Mixed feeding back to fully breastfed possible?

[Xena]

DS 12wks old is currently about 60/40 breast/bottle. I don't seem to have problem with supply, can I increase it back up to fully breast fed? He is much happier after BF and settles better less windy etc.

I can see this is a real hassle, Ladi....and you've been along a difficult road.

What about breastfeeding her instead of expressing after you have given her formula, maybe reducing the formula amount so she doesn't zonk out and make it hard for you to bf, and also fitting in a further two or three bfs?

Check this out with the people caring for her though first.

At the moment what you are doing is probably not enough to maintain a supply, sorry.

LaDiDaDi - why express at all now? Does she feed well at the breast? If she has doubled her birthweight in 9 weeks, you cetainly are producing a good amount of milk.

Expressing is a pain and you don't actually have to do it at all if your baby feeds well.

Why don't you move to just breastfeeding her all the time? Just reduce the amount of formula by an ounce each bottle over a few days at a time. My DS was 5 weeks early and gained weight really rapidly once he got going. He had a really great suck though.

Again feeding every 2-3 hours is they key to boost supply. If milk is not adequate on that you can take Domperidone (Motilium) 10mg 3 times a day. Our unit prescribes this for mums who have problems with milk production for prem babies.

Woops, didn't see Tiktok's post there. Agree you need to check out what your paed says regarding phasing out formula.

Thanks for the advice. To be honest no one has talked to me about reducing formula and we are now completely out of the care of scbu. I haven't mentioned it to my health visitor either and although I may be prejudging her I don't think that she would be much help (she suggested I take dd to a "weaning party" when she is 12 weeks old !).

I have started to put her to the breast before each bottle feed but for example today I breastfed her for half an hour before I gave her a bottle and she was clearly still ravenous, although i know what has been said before about breastfed babies taking a bottle even if they are not hungry but because of the different taste etc. I think that I will try domperidone on the basis that it won't do any harm and it might help.

Domperidone only should be used when frequent feeds/expressing do not up supply though.

I would make up an ounce less in each formula feed as a start and also make sure you breastfeed first for all feeds. Feed at least 3 hourly, more often if you can manage.

Have you tried a feeding fest by the way? You spend the whole day (some do it in bed) and just feed as often as baby wants? You can line up a whole lot of DVDs that you have always fancies seeing. Make sure someone else caters for you food and drink needs. Much more fun than expressing.

ladi its fine that she was still ravenous because remember you wouldnt normally put her to the breast at that time so there proberbly wasnt any milk...but the good thing is that she sucked for half an hour which will have stimulated your breasts to produce more milk,if you do this before each formula feed then eventually she will get milk and you wont need to give he a bottle after the feed. Also when babys are newborn they feed every hour at the begginning to build up your supply maybe you could put her to the breast for confort sucking whenever she'll latch on this will really help and its nice for you. I agree forget the expressing just always offer breast before bottle that way you'll start producing milk for everytime shes hungry. Is she still in hospital or at home? if your not with her at night then it might help to express at night, this is when your milk is at its best. |Good luck