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[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Hi, Hi,

I didnt want to hijack the bottlefeeding support thread. I noticed your question about how to implement bottlefeeding either one feed at a time or cold turkey.

I think I read that your DS was 3 weeks? From that question, I am wondering if you are b/feeding on demand? This is what is needed to build up your supply to ensure weight gain in a baby. A baby normally loses weight the days following its birth, and at around 14 days is back to its birthweight again. In breastfed babies this often takes a little longer due to the requirement to build up supply. This is completely natural. Although it is right that you and your HV/MW keep a close eye on this.

I'm not out to change your mind if your choice is to bottlefeed then that is great. But if you are choosing to bottlefeed because you think you aren't capable - well that may well not be true. So, I hope you dont think that I am not treading on your toes as such.

I think easiest for you, if you are going to bottle feed is to add one bottlefeed in at a time and express milk yourself at that feed. Do this for a couple of days and introduce another one, but still express. The reason I say this is that you may change your mind in a week or two about bottlefeeding and the expressing will make it so that you can change back more easily. (This has happened before to a few MNers and, even without expressing they have succesfully relactated anyway). If in a couple of weeks you and your baby are comfortable with the bottle you can stop expressing with every bottle feed and slowly withdraw from it - then your boobs wont get sore.

I have also noted the thing about sterilising - if you have already got a steriliser then its a moot point, however, it has been put forward by microbiologists that there is no need to sterilise bottles/teats etc. You only need to wash in hot soapy water (or in the dishwasher if you have one) and then leave to air dry. This is completely safe. This is what is done for bottlefed babies in Neonatal units apparently. Please do google though if you would like reassurance.

Anyway, I hope it goes well for you.

I'm glad to hear you're feeling more positive about it all, Gingeme! Keep us up to date, ok?

Yes thanks I will. Once I get a couple of new bras and relax a bit about the feeding on demand Im sure Ill soon get the hang of it. My sister bf all her 3 kids for about a year and is impressed Im giving it a proper go this timeWill stock up on breast pads too!!

Best ones I found (apart from Lansinoh which are expensive) were Chicco Mamma. £4.99 from Boots (only boots stock them in this country) for a box of 60. Very absorbant, very flat but shaped and didnt irritate me at all (whereas most other breast pads did - including mothercare, boots own, sainsburys own, johnson & johnson etc).

I am so glad you are feeling better about it. I hope it continues to get better for you

(And I am very glad you werent offended by my starting this thread.....)

Would recommend Royce bras - I'm now a 34 G/H and they're really supportive. I have to wear one at night as well cos I leak everywhere.

If you're getting measured, would recommend John Lewis. They'll also have a wider range of bras than mothercare.

Hope you have a better night tonight

I thought the Boots Ultra Slim breast pads were the best.

Good on you, Gingeme - you'll crack this, I think x x x

Good evening ladies. Just thought Id share this with you. Weve just been shopping in Asda and was walking down the soap powder aisle as you do and saw this lady scrunched down on the floor facing the shelves. I thought she was in pain or had colapsed when I looked a bit closer she was actualy breast feeding. Just goes to show if a baby needs feeding it needs feeding. Just a bit sad that they havnt got the facilities like some Tescos do with a mothers room. Ive just fed lo while eating my dinner yes getting good at this and didnt spill too much on him not realy.
Thanks sneakymouse Im gonna give it a good go. Thanks for all your advice. Going to give lo a bath now and settle in my room for a good feed. See you tomm. xxx

Skin to skin contact in the bath to promote b/feeding is lovely, btw

Hope you have a good night.

Good morning ladies. Well seem to be getting the hang of it. LO seems to have been permenantly stuck to my boobs all day yesterday. Gonna invest in a pump and a couple of bottles next week. Ds3 was playing up big time yestrday though. Thats what made me decide to get a pump. I had lo in the bath with me last night. He was laying on my tummy and i was pouring water on him with his sponge and he was wrigling about. The next minute he had wriggled right up on to my chest and was acualy feeding. Clever little monkey. Well my mw will be here about 11. Will let you know if this little greedy guts has put some weight on. Oh Ive thrown his dummie away. Caused a big row with dh but thats tough innit

Co-bathing rocks

Yes it does. I bath occasionaly with my toddler too and hes just started poining and saying 'willy Mummy?'.

Awww the bath sounds lovely (DS hated water)

Excellent news Gingeme! Let us know how you get on in ooooh, half an hour

Yeah, my DS2 hated the bath, but then we only recently got a bath big enough for grownups. Now he loves the bath, even if it is mostly for the buffet service.

Brilliant, Gingeme!

Come on - tell us!!! How much??????

Am dying to know how it went?

Sorr VVV just got back from getting lo's BCG done. Yes the midwife came and weighed him and he hasnt put any weight on. So she said she knows I dont want to but the best thing to do for a couple of weeks is to top him up with formula after each feed. I told one of my friends and she has told her friend who is a breast feeding counciler and she is going to give me a ring a bit later today. The mw is worried because he should have put some on by now and if he gets a cold or infection of some sort he might lose more weight. But he was very brave and hardly cried when he had his inkection

Ginge, you have already got good support on this thead but I'm gonna add a bit, as well

You haven't said what your baby;s wees and poos are like - he should really be pooing every day, several times, and lots of it

If the midwife weighed him on spring balance scales, then you cannot trust the weight.

It's only been a couple of days you hve been feeding him more than 4 hrly - will take a couple more days for the extra feeds to show in the weight.

Ask the miwife about this - tell her you are feeding more often now. I would be concerned that topping him up after every feed will resolve the weight issue (if there is one, see above for scales comment) but undermine your bf.

Good luck.

tiktok a friend of mine has got a friend whos a bf counciler and shes given me LOADS of advice and is coming to see me on Tuesday. Yes Edwards nappies are very wet and poohey. In fact I changed his nappy just before his feed and hes just done another thunderous one now hes finn feeding. Ah bless. Not going to use a bottle or formule just gonna keep feeding and see what happens. She assures me bf babies put weight on slower and steadier than ff babies. The way hes just fed Im not worried and hes got a sticky chin and a satisfied look on his little face

Excellent Gingeme (tiktok is also a b/feeding counsellor, btw)

Glad to hear things are well. Feeding more often will increase your supply, and help your baby pile on the pounds. I'm very glad to hear you're sticking with it, please keep keeping us up to date!

Good afternoon ladies. We went to my parents for the weekend and lo was good as gold. He fed briliantly all weekend about avery 2-3 hours and slept lovely Sat night waking about 4 am then again about7.30 fed and layed in till 9.30 ish which was bril. Been looking on ebay for a pump.Gonna get an Avent petal pump which I used for ds3 and found it very comfortable. Bf lady popping in tomm morning. Will let you know what she says.

Glad to hear things are going well. When is your DS due for his next weigh in? (He is always being weighed on electronic scales, naked, right?)

Hi ladies. Going to get lo weighed next Wednesday.The clinic is on every 2nd and 4th Wednesday. Had the bf counciler visit this morning, well shes a friend too. She says Im doing perfectly ok. She has lent me a little roo sling to make bf more comfortable and discreet when out and about. I got an electric pump off ebay yesterday. Cant wait for it to come. Actualy got out the house long enough to get my hair cut today. Feels a bit more human.

Hi ladies. I need some advice quick please? Have had a terrible wkend as far as lo is concerned. Hes been feeding forever, or so it seems. Went to a 3 year olds party and he just fed the whole time we were there. Seems to have done the same today. I know about cluster feeding and growth spurts etc but Im going out of my mind. Have any of you expessed and if so when and how is the best time cause Im about ready to buy some formula down the shop.Ive got 2 bottles ready and an electric pump off ebay but not sure when to do it. My counciler said in the mornings when I have the most milk. Not sure if Ill have time after taking my ds3 to nursery etc. Any advice please?

Gingeme.....one other way of looking at this is to think 'how wonderful!' that your lo can bf when he is in a strange place with lots of noise and unfamiliar sensations....at his age (about 5 weeks?) he is well aware when he is not on home ground, and he may well be seeking comfort and familiarity at the breast.

Imagine what a three-year-old's party might feel and sound like to a sensitive little baby.....

No reason to go out of your mind!!