Help with mix feeding.. please

[BeckyCMumtoRuby]

Hi I am new on here so please bear with me! My daughter is 17 weeks and i have been tring to introduce a bottle for about a month now. Yesterday I decided that i was not giving in and by yesterday afternoon she took a bottle and again at the nexy feed but when she went to bed I fed from breast and when we woke this morning, now she will not take the bottle again! am I going to have to go completely bottle fed? really dont want to just yet. I am adding a bottle as she isnt gaining as much weight as she should and is constantly hungry even feeding every 2 hours at night (last night she slept 10 hrs) Thanks

Becky, sorry you are having a hard time :(

You could call any of the bf helplines - your situation is one they should be able to deal with, and help you decide among your options.

You can talk about

i) ways to increase your baby's weight/intake without the use of formula
ii) whether your baby needs to gain more weight
iii) coping more easily with the frequent feeding
iv) (did you mean she will not take the breast this morning?) helping her stick with the breastfeeding
v) the timing of introducing a bottle - does it have to be now or would leaving it for a bit be ok? She could prob take a cup with help in a couple of weeks
vi) maintaining your bf alongside bottles

Please don't withhold the breast in an attempt to force her to take a bottle! Feeding every two hours at night is perfectly normal for this age and particularly around this point there is a huge developmental and growth spurt that means she will be hungrier than usual. If you don't breastfeed her your supply will not keep up with her needs.

Hi Tiktok,

Thank you for your reply, I have been concerned for a while as ruby dropped form 75th percentile to the 25th and then when poorly she dropped to the 9th. The consulant in the hospital told me she was skinny and needing topping up after every feed, i discussed this with my HV who said that it was rubbish, she was slight but maybe my husband and I were and she was meant to be also but after speaking to our parents we were far from slight as children. From 3 weeks old Ruby was sleeping 8hrs at night but when she dropped to the 9th percenitle (15 weeks) she started feeding every 2 hours at night and 1.5 hours in the day and was having small green BM. I have had so many different views but as Rubys mum I have decided that I will introduce the bottle but i would like to continue breast feeding as well so I will just offer two bottles a day. I am struggling to mix the two, once she has breast she decides she no longer wants the bottle and at the next feed will refuse the bottle so I need some advise on how to mix the two breast and bottle without having to give up on BF. Sorry for the huge post!! just wanted to explaine as best I could. Thanks again.

ZuleikaD, thanks for your message but I have made my dicission as explained to Tiktok Ruby realy does need supplimenting as advised by her consulant what I need is advise on how to get her to take the bottle along with the breast. Thanks

Well done for taking the decision as Ruby's mum- you know best.

Have you tried someone else giving the bottle? If you do it, she can smell you and want to get to the breast.

Hi. I had the same problem when my baby was born. Was told by hospital and midwive that I didnt have enough milk for my baby and had to give her formula as well. I didnt want to cos I was worried that she would refuse the breast but it was fine.Try giving her the formula from a small cup, the hospital gave us some, look a bit like the lid/cap of a bottle but one side is lower to give the nose some room. If that makes sense. That way baby can drink and they do manage without choking. It worked for us. I do agree, it's your baby and you choose what is best for her. Also found it better when someone else gave her the milk. After about a week we did use a bottle instead, tommee tippee closer to nature, no problems. I found it a bit too muchduring the night with the cup.

Becky, as tiktok said in her very first point, you can be helped to improve your baby's weight gain without using formula and bottles. You say you have made your decision, but your baby is trying to make her decision - she is letting you know in no uncertain terms that she doesn't want bottles and prefers the breast. In a few weeks you can introduce a cup which may well make your life easier.

Why do people try to change other people's minds when they have clearly explained what they want to do? This is mumsnet, not a breastfeeding only site.

Is that a rhetorical question Maternity?

Apologies, it does read as rude, which is not what I intended.. However, I do feel that the OP asked for advice rather than an opinion on how she should feed.

Hi Becky
I had a similar,experience to you in that eldest DS was poorly and sliding down the percentile line, we were advised to mix feed. it was hard to start with, he was v reluctant on the bottle, in fact when the nurse gave him his first bottle i was shocked at how rough she seemed to be, so don't be shy with that bottle .

Can you maybe let your DP do the late night feed... Orthe early morning one..?Give him some lovely quiet bonding time, And you get a chunk of extra sleep...

Maternity - I was not trying to change anyone's mind (did you mean me, when you said 'people'?)

I had virtually no information about Becky's situation, so suggested a place to raise it and questions to discuss.

I don't think Becky thought there was anything wrong with my post.

Becky - with the further info you have supplied, I think there is justifiable concern about getting more calories into your dd. There is always a difficult grey area for babies who appear to be fine in every way, but just skinny - some are the way they are meant to be and others could do with more fat on them :) If you trust the doctor's assessment, then that's the way to go....and I'd support the idea of a cup. What you don't want at the moment is the worst of all worlds - where the bottle is actually interfering with her intake of breastmilk. She might be just great with a cup :)

My baby will not take a bottle from me but he will take one from DP. Especially if it is a dreamfeed. I'd try getting your DP to give a bottle feed late in the evening and hopefully at one other feed in the day too if you feel a second bottle feed is required. In the meantime, you could breastfeed completely on demand. Once she is used to taking a bottle from someone else she might take one from you (mine still won't!)

I am also mix feeding. I tried with first child to exclusively BF and she stopped gaining weight and we were both very miserable and sleep deprived. I decided for my mental health that this time I wouldn't push it as long so my baby is now 1 month old and has been mix fed since he was one week. Its def not the easiest option! When you are trying to introduce a bottle is it formula or expressed milk? Maybe trying to introduce a bottle of expressed would go down better if you are using formula? Also my first baby was very specific and wouldn't drink if it was too cold or too hot...

Thankyou everyone, Ruby has taken another bottle so I think I need to just keep going until she gets used to it, I think it may also be a temperature thing ( thanks greathat). The otherthing I found uselful was to not be such a pansy when offering her the bottle she definately picks up on how I feel about it.
ZuleikaD thanks for your input but as I said I have made my decision and it wasnt made lightly. The problem is that as a new mum everyone gives you different advise, Dr's, HV, Nurses, my mum, his mum other mums... in the end you realise you have to make a decision and stick to it, my milk really wasnt doing the trick. Im not saying there was anything wrong with your post at all just I can see where Maternity was coming from.
Thanks again everyone x