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Original poster

Feeding baby formula from birth? Did you give any colostrum or straight to formula

44 replies

VioIetMoon · 06/07/2024 01:23

Baby is currently in nicu , as i had gd and his sugars were all over place. hes a day old and I'm being pressured to give him colostrum. I had a traumatic birth and I've been severely unwell. Can't walk unaided due to dizzy spells . Yesterday I couldn't even visit my baby. I'm not really producing much and staff are very pro breastfeeding. While this was my plan originally but I haven't been feeling upto it. I'm feeling very pressured to breastfeed. I can't sit down either due to my stitches so it's difficult to try breastfeeding over there on a chair. I tried when he was born in recovery and he tried to suck but wasn't producing it .
I tried tonight he wouldn't take breast. Staff want to me to hand express and bring it over or they'll give me a pump since I dont want to come over there to do night feeds . I don't want to breast feed while in hospital. I'm finding the environment overwhelming . My question is. If you bottle feed formula only, did you do this from birth? Or did you give colostrum in first few days? Can babies not be given formula from day 1 ? They are making me feel this way and really pressuring me. His blood sugars are now stable but they won't discharge him until regular feeding has been established.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Marblessolveeverything · 06/07/2024 02:08

Sorry to hear you had a rough time. It is completely up to you . Yes formula can be given from birth. Wishing you both good health.

Velicirapitor · 06/07/2024 02:52

Bless you, what an ordeal. I fully get why they want your baby to have colostrum due to the protection it gives. However you can only do what you can do. All the best. 💐

Edingril · 06/07/2024 03:26

From birth, but we went home a few hours after the birth

PoopingAllTheWay · 06/07/2024 03:35

Tell them you dont want to breast feed and you will be giving the baby formula

Can someone buy you the ready made bottles with teets ? They come in packs of 6, so no sterilising etc needed

Be firm with them and tell them if they dont let you feed your baby you will complain
A baby does not need breast milk

Nat6999 · 06/07/2024 03:41

I had this for 48 hours when I was in high dependency off my face on drugs & seriously ill after having ds, they left him 48 hours with no food as I was too out of it to make my point. I had midwives trying to clamp him on to me as I was drifting in & out of consciousness. It wasn't until they reduced the drugs that I found my voice & demanded formula for him. The poor thing was absolutely starving & fed non stop for about a week afterwards. Your baby will be fine on formula.

BananaBender · 06/07/2024 04:10

Midwives hand expressed about half a mL from me and tried to feed it to DD via a syringe. She hated it and spat it out at them. That’s all of the colostrum she had. She couldn’t latch due to an undiagnosed tongue tie and I wasn’t producing anything anyway. Fully formula fed from just under 48 hours old, which is when I requested formula. She went from grumpy, unsettled, crying and not sleeping much to a blissful milkdrunk deep sleep.

GoldFrame · 06/07/2024 04:39

Yes, I just fed formula from the start, absolutely fine. Don’t worry about it at all, things sound stressful enough. Be firm and ignore any pressure or attempts to guilt you. I hope your wee one is home soon

Fudgetheparrot · 06/07/2024 04:52

Formula from the very start. DS was in NICU and one particular nurse kept telling everyone I wanted to breastfeed, even though I’d told her several times I didn’t, but thankfully the rest of them were understanding. He was tube fed to begin with so had formula through that then started on bottles a few days later

Parker231 · 06/07/2024 04:58

Babies don’t need breast feeding to thrive. DT’s only had formula from day one. The nurses should respect your decision. Ask for it to be entered in your records that you will be using formula.

hopingforthemillion · 06/07/2024 05:55

Congrats on your little one, I hope you make a speedy recovery x
Formula from day one for both of mine.
my DD was also in NICU for a few days.
set your stall out that you don’t want to breastfeed. I never received any pressure as I made it clear. If you waiver on uncertainty then they generally pounce on you with pressure.

Chaosx3x · 06/07/2024 06:10

Yes of course babies can have formula from birth. However their tummies are absolutely tiny so they need very small feeds initially. Like 20ml at a time. It sounds like you’ve had a really rough time and I can completely understand why you don’t want to breastfeed in hospital, however you said you did initially want to breastfeed and you only have a limited window of time within which to bring your milk in properly and establish a supply. Therefore if you do think you would like to try breastfeeding at all once you’re home then it’s worth also trying to pump a few times to try to establish your milk supply. Otherwise if you just give formula and don’t pump at all then your body won’t get the signals that it needs to develop a supply. But if you’ve changed your mind and don’t want to breastfeed at all then that’s fine just give formula.

embolass · 06/07/2024 06:10

I struggled and so did my new baby, 4 days of trying and he was getting more and more distressed. They were doing bloods, chest X-rays etc , he was starving. I said give me a bottle , he took the lot. Never looked back. Got home next day. Now 21 and strong as a horse. DO NOT WORRY! Or feel bad

Ygfrhj · 06/07/2024 06:14

Formula is fine but you said in your OP that you did want to breastfeed at first - if you do still want to try when you get home then you should pump or put the baby on now so your body knows to produce milk, otherwise it will stop.

Chaosx3x · 06/07/2024 06:19

Also if you have said to the midwives that you were planning on breastfeeding then this may be why they are trying to push it a bit more… lots of women go into hospital with plans to breastfeed, are then naturally exhausted (and/or unwell) after the birth and struggle with the constant early feeding/latching etc and so give them formula just to try to get a bit of rest etc. But then in hindsight say that they regret it because they really did want to breastfeed, or say that they wished they had had more support to breastfeed. I’m not saying the staff shouldn’t listen to you at all but equally I had many moments of “I can’t do this anymore, it’s too hard” but I was supported and managed to carry on and I’m glad I did because that was my original intention. They might just be trying to get you through the hard bits.

TakeMe2Insanity · 06/07/2024 06:44

NICU is traumatic for both the baby and mum. For some mums nothing comes so nicu are be able to offer donor milk or formula.

Just ask for formula (they have a good selection of brands). I was producing milk but nothing to the level my baby needed, the chair situation (why are they so uncomfortable?), my baby’s illness all did nothing to help me produce more milk so we used formula.

I hope you both feel better soon.

MollyRover · 06/07/2024 06:44

It sounds more like they just want baby to have the colostrum because they're in the nicu to be honest. Being separated from your baby is very difficult and not good for either of you if baby is only a day old.

AimeeLou84 · 06/07/2024 07:12

Hey OP. I also have GD and due to have a c section on Thursday. I haven’t tried expressing colostrum yet but will prior to going in. I’m planning to breastfeed but I know it doesn’t always work out so they’ve told me to make sure I take in milk for the baby. Not sure why they are pressuring you to breast feed! Not everyone wants to or does! My mum didn’t with 3 of us kids, she didn’t even try. They are completely fine without it. I’ve bought the ready to feed bottles so no faffing about . Good luck x

Whingewithme · 06/07/2024 07:43

Significant infection risks when a baby is on NICU. That’s they there’s pressure and they should have explained it. They can’t force you to do anything so absolutely tell them you wish to formula feed if that’s the case. However, breast milk for unwell babies on NICU is akin to medicine and the staff there do treat it with that respect and want as much as they can for the babies in their care.

SouthwestSis · 06/07/2024 07:55

Hopefully things feel a bit brighter now the suns up and hopefully you've had some sleep.
I'd hope staff are trying to support your previously expressed wish to BF rather than pressuring but it's hard when your emotional and exhausted to feel it as that. Remember they have baby's best interests at heart and are just trying to do best by them.
Formula definitely can be given from day 1 but if given by bottles so early, this can make establishing BF more difficult as babies can develop a "bottle preference" if they aren't used to feeding at the breast first.
Giving baby colostrum (or formula) by syringe in the early days and then NG tube can help avoid them developing a bottle preference, so that's important if you still want to try and mixed feed and give baby some BF when you are feeling better.
Good luck OP, we're all rooting for your recovery, I hope you're back with your baby soon

ru53 · 06/07/2024 07:59

Don’t let them make you sit OP keep reiterating that it hurts your stitches - I made that mistake as a new mum and it took forever to heal. Lying down breastfeeding was the only way for us but if you don’t want to do it you don’t have to. It takes a lot of courage but if you can find a friendly person tell them you’re feeling pressured and not listened to. You are also a patient.

Parker231 · 06/07/2024 08:07

If you are feeling pressured to breast feed and don’t want to, I’d suggest your DH speaks to whoever is in charge and tells them that you are unwell and don’t appreciate being pressured and now wish to use formula.

Bigowleyes · 06/07/2024 08:08

I’m a neonatal nurse.

You said: While this was my plan originally but I haven't been feeling upto it

If your plan was to breastfeed the reason the nurses are asking you to hand express is so that you can bring in your milk supply. They are trying to make sure the separation from you baby won’t effect your feeding choices. If you have changed your mind you just need to tell them that you wish to formula feed.

You also said: I dont want to come over there to do night feeds
While I understand you’ve not been feeling well this really isn’t acceptable. If your baby hadn’t been admitted to NICU you would have needed to do night feeds as baby would be with you. You’ve told the NICU staff you want to breastfeed but also haven’t been going to the unit to feed him, that’s why they’ve been “pressuring” you to hand express or pump. Even if you were having dizzy spells yesterday, you should have been able to see your baby. The midwives should be taking you on a wheelchair to spend time with him. If they’re not doing this you need to complain.

littleducks · 06/07/2024 08:09

Not all babies can have formula straight away in nicu- if they are too unwell or more usually too premature then it isn't suitable. However I don't think this is your situation from OP.

If you are sure that you don't want to breastfeed tell drs, at ward round can be good time and ask it to be documented so you stop being asked. If they have concerns or really want your baby to have colestrum for particular reasons they would then explain.

HcbSS · 06/07/2024 08:10

This is horrible to read. Of course you can FF from day 1 and have the right to have changed your mind from what you may have wanted before. They should not be putting pressure on you. A good firm NO is needed here.

blackandwhitestripes · 06/07/2024 08:15

I had this same situation, where is your birth partner? can you ask them to advocate for you. My DH had too for me as they were literally manhandling me to make me feed my first baby.

I was fuming but so dizzy and weak I could hold my own, I hadn't even wanted to breastfeed and was open minded so the forced approach by the midwife's and refuse to feed my so - and tutting drove me bloody mad, this is 20 years ago now and it still makes me so angry.

Tell them to leave your breasts alone and pop some formula in the baby.

When you get home and recover and feel relaxed you can breastfeed in your very own time and as you want.

I mixed fed my babies in the end, when I was in the bath with them they latched on, sometimes at night. But it was always on my terms and when I felt I wanted too and not out of necessity and I enjoyed it.

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