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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Can't be faffed to express, why not the odd bottle of formula?

11 replies

Adair · 05/04/2011 08:07

Ds is 10 weeks. Exclusively bf (loads!), gaining weight, no probs, easy etc etc. My last baby wouldn't take a bottle and tbh it was slightly inconvenient. I would love for ds to be able to take the odd bottle in a month or so so I can go to shops etc. But find expressing a major pita. Can do 10z for him to try it out but cant be bothered with the whole storing malarky - tbh I bf cos it's masses easier and more convenient! I know it has other benefits too, of course.

Have mixed fed/bottle-fed one, and exclusively bf one (bf to 14mths) - so got my Bf Badge Wink.

What's the information on the odd bottle of formula? So I can make up my mind...

OP posts:
gorionine · 05/04/2011 08:10

I think one of the problem of the odd bottle is that if you do not actually use your milk, your "production" will decrease so could be a problem.

gorionine · 05/04/2011 08:10

My own problem is using the word problem a bit too much!Blush

ttalloo · 05/04/2011 08:12

I couldn't be bothered to express with DS2 and mixed-fed him, but as gorionine says, it did have an impact on my production, and by three months, he wasn't getting enough out of breastfeeding, so I stopped.

On the bright side he was sleeping through the night by 7 weeks because his last feed of the evening was formula. Grin

SarkyLady · 05/04/2011 08:16

Worked for me :)

With ds1 I slavishly expressed when I went back to work. With ds2 I was more laid back and did a mixture. Much less stress all around. As long as your supply is well established and you don't end up in painful you miss a feed then I say go for it.

I can't believe that all the wonderful (but small) benefits if bf are suddenly cancelled out by the occasional ff.

Original poster
Adair · 05/04/2011 08:16

Cheers for your replies,

  1. I don't worry about milk supply as he feeds so much, it would only be the odd bottle and yeah, not so worried. Is that one of the big concerns?
  2. Sleeping through? Ha! (looks at bottle-fed daughter who didn't sleep through til over a year I think..)
OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 05/04/2011 08:24

An odd bottle of formula after 10 weeks is not likely to impact on your production, unless you tend towards low supply.

The impact it may have is on your baby's 'virgin gut'. This webpage discusses it.

The convenient choice in this situation, I think, is to take your baby with you to the shops, but I'm guessing there are problems with that idea?

bigkidsmademe · 05/04/2011 09:38

The virgin gut theory is interesting but is it accepted? I'm a scientist and I've just been having a (admittedly quick) look on pubmed.com, which lists all peer-reviewed journals. I can't find much if anything to support it. Certainly, there is a lot to support a difference in gut flora between bf and ff infants, but nothing to say one bottle of formula wipes out the good of the bm. If that were the case the formula would need to either kill the gut flora given by the bm or supply other flora that outcompete the breast ones. I can't see any evidence for this. Could you supply some?

(not snarky, genuinely interested, as a mother and a biomedical scientist)!

MigGril · 05/04/2011 09:58

There is a little bit hear www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html.

I haven't yet found any hard evidance, but I think there is some. Although I guess it would be hard to prove short of opening babies up. The through is that formula wash's away the protective layer on the gut which is one of the things that is assosicated with allagies. Supposeidly eBF again for a couple of week's repairs this though. It's also related to feeding solids early which is why you should give solids before 17week's at the earlist as there is lots of evidance this can course damage.

Original poster
Adair · 05/04/2011 09:59

Yup, that was the information i wanted. Think i will wait to 3mths plus. i do want them to be healthy but tbh tend towards feeding them junk (exaggeration!) once they are weaned anyway so... in grand scheme of things.

Yes, i take him everywhere. I have jiggled him in the pram while i try on jeans, and done grocery shopping with him in sling attached to boob. This is the default option - I think I would just like the option of Daddy/someone being able to feed him if necessary... Obv he is fine for a while without boob but...

Thanks for info/comments, will have a think.

OP posts:
Somanychildren · 05/04/2011 18:45

I am bfing DD2 aged 6 months and have just introduced one night ff bottle.

No problems at all so far. For me it is best way to bf her for as long as poss if I can have a break. After exclusive bfing DD1 for 18 months, including 5 months of preg with DD2, I seriously need that break to cope!

Mahraih · 05/04/2011 19:00

I went through a phase of giving DS 1 FF a day (though have now reverted to EBF as supply has sorted itself out), and it didn't impact production. I've also had a couple of days when, because of job interviews, he has had 3 FFs and again, it didn't seem to impact production - I just latched him on at every opportunity afterwards.

TBH if I could express easily I would (I've tried manually, bought a pump, different times of day, after a shower, everything!) - I can see how FF is a much easier option. If it's something you're comfortable with, go for it!

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