Supplementing for the Toddler

Yesterday I saw a mom who was in tears. There’s lots of reasons this mom might be in tears.  She has 2 other children, one 6 and one 2, plus a new baby who eats every 1 ½ hours.  Wow, that’s a lot of work and juggling, and I was overwhelmed just listening to her daily schedule. As is turned out, she was catching sleep whenever possible, had some family help and her husband was really stepping up to the plate.  
 
What this mom was upset about was trying to spend time with her 2 year old. She felt that just when she had a moment to play or snuggle with her, the baby was hungry again and she had to stop one interaction and move to another.  There just wasn’t enough of her to go around. Her 2 year old was having a difficult time adjusting too, and it made her sad. She said, all my kids ate often, it just how they’re made.  I love breastfeeding, but I don’t want to be tied to the baby all the time.  It makes me want to give up.
 
We talked for a while and came up with several different solutions, that might be workable.  She decided that she didn’t have enough time to pump, and was ok having her mom give the baby a bottle once a day so she could spend more time with her other children, especially the 2 year old, who was absolutely entitled to her need for lots more TLC and help adjusting to the new circumstances.  
 
Moms are always prioritizing and juggling, and this mom decided that what was best for her family was to start having the baby get a little formula, to help everyone be happier.