Quick, I need credible info on the benefits of exclusively BF

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

I am EBF DC2 (10 weeks). This is a real achievement for me after being unable to BF ds leading to him being readmitted to hospital at 8 weeks. I've worked hard to make this a success - spent most of my time pre and post pregnancy accessing every bf resource available and have worked through badly damaged nipples in the early days. dd is doing brilliantly and piling on the weight. Today I am sick as a dog with high temp, migrane and bad tummy. dh is putting pressure on me to ff dd tonight so i can rest and recover. He has my best interests at heart but I have come so far and the thought of giving her a bottle makes me weep. He doesn't believe one or two bottles can do any harm and won't believe it unless I can show him some credible research. Can anyone help please?

you shouldn't have to have credible research. if you don't want to give her formula then don't! it's as simple as that

bumping for you

Would this do? Or just general health benefits?

Well done on getting to 10 weeks by the way - reasons to be proud is always good.

Thanks everyone. I know I shouldn't need evidence but dh is wonderful and v hands on with dcs and although he won't force me, I owe it to him to explain why I am saying no.

Omicron; thanks for the links - that's a great starting point.

are always good..

Your DH sounds like he means well, but if you really don't want to give formula then it wouldn't really be helping you to give your DD a bottle, as it will just make you feel upset.

Instead, he could help you recover by looking after both DC this evening (and tomorrow if necessary) - cooking dinner, doing bathtime, etc etc so you can rest, and just bringing DD to you for a feed. If he does everything else, then all you have to do is rest and feed her (which you could do while lying in bed). Harder work for him than just making up a bottle, obviously, but he sounds like he wants to do something helpful.

Thanks neverrains. He is currently doing all those things now (and does most nights, he really is a lovely man). But his theory is I could get a night of unbroken sleep if he used formula overnight. He really does have my best interests at heart but he is thinking logically and me emotionally.

google "just one bottle won't hurt, will it?" - very credible study showing the effects of just one bottle of formula - it completely changes the bacteria/flora in the babies gut to that of a formula fed baby, something you will then never completely get back. Also the cows milk proteins will cross the gut and that is what can cause cows milk allergy.

could you not express and let him give her EBM in a bottle?

Can I just say,ItNeverRainsBut, what lovely advice. One all dads should be handed when their babies are born, I think.

here

JP there are also credible studies that show that the benefits of formula feed far outweigh those of BF

tell him that if the baby refused your boob in the morning (finding it more difficult to suckle from) that you would be very upset.
This does happen, though obviously there are also people who do feed both ways successfully too.
These early days are really exhausting, but hopefully the lo will settle more soon?

He is also thinking irrationally (isn't everyone?)- you want to bf - carry on doing what you're doing - he wants to help - he should help in the ways you ask, not pressure you into doing somthing you don't want to do.

Remind him (or tell him) that supply is demand-led: that is, if you start missing feeds, supply will go down, and then you could feel even more pressure to "top up" with formula.

By the way, this is not so much of an issue later, as "established" milk supply can go up and down, and even if baby is not feeding well for a few days, and supply drops (good thing, too, or you get engorged!), it can pick up again once baby is hungry, and you will just have to down GALLONS of water. I used to down a pint (of water) before and after every feed anyway.

Hope this helps!

intercoursepenguin - i find that very hard to believe. Please provide a link.

I know what you mean, BlameIt, men sometimes just want to "fix" things, don't they? He sounds very nice - can you explain to him how important this is to you? The technical stuff is all useful too of course, but your feelings are important too.

Jackiepaper.... Thank god that paper or the internet wasn't around when I was bf/bottle feeding. Just another way of piling on guilt while new mums are just doing their best to get through!!

didn't intend to make anyone feel guilty. the OP asked for info on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and i pointed her towards a credible study whose findings are acknowledged by health professionals.

Of course if babys are mixed fed or topped up with formula, they still have some of the benefits of breastfeeding and mums should know that any breastmilk at all is better than no breastmilk and still has many benfits for mum and baby.

I wasn't trying to make anyone feel bad, the OP asked for facts and i pointed her towards them.

"JP there are also credible studies that show that the benefits of formula feed far outweigh those of BF"

so intercoursethepenguin where are these credible studies then? funny how no health professionals have heard about them

Simply tell him that if you suddenly skip a few feeds with no warning your breasts will be overfull and sore, and that will make you feel even crappier.

If you can feed lying down just take the baby to bed with you/get DH to bring the baby for feeds and take away again afterwards.

There is no need to give formula there are other things he can do to help you.

Hey Jackie.... It's not you making me feel bad just the paper.

It's just that I remember very well being in the Op situation and one night started to feed at 1.55am I was still trying to feed at 4.30. I was shattered and it ws happening all the time. Dh who has the patience and understanding of a saint just said ' enough of this, the baby is not satisfied, you are getting weaker it is not doing anyone any good, continue to B/F but from the morning DS is going to have formula as well.

I protested saying 'no the HV said you must do one or the other, the baby won't be able to switch from one method to another'

DH reply was along the line of 'Bollocks ... the baby is not stupid it will learn.'

It was the best thing I did for all three of us.The baby thrived, Dh was able to take a more active part in the nice side of babies (sitting quiet, enjoying the moment) and I continued to feed. It worked so well I did it without a second thought for DS2.
I just wished that I had trusted my intution more rather than take everything the HV said as gospel.

'it completely changes the bacteria/flora in the babies gut to that of a formula fed baby, something you will then never completely get back. '

bollocks - did you even read the summary you posted?

It clearly states that
'in susceptible families, breastfed babies can be sensitized to cow?s milk protein
by the giving of just one bottle, (inadvertent supplementation, unnecessary
supplementation, or planned supplements), in the newborn nursery during the first three days of life (Host, Husby, Osterballe, 1988; Host, 1991)'

and

'relatively small amounts of formula supplementation of breastfed infants
(one supplement per 24 hours) will result in shifts from a breastfed to a
formula-fed gut flora pattern (Bullen, Tearle, Stewart, 1977)'

for a 10 week old, 1 night of formula is highly unlikely to harm him. HOWEVER, if you (the OP) are against it, then it is unnecessary - why does your DH need research to accept your feelings on the matter?

Just seen he is good at doing everything for you!

Huge sore aching breasts are, I think, a fairly compelling reason for not doing this!

arolf - how is

'it completely changes the bacteria/flora in the babies gut to that of a formula fed baby, something you will then never completely get back. '

so different from

'relatively small amounts of formula supplementation of breastfed infants
(one supplement per 24 hours) will result in shifts from a breastfed to a
formula-fed gut flora pattern (Bullen, Tearle, Stewart, 1977)'

??

of course 1 night of formula is unlikely to do any significant damage, i never tried to suggest that i would. However, there are benfits to exclusively breastfeeding your baby and i was just trying to point the OP in the direction of the facts.

Babys guts are not completely closed until around the age of 6 months - hence the reccomendation to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. The DoH don't reccomend exclusive breastfeeding without have good reason and evidence to support that it is best for babies.