How to Survive A Nursing Strike - Transitioning from Breast to Formula

I received product and compensation from Mead Johnson Nutrition to create this post written by me. All experiences and opinions expressed in this post are my own and not those of Mead Johnson Nutrition. You can contact Mead Johnson Nutrition with product related questions or comments toll free at 1-800-BABY-123 (1-800-222-9123).

Before I got pregnant, I knew one thing for sure – I wanted to breastfeed.

I knew there was a chance that it wouldn’t happen for whatever reason, but I was determined to make it work, if it was possible. I delivered Bryce and he was instantly put on my chest and started rooting around to eat. It was all so surreal. Bryce knew exactly what he was supposed to do, but I had no clue.

Do I just put him on my breast?

Do I need to do something special to make this work?

I was completely lost. I needed help.

Thankfully, the hospital provided a lactation consultant to help me with the process. After a lot of work with the lactation consultant it seemed to get a little easier. I met Bryce’s pediatrician for the first time at the hospital and his advice to me was “If you want to breastfeed, great! If you want to formula feed, great! Do what makes you happy and stress-free because what makes you happy, will make your baby happy and what makes you stressed will make your baby stressed.” I knew instantly that I was going to love Bryce’s pediatrician and couldn’t have asked for better support.

The breastfeeding journey was a bit rocky at the beginning, but we got a hang of it around week 3. We were doing great until Bryce was 10 months. He came down with a cold and was teething at the same time. One day I laid him on my lap to feed him and he did something he had never done before – he refused my breast. He latched on for about 10 seconds and would instantly pull off. I consistently tried to feed him, but he kept doing the same thing over and over. He had absolutely no interest in breastfeeding.

I was completely lost. Not to mention this all happened on Thanksgiving Day while I was hosting my first ever family Thanksgiving dinner. I never pumped much since we were always together, and I never needed to. I had barely any breast milk stashed so during Thanksgiving I started pumping like crazy. Not only was I concerned Bryce didn’t want to eat anything, I was also worried that my supply would drop.

I made an appointment with Bryce’s pediatrician to check on his cold (that had completely disappeared by the visit) and to find out why my baby wouldn’t nurse. There had to be some type of explanation, right? Babies don’t just stop nursing, so I thought.

Bryce’s health check came back perfect and my pediatrician didn’t have an answer (that I wanted to hear) about Bryce’s nursing strike. He explained that it could be a handful of reasons from teething, a stuffy nose or maybe Bryce was ready to quit on his own.

I was hoping the doctor would tell me that Bryce would start nursing again and we would happily meet our one-year goal of breastfeeding. My doctor suggested to keep pumping if I wanted, but to try formula feeding Bryce. I was reluctant but knew my baby needed to be fed so I would do whatever it takes to keep him healthy. I was reminded of my doctor’s advice when Bryce was born and knew that transitioning him to formula was the best option we had.

Since I had never bought formula, I didn’t know where to start or what to buy. I wanted to make sure Bryce was getting important nutrients he needed. We did our research and learned Enfamil® is the #1 brand of infant formula recommended by pediatricians and has been trusted by hospitals for over 25 years.

The new Enfamil NeuroPro™ formula has a brain-building fat-protein blend of MFGM and DHA previously only found in breast milk*. Enfamil® is dedicated to understanding the nutritional benefits of breast milk, and NeuroPro is born of that dedicated focus. Enfamil® is backed by decades of research on breast milk and multiple clinical studies on its brain building power.

Since Bryce had been breastfeeding for so long, I wanted to find a formula that he would have no issues transitioning to. Not only was I very happy with the transition, Bryce had no issues with the formula which made it easier on both of us.

I slowly stopped pumping and transitioned completely to formula. I had forgotten what it was like to not have my sweet baby on my chest all day long. I had a sense of relief that he was being fed and he was happy.

My worries and stress of having to constantly pump and provide for my baby were lifted when we found a formula that worked perfectly for us. Transitioning from breast milk to formula can be a hard decision but knowing that formula provides excellent nutrition to your baby is a relief.

Don’t let guilt over take you when you are switching from breast to formula. They are both great sources of nutrients for your little one. Visit Enfamil or call 1-800-BABY-123 (1-800-222-9123) for more information and to request a free sample.

*In amounts supported by clinical research. As measured by Bayley cognitive scores.

This is sponsored by Enfamil® Infant Formula.

How to Survive A Nursing Strike – Transitioning from Breast to Formula

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