Frustration with weaning....*m*

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-30-2003
Frustration with weaning....*m*
7
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 1:49am
I have been trying to switch Haylei from BFing to bottle only. I'm so confused here is my problem. Ok I mostly breastfeed but sometimes I do pump and allow her daddy to feed her ya know to give them some bonding time. Well I have started to switch her to formula recently but I also still BF to make the transition easier. Well every time I formula feed her she spits up, after BFing she is perfectly fine. I am just so lost as to why this is happening. Is she too young for formula only, should I just stop BFing/pumping all together and only use formula, and is this normal. If it helps any she is 4 months old. Please help me before I go crazy!!

TIA,

Shelby

SAHM to Haylei
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 9:31am
Hi Shelby. I remember I weaned my DS at 3mths. First switching to pumping & feeding from bottle then transitioning to formula. Maybe I was lucky. He seemed indifferent to either & was successfully weaned. Perhaps a switch in the brand of formula may help or perhaps she just needs time to adjust. Good luck.


Lynn

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-2003
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 11:06am
Formula has a lot more "waste" than breastmilk. They poop a lot more, and they spit up a lot more on formula. I have never weaned mine that young, so I don't know what my advice is worth... My friend has switch successfully by expressing milk, and mixing it with a tiny bit of formula, and increasing it a tiny bit at a time. Formula is a lot harsher on the tummy, so it causes much more spit up. Also, some babies can't handle certain types of formula, so keep the option open to maybe consult a doc on a gentler brand.

Just remember, the longer you breastfeed, the better it is for you and the baby. Even if you supliment, it's still better than no breastfeeding at all. In this day and age of all these new cancers, you can never be too safe.

Angie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 5:59pm
Make the transition slow. Keep bf-ing and give her a bottle once a day for awhile, then two bottles. You might also give her breast milk in the bottle at first to get her used to drinking from the bottle. My son, 10mo, actually spit up less with the formula. I had to go back to work suddenly when he was 6mo, so I couldnt transition him as slower as I would have liked but he did well.

Yuo might try different brand of formula with her. The particular brand that you are using might be the source of the extra spitup. What kind of bottles do you use? We do the Playtex Dispobles and they work fine for us. You might want to try the bent bottles, either advent or playtex or those Dr. Brown bottles. They are supposed to help with gas and spitup i think.

Sara
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 8:41pm
OK, I read your post earlier and have been trying to compose a reply that doesn't sound mean. I don't think I can since you can't get inflection and such off of words. So when you read this, please understand that I say (write) this with only the best interests of your child at heart.

Would you keep eating something that made you spit up (throw up) every time you ate it? If not, then why are you forcing your child to do so?

By the very nature of this board, I can safely assume you are a stay at home mom. That means you have no reason to stop nursing this soon. (By your post I gather that your child is thriving on breast milk) In 2 months your baby will be ready for solid foods, that will give your hubby more of a chance to feed her.

Nursing sucks (pun not intended). You can not do what you want when you want or even get shnockered if you like because you have to worry about the baby you are still nourishing. However, the few months you do nurse is the best thing for your child and will soon be forgotten when they are older.

Ejkdmom Come visit my store: www.leorra.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2004
Sun, 04-25-2004 - 9:27pm
Hi. If it's possible to continue BF , it's definitely more beneficial for the child as breast milk contains nutrients which are not present in formula. I had to wean my DS at 3mths because I was still working then (4 years ago) & the work environment simply did not permit me to continue. It was such a pity.

Lynn

Avatar for lori_mcbride
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Mon, 04-26-2004 - 11:53am

Hi Shelby,


I guess the first thing that I would say is, yes bf'ing is best, but you do what you feel you need to as it pertains to your life and your child.

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Avatar for lori_mcbride
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Fri, 04-30-2004 - 11:26pm

Hey Shelby,


I was just wondering how things were going so far?

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