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Infant feeding

PLease can you advise my friend whos been told to top up breastfed baby with formula??

6 replies

papaya · 27/10/2008 18:02

My friends had a baby 10lb, lost 9 oz in the first week and has only put half an ounce of it back on in 2 wks. That half an ounce has been put on over the weekend.

Midwife has told her to eat cream cakes in an attempt to make her milk better quality, and now has been advised to start topping up with formula. Obviously the theory behind eating cream cakes has been quashed, but I dont feel adequate enough to advise against topping up with formula as i have no experience of this. I can only imagine its gong to deplete her milk supply as baby wont be feeding as much???? especially as baby only 2wks old I can only imagine this could affect her long term supply?

Please can someone advise??

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rolandbrowning · 27/10/2008 18:08

I got the same stupid advice about cream cakes from my midwife, my ds put no weight on at all and had to be topped up with formula. He is now 20 wks and mainly formula fed which is not what I wanted at all. I was helped by a bf counsellor, who helped a lot, but if I had seen her earlier I would have been able to fully bf. The problem was due to ds not being latched on properly. Tell your friend to get in touch with a bf counsellor asap!!

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tiktok · 27/10/2008 18:09

papaya, glad you can quash this STOOOPID cream cakes idea, and I wish I knew where this had come from, as it's about the fourth mention of it on mumsnet in recent weeks. As for the formula top ups, it may be that this baby does need supplementing, as the weight issue looks unusually slow...but of course first choice for supplementing would be expressed breastmilk, not formula.

How much formula has she been advised to give?

It can happen that breastfeeding has got off to such a poor start that supply is a real problem, and as an emergency, formula is needed, so you would need to tread carefully.But if she is able to express, she can discuss giving ebm with her midwife in preference.

Of course you are right - formula undermines her supply. It's a judgement call whether it is worth the risk in the short term.

She can call any of the breastfeeding lines to speak to a trained counsellor about this, if she would like to.

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Clure · 27/10/2008 18:20

Hi had similar prob in that my milk supply was slow to come in. DD was 6lb 12 to start with and lost a lot. I contacted La leche league and saw one of their bf counsellors who was a big help and encouraged methods to help laching on properly and switch feeding to stimulate milk supply. had to do formula top ups due to DD weight loss and this continued alongside successful bf. good luck to your friend

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papaya · 27/10/2008 18:26

Hi ladies thank you so much for your response, shes been advised to offer a couple of ounces after each feed . i thought her latch looked really good, and babies mouth full of milk after feeds so he definitely getting some.

Have advised her to ring la lache and shes ringing them this evening. we just wanted to double check everything as its the same midwife advising a top up with formula that mentioned she should be eating cream cakes!!

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Clure · 27/10/2008 18:37

Hi it was midwife and health visitor who advised formula top up and it was same in that only a couple of ounces after certain feeds of the day. Also forgot that la leche had "industrial sized" breast pumps for hire which helped with expressing (counsellor advised trying to do this inbetween the feeding) again this is meant to encourage increased milk supply. Felt like a dairy cow!