Advice on breast and bottle feeding please.

[RachieW]

Hi
My son is 7 weeks old and until last week was exclusively breastfed and feeding was going brilliantly. Then he caught a cough and cold and for 2 days didn't feed much or very well. By the end of the 2nd day when I tried to feed him he would cry and twist about on me, it was as if I didn't have enough milk or he didn't have the strength to feed. In the end out of desperation we tried him on a bottle of formula as I was upset and worried he was going to get dehydrated. He took the bottle well and then after that had his night time breastfeeds much better.
As he'd taken the bottle so well we decided to keep up a formula feed before bed as eventually I can see us going to formula as I'll be going back to work. I've then continued to breastfeed for all other feeds and this has worked well for the last 4 days. Today I saw the HV at clinic and discussed the new feeding with her. She scared me by saying that my milk supply might dry up. So far it hasn't and I assumed that my milk supply would regulate to my baby's needs. Should I be worried though? I haven't tried to express yet but should I be expressing the feed he is missing?
I guess I'm also feeling guilty about not exclusively breastfeeding anymore. But my husband enjoys giving our baby his bedtime bottle and to be honest I'm enjoying the little break and the thought that a night out, or few hours out might not be impossible anymore. This is my first baby so I'm quite neurotic about everything. If anyone has any advice or reassurance that we're doing ok I'd be grateful!

I'm no expert but I think lots of people successfully BF their babies while giving one bottle of formula at night.

Yes, your body will regulate the amount of milk to your baby's needs but the problem I think is that when your baby goes through a growth spurt you have to let the baby suck to encourage the body to make more milk.

Sometimes it is a slippery slope because when the baby goes through a spurt, the amount of formula given goes up whereas time on the breast is what is needed to up your supply.

It would probably be a good idea to express at the session where you give formula, if you can. And then you can give him that the next night rather than formula or as well as formula.

Don't feel guilty - you are doing your best. But if you don't want him to have formula don't give it.

To up your supply, express 1/2oz before each feed esp at the beginning of the day. Then let your baby feed as normal - your body thinks your baby is taking 1/2oz more than he is (cos if what you have expressed) so makes more milk to compensate.

First of all, you are trying to do the best for your baby never feel guilty about that. You are doing great breastfeeding. It's hard though. I'm tandem feeding (feeding two at once - with a five month old and a two year old - yeah never thought I'd be doing that!)

Probably what happened was that your baby has just got to the developmental stage where he DOES wriggle and of course at six weeks they have a MAJOR growth spurt and do fuss at the breast. That's just to help your boobs know to make more milk.

Supplementing with formula will reduce your milk supply because as your baby grows your boobs won't know how much he needs. His needs will increase but your boobs won't be supplying it all, so won't make as much as he really needs.

Have you considered expressing some milk for your husband to feed the baby? Are you still leaking on the other side when you feed, perhaps some breast collection shells would help you, you can then freeze it or just add it to a bottle each time and use that (and if you do then your milk supply will stay high).

BTW, don't worry, I fed DD some formula for a week or so when I was worried I didn't have enough milk and obviously, I'm still feeding her two years later so it's not reversible if you decide to go for the exclusive breastfeeding route.

i don't think, unless you have a problem with supply, it will make much difference. but, if you can, you would be much better off expressing that feed. if you can't express (like me) then don't worry!

Hi Rachie. Congrats on your baby and the feeding so far.
As said above dont beat yourself up about it. You sound to be really sensible and doing all the right things. I have seen many mums so intent on exclusively breastfeeding that the babies near dehydration when there is illness/circumstances that effects feeding, either mum or baby. This just compounds the problem and leads to anxiety and stress.
Your body will slow down milk production if not providing all feeds so expressing is a good idea. Breast milk freezes well and can be offered at a later date.
I introduced formula for the evening feed when my son was 6 weeks and my hubby gave that feed. We found that as formula is heavier my son slept longer till next feed which was an added bonus.
The main point is try not to listen to negative comments. Everyone is a flippin expert and quick to give opinion so do what feels right for you.

My personal experience is that I offered DS a bottle at 6weeks and gave him it at bedtime. My milk did seem to slowly dry up and by 12weeks DS was completely formula fed. I did move house when he was 9 weeks and got incredably stressed out which obviously didn't help.

Everyone is different but I wouldn't give the bottle again. DD is 10weeks and exc BF, she did have a stage of fussing but I just perservered and things are great now.

Just do what feels right to you

Rachie - before deciding this (regular bottle instead of a breastfeed) you have to know this does indeed lead to full formula feeding for some babies...and the difficulty is you cannot predict it. Yes, your milk supply might dwindle - the supply only adjust downwards to the baby's needs in the way you describe when it is very well established (mothers of toddlers, for instance, feeding once or twice a day). Yes, to guard against supply falling you would need to express but as this goes against the rest period you're after it's a bit daft! Some women do manage to continue bf with an occasional formula bottle or even one or two formula bottles a day. You might be one of them.

Point is, one size does not fit all

Thanks for all of your messages and support. Since posting I had a really awful two days of trying to feed. J fed very little and when he did would twist about so I was getting sore. He happily took the bottle for his nightfeed so I began to convince myself that I'd ruined my milk supply and that he had become lazy at sucking. So after a lot of thinking and tears I've decided to start to wean him off the breast. I feel that feeding for us has become stressful and not enjoyable and that it will be much better for both of us to be happy and for J to have a mum that isn't stressed, anxious and tense at every feed. Since making the decision feeding has ironically got a bit better, probably because I've relaxed more. However I'm happy with my decision and think that at least he had 6 whole weeks of being excl bf. I've spoken to an NCT counsellor who gave me advice on weaning so we'll see how it goes.
Good luck to all of you who are still bf. I really think if J hadn't caught his cold we wouldn't be in this situation but then he'd have to have a bottle when I go back to work so maybe it's going to be better in the longrun that bf ends now. Thanks again.