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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Please help

6 replies

Brosex · 27/02/2025 03:57

I got a question if anyone can help me, my baby is 4 weeks old and is breastfed via expressing and it doesn’t seem too fill her up for long she’ll have a 4/5 oz bottle and less than 2 hours later she’s hungry again, if I give her a bottle of formula will it effect her stomach I’m so scared but so desperate for sleep 😩 she was drinking formula in the hospital but since we come home it’s just been breast milk I don’t want too mess with her belly 😭

OP posts:
catsnore · 27/02/2025 05:23

It's normal for babies to feed frequently in the early days as their stomachs are tiny and they digest quickly. Do you mean every two hours over night or during the day? Breastfed babies feed frequently to increase supply and there are frequent growth spurts so it may just be that. If she's had formula before and coped ok I wouldn't worry too much about giving her some. Just be aware that it will affect your supply and this can have a knock-on effect. I think it's quite common for people to give a bottle of formula for the evening feed in order to try and get more sleep! Allegedly it takes longer to digest. Maybe you could try it to see what happens?

MissHollysDolly · 27/02/2025 05:43

It's difficult to express enough to feed a baby. There's nothing wrong with formula. If you're worried about her tummy try mixing each feed with formula (so instead of giving one formula feed you're doing each feed with 1/2 formula 1/2 Breastmilk). Feeding every two hour L’s must be exhausting!!!!

TinyMouseTheatre · 27/02/2025 08:16

BM is very easily digested and she will have probably digested it all after a couple of hours and she's ready for more.

Plus it's natural for tiny babies to wake regularly. It's what they are preprogrammed to do.

Original poster
Brosex · 27/02/2025 18:05

catsnore · 27/02/2025 05:23

It's normal for babies to feed frequently in the early days as their stomachs are tiny and they digest quickly. Do you mean every two hours over night or during the day? Breastfed babies feed frequently to increase supply and there are frequent growth spurts so it may just be that. If she's had formula before and coped ok I wouldn't worry too much about giving her some. Just be aware that it will affect your supply and this can have a knock-on effect. I think it's quite common for people to give a bottle of formula for the evening feed in order to try and get more sleep! Allegedly it takes longer to digest. Maybe you could try it to see what happens?

I exclusively pump so my supply isn’t a issue I’m just worried if I give her formula it will upset her tummy x

OP posts:
TinyMouseTheatre · 27/02/2025 19:33

It's unlikely to upset her tummy. Lots of babies are FF without any issue although it can change her gut bacteria although there is very little research on how or what effects that might have.

IHatePumping88 · 01/03/2025 00:23

My breastfed baby (6 months! ) still feeds every 2 hours (counting from the start of the feed!!) in the day. It's normal. In the first 6 weeks, I remember him cluster feeding for 12 hours at a time, feeding every hour. But he was a good night sleeper as a result.

Breastmilk doesn't fill them for as long as it's easier on their stomachs. You do what you want ultimately but your milk is sufficient.

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