Mixing breast milk and formula

[guessandhopeforthebest]

My DS is 3 months old. Up until 8 weeks he was solely BF. A Neo-natal specialist then decided DS was not gaining enough weight and, as he had dropped a few centile lines, suggested he be breast fed and formula fed for two weeks.

DS B'fed for 10 mins each feed then had a full formula feed. By the end of 2 weeks he became distressed while being breastfed and then settled on the bottle. He also gained just over 1kg in 2 weeks, making the doctor wonder whether their scales were wrong!

Anyway, DS now prefers bottles to breast (no surprise really). I've kept up expressing and am now combining expressed breast milk with formula in one bottle. Today I was told not to do that, but given no explanation.

I want to ensure DS gets some breast milk, but I don't want to use 2 bottles each feed! I'm also persisting with trying to breastfeed with each feed as I would like that to be his main source of nutrition, but no luck so far.

Does anyone have any ideas on why the two can't be mixed in one bottle?

I've no idea but could you not alternate EBM and formula at different feeds?

you can mix them

the only thing is that breast milk can stay at room temp for longer than formula so if you were to mix them i would treat it like formula IYSWIM ....

you also shouldn't microwave BM

i think if you want to stop the bottles then get a few days set aside if you can, get into bed and have loads of skin to skin and your DS will probably be much more interested in breast feeding - you should offer him the breast at every opportunity

Unfortunately I don't seem able to express enough for that. He already gets one feed of pure breast milk. I probably express enough for 2 feeds, so could try that. Unlikely to get enough for a third though.

I will give it a try tomorrow - thanks!

Sorry Rubyslippers - I'm new to Mumsnet so not too sure what IYSWIM stands for!!!!

I will give the skin to skin another try and offering the breast more often, however from past experience it sometimes makes him more frustrated (ie being force fed when not hungry). I have to admit I've also read and been given so many cautions about not letting babies snack that I've avoided this approach.... which has probably led to this problem!

If You See What I Mean

snacking isn't an issue IMO

a baby will use the breast for food/comfort/drink etc - sometimes they feed for ages, sometimes they don't

don't worry too much about "snacking" - my DS used to have a lot of 3 oz feeds rather than one 7 oz feed (he was bottle rathe than breast fed)

all babies feed differenlty

Thank you!

Trying more skin to skin tomorrow and also introducing second ebm feed - fingers crossed!

good luck

guess Congratulations on your new baby and welcome to MN.

Unfortunately there is a lot of rubbish written about bfing, - A LOT.

Snacking is probably the most effective way of building supply.

If you can give yourself 2 uninterupted days at home with tv, snacks, phone, MN, stay in your pjs or naked and just cuddle your baby, offering the breast every 15 mins or so with at least 2 between midnight and 8am you should see a huge difference in supply. Feed on demand subsequently.

Shame on the paed for giving you that advice without a strategy to also build up/improve breastfeeding.

Any questions - ask away.....

If you are trying to build up supply, you want him to snack - you can always change this pattern later.

Loads of info here

Also try feeding lying down (both of you on your side facing each other, his head about level with your ribs so he has to look up tolatch on, pull his body very close in to yours) so hat it's not like you are holding him to the breast trying to get him to latch, but he has the opportunity to latch or not by himself (obv this only works once he knows how to feed lying down) - just talk or sing to him, make faces at him, maybe show him a book or something, etc and don't stress too much about feeding, and hopefully he will take the opportunity.