Breast feeding and top up

[ChaCha]

Firstly, I want to thank everyone especially Tiktok and Mears for the support I received recently on b/f issues.
If you remember GP was v.worried about DS's weight post his illness and I asked for advice here on MN. Since then, he's been weighed at the hospital and had put on 100g in 5 days (20g a day that they had hoped for) was told by yet another fab paeditrician to go back in another weeks time to make sure we are still on the up.

Have been following same strict routine with DS, feeding as often as possible and hoping that we have put on the same for next weigh in. He seems happy and content and producing wet & dirty nappies throughout the day.

I still feel he is hungry in the evenings though (even though he now sleeps through with just one or two feeds inbetween) and have bought some nanny goat's milk formula for the occassional night time top up. I have tried expressing more breast milk for top ups but I find that my boobs seem quite empty afterwards and with DS feeding so much find this a waste of time. Does come in useful though when i feel full.

Has anyone used this formula btw? Thanks again.

[Rhubarb]

How old is your ds and why are you using goat's milk? Sorry, am not aware of your full story so you might have to repeat yourself a bit!

[NotQuiteCockney]

I'm glad to hear your DS is gaining well.

If you top up with formula, that will reduce your supply. Babies tend to cluster feed in the evening, to fill themselves up for the nighttime, and to increase your supply. I expect you already know this.

I used to find it helpful to express first thing in the morning (DS1 feeding on one side while I pumped on the other), then use that milk in the evening. I'm not convinced it really did help, but it gave me the feeling I was doing something about it all ...

[CarolinaMoon]

If you're feeding him when he's hungry, you will produce enough milk for him.

Agree with NQC about the cluster-feeding - I used to spend pretty much the whole evening feeding ds, just swapping from one boob to the other and back again.

It feels like there's nothing there, but that's because it's all going straight into the baby as fast as you make it. And it doesn't last forever (even though it feels like it at the time ).

[moondog]

Another whose babies snacked all evening.
Go with it.
The more you feed,the more milk you have.
Top ups reduce your breast milk. It's a rocky road to nowhere.

[tiktok]

Glad things are going well, Cha.

The use of formula in the evening will not help at all, and could have an undermining effect on the bf you have worked so hard to get going. He is waking up once or twice only in the night - he is bound to feed more in the evenings and in any case, cluster feeding is utterly normal.

Expressing for top ups is pointless, unless you feel it somehow saves time, and I know some mothers feel it is worthwhile, but not in your case, I don't think.

[beansprout]

I also spent a lot of hours with ds chomping away, with me thinking there was "nothing there" and he was just hungry. Again, wise MNers explained that he was fine. I didn't go down the top up route as have seen it spell the beginning of the end for friends. I'm still happily feeding and ds is now 15 months. Trust yourself, your body and mother nature and well done for getting this far

[nanneh]

chacha - my DS cluster fed too in the evenings. I think all exclusively bf babies do. Like everyone else here has said its supply/demend. The more baby sucks, the more you will produce. Trust your body ! Babies will not go hungry if you feed on demand.

I always found expressing a waste of time. It was easier and quicker to just use the boob, no sterilising bits and pieces and having my boobs pumped !

It's very tiring, I know, but keep at it and it will pay off. It only lasts for what will eventually seem a very short period of time. My DS is now 19 mo (still bf) and I really find most of his first few months a big fog, i.e I remember very little !

No need to give in to formula. Jusr demand feed. I have no idea what goat's milk formula is, but I am pretty sure that your milk is better than a goat's.

Good luck !