help w/formula

I have been exclusively breast feeding (pumping and bottle feeding) but i can't keep up my supply and have been supplementing my pumping sessions w/milk that i have frozen but were now CONVINCED that its causing them to be sick and scream through feedings...

My daughter had a very sensitive stomach and is on zantac for reflux and is going in for an x ray of her gi tract on thursday. I was planning on waiting till their 8 week appt in two weeks to start formula but if i cant suplement w/frozen bm then i need to start supplementimng w/formula now..

how do i know what to buy, should i call the ped tomorrow - tonight i have the premixed stuff the hospital sent us home with can i usse that??

so confusing, also can i mix it w/my bm to make the transition easier??

tia

 

Hi,
I don't know about mixing it - but I have one on Zantac and we use Enfamil (at first). But we switched to the Sam's club generic version (EXACTLY the same ingredients). My SIL had good luck w/ Nestle goodstart. You can't really go wrong - just pick one and see how they do - if not well, just switch it.

 

Ask your pedi. Just call. They have a lot of experience with different formulas.

 

We had to supplement with formula but my girls would take anything. You can mix the formula with breastmilk. For example, if your babies drink 3 oz now, you can give them 2 oz of milk with one oz of formula. If you can't get ahold of your pediatrician, just use the formula you got at the hospital (not soy though). Since your dd has a sensitive stomach, you may want to give her the breastmilk and give the other baby the formula until you get an educated opinion.

I just alternated breastmilk and formula at each feeding because I didn't want to chance wasting any milk. I was always able to pump enough milk to feed one kid at a feeding and the other one had formula. I also used many breastmilk supplementing things like brewer's yeast, milkmaid tea, fenugreek, and oatmeal so that I could keep my supply up.

 

When we discussed Madelines reflux issues the pedi actually reccomended soy formula so tyonight that's what we've been using they've both had 3oz of BM and 1oz of soy formula

Why do you say not to use soy??

I am going to put (yet another) call into the pedi tomorrow but would appreciate any tips/advice

 

1. if you are using powerded, consider ready made liquid. it's easier to digest.
2. zantac often looses it's potency. do a google search for the marci website about reflux. they got us on Zegerid and it's most stable and helps SOOOOO much better for refluxl.

 

My sister's son was on Zantac (still is I think) and they used the Similac. She did try the soy formula, but it didn't change anything. We basically used Enfamil and then switched to the BJ's version of the same. (MUCH cheaper and our kids didn't have a problem with it).

 

My daughter took the gentlease then i swithed her to the similac sensative because it came int eh ready made form and it was great for her tummy... She does not have reflux but can get a gassy tummy easy... Good luck...

 

My ped said that generic (Sam's or Walmart) formula is the same as the expensive kinds--they all come from the same cows. I guess once you decide on soy, regular, etc. I'd go with the cheapest. We use Walmart brand (Parent's Choice) and haven't had any problems. In fact, mine spit up much more on the Enfamil ready-mixed and it smelled nasty too!

 

I also mixed half formula half EBM for a couple of weeks to transition to all formula. I did it simply for volume as recommended by the ped not because of digestion issues.

 

Through trial and error I found that Enfamil A+ was best for my boys. I did mix with breast milk to transition them. 75/25 then 50/50 then 25/75. There is a kind by Enfamil called Gentlease (just new to Canada but has been out a long time in the US) that is supposed to be very good for babies who have sensitive systems.