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Infant feeding

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

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2 questions re feeding

79 replies

secretgirl · 22/11/2016 19:53

Hi. Firstly after a very rocky start breast seeing is going quite well at the minute for me. However I seem to have a very very hungry baby. She's looking for feeding about every 2 hours. I know every baby is different, but When she actually is feeding, how long approximately should she be spending on a breast feed? When she has a bottle she has 4 oz.

Secondly I am giving one or two formula bottles a day, to date have been giving the ready made aptamil milk. I got the powder form to start making bottles, aptamil, the number 1. I am very confused as it states that the water is left cooling for 30 minutes max before adding the formula and then it has to be listed immediately. You cannot prepare a couple of bottles before going anywhere or make them in the morning for the day. How do other people do it? Using a different formula or what?

OP posts:
Newlywed56 · 23/11/2016 22:19

Mine ate every 90 mins until 5.5 months old (honestly it was like clockwork) both when breastfeeding and when on aptamil.... every baby is different. Still eats all the time now fully weaned with 3 main meals plus snacks but has always stayed on 50th centile.. no idea where she puts it! Coincidently when I was pregnant with her I was constantly hungry too, faded as soon as I wasn't pregnant anymore - so strange! My mothers comment was "obviously she's just grown used to getting a top up all be time " LOL Grin

Wigeon · 23/11/2016 22:26

A very young baby feeding very frequently, especially in the evening (and unfortunately several times a night!) is totally normal and doesn't mean your milk isn't satisfying her. Really don't give up on the BF if your only worry is whether it's enough. She is feeding frequently in order to stimulate your supply so you make enough. If you start dropping lots of breastfeeds because you are worried she doesn't like the breast milk and it's not enough, ironically your supply is likely to drop. So just keeping going with feeds as often as she wants is the right thing to do.

You might find this website useful - lots of evidence based information about breast feeding. Here's the section about what to expect with a newborn: Kellymom website

Wigeon · 23/11/2016 22:28

Oh, also, you asked how long should she be spending on the breast. The answer is there is no answer. As long as she wants. Some babies seem to take onky 10mins, some are there for half an hour apparently still going strong. The evidence based up to date advice is that you shouldn't time feeds.

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:32

Have I touched a nerve?

I'm not going to bother cooking the sausages the next time I cook them for my kids. If they don't die I can tell everyone that there's no need to cook meat because my kids are fine. (That appears to be your logic, in case you don't recognise it.)

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:33

Ok then hecant 60ml of boiling. But you get the theory.? Instant bottle.

Yes. As I said earlier, that's how I did it.

maroda16 · 23/11/2016 22:38

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HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:40

I'm veggie. Grin

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:40

But do watch your blood pressure, dear.

maroda16 · 23/11/2016 22:40

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HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:40

You're delightful.

maroda16 · 23/11/2016 22:41

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FastWindow · 23/11/2016 22:41

hecant such a brilliant method but not recommended on the tin.

Much better to make a scorching hot bottle as per instructions and make the wailing child wait for ten minutes while you run the darned thing under cold water Grin I soon learned.

Caper86 · 23/11/2016 22:42

I'm still confused as to why you would boil water, store it in the fridge and then reheat it again before adding formula. Why not just boil it once and make the formula then? Did we get to the bottom of that one?

maroda16 · 23/11/2016 22:43

Fastewindow how do u do it if u don't mind me asking?

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:45

hecant such a brilliant method but not recommended on the tin.

Been years since I looked at one. But it's why the perfect prep does, isn't it?

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:45

*what

HeCantBeSerious · 23/11/2016 22:47

Did we get to the bottom of that one?

Because she doesn't want to reheat formula, I think. Doesn't make any sense doing it that way though.

maroda16 · 23/11/2016 22:47

She doesn't need a spokesperson

Caper86 · 23/11/2016 22:48

I keep a bottle of cooled boiled water in the fridge at all times. When I need to make a bottle, I boil the kettle and put in half of what I need and then add the powder, shake it (kill all the germs, dissolve the powder) then add the cooled water from the fridge up to the total number of oz.

This is exactly what the perfect prep does but without the price tag.

IonaMumsnet · 23/11/2016 22:50

Ahem. Just a reminder to please be civil? We'll delete any personal attacks but a bit of peace and love in general is never wasted is it?

Caper86 · 23/11/2016 22:55

Also, if you're not meant to warm bottles of formula then what are bottle warmer machines for?

icclemunchy · 23/11/2016 22:58

To make tommy tippee et al more money!!

FastWindow · 23/11/2016 23:01

maroda i eventually invested in an instant hot water machine. My dh is a tea monster...

So in the old days, I'd make up a load of bottles with powder, and previously boiled, cooled water. But i came to figure that wasnt the point. The point is not the purity of the water, but the powder.

So we did this.

Boiled a load of water, and kept it in the fridge in a previously sterilised container. Anything will do as long as it's clean/ miltoned. You can use the cold water for a day. We did this every day to have enough cold water available.

When ds cried for a bottle, 3am or whatever, we boiled the kettle. (after a while , we bought an instant hot water machine. Still use it. Bosch- has variable temperatures, 70C is plenty to sterilise the powder)

Chucked x scoops of powder in the bottle, fired enough hot water in to mix from kettle or machine (lets say 60ml) and topped up to correct powder-to-water measure from the cold water in the fridge.

If it was too hot we employed the running water method. If too cold, a quick blast in the microwave. But we got really good at the ratios and made a perfect temp bottle in less than a minute after some trial and error.

After 4-6 months, make a load of bottles from boiling, chuck them in the fridge, use within 24 hours. Clearly that last bit is not typical advice but its what i did Smile

FastWindow · 23/11/2016 23:03

Aha caper has the nub of it. Without the lengthy expl.

ispymincepie · 23/11/2016 23:04

Boiling water will destroy nutrients as well as bacteria in the powder hence why you need to let it cool (to no less than 70 degrees) before adding it. Just to make it even more complicated! It's virtually impossible to do it correctly, I'm bloody gutted my dc4 couldn't figure out breastfeeding, 12 years of parenting I've only had to start making bottles recently and have done a lot of reading up on it!

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