experts - what is the impact of introducing one ff bottle per day

[Beatrixemerald]

Dd is nearly 12 weeks old and ebf. Other mothers I know with dc's of similar age are giving one formula bottle in the evening. Whilst I have toyed with the idea I want to understand what impact it has on the health benefits of bf if any? Thanks

No one has done a proper study of this, Beatrix. You can read an (old) article on the internet, if you look for 'Just One Bottle' which describes, with references, the physiological effect of formula on the gut, without being able to quantify what this might mean to an individual baby....which would be impossible. In a very few cases of intolerance/allergy, it could have an effect which would be hard to predict.

The health benefits of breastfeeding on the immune system would remain (formula does not destroy these), and there seems to be a 'dose' effect ie the more formula, the fewer the benefits of bf, but the benefits are still there.

We have some research on whether a formula bottle means more sleep for the parents, and the indication is the answer is 'no', because the excl bf had more sleep, but again there will be individual effects. You can read the study yourself

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17700096 or at least the abstract.

It's an individual thing, to work out the convenience/inconvenience of preparing the bottle, buying the formula, washing the bottle etc.

You'd also have to think about the effect on your breasts, A robust milk supply at 12 weeks will prob withstand a bottle, but your breasts will prob be uncomfortable at the missed feed. Again, individuals vary.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Tiktok, was thinking more in addition to the evening feed, my reasons are more weight gain than anything else. Dd is pretty much on track to double her birthweight by 17/18 weeks but all the other babies seem to be growing more. Writing it down it sounds silly but I am constantly worried about her weight.

If you want her to gain weight (and there has to be a better reason than 'other babies seem to be growing more' :) :) but you know that!) then I still don't get why a formula bottle would help...just give her an extra breastfeed.

If her weight is normal (and it sounds it)...the risk of extra formula in addition to the bf you are doing is that you overfeed her (bf babies regulate intake more easily).

Introducing bottles to help weight gain is likely to cause a slippery slope to more and more formula, because the pattern tends to go that you give extra formula when you're worried about weight/supply and therefore your breasts don't get that feedback to make more milk, leading to even lower supply.

Introducing a bottle for convenience or preference reasons shouldn't be an issue but you would need to stick strictly to the routine of one bottle.

Just as an aside, supply worries are common at this stage for a few reasons:

1. Your supply will be switching from post-birth hormones (manic over supply) to demand based hormonal supply (more tailored to the amount your baby wants). This means UPI tend to stop or reduce leaking, you won't feel hard or "full" between feeds any more. This is normal, you are still making enough milk.

1. Babies can be more distractible and fussy. Additionally they may feed more efficiently with quicker feeds. Again normal, don't worry.

1. Weight gain starts to level out after the very rapid growth of the first few months. Again normal although should be reflected in growth charts now. With febrile (can't delete on phone - CENTILE) ines though, don't expect her to follow the curve exactly. Babies grow at different rates and they will dip over and under "their" line. The starting centile is the one they are on at 2 weeks, not birth. The point to worry would be if they cross 2 centile lines.

(3.5 :)) if your baby has been ill they tend to stop gaining weight at their normal weight and then they continue from where they dropped to afterwards, they don't have to catch up straight away.

UPI = you

Thanks, I know I am probably being silly, she was 6lbs 6 at birth and at 11.5 weeks is 9lbs 12, at her 8 week check the doctor mentioned her moving lower between the centile lines which panicked me. I cant seehow I can give more breastfeeds as I feed her all the time average every 1.5 hrs during the day and 3 hrs from 11pm-9am ish with mega cluster feeds all eve

Talk about it with your HV, Beatrix, and explain how worried you sometimes feel.

I can't see any benefit at all in giving formula - and if you say there is no further opp. to give a bf, when would you give the bottle?

Your dd sounds fine :)

Not silly :) youre trying to do the best thing for your DD is all. If anything, the doctor was silly to mention that without context - it could have been a misunderstanding, as GPs wouldn't have been retrained for a small change on the growth chart (the 2 week thing), it could have been a general comment not intended to hold value (like "she's long isn't she!"), it could have been meant as "keep an eye on this, it's not a problem now but it could become one".

Tiktok is right that health visitors have more up to date training with growth charts abd should be able to advise you. But the eneral rule of thumb is, disregard any data before 2weeks old, and don't worry unless they cross 2 centile lines in a short space of time because the line is an average and it's normal for them to grow in spurts rather than a steady line.

are you offering both sides at each feed and if necessary the first side again?

Yes Bertie I am, I feel like I am constantly encouraging her to feed and she never refuses