Is my EBM actually better than formula?

[VeloWoman]

I know normal breast milk is better than normal formula, no need to tell me that, but I am uncertain regarding my EBM.

DS is 10 weeks old and on average has 6 bottles of EBM and two bottles of lactose free formula a day, I started pumping when milk came in and I was too engorged to get him to latch on properly, and then once he had been having bottles for a few days it was hard to go back.

So my breast milk -

The good: I don't drink or smoke or take any medication, I take a breastfeeding vitamin everyday and I think I eat enough dairy and protein.

The bad: I don't eat five a day, infact I only average one or two a day, DS is not EBF and so he is not getting the benefits of a virgin gut, whatever that is and also I probably eat too much sugar.

I have been thinking that since I don't eat many veggies, formula might have more vitamins in it for DS or be more of a balanced diet than my BM, also pumping this much is tiring and time consuming so I don't want to keep going past 12 weeks/ three months if there is not much difference/benefit for him.

However if there is still a significant difference then I will try and persevere till six months.

Your diet doesn't really matter to the contents of bm. It is still produced with everything your baby needs tailored to your baby. It is easier to digest and easier for the vitamins and iron to be absorbed into your baby. Also the one big thing it has is antibodies from all the colds and illnesses you have had helping his little immune system right now and that is something no formula can replicate.
I expressed for a long time with dd but did eventually thanks to a semi retired hv and hours and days get her back on the breast so I know how exhausting it is. You have to do what works for you.

Yes of course it is. Breast milk is always better than formula.

BM is great no matter what you eat. It's been shown the breastmilk from third world women isn't much different from those in the first world. So stop worrying about your BM not having enough vitamins. It's something the formula company would say.

Any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk.

But the issue is I see is
also pumping this much is tiring and time consuming

If you can't continue. Stop. You health is also very important. You have done really well by providing your little one with breastmilk for as long as you could. If you have to stop, then don't feel guilty. We are all human and try to do the best we could.

And yes, pumping is very hard. I tried but gave up. Though my DD was feeding from the breast. I fell into the trap of believing the pumping so daddy can gave a bottle so mum can have a rest trap. It took so much more effort to pump then to direct feed. (So I admire you for effort it took to do 6 EBM bottles a day).

Your breastmilk will be fine! However, why is he having lactose free formula?

EBM gives your baby pretty much all the benefits of breastfeeding. Expressing all the time is exhausting though. I used to do it once a day to build a stash but I hated doing it. If it's getting too much for you, then don't feel you have to carry on if you don't want to, maybe you could just reduce the amount of EBM if you don't want to stop completely. Any breast milk is better than none at all. If you do decide to stop, do it slowly (drop one expressing session every few days) to avoid mastitis.

its a bit pointless using lactose free formula as your breastmilk is also full of lactose as it is the sugar in all milks

Yes EBM is better. It's tailor made for your baby. It's very hard exclusive expressing though, I've done it. It's not too late to get back to bf if you want to. Seek real life support.

Breastmilk is a living substance - like blood. It changes as
Your baby grows and gives them exactly what they need.
It not only passes on antibodies that you have to your baby
But if your baby meets an illness that you haven't met
Your body is prompted to make these antibodies.

Also hate vitamins and minerals in breastmilk are more
Easily absorbed than the ones in formula. They are just a few of the reasons why breastmilk is always optimal.

However pumping so many times a day is tough! I really admire you. What age is your baby?

Wow thanks for your replies, I feel a bit more confident about the quality of my breast milk now. DS is on lactose free formula because he got gastro when he was four weeks old and post gastro he was still getting tummy pain and a lot of wind, the GP said it might be post gastro lactose intolerance and said use a lactose free formula for six weeks or so (I did ask if I should stop eating dairy but she said no). Over the next couple of weeks will try and move him back onto the normal formula.

I am a bit sad he isn't on the breast, I did try and get him back on but he would spend an hour on the breast and still want a top up, and now it feels like it's too late since he has been used to the bottle for so many weeks.

DS1 had EBM for six months as he was very premature and tube fed for most of that time and so I would like DS2 for the same amount of time but finding the time to pump is harder when you have two kids at home with you. But I have found some new resolve to try and get to the six month mark thanks to this thread.

Couch kitten DS2 is ten weeks old.

Giving up dairy wouldn't change the lactose content of your breast milk as it is the milk naturally present in your milk.

Hi velo. It might not be too late to get your DS back to the breast if you decide that's what you would like to do. I expressed for my DS from when he was 3 weeks old until 11 weeks as he wasn't transferring milk efficiently and he was losing weight. Expressing almost full time is so hard, I hated it and completely understand why you find it tiring and time consuming! You deserve a meal for doing it this long!

Anyway, after 8 weeks I decided I couldn't do it anymore and would try to get DS back to direct breastfeeding and if it didn't work I would move completely to formula.

I was worried like you that after weeks of bottles it wouldn't work (although I had been putting him to the breast frequently throughout to try to keep it familiar to him). To my surprise, it worked! He's now 22 weeks and breastfed. I think he just got bigger and stronger and able to feed more efficiently in his own time.

So, that's just my experience, and your situation might be very different, but the point is it's not necessarily too late to try to get him back to the breast, but only if that's what you want. I wouldn't try to do it on your own though. I had lots of help from a v supportive HV who came out to see us regularly and check that DS was still gaining weight steadily as we cut out the bottles very gradually. It wouldn't have been possible or sensible to just drop the bottles all at once.

Good luck with whatever you decide

Would anybody here know if putting a nipple shield on to get DS latched and then remove it would work? It may be that he is used to the teat feeling and a nipple shield could help? It is just an idea that came to mind.

If your baby is lactose intolerant then EBM is NOT the best for him, lactose free milk would be the best. Unless you are using coilef too. But even then, if I were you, I would put him on just the lactose free formula. It's too too much hard work expressing and he needs a happy mother, not one that's exhausted.

Genuine congenital lactose intolerance is extremely rare (and potentially fatal) though, it's one of the things they test for with the heel-prick at birth so that baby doesn't get seriously ill/permanently impaired by BM or regular formula - I think what the doc was talking about was temporary lactose intolerance from a stomach bug, which wouldn't be a reason in itself to give up BF as it will just resolve itself once the gut recovers.

Agree with what everyone else has said, OP - yes, your breastmilk is fantastic for your LO regardless of your diet, but if exclusive pumping is too stressful you need to think about your own needs too.

I've definitely heard of people using shields to help latching, maybe someone who's actually done it will be along to give more advice.

I went from fully pumping back to the breast at 12+ weeks. It can be done! People do use nipple shields to help with latching, although my dd hates them. The medela ones are the most recommended. Definitely get to a bf cafe for some real life support. I was so close to giving up so many times, (I was pumping as pain was unbearable and dd not gaining weight), but really glad I didn't.

Thanks Katetheshrew and Kumquat for your stories, I have decided to try and slowly get him back on the breast with the end goal of him being EBF.

I can't get to any IRL support right now so my plan is to give him half his usual feed first then put him to the breast afterwards when he is not so ravenous and then pump again afterwards, more work to start with but hopefully once he is more used to the nipple I can start dropping the bottle from some of his feeds.

Does that sound like a good plan?

Thanks everyone for your support so far!

Hi Velo. Gradual change sounds sensible, and yes he might do better if less frustrated. Another thing you can try is watching for early feeding cues when he's about to wake up, and try him on the breast when he is still sleepy. You also might have a time of day when you feel more full and your letdown might be stronger. Often mums find the morning bottle easiest to drop because the baby seems satisfied. Skin to skin and a 'babymoon' if you have time can help. In the meantime, a good piece about bottle feeding is here:

www.bestforbabes.org/the-babes-guide-to-bottle-feeding/

Nipple shield worked well for me. My baby was a bit premature and had trouble latching to one breast in particular. In hospital they told me that I might need one and I did, after a few very disappointing days at home. Now my baby, who is 5 weeks old, can latch on both breasts normally, unless she is very hungry or upset, then I do use the nipple shield to help her.