Benefits of mixed feeding vs. solus bottle feeding?

[Mo2]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find anything...

We all know exclusive bf is best overall, but is there any research, or anecdotal 'evidence' of the benefits of continuing to bf alongside giving formula?

For example - does the baby still get some of the usual benefits from breast milk - but in lesser quantities?

I guess my question is - if the choice is breast + bottle or bottle only, what are the advantages of the mixed approach (particularly for the baby?)

I have moved my posting over because this is probably the better place for it anyway.

Janh, I have mentioned on another thread - about mixed feedong breast/bottle I think - about problems that can arise after early elective C/S. My friend's SIL breast fed her 1st ds for over a year. He was delivered by emergency C/S after being in labour for a number of hours at 42 weeks. Her second ds was an elective C/S at 38 weeks and she was unable to establish a good milk supply. Was OK 1st week then dwindled. Baby was aditted with weight loss and despite help with feeding, expressing and domperidone, her milk supply was non-existant. I think the problem should have been identified earlier but it was oevrlooked to some extent because she had successfully fed before. The baby did not feed for very long periods and slept all night after week 1 - not a good start to building a good supply.

I think there can be problems building a good supply after elective C/S and there has been some research which supports that theory. However, I think that what this means is that staff should be vigilant in assisting mothers to B/F and be aware in this circumstance this COULD be a problem if the baby does not feed well and at regular intervals.

Domperidone has been around for a while but a couple of years ago the drug of choice was Maxalon. It is used for the treatement of nausea/vomiting and has a side effect of increasing prolactin levels. Unfortunately it can also cause depression. Domperidone does not have that side effect.

This is when it can be so hard to get the level of support right. The encouragement to feed more frequently and/or express to correct the problem can be seen by the mother as bullying someone to breastfeed. Problems are not always solved over a couple of days - it can take a while. When the milk supply is needing built up in the first few weeks I would discourage mothers from giving formula because I know that in the majority of cases the problem will be sorted. However, some times the mother feels that the midwife is not 'allowing' her to give the baby formula. It probably has to do with lack of confidence. Where I have had true success is when I have been able to build a good relationship with someone, and have been the main advice giver. I think it is a hopeless situation when a poor mum, concerned that she is starving her baby, is left to her own devices with lots of different midwives giving advice. In that situation it is the midwife that offers to give the baby a bottle who is seen as the redeemer of the situation, when in fact she is the one who has made the mum believe she couldn't do it, undermining her ability. I could go on forever

Thanks again, mears. I did get the impression that the babies just weren't ready. My first was elective but 10 days late - still no sign of labour though, but I think I did have more milk with her - but as well as the lateness, I had been having "stress testing" (this was in NY, they were worried because she was so tiny and I am so tall) with a weak oxytocin drip, weekly for a few weeks - might that have improved the milk supply too? However, being in the US meant I didn't have any home visits from anybody and b/f was v uncommon in the hospital anyway so I was floundering. (She went from birth weight of 5-11, to a discharge weight of 5-6, and then down to 5-2 by the time she next saw a paediatrician at 3 weeks, she was also sleeping all night, with hindsight we were probably lucky not to lose her.)

The others were born at 40, 38 and 37 weeks and even the 40-weeker wasn't ready - there is a family history of 42/43 week pregnancies which may have had something to do with it. The other 2 were quite badly jaundiced as well, which makes them more sleepy, doesn't it? (Lovely suntans though!) There is also the issue of having 1/2/3 other children to look after and not having time to sit and feed and feed and feed, even if the baby was awake and even if the milk was there, so if I had been given something to improve milk production b/f would still have been next to impossible.

Each time though, when I made the decision to stop trying, even though they had at least had whatever colostrum was going, I felt terribly low and couldn't talk about it without howling - is that mostly hormonal?

Blimey soothepoo, my breasts have never tingled when either of them cried. My ears, yes. And that's a b/f counsellor!!

lol about the ears, Droile!