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Infant feeding

reluctantly toping up, please advise

6 replies

twoboots1 · 18/10/2016 09:21

Sorry this is long:

DC2 is 12 weeks and we have decided to top him up with formula:

DD is 8, she was EBF till 4 months, she probably two tins of formula in her life (never really liked it) I went back to work (12 hours, 4 days a week)when she was 5 months and she continued BF till after she was 3.
She was very chilled and we both have such fond memories of feeding that
I just assumed things would be the same!!


DS is fed on demand, between 1 and 4 hourly. His day time sleeps are short( 3 x 30minutes ) he always seems hungry in the afternoon in particular.

The past 2 weeks he has been very irritable and difficult to settle without BF and frankly seems unsatisfied sometimes with the BM. Though he can find his thumb to self soothe and DP can settle him too. I have been hoping all along that this is just a growth spurt

Usually goes to sleep between 6 and 7 then wakes again around 1-2 for a long feed and then again around 430-530 for a short feed . His feeds can last between 20 minutes to an hour. I do compression to try and maintain my flow. His latch is reasonable IMO. Feeding is totally pain free but exhausting. He usually goes straight back to sleep after his night feeds, but occasionally he wont.

Compared to DD (I know I shouldn't) he can be difficult to wind, with often explosive poos and can posset a lot, the vomitting doesnt happen every day.

He looks to be gaining weight, we are taking him today. He does get the EBM around twice a week. The shear volume of it seems to satisfy him and his daytime naps are longer.

I pump with a manual pump for an hour every night just to try to increase my supply, the most I yielded was 6 oz after a lovely day out with DD. He had at total of 10oz of EBM that day. Followed by two more satisfactory breastfeeds.

I also take fenugreek caps to try and increase my supply and I have started to do some skin to skin feeding which is very calming for both of us.

I am waiting for a medela double pump rental as I want to build up a supply of EBM for going to work in January. I hope it will also further increase my own supply to preclude the need for topping up at all, as well as produce some EBM just for going out in the next few months. Im hoping I will be able to find a bit of time in the day to express and I should have at least a couple occasions in the day to express when I go back to work if needs be.

As I had such a lovely time with DD, I really want to maintain long term feeding as long as he wants it though I cannot maintain the current situation.


My questions are

Is there anything else I can do to increase my supply?

Could he be getting too little hind milk and should I be block feeding?

Can I mix formula and EBM and how?

In terms of topping up with formula. My plan would be to give him 4 oz maximum twice a day only if he appears to wants to feed within an hour and a half of a breastfeed. DP suggests that he takes one of the night feeds too. Is this reasonable? I really don't want to reduce my own supply.

Im hoping that this is only going to be a temporary and I would prefer to top up with breast milk if possible.

He has just had 4oz of formula at 0745 (morning feed was0545) and he has been sleeping for thelast 45 minutes.

Please help!

OP posts:
HappyHeart87 · 18/10/2016 09:34

Can't comment on a lot of this, hopefully better help will be along soon.

My first thought was that babies being a bit grumpy, cluster feeding, and not sleeping 'well' is so normal. What is it that makes you confident he needs more food that you're making? You seem v informed from your post so I'm guessing you know it's extremely rare for women's bodies to make insufficient milk for their babies. Is there a chance that the tummy problems etc. are about being over full / struggling to digest the formula, or did he have those issues before you introduced it?

Well done for persevering with the breast milk. Pumping is a pain in the ass so you're a star for persisting. With regards to boosting supply:

-Yy to lots of skin to skin feeding.
-Pumping little and often (ie after feeds regularly) and particularly through the night will boost supply more than one big session.
-I've had success with lactation cookies though I think there's no real evidence they work.

  • when baby is feeding and finishes on the second breast, move back to the first one again and start over.
twoboots1 · 18/10/2016 12:45

Thanks HH87, his first formula was this morning so yes tummy troubles were present all along.

He has gained but dropped from 9th cent at 7 weeks to 2nd cent now at 12 weeks. He was born on the 50th.

I am aware that I am feeding enough to meet his needs but I know that I cant maintain this for much longer. I do do the 1st 2nd 1st offerings.

The HV was very kind and commented on how healthy and contented he appears.

She explained the difference between topping up and mix feeding, which I hadn't really considered before.

So now the plan, is to top up with EBM preferably (or FF), 2 oz for 2-3 feeds a day earlier in the day. Try to express 3 times a day for a shorter period of time with an aim to go back to EBF.

OP posts:
twoboots1 · 18/10/2016 17:26

is there a preferred lactation cookie recipe?

OP posts:
SpeakNoWords · 18/10/2016 18:35

Don't worry about hind milk, it isn't as straightforward as you sometimes read, and you really don't need to try and engineer feeds to try and get "hind" milk. Block feeding will reduce your supply not increase it. More frequent feeding and switch feeding will increase your supply.

Forgive me, but nothing in your description sounds particularly unusual. The increased fussiness and wanting to feed more sounds like cluster feeding to increase your supply. It may not last for much longer and he may start to go longer between feeds.

Diddlydokey · 18/10/2016 18:43

I would want to watch that he isn't dropping too many centiles but I'm sure that the hv will be watching that.

It is better to swap whole feeds rather than top up to maintain supply.

Do try to not compare. I know a lady with 3 dc and she ebf the two girls but FF the boy - she couldn't seem to keep up! I think he was just hungrier or a fussier baby.

twoboots1 · 20/10/2016 08:45

Thanks all

After 2 days we have decided to swap whole feeds rather than top up.

Waiting for the Brewers yeast to bake the cookies

Medals symphony arrived yesterday just got the one chance to use it. Hopefully will managed 20 minutes 3 /4 times a day

OP posts:
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