Is organic formula ok for 5week old, as a one off while i'm away?

[mammainlove]

My baby is 5weeks old, i breastfeed and have to be away from her tomorrow evening for the first time for 4 hours, leaving her with Granny. I planned to express but have found i wont be able to express enough in time, it's taken me all day to express just 100mls, which will only do for one feed (she's 12lbs). I've always hated the idea of formula, but am considering buying some organic formula tomorrow. I feel bit guilty about doing this.. Do you think it will be ok as a one off? Has anyone tried Hippo organic, or can recommend any others? Thanks x

"It is exactly formulated to be what a baby needs" - no it's not, it's a rough approximation.

"its not gonna do any damage" - you can't say that for sure. I've seen plenty of threads on here from mums who've given just one bottle of formula and have then had their LOs up all night crying / constipation / wind / etc. She MAY be fine, but then again she MAY not.

Of course it's all irrelevant now as it was last night the OP was planning to go out.

How was your night out OP?

I'd like to respond to something pomme said.

Not sure where you got your info from, pomme....water intoxication if a baby under 12 weeks old is given water???

Babies do not normally need water. Breastmilk is sufficient, and routinely giving water instead of breastmilk (or formula) is absolutely not a good idea...and of course it would be a terrible idea to force a baby to drink water or to give more than the baby willingly takes.

But in a situation where a mother worries she has not left sufficient ebm, and she is sure she does not want to give formula (which is the situation described here),and where she is apart from her baby for a short time only, cool boiled water is a sensible option (it would be a small amount!).

Please don't scaremonger with tales of water intoxication....

As an aside, when my EBF PFB DD was 10 weeks old weighing around 10lbs I went to visit a friend who was disgusted by the idea of breastfeeding.

Her DS1 (DC3) had been born at 37 weeks by CS as he like his older 2 sisters had been suffering from IUGR. She was told at 35 weeks they wanted to deliver him and he'd been in the SCBU and would have to have BM, she cried and cried at the idea of having to even express the milk.

Anyway he wasn't actually born until 37 weeks and because he was 5lbs in weight he was allowed home straight away.

When I went to visit she was feeding him the hungry baby formula - I asked about it and she said it was because:

a) recommended by HV to help him put weight on more quickly
b) and also because she wanted him in a 4 hourly routine, she didn't believe in feeding on demand and he digested the normal stuff too quickly (remember he was only 5lbs in weight at this point).

Anyway I was there when she fed him and he screamed right after the feed for a whole hour. I expressed concern and she said it was because the milk gave him a tummy ache.

Meanwhile he is in DD's class and he is taller than her and seems perfectly healthy.

Water intoxication is a serious issue. People should be scared to give young infants water. Infants should be given breastmilk or formula.

Please read this if in doubt.

www.hopkinschildrens.org/newsDetail.aspx?id=4844

It will be fine as a one off, just don't do it reguarly as it may effect your milk supply, Have a nic break!

Tiktok - found where I read it - in a Jo Frost baby care book. Didn't mean to scaremonger, no idea anyone was listening!

Jo Frost (I see from the SuperNanny site) has lifted the info from the Johns Hopkins site - and it is talking excessive water intake.

Offering water to a 5 week old baby who has already had 100 mls of ebm and whose mother is due back shortly does not risk water intoxication.

Babies normally don't need water. They should certainly not be given water routinely. As a one off event, however, in a particular situation, as described in the OP...well, it's not a worry, really it isn't.

I see from Googling that this fear of water intoxication seems to be strong in the US for some reason - perhaps parents have traditionally given lots of water to their babies, or diluted formula, or not sought medical advice for their dehydrated babies? This is simply not the case here in the UK - while making sure parents know not to give water because there is no need for it, I would be surprised if anyone in the UK was concerned that a small amount of water given in the OP's situation would be risking intoxication.

I might give a few sips in that case, but it isn't really necessary. The thing is, babies often continue to suck from a bottle even when not hungry/thirsty. Never forget when DH gave DC1 170 mls of formula - at 4 weeks old!

So if offering water, make sure there isn't much in the bottle.

But it shouldn't have been necessary - a baby is not going to dehydrate in 4 hours and if it needs to suck, could be given a finger or dummy.

Do hope OP had a good time, whatever she decided.

Oh OP, I bet you had no idea what you were starting when you first posted

I REALLY want to get my hair done, but have just moved and I'm a wimp when it comes to going to new hairdressers.