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caliandjack
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Topic: mixed feeding Posted: 25 November 2010 at 3:46pm |
Has anyone mixed fed their baby?
DD was put on a mixed feed regime after the first week as she was taking a long time to feed and wasn't gaining any weight.
Since then she has gotten better at sucking and I've removed wind causing foods from my diet and she now feeds well.
The brand of formula I had her on caused her constipation and terrible wind and lots of puking.
My supply seems fine I've loads of milk to the point she'll pull off after the first 10 mins feed and it sprays everywhere and I'm express a good 30-50mls from a 5-10min pump.
I've had plenty of support for bottle feeding and like having Dh and my MIL feed her.
I'd like it when she feeds off me to exclusively bf and not need a bottle top up.
Has anyone both breast and bottle feed long term?
DD is 4 1/2 weeks old and I'm not sure which way to go or even if its possible to get her back to exclusively bf?
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luvmylittlies
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Location: Auckland
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Posted: 25 November 2010 at 8:32pm |
I'm no expert but here is my 2c worth.
Not quite the same thing but we did one bottle/day of EBM (occasionally 2 if MIL was babysitting and I was out) from 8 weeks until this week (10 months). Worked really for us. I did deliberately get the Tomee Tipee Close to Nature bottles because it seemed more like a breast and that they have to sort of latch so I thought it might cause less confusion to my daughter, although I suspect she was one of those babies that it wasn't going to be a problem for anyway.
We didn't ever do formula top-ups but from what you're saying you've now got plenty of milk. If you want to go back to full BF'g then I'd say go for it. It would probably be easier the sooner you do it - before your supply starts to drop (you will stop producing excess and only produce what baby demands). I'm not sure what you're particular concerns are though - are you worried that you won't have milk at the right time or that she won't put on enough weight on the breast milk alone?
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UpsyDaisy
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Posted: 25 November 2010 at 8:51pm |
Do a search on - formula top ups - there are a couple of threads with peoples experiences. Seems some people seem to manage mixed feeding while for some it ended up being early weaning.
My two had formula in the first week as my milk did not come in until day six once it came in the Lactation Consultant encouraged me to fully BF and I stopped all the formula on day 8.
Once home I got support from a breastfeeding works advisor she was a lovely person and she reasured me about my supply and feeding issues we were having and I persevered and I'm so glad I did.
You definately can wean off the formula if you want to I would recommend you contact a LC if possible. Good luck.
I'm not anti formula though as from 5 months I have given them 1 bottle of formula a night as I got sick of expressing!
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rachelsea
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Posted: 12 December 2010 at 9:00am |
Yes you can go back to exclusively BFing! We used to give DD formula at night from 1month-3months (because family said it would help her sleep - it didn't lol). At 3months we went on holiday and I couldn't be bothered taking bottles/formula with us so didn't, and that was that. She was exclusively BF from then on
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myfullhouse
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Posted: 12 December 2010 at 1:10pm |
I have no experience with bottle feeding, not even EBM. But I would think that you could stop the fomula feeds and if you still want to give a bottle then use EBM instead of formula. Maybe you could go to Plunket or have your mw weigh baby, then stop the formula for 1 or 2wks (not sure the best time span) and weigh baby again, if she has a good weight gain then you will know that she is perfectly fine on bf alone
Good luck whatever you decide
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pekay
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Posted: 23 December 2010 at 8:47pm |
Might be to late, but From 7 weeks DD1 had a formula bottle before bed time but was breast fed the rest of the time. And yes...as suggested above, it led to early weaning. Apart form one breast feed first thing in the morning, she was on Formula from 5months. She then stopped the morning feed at about 7 months.
However, I can't help think that other factors led to early weaning too- Dramatic increase to exercise, low supply, stomach bug.
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shellgirl
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Posted: 23 December 2010 at 10:24pm |
Not sure if you are still mixed feeding, but I have mixed bf and ff from 12 days, my baby is now almost 5 months.
I always start with a breastfeed and then DS has formula following (except the middle of the night feed when he only needs the breast).
I worked with a lactation consultant from about 1 month and did a lot of expressing up until 4 months but never managed to get my supply high enough (although we did reduce the quantity of the top-ups). I developed gall bladder issues during pregnancy (finally had an op to remove it last Friday - yay) and my diet was very low fat to control attacks so i don't think that helped me with production.
Anyway, the short story is it can be done . Feeds take a bit longer, but my wee fella is getting the goodness of the breast milk still (and to be honest, it is handy that he will take a bottle - a lot less stress for my surgery last week).
Not sure how long we will keep going - but at the moment it doesn't seem to big a deal.
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caliandjack
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Posted: 24 December 2010 at 8:21am |
We have gone to a permanent mixed feed solution, breast feeds during the day, with two bottles at night one of formula at 10.00pm then DD is sleeping till 3.30am when I'm giving her EBM and she has slept till 7.00am the last 3 nights.
Tried making the 3.30am feeds exclusive breast but then it was taking 1 1/2 hours to settle her.
Shellgirl how many feeds is your son getting now?
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shellgirl
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Posted: 24 December 2010 at 6:26pm |
Matthew is still demand fed, but usually has about 5 feeds a day. He sleeps from about 9pm until 5 or 6 am each night, with a 2.30 to 3.30 feed once every four or five nights.
After each feed he has a 120ml top-up which is half the recommended formula feed for his age, so I think he is probably drinking about the same in breast milk.
However, last night and twice today he has refused the breast - he has never done that before - so I'm wondering if the breastfeeding may be coming to an end He has in the past been fussy on the breast but has always latched and then just 'complained' For the feeds he refused today he wouldn't latch and just cried.
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Danda08
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Posted: 08 January 2011 at 1:43pm |
I did mixed feeding (BF and EBM bottles) for my girls until they were 10 weeks as they were prem and got tired before they got full.
I also continued to give them a EBM bottle during the nightfeed as it was much quicker when DH could feed one and me the other.
Once they stopped waking at night, I switched the the EBM bottle to their last feed before bedtime - again so DH could feed one.
I was fortunate to have a good milk supply so I expressed after every feed until they were 3.5 months and froze a lot which kept us going until they were 5 months.
I also had an almost instant letdown which meant they didn't develop a preference for the bottle cos boobie was just as quick.
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