formula - too rich? Tiktok/Mears

[DelGirl]

My dd is 4 weeks old and until now has been exclusively breast fed. We got off to a slow start and she has gained 5.5 oz in the pat 2 weeks. Her correct birth weight is unknown as the scales were wrong.

Anyway, due to lots of reasons, i'd like to mix feed with EBM and formula as well as feeding her myself at least 1st thing in the morning/last thing at night.

So, I started her off on the mid morning feed on 4oz of SMA gold. She took to the bottle no problem and took the formula, well 2.5 oz of it. (I'd given her about 1.5 oz of EBM about an hour or so earlier). She brought a small amount of this up, but nothing alarming. Then, this afternoon, I gave her another 4 oz. She then went a bit clammy and pale for a while and subsequently brought a fair amount of it back up. I wouldn't think it was all of it and it wasn't exactly projectile vomit but after it had stopped, about an hour after taking it, she was fine. I've now breast fed her (2.5 hours later and she's ok but she's not fed for as long as normal.

All of this probably sounds quite normal to seasoned mothers but to a novice like me its a slight worry. I did take her temp earlier but that was fine and now shes ok, i'm happy but it did concern me when she went so pale and clammy. Anyway, to get to the point......does anyone think the SMA gold may be too rich and if so, what other formula would you recommend? I'm going to ring the HV tomorrow and see what she suggests but thought i'd put it to you lot as well. Sorry this is so long, just want to get it right. Thanks for listening

DelGirl, I'm not sure I entirely trust your HV's advice. Not so much about the formula, but about waiting 2 hours minimum between feeds - often, breastfed babies like to feed more often than that, particularly during the day or evening.

If using EBM while out works for you, that's fine - but I see having to take nearly nothing with me when I go out as one of the big advantages of breastfeeding! If there's a baby cafe, or coffee morning, or breastfeeding drop-in near you, it might be worth going to it, to meet new people, and see how you feel about breastfeeding in public. I'm small-breasted, but I know plenty of women with more impressive enbonpoints, and they manage to bf in public just fine. (If you're really concerned, a shawl or muslin or whatever can provide extra cover.)

NQC & others that gave good advice...i did it!
i fed roo in a cafe after baby yoga this am...sorry if others think this is sad, but it's a 1st for us (apart from once on a train when i HAD to)! a couple of other mums were bf, he was hungry & i just fed him...not only did no-one notice, it was so easy i hardly noticed myself doing it iykwim. it was much easier to feed where others were bf, just like you said aloha
delgirl - so to hear that things are good for you! any chance you cd feel happier to feed if there were other mums doing it...i really thought i'd be too shy/self-conscious, but it worked out for me today!

hmm, too many i think...but i'm happy!

Not sad at all Roosmum! Power to your elbow...and other bits

Hi delgirl,

just reading your thread cos I've just started DD on 2/3 formula feeds a day. she's now 8 weeks. been using sma gold and she seems to be constipated.. may try aptamil.

anyway, re the dummy. I have just introduced the dummy and its a godsend at times. i just make sure i take it out before she falls asleep so she doesnt become dependant on it to sleep. if she really is still hungry she'll spit it out in disgust!

also, i can really recommend gina fords the new contented baby routine book. we're now down to one feed a night from between 11pm to 7am and it really gives a lot of structure to the day...

me again ! meant to say, you mentioned trying to get baby into the nursery at some point. I've jusy started putting DD into the nursery for 1 nap a day and we change her in there sometime also so she gets used to the room. It seems to be working and then hopefully when we go to put her in full time she won't be all lonely in a strange room !

Just thought i'd update this .

Still don't feel as if I could or even want to b/f in public tbh but i'm ok with that but thanks for all the helpful hints, much appreciated.

I bought DD a dummy a week or so ago but so far, she doesn't seem all that impressed but she is starting to suck her fingers so maybe that will be better.

On a really positive note, she gained 6.5 oz last week and 10.5 this week . She now weighs 8lb 5! I don't know where it's all gone on her as this morning I thought her arms were looking thinner. I've been giving her the odd bottle of formula but expressing each time I do that and expressing at least once a day anyway to make sure I have enough stashed for my hospital visit next week.

Thats it really , I shall keep going with the feeding as we're doing ok now and it is getting easier but it is so nice to be able to give her a bottle when I want to as well.