Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Top-up

We are still giving Sprout a little formula every night after he breastfeeds, before he goes to bed. I pump each night before I go to sleep, usually getting a couple ounces. We add one scoop worth of formula (70mL) to my milk & that goes into a bottle for him. I can't believe we're almost finished with the formula top-ups now. We've gradually cut back since he started solids, making sure he was gaining weight well. I think we might be able to drop the formula entirely soon, as this little guy is a champion eater.
Eight months ago, I wasn't sure if I was going to ever get anywhere near producing enough milk for him. We were offering him formula EVERY feeding, some days he likely drank only about half breast milk. I was pumping at least six times a day after feedings as well. Every feeding took a lot of time & effort. So many times I wondered if it was worth the hassle & thought about how much easier my life would be if I gave up breastfeeding & switched to formula. I set a goal to breastfeed until he was three months old.
Then we reached three months & I was still supplementing, trying to cut back on the formula to stimulate my milk production. After a few months of weekly weigh-ins & much stress, I settled at producing about 80% of his milk needs.
It's been a long & winding road, but I'm glad I stuck with breastfeeding. Despite all the pain of cracked nipples, bad latches, thrush, poorly fitting pump shield & bites, I love it. The closeness, the calming effect, the health benefits for both of us, the price... These days my breastfeeding goal is to go as long as Sprout wants to. Given that he' still feeding about five times a day, I think we'll be doing this for another year or so. :)

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