The story of rice formula, to be continued

We finally called the doctor yesterday, since everyone was telling us something was wrong. No one thinks Tyler should be eating every 2 hours during the day (a total of 10-16 times a day).


He's been like this since he was born, and I've been losing weight from nursing ... so I wasn't complaining. I don't know anything different. Plus, I'm home with him. So I really don't mind. I've learned the secrets of getting things done quickly, between feedings. And I'm a seasoned pro at feeding in public.


But the doctor said he was a little worried that Tyler wasn't eating enough at each feeding. He thinks he may be snacking to pacify himself. Or he may just not be getting enough food, period. Since he is such a big boy (the average size for a 5 month old), he may just need a little more than breastmilk. This makes me very sad, because I've been a little proud of myself for sticking through the hard part of breastfeeding and keeping it up even though Tyler eats 1,000 times a day! But oh well, we do what's best for our children, right?!


So, we picked up some sample cans of Enfamil A.R (for added rice) from the doctor. The plan is to supplement 1-2 ounces after each feeding.


And I have to pump for 24 hours and give Tyler bottles this weekend. We need to make sure he is getting at least 30 ounces per day, which is impossible to measure from breastfeeding. He should be eating between 5-6 ounces at a time. So we also need to see if he can eat more at each feeding, since he only eats 2-3 when we give him bottles normally.


At this point, Tyler still won't touch the formula. We've tried four times now, and he makes a disgusted face and spits it out. I actually tasted it to see how bad it was! I wanted to experience what he had to go through. It doesn't seem that bad, but he wants nothing to do with it. The stuff is thick! We had to use a level 4 nipple just to get it to come out of the bottle, so maybe that has something to do with his dislike.



Anyway, this story is TO BE CONTINUED, because we're not sure how things will turn out. Will Tyler learn to like the formula? Will we keep supplementing after each feeding? Will he learn to eat less frequently? Is he even getting enough food? So many questions!