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Infant feeding

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

Can u formula feed a newborn but breastfeed once a day???

32 replies

yumeymummy · 09/04/2007 14:03

This may sound a funny question but i only formula fed my first child and never ventured into breastfeeding! Now pregnant again im full of questions!
Basically with my first son i didnt have much of a milk supply so gave up probably too soon and switched to formula after 2 days.
Im a little worried itll happen again this time and i would like to try to breastfeed this little one im due to give birth to in 3 mths time. But if it did happen and i didnt have much of a milk supply, would it be possible to formula feed but maybe just give the baby one or if im lucky, 2 breastfeeds a day??? Im just thinking some breast milk has got to be better than none??

I wasnt sure if a newborn would be able to cope with 80% formula and 20% breastmilk?? But then some newborns have it the other way round dont they where they have mainly breastmilk but the odd formula feed??
Any advice on this would be really appreciated xx.

OP posts:
Runninglate · 10/04/2007 19:55

YF - I agree about getting loads of help and advice - I'm no earth mother and my DD didn't really get her latching sorted for a number of days (and even then was a bit fumbly for a couple of weeks afterwards) and then there's always the helpful mother who says that she's not getting enough milk and the pain for the first week etc etc - it can all be very tricky! I grabbed every breast feeding advisor that I could lay my hands on. I've never had so many different pairs of hands on my nipples!!! The help is absolutely there but sometimes you have to be a bit persistent to get hold of it and it's absolutely fine to keep asking for more help over the same thing. I would say it took me 3-4 weeks to feel comfortable doing it and for DD to become more of a pro at latching on.

3/7 of my antenatal group were told the oddest of things in a similar vein to my 12 hour feeding thing and it really got the wind up them to the point that they either switched to formula or did mixed feeding for a while thinking that the bfing wasn't working. Such a shame.

sunnyjim · 10/04/2007 20:11

I BF for 10 days for variuos reasons. The best thign I was told is that the antibodies etc which give all the benefits of Breast milk - 90% of them are in the first milk so if you can BF for 2 weeks you've got a good deal of them in there.

DS started haivng formula after 5 days and he was on 50% of each at 7 days.

If I had found it easier I would have continued to express for one or two bottles of breast milk a day for as long as possible. My Health visitor said once a day wasn't enough to keep up supply but 2x was - and that you coudl express more often and store the milk if you found you had loads.

sunnyjim · 10/04/2007 20:18

oh and don't let yourself be browbeaten into BFing if you don't want to. There are a thousand things about being a good parent. BFing is only one way to feed and support your kid.

Olihan · 10/04/2007 20:26

YM, I didn't manage to bf my 1st or 2nd dc but have established it brilliantly with my 3rd. A lot of it IS confidence in your body's ability to do its job, because once you stop doubting yourself you realise that it is going okay and you're doing okay.

I gave up at 3/4 weeks with dc1&2 because they hadn't regained their birthweights, and I thought I didn't produce enough milk, thanks to my HV mentining Failure to Thrive at every weigh in. This time it took dc3 6 weeks to regain but he did it without the aid of formula and with the help and reassurance of 2 bfcs and lots of MNetters. That is very unusual but everything else was okay - he was alert, content after feeds, weeing lots, pooing regularly, etc, so I just kept going. I used the NCT bfc line but there is also the La Leche League or Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and another I can't remember off the top of my head.

I think the one thing I did differently this time was just to put him to the breast everytime he so much as squeaked for about the first 6 weeks. It didn't matter if he'd only fed 5 minutes earlier, he got a boob in his mouth! It did mean I was literally pinned to the sofa 24/7 but it's been worth it. I just accepted that that was had to happen if I wanted to get bf established. Dc1&2 watched far too much telly and didn't get as much attention as they were used to but they don't even remember that time now.

DC3 is now 14 weeks, finishes feeds in less than 10 minutes, I never have to worry about taking enough bottles when I go out, spend no time doing the endless washing/sterilising/making up bottles. Those first 6 weeks were worth the struggle for the simplicity of life now.

I also co-slept as it made the sleep deprivation slightly more bearable, altough it took a bit of practice to get the hang of feeding lying down.

The best advice I was given was to take it one day at a time. Don't set yourself any long term goals, just aim to get through that day. I had quite a few days when I was so close to giving a bottle but told myself I'd do it in the morning and by then I'd come through that little crisis and didn't need to.

There is so much info on here, I spent ages reading through the archives, finding out about estalishing bf; what was normal, what was a problem, what was old wives tales, when to listen to the mw, when to ignore them. It helped so much to be well informed beforehand. Kellymom.com is also a great website with masses of accurate information. I'd have a browse through that too, if you have a bit of time.

Sorry, I've gone on and on but I'm so amazed to be bfing and feel so good about my body, compared to how down and gilty I felt after dc1&2 that I want everyone to manage it!

Good Luck, have faith in your body and your baby to do this!

yellowrose · 11/04/2007 08:17

olihan - what a great post

BandofMothers · 11/04/2007 08:28

Hi, have not read all posts, but did read your first few. I think you will find you are more confident this time.
Ihad nothing but trouble with dd1, she got thrush, sucked funny cos she was in pain. I was in agony. She lost weight , I had to top up and she refused teh breast as soon as I gave her a bottle.

I was absolutely determined with dd2, and she was a pro from the start. I was less stressed and worried, and she just seemed to know what she was doing. If you can take the time to establish bfing for a few weeks to build your supply and establish feeding with your lo, then you can go down to a couple feeds a day after.
Just try not to be anxious, you CAN do it.

YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO.

Good luck, when are you due???

yumeymummy · 15/04/2007 08:55

Thank u. U all have really helped boost my confidence on this and im determined to try and stick with it.
Im due middle of july, so i have 3 mths to get as much info as i can on bfing and hopefully it will continue to help.

Do u think id be able to express fairly soon after the birth? Only cos my dh loved helping feeding my ds and hed like to help with this one too.

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