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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

mixed feeding - has it worked for you?

44 replies

Susiemj · 31/01/2008 09:13

For various reasons [long and probably tedious story] I am giving my 4 week old daughter breast, some ebm and some formula. I know this is far from ideal for establishing bf. BUT has this sort of arrangement worked for anyone in the long term?

I do want to get back to exclusively bf. Just looking for some moral support in case it's not possible to do so.

OP posts:

tiktok · 01/02/2008 16:34

Heels - introducing a bottle undermines breastfeeding. That's a fact. Sometimes, it has to be done. Sometimes, mothers choose to do it. That's their choice but they need to know if they do, it may affect their breastfeeding and their baby's health and their choice to breastfeed...it also may not, and some women get back to full bf.

The later you do it (in terms of the baby's age, not the time of day ) the less effect it can have on bf (but it will always reduce the health effects of excl breastfeeding).

But mixed feeding is certainly not worse for health than excl ff.

I'd love to know what the midwife tells you

Original poster

Susiemj · 01/02/2008 16:36

Thanks for all your contributions - positive and negative.

Nice to know it can work Lizzer and Lenny.

Aitch - I feel much the same way, but we're here now and finding our way hopefully.

Tiktok - we realised DD1 put on loads more weight (an issue - I think I told you about before) with expressed BM topups instead of formula so we've splashed out on a double electric pump and we're hoping to get back to exclusive bf that way. She's still really keen on boobie! I read another thread where you helped someone get back to exclusive bf that way. We're not there yet, and I'm not going to get myself too distressed about formula ATM (as I was) but hopefully we're on our way.

OP posts:

tiktok · 01/02/2008 16:38

All the best for the journey, Susie

Original poster

Susiemj · 01/02/2008 16:40

Tiktok

Can I just ask - today DD1 wanted the breast constantly and shrieked every time she fell off through tiredness. Eventually I caved (I need the toilet etc!) and gave her 20z of expressed bm and she slept for two hours (just waking up).

What conclusions would you draw from this? I think I have enough milk as I expressed 3oz easily while she was sleeping to keep up supply (thinking I'd need to if she's going to demand and demand in the next few days). Do you thikn she's not sucking properly? She SEEMS to be swallowing well.

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 01/02/2008 16:42

it does get better but i do feel gggrrrrr when i think about my oscar-winning bfing performances and how they came to naught in the end. [wince]

one thing, though, i kept being told to pump and pump to keep my supply up but then in order to provide dd with ebm i then gave it to her, of course. (along with formula). i only realised too late that i should have been keeping the milk back so that she woudl stimulate me more. or something. actually i never quite understood that bit. i think basically you have to remember that by letting the baby drink formula and ebm you are not really stimulating the baby's appetite for your milk, or your breasts to create it.

tiktok knows more about it, you have to be careful and may need expert help with getting back on track. i hope you can, it's a pleasure when it goes well (which it did about twice with me, lol).

PeckaRolloverAgain · 01/02/2008 17:07

Can anyone tell me if giving ebm in a bottle once a day will preserve breastfeeding for longer than if that bottle had formula in?

In other words, if I want to give a bottle for 1 feed can I do it fairly safely as long as I have expressed?

Arbensmum · 01/02/2008 17:11

Not sure if mine is a positive or negative experience, bit of both i think.
I was hoping to ex BF but had problems first few days, cracked nipples etc, and gave LO FF whenevr i couldn't handle him feeding from me. Eventually things got better and he fed really well from me but i still kept 1 bottle a day.
Did this til he was about 3mths but then it became a real struggle, he would scream and push me away whenever i tried to feed him, in the end it was getting to stressful and emotional for us both. For some reason this only happened during the day, fed beautifully from me ayt night so i kept up night feeds BF and ff during the day. This worked well for a month but my supply dwindled so much he was waking every 1/2hr for food at night cos my supply was rubbish. I am now totally ff, which i am to do cos my son is happy

tiktok · 01/02/2008 17:14

It's the short gaps between breastfeeds that help drive the supply....giving ebm so you can lengthen the gap between breastfeeds is not helpful. Of course, some women can manage it, and when bf is well-established, one bottle of ebm even every day/evening may not make any diff.

One bottle of ebm when a mother is desperate for a rest is also ok - it's the routine lengthening of gaps between feeds that damps down the breastmilk supply. Milk supply, even at the start, is not so fragile that the occasional ebm bottle will send it away.

What happened with you, Aitch, from what I can see, is that you expressed to stimulate the supply. Fine and dandy. Extra removal of milk from the breast means more milk is made. But then if the baby has the ebm instead of a breastfeed, the extra removal boost is more or less undone - because you've fed the baby, and instead of removing more milk from the breasts when she wanted more, you gave her the ebm....which kept her going longer than she would have gone otherwise. Net result? Less breastmilk.

Does that help?

Original poster

Susiemj · 01/02/2008 17:39

so you just have to feed constantly? i can handle every two hours, even every hour sometimes but constantly seems near impossible. help!

OP posts:

tiktok · 01/02/2008 17:50

?????

Who said anything about constantly???

Babies often like being held a lot, and to feed often, but no baby ever has literally fed all the time (even though it might feel that way )

They do sleep, often while on or near the breast.

Flibbertyjibbet · 01/02/2008 18:01

I mix fed both mine - ds 1 from 2 weeks, and ds2 from 6 weeks, again just 1 or 2 oz. But never more than 1 or 2 oz usually after a bf, sometimes last thing at night, and only 2 or 3 times a day.
I combine like this very sucessfully for 6 months for both of them.
I think combining is more likely to lead to full ff if you give larger amounts of formula - I only gave tiny bits, never a bottle per the amounts on the tins of formula, - or baby gets full, doesn't want a bf for a while, and that will truly hinder your supply.

AitchTwoOh · 01/02/2008 18:06

yep, that's what happened to me. i am still shocked that none of the HPs i was in touch with at the time made the connection...

lennygrrl · 01/02/2008 18:26

Message withdrawn

PeckaRolloverAgain · 01/02/2008 19:03

How do people manage to exclusively EBM feed for a substantial length of time then?

Original poster

Susiemj · 01/02/2008 19:05

sorry tiktok, it's just she was feeding constantly this morning / afternoon.

OP posts:

Lizzer · 01/02/2008 19:30

Susiemj, to give you some point of reference I have been feeding 6w old ds every half an hour (occasionally he'll go for longer if he's having a lovely long nap) during the day and he'll wake for 2 feeds between 12 and 8am at night (ish, its all a bit 'ish' ) for a week now.

Yes its tough, I have a 8yr old dd who luckily is v independant. I barely get myself showered, dressed, wash the dishes, put on a load of washing at the moment BUT I know its only for a couple more weeks before there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I remember (vaguely) dd being similar. Sometimes we get blessed with these sucky, hungry babies and they just want boob! Its the only time he's truly happy.

But I'm lucky, i have a wonderful dp, dd and family around me who know how quickly this 'phase' passes. (Also the power of mn post natal group - are you on one Susie? If not I can link you to dec group, we're great! Hi pecka!)

That said, I struggle to find problem with a regular one-a-day ff like lennygrrl has done. IF that's what you want but I can see how it could spiral into more ff, but contained into the last feed I can't see a prob.

Lizzer · 01/02/2008 19:35

'last feed of the day' and I'm no expert so don't shoot me please

thaliablogs · 01/02/2008 20:01

I've been mixed feeding since my daughter was 5 weeks due to failure to thrive. At each feed she gets the breast and then a top up, usually EBM but sometimes formula if I can't keep up, while I pump. We're going strong at 4.5 months and I'll keep it up as long as I can as I love bfeeding. For me it was worth persevering, even though all the pumping etc was really tough at the beginning.

AitchTwoOh · 01/02/2008 21:48

they probably just have a really good supply, pecka. but for those of us who don't, informed choice is key. and almost by definition, if you introduce a bottle at a very early stage you don't yet know whether you're one of the lucky ones or not. so i was taking a much bigger chance than i was told, iykwim?

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