Can someone tell me what is likely to happen with this scenario?

[PeckaRolloverAgain]

Last night, my DH gave my almost 3 week old 1 bottle - it was the first one she has had.

Breast feeding has been going well and I seem to have established good milk supply - DD has been weighed once at 10 days and had put on 8oz.

I have had some really dreadful nights with her culminating in the giving of this bottle last night so that I could get a couple of hours sleep.

DH is back to work after paternity leave and I have 2 other children to care for.

Anyway, I had started expressing here and there so she had what I got out last but it wasnt quite 3 ounce so I used a little bit of formula to top it up to just over 4 oz.

Anyway, she took 3oz of this EBM/Formula mix, settled well and we both got some rest. (DH thoroughly enjoyed giving the feed too and DD took it no problem)

What I would like to know is - what is the likely effect of my supply

a) doing this regularly (ie last feed of the day and me expressing)
b) randomly just when I really feel I need it.

I would like to introduce it as and when/regularly but wont at all if it it will have a very real threat to my milk supply and long term breast feeding.

DD feeds at least 3 hourly during the day and usually quite frequently over night too.

Sorry its longwinded!

Just having a bad week dp went back to work on monday dd woke me up saying she felt ill and had a temp of 39.8 then ds1 woke up and puked on my head whilst ds2 was screaming for a breast feed..the day got gradually worse as did Yesterday. last night baby was feeding through most of it I got an hours sleep at the most. DD was better today so walked her to school and keeled over at the gates through sheer exhaustion I think another mother who found me tooke me home I don't even know her but she was lovely. Feel like i'm running on empty am so tempted to think F*ck it and give him bottles but then I know i'll feel guilty as hell but not sure I can carry on like this for much longer. Ds1 has well and truly hit the terrible twos he throws things etc when i'm feeding ds2 and is a nightmare to be around at the moment I know part of it is jealousy but that doesn;t make iot any easier to cope with.
If I had help it wouldn't be as bad but dp works long hours and mil is stretched with her 5 other children and their families and my parents are dead and I have no real family on my side to speak of.

oh sympathy to you ledodgy

how about a PN doula? give you a bit of a hand?

the first few weeks are hard going whether you give bottles or breast. just got to muddle through somehow

early nights, no housework and online food shopping!

I think having more than one child is the matter plus new baby, no sleep etc

pecka, the first few weeks are really rough, I do sympathise.

I'm holding onto that thought Fio before I lose my grip on reality altogether! Lulu I couldn't afford a PN doula. Hopefully he was just trying to increase my suppply last night for a growth spurt or something am hoping i'll get more sleep tonight.

ledodgy, empathy and sympathy

have i got selective memory when i any hink it was quite so hard last two times/?

have lots to say but 1 hand typing

hv came today and dd is 7lb11 at 3 ks. 6lb6 at birth

That's a fab weight gain Pecka and you've done it all yourself. My HV is coming tommorrow afternoon. I don't think it was as hard the last two times though with ds 1 I gave up the bf at weeks as he was feeding round the clock and I was about to walk under a bus so got sent to counselling and bottlefed. I bf dd for about 5 months but then she started losing weight and I was advised to stop. I think that is why I really want to succeed this time but God it's hard and I realise I would still be knackered if I was bottlefeeding but bf is draining me as well I'm feeling dizzy and sick.

*3 weeks

Thanks Fio yeah i've started taking those pro-natal vitamins that you can take throughout pregnancy and breast feeding. I probably am doing too much but that really can't be helped.. When do they usually start feeding roughly at the same time each day with a decent gap in between dd did this really quickly but ds is everywhere atm.

I'll look forward to that then! I'd be worried that he wasn't getting enough he feeds that often but he does a poo after every feed and his nappies are wet plus he was weighed at 2 weeks and had put on 10 oz in a week regaining his birth weight and more so i'm assuming my supply must be ok?

Thank you for all your help. I'm feeling a bit more positive. Onwards and upwards and all that. Thank Goodness for my digital radio, LBC is getting me through the night there are some loons that ring up in the early hours though.

im still feeding from when i posted before

THIS is when i find it unbearable

just had to be really impatient with ds (4) because he is up and down out of bed, dont feel ive been able to give him enough attention to actually settle him for the night

3 weeks - could well be a growth spurt to build up your supply. has this feeding for hours constantly been going on for ages or a new thing over last few days?

3 weeks - could well be a growth spurt to build up your supply. has this feeding for hours constantly been going on for ages or a new thing over last few days?

Ive been putting it down to growth spurt since she was 10 days!

When I force the issue I can get her to go 3 hours during the day but evening/night is relentless

Today I have just gone with it and fed her whenever and she has barely slept and is STILL feeding !!!

It always gets to this time and I get tearful and tired and feel like Ive not managed to split myself effectively in 3 today.

I'll get there in the end!

im hiding today

dd fed and fed and fed until i gave in at 11.30 and gave formula

she slept til ten to 7 this morning

how am i suppose to resist doing that when it get sme some sleep?

Fio - thanks for the confidence, but I don't know what to suggest!

Pecka's baby is three weeks. This is what babies of this age do. Going through the night is not usually good for them or good for a mum's milk supply. A long sleep after a formula bottle is not physiological....but I know that comes across as criticism and it isn't, it's just biology!!

Pecka, you need help and support, and I totally sympathise with the exhaustion and the feeling of needing to pay your older child the attention he needs.

If you can give him 15 mins guarenteed time with him alone every day - no computer, no phone answering, no baby, just him alone - this will make a difference, I promise you. Call it your special time, and make sure he knows about it. At 4, he will easily look forward to it and of course you have to be utterly reliable.

The night feeds - much better with co-sleeping if you can do this safely, obv.

Hope things get better.

pecka I've read most of your thread and I just want to say I'm in exactly the same position as you. My ds was born last friday and he feeds constantly - the worst was 6pm til 2.30am - I haven't had any sleep bar an hours or so doze since last wednesday so I am feeling more than a little deranged. I've resorted to giving formula twice in that time and, like you have found, both times he then slept for a decent length of time. I know it's not what you are supposed to do, even less so for me, as he's only 6 days old unlike your dd at 3 weeks old, but I feel like I will keel over from lack of sleep and my dd has been completly neglected. I don't know what to do ... so no advice I'm afraid, just know that you are not alone. Can anyone say when this constant feeding stops - I expected bfing to be hard but nothing like this.

peggotty

Hope you have support so you don't have to do anything but be with your baby....stay in bed or on the sofa, and have someone wait on you hand and foot.

It is so normal, normal, normal for new babies to want to be near mummy all the time - less than a week ago your baby was inside, surrounded by you Being next to you and having breastmilk whenever is a way of getting nutrition and love and reassurance in one comforting package.

Feeding lying down helps, feeding while snoozing helps, and at times when you really, really need a break, someone else - dad? - can give the baby skin to skin comfort on a bare chest