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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Tell me it'll be OK. Adding a f feed.

13 replies

bumpiesonamission · 11/09/2014 20:17

I'm going to start giving my DS a ffeed in the evenings. I am feeling like I've let him down, that I can't provide for him, that I'm becoming a statistic and it'll ruin everything I've planned. After a traumatic birth, dummy being given and him not sleeping, I felt bfing was the only thing I've started and continued and that I could actually do right.

Little one is 7.5months old. He had been ebf since birth, occasional ebm bottles and more lately a daily ebm in the evening given by dh so I can get some sleep before the night feed roulette starts. But I'm struggling too express enough for a night feed now.

I've also just had my first night away from DS and this caused me great anxiety as I struggled to express enough and worried throughout that he'd run out of milk. He didn't but I've another night coming up in 3weeks and I'm struggling to express enough for the night bottle and the upcoming night away.

Lo has never sleep more than 6hrs at a time and after the first wake up will wake every 2hrs no matter what we do and 9 times out of 10 will need feeding. He can self settle and can settle without feeding but he's a hungry baby too.

I'm not sure why I'm writing all this, I have made the decision, I hope it'll calm my anxiety(well the supply anxiety) when I leave him but I feel like such a failure.

I feel I'm giving up and worried my supply will suffer. I'd be grateful of advice and experiences no sure anyone's still reading

OP posts:

Babycino81 · 11/09/2014 20:23

Please stop this worrying. Your baby will be absolutely fine and you are and have done an amazing job feeding him for this long. For what it's worth, I have an 11 month old who was EBF and now refuses any other milk including expressed so if I could turn the clock back I would have given a bottle at night. This is due to me returning to work and her being in nursery and going all day without milk despite the staffs best efforts. Please be kinder to yourself x

Squeakyheart · 11/09/2014 20:37

Hi your baby sounds just like mine! We had to introduce formula feed recently as I had to go into hospital and just could not express enough, she has taken to it fine and we are continuing with it so family can help out etc. I usually give her a top up after last feed in the vain hope she will sleep longer so not working and I have been giving her one at lunchtime.

However my milk supply seems to be decreasing with this as I no longer feel as full in the morning or at night but that could be because she is draining me with the increased night feeding. I am going to monitor as I don't want to wean her off BM yet but have no problems with topping up with formula, in fact I am thankful that we have the option! Statistically we are both doing really well to still be breast feeding so please give yourself credit for this and try not to worry about mixed feeding easier said then done I know

ClearlyMoo · 12/09/2014 07:17

7.5months EBF is amazing. Well done. You're not a failure you're an amazing success story. Midwife friend of mine says that ANY BF is counted as BF statistically. Your baby is at an age where he'll be starting to need other food (if you've not put him on solids already) so his mixed diet means he's already having "other food", you should feel no guilt at all about one formula bottle. Sounds like you need a break too. Wow!

pickletalk14 · 12/09/2014 07:24

I was going to post a similar thread! DS is 3 months but I go back to work in November so know I can't express for all the feeds. He's had formula for a dream feed all week and he's been fine! I have had to tell myself not to feel terrible about it and neither should you. Hope it goes well sounds like you've done a great job so far!

Original poster

bumpiesonamission · 12/09/2014 12:49

Thank you for the kind words. I'm coming to terms with it. Just feel awful that I can't provide all he seems to need. He is progressing with weaning, not overly excited about it but getting there!

OP posts:

geekaMaxima · 12/09/2014 14:47

OP, since your ds is weaning, try to think of formula as just another form of solids he's taking in.

He's trying lots of new foods now, apart from bm, and the food-to-bm ratio will be increasing from now on. So formula is a type of dairy he's trying - he'll eat it for a while as a baby, then other things will take over as he's ready.

You've done fantastically ebfing your lo, but he's not really ebf anymore once solids start. Your supply at 7.5 months should have little trouble accommodating one ff a day. Relax, get some sleep, and enjoy your bfing relationship with your ds.

Goldenlab · 12/09/2014 14:53

Totally fine and very sensible

NormHonal · 12/09/2014 15:05

It will be fine. I did a ffeed once a day from early on with my DC2 after sailing close to PND with my DC1 (and other reasons) and my supply was find. In fact I kept feeding until 15mo, a few feeds a day (and night). But having a bit of breathing space every evening whilst DH did a feed was amazing and helped me no end with my relationship with DC1, as I was able to take care of bedtime, etc.

DC1 had formula and breast milk from 6mo and is doing well at school and seems to have a rock-solid immune system. (realise I've cursed it now!)

My DC2 was a hungry baby too, and the advice I had from a weaning expert was to whack as much food into him as possible from 6mo. Cheesy mash, scrambled eggs, baked beans, toast, yoghurt...that was a couple of years ago but it was all eaten with gusto didn't help the sleep but that's another story.

juliascurr · 12/09/2014 15:06

you are providing what your baby needs bf for anti-bodies etc, expressing if you can't be there, organising managing to get some sleep, involving your dp in the whole thing and staying reasonably sane
all after a traumatic birth
you're doing great

hollie84 · 12/09/2014 21:18

He's not EBF at 7 months, so formula is going to make no more difference than a yoghurt or banana.

Original poster

bumpiesonamission · 13/09/2014 13:23

Thank you everyone for dealing with my neuroses!! So he had a bottle at his first wake up at 11:30, had 5oz but woke up for booby 3hrs later. Apart from two explosive poos it doesn't seem like he's suffered

OP posts:

squizita · 14/09/2014 18:08

As others have said ... he's eating other things so is no longer EBF anyway? I thought it couldn't be EBF after weaning started anyway, as even if breast was their source of drink, they have different food as well?

Original poster

bumpiesonamission · 15/09/2014 09:00

Aaaarg, it has made his sleep so much worse.

I bf him at 10(he's full if cold so up earlier) and he slept till 3 but then had a ff and woke 2 hrs later!!!

Advice? now I've calmed into it, do I try stage 1 formula instead if the current follow on?

OP posts:

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