better to just do a whole bottle of formula and the rest of the bottles breast than trying to mix them. There is my two cents. If we lived close enough to you I would be more than happy to let you have some of my frozen to get you through until you are back in town. I am so sorry! I think the more food idea is a good one!!! Also, have you tried baby yogurt?Will loves it and it seems to be more filling.
Also, just read the others comment about Fenugreek. I started taking it last week (got it at GNC). I take 2 capsules 3 times a day. It is supposed to increase/keep up your milk supply and I do drink tons of water!!
april, i'm dying laughing! that pic of you and trent is hilarious! can you buy some bm online? i'm only kidding. seriously i read in a people magazine of a single dad who was allowing several of his women friends to breastfeed his baby. ok disguisting! anyways, i hope something works out. it's been so long i can't remember what we did when we converted over to formula.
Oh, April, I'm so sorry! I was never able to pump well, so I never had any stored-just had to nurse every time. However, I did supplement with Enfamil w/Lipil and ME did fine with it...her transition to formula was around 5-6 mo. and she had no trouble, so I'm not much help. But I agree that if it's just one day he'll be fine-he can fill up on food and make it till you get home if he won't take the formula-no worries!:) You are a great mom and he will survive!
I am so sorry. That BM is like liquid gold and only nursing mothers know that!! I agree with another commenter that someone besides you should feed the formula bottle. Karlee would fight me every time I tried a formula bottle. Be ready for a change in bowel movements though. Karlee got constipated with every transition.
Ohhhh.... that's awful!!
You've got some good advice here though - I've heard great things about the fenugreek, and I agree that you'll probably have the best luck with the formula if you start with Trent is hungriest (morning probably). Maybe he wouldn't notice 2 oz of formula mixed with 6 oz of breast milk??
I feel your pain - there's nothing worse than wasted breast milk!
I CANNOT IMAGINE losing all that liquid GOLD!!!! I am truly sorry!!!
OH! That makes me so sad for you! I KNOW all about liquid gold...and that's exactly what it is-gold! Someone else mentioned the fenugreek, that worked for me as well! Good luck!
I'm crying for you! That's horrible. I'd try doing 1 oz formula to 1 oz breastmilk to see if he would take it. If not, I think the idea of less milk and more solids is great. NI still only takes 6 oz with his solid meals.
I am crying too!!! As I struggle to nurse day after day (at only 3weeks) I know the value of the "liquid gold!!" However, with my other 2 when necessary I would add Enfamil to my breast milk just a little to get to the # of oz's I needed for that particular bottle and they NEVER complained. When it came time to wean, I'd just slowly increase the portion of Enfamil to breast milk until they were on complete formula. Good Luck!!
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