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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Ok Clever Mumnetters I need help getting Callum off the bottle and back to full Breastfeeding

44 replies

SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 21:29

I want to drop the formula bottle now he is gaining weight but he is in such a routine now he refuses to BF after his 8pm BF and will only take a bottle before bed. I tried tonight and he just would not take the breast, but happily took the bottle. Help!

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Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 21:38

please!!

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fingerwoman · 20/02/2008 21:41

so what is his routine atm? breast at 8ish? and then bottle before bed?
what time does he go to bed?
can you tank him up on breast a bit earlier and try him on that?
or perhaps try gradually reducing the amount of formula in the last bottle (or replacing with ebm)

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 21:45

He has a Bf at 8pm and then has a bottle soon after, in bed by 9pm-ish. He is still awake after the BF but will scream for more milk but just will not take anymore, only the bottle.

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carrielou2007 · 20/02/2008 21:46

How old is he?? Your boobs will be a lot emptier by the evenings, maybe that;s it? How about expressing and putting that in his bottle? Sadly the more stressed and anxious you get the more he is likely to get upset...good luck anyway x

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 21:47

he is 21 weeks. We have had a lot of problems with weight gain and he has had the bottle of formula to help but now I am able to stop it, but he doesn't want to lol.

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carrielou2007 · 20/02/2008 22:20

So how much is he having is it a few ounces? If he is feeding from you then maybe he is just after a bit more food? Has your HV been any help?

I think at that age I was feeding 5 feeds or so 7am, 11am, 2.30pm, 7pm (have you heard of a dream feed at about 10/11am) plus still prob having 2am feed also.

Have you tried expressing, wonder is it the taste of the milk he likes or the bottle. Is he on stage one formula or has your HV said to put him on the 'hungrier' stuff. He's a bit too little for anything more/weaning though I think??

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:28

he is on a High Calorie milk from the GPs. He feeds at 8pm, bottle just before bed at 9pm, then sleeps till 2am and then 4am and 6-7am.

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Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:28

he feeds every 2 hours during the day.

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moondog · 20/02/2008 22:29

Can you move the 8 pm feed back a bit and the 9 pm forward a bit so gradually they nearly collide?
Also how about giving him gradually less formula?

moondog · 20/02/2008 22:29

Can you move the 8 pm feed back a bit and the 9 pm forward a bit so gradually they nearly collide?
Also how about giving him gradually less formula?

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:31

they do nearly collide, its only about 10 minutes between the BF and the formula. It used to go down the feeding tube, but we started with bottle just before xmas.

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Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:32

he has about 4oz, but sometimes is less

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moondog · 20/02/2008 22:34

Is he b/feeding when waking up in the night?

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:35

yes am fully BF apart from the one bottle, which is proving hard to drop.

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Pannacotta · 20/02/2008 22:36

Could you give him EBM in a bottle at first then gradually try and reduce the amount of milk in the bottle night by night until he is purely breastfeeding and having no bottle at all?

moondog · 20/02/2008 22:36

I'd just reduce the amount a tiny bit each week.

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:37

ok will try that. I thought he would just feed but he just screamed at me...

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carrielou2007 · 20/02/2008 22:38

Sounds like it is the milk but it is doing what it us supposed to, helping him keep up his weight. The other thing though is that feeding charts are based on bottle fed babies not BF but sorry, I expect you have had all this already. Think you are doing really well BF him and as long as you are still on the advice of your GP and HV the formula is also helping him xx

luciemule · 20/02/2008 22:38

Does he take ebm from the bottle?

Tallis · 20/02/2008 22:38

Hello SDGK, I've been reading all your threads about Callum and it's such great news he's putting on the weight.

Not a clever Mnetter at all, just a feeling-my-way-through-it first time mum. But wondering whether you could express in the mornings (I know it would be difficult given he's feeding every two hours) when you have more milk? I do this because have next to no milk at the 7pm stage. Even if I only get an ounce at 8am and then an ounce at 10am, I know that it's half the feed that my 16-week dd will need at 7pm which makes me much more relaxed about it all day! They say babies are far better at sucking out the milk than a breastpump is, so chances are you wouldn't be depriving him by expressing in the morning. - he'd be able to get out as much as he needs.

If you did that, and made up the rest of his 9pm feed with formula, at least you'd know he'd halved his formula intake at a stroke! my dd used to have a bottle of formula in the eves but now I've got her just back to breast milk. Only downside is that she now flatly refuses to drink bm mixed with even an oz of formula.

How many oz does he take in the 9pm bottle, by the way?

Tallis · 20/02/2008 22:40

Oops - crossed posts with all sorts of other good bits of advice and your info about 4oz.

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:45

I am dropping the bottle on the advice of the BF specialist and the HV, the consultant said we could drop it when I was ready to do it.

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Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:47

I will try and express again. Must restart the feekagreek and get lots of milk again if I am going to express again

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moondog · 20/02/2008 22:53

You've done fantastically Sparkly.
A champion of a mother that boy has!!

Original poster
SparklyDYSONGothKat · 20/02/2008 22:58

I have told DH that Callum must feed for ages now, after I have fought so hard to keep at it!! So I will be on one of the strange tv shows about mothers who still feeds their 18 years old!!! lol

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