Breastfeeding is great for babies, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out or it isn’t enough. That’s where supplementing formula, like Holle Formula, for breastfed babies can be very beneficial and good for both you and your baby.
Choosing to use formula exclusively or in tandem with breastfeeding does not make you any less of a mom. Mommy guilt can be difficult to deal with when health care professionals stress how “breast is best.” Below are a few reasons you might consider formula supplementation with an explanation for how your baby benefits.
Low Weight Gain
Some babies don’t meet their targets for gaining weight when breastfed. Your pediatrician might recommend formula supplementation at your next appointment. The World Health Organization recommends that babies double their birth weight by 3-4 months old. You can see their recommended boy growth chart and girl growth chart.
There can be a variety of reasons for your child’s lack of weight gain or slow weight gain, including allergies to something in your diet. Sometimes, by pinpointing the allergy you can resume your breastfeeding relationship without issue and get your child back on track. In other situations, formula is a better option for you and your baby.
Formula is tailored to meet your baby’s weight gain needs for various stages of their life. Tastyganics offers different formulas based on your baby’s age so that your baby’s nutritional needs are met as it grows.
Low Breastmilk Supply
Despite your best efforts, your breastmilk supply may not be enough for your baby. Some moms really struggle with this and try power pumping, lactation cookies and vitamins to promote a great supply with no luck.
If you’re concerned about your breastmilk supply you can do a weighted feeding at your pediatrician’s office or with a certified lactation consultant. They’ll weigh your baby before you feed him or her. You’ll then have time and privacy to feed your baby as usual. Once finished, they will place your baby back on the scales to see how much your baby ate.
Your baby should get 28 to 32 ounces of breastmilk per day from age two to six months. If your baby is not getting this much milk, you can add in formula to help.
Working Moms
Continuing to breastfeed once you return to work can be very difficult. You can certainly get a breast pump and make it work. Depending on your profession though, it can be tough to find the time and work it into your busy office schedule.
If you’re just not finding time to pump at work, you can supplement with organic baby formula. Some moms are able to maintain breastmilk supply to feed their babies in the morning and evening when they are with them and send bottles of formula to their childcare provider.
No matter how long you make it with breastfeeding, you’ve provided a gift to your child and helped build their immunities. Don’t feel guilty for needing to move to formula partially or fully once you return to work.
How to Supplement Formula
There are a variety of ways to add formula to your breastfed baby’s diet. Here are some options:
- Offer a bottle of holle baby formula after nursing your baby. You can provide a bottle with added nutrients for your baby if you aren’t producing enough milk.
- Mix premade formula into breastmilk bottles. This option can be good if you’re a pumping mom who is a little bit short of the recommended amount. Just be careful with doing this because it can affect the shelf life of your breastmilk. Additionally, if your baby doesn’t finish the bottle, you could end up wasting some breastmilk.
- Make some bottles completely breastmilk and others completely formula. This option is great if you need to just add a few more ounces to your expressed breastmilk supply. You could give your baby just one bottle of formula per day to add to the breastmilk you have on hand.
Choosing the right formula to supplement with can feel daunting. It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task though. Holle formula can give you peace of mind that you are providing high-quality nutrition to your baby without risky artificial additives.