anyone supplement a little and still extended BF?

[ankc]

This will be my 3rd baby and I will be 36yrs old with a 6 and 10 year old. I EBF both of them first one for 1 year and 2nd for 3 1/2 years(gasp!!!!) 1st took bottles of pumped milk and nursed but i worked full time 2nd never took a bottle- I was SAHM then and to be quite honest at time is was very stressful on my DH and I as I was glued to the baby. I have a good pump and plan to pump and freeze some bottles of course and still want to nurse this baby into toddlerhood but fear now that the bottle will discourage this? I am also having thoughts of keeping some formula around just incase i need to be away and no milk is pumped as then my husband can feed the baby and the kids can help too... never ever thought I'd type that!!!! I just don't want it to be stressful and I don't want to get all worked up if the baby has formula every now and then... So my question is did any of you with prev extended (more than 2 years) BF children use a bottle of BM or formula once and a while with no issues?
TIA

[mama2tommy]

ME ME ME!!!! I have low supply, so with my first I made next to nothing. With my second, I made about 1/3rd of his need, and the rest was made up with donor milk. He self weaned a few days before his 3rd birthday. My experience with him taught me that BFing is about SO MUCH MORE than just nutrition. It's also about building that loving, trusting relationship between mother and child.

[tibeca]

Just because you're a stay at home mom doesn't mean you can't offer a bottle some times!

I am not one to be separated from my babies, but that's just me. The trouble of pumping when 99% of the time, my babies won't touch the bottle isn't worth it to me. BUT breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing. Obviously take those first 6 weeks to really get things going well. After that do what works.

[ankc]

Originally Posted by mama2tommy ME ME ME!!!! I have low supply, so with my first I made next to nothing. With my second, I made about 1/3rd of his need, and the rest was made up with donor milk. He self weaned a few days before his 3rd birthday. My experience with him taught me that BFing is about SO MUCH MORE than just nutrition. It's also about building that loving, trusting relationship between mother and child.

so nice to hear I am a photographer and in 2014 will need to be away for 8-10 hours on saturdays at weddings, not every Sat but maybe 1 or 2 month? I did not have to be away with my last son and we waited WAY too long to offer a bottle and never took it and we co slept so he was a nursing fiend! I can't lie - it caused some serious stress between me and dh and I promised if we had any other children i would be sure to offer a bottle.... well 6 1/2 years later here we are and it is on my mind as I would so love to nurse this one as long as my last this was so good for me to hear

[jacksmommy1]

My lo is 13 months. Toward 8ish months I got lazy and I would give him the occasional bottle of formula. No biggie. He is still nursing

[Vegan Princess]

I had to supplement my first after every feed. She nursed until 20 months. I stopped taking domperidone at 1 yr and my supply tanked yet she kept nursing. It's about so much more than just milk at that point! She would have nursed longer but I was ttc and the nursing was impacting my cycle so we weaned.

Cindy

[weesej]

My experience has been that starting bottles was also the start of weaning. Often baby totally quit within 2-3 months after the first bottle. However, I was not introing a bottle because I wanted a little flexibility to go out on occasion, but because I was having supply issues and become pregnant again. The only baby I BF for an extended period of time (2 years) never had a bottle. I also did not conceive until she was 15 months and then it was a blighted ovum (MC at 11 weeks) Unfortunately with the others after I did all the same things, nursed on demand, co-slept, no pacis and I had supply struggles all along and conceived at the 7-10 month out period.

[EmilytheStrange]

Originally Posted by weesej My experience has been that starting bottles was also the start of weaning. Often baby totally quit within 2-3 months after the first bottle. However, I was not introing a bottle because I wanted a little flexibility to go out on occasion, but because I was having supply issues and become pregnant again. The only baby I BF for an extended period of time (2 years) never had a bottle. I also did not conceive until she was 15 months and then it was a blighted ovum (MC at 11 weeks) Unfortunately with the others after I did all the same things, nursed on demand, co-slept, no pacis and I had supply struggles all along and conceived at the 7-10 month out period.

I thought your milk started changing / tasting different once you got pregnant.

That may have been as much of a factor as a bottle.

[twood80]

If you're talking about offering pumped/expressed breast milk in a bottle, lots of WOHM's have baby take a bottle at daycare, and then nurse at home. LO's usually quickly catch on that bottles are only for when Mama isn't around. Many (although not all) LO's will prefer mama anyway.

[bluecandi]

Originally Posted by mama2tommy ME ME ME!!!! I have low supply, so with my first I made next to nothing. With my second, I made about 1/3rd of his need, and the rest was made up with donor milk. He self weaned a few days before his 3rd birthday. My experience with him taught me that BFing is about SO MUCH MORE than just nutrition. It's also about building that loving, trusting relationship between mother and child.

This is my situation too. Don't know how much of dd1's need I met because she had always had some formula, but she was nursed til she quit at 11mo. DD2, I was able to meet about half til she started eating table food then she only got donor milk at night...nursed til 19mo. Hoping dd3 will be easier to ebf....it seems to get easier with each one, though never effortless. Hugs!!!!