breastfeeding and bottle feeding

Bethan - posted on 12/16/2009

Hi Cassie, no I dont mix the 2, I always offer the breast first and then after the feed offer the formula bottle. If she feeds from the right breast she will take a further 3 to 4 oz from the bottle. If she feeds from the left the she only needs an extra oz or so. Thank fully shes starting to gain weight now, phew. I have recently seen the health visitor who advised to try breast, breast then bottle and to always start the next feed from the breast she feeds on 2nd, since doin this she has only needed an extra oz of formula after and it is encouraging more milk supply so hopefully I might be able to cut out the bottle altogether soon.

Jodi - posted on 12/15/2009

A lot of women who breastfeed think that they aren't producing enough milk when in fact it's not true! Your milk supply is based directly on how much your LO feeds, natures way of ensuring he gets enough! If you think that he's not getting enough because he seems to be nursing a lot more right now I would guess he's going through a growth spurt,which can be expected around his age. My daughter was nursing every 20 minutes at that stage!!! If he's losing weight then there MIGHT be concern depending on how much he's losing. In general, as long as he's not losing massive amounts of weight and has plenty of wet diapers he's getting enough. If you want to increase your supply, remember to drink LOTS of water. Go back to the breast, skip the bottle (unless you WANT to bottle feed him still), and in a few days all will be well again! Best of luck!!!

Cassie - posted on 12/15/2009

thanx everyone xxx

Jessica - posted on 12/15/2009

I mixed the two together because I wasn't able to pump enough not to when I went back to work. Plus that's how I got my son used to the formula. I was told I could mix them and putting formula in the frig if it isn't used is okay if it's just for the day..

Rebecca - posted on 12/15/2009

It's not a good idea to mix the two, because an unfinished bottle of breastmilk can be put back into the fridge and re-used once within about 24 hours. But leftover artificial milk has to be discarded immediately, so if you mix them, you'll have to throw away the breastmilk too.



Why did you think your baby wasn't getting enough milk? Babies need to suck a lot, it's an inborn need. There's nothing wrong with letting baby comfort nurse. Your breast is the ORIGINAL pacifier. I know it may seem like he nurses a lot and for a long time right now, but you're really close to a big transition...soon he will be so effective at nursing, it will take much less time. And believe me, in a few months, your baby will be so busy you'll have to "remind" him to nurse, find a boring spot so he doesn't get distracted, etc!



Once you start supplementing, your supply is going to decrease even further. If your baby gets satisfied from the artificial milk, he will not stimulate your breast as much and your supply will decrease. It becomes a downward spiral. And a baby may seem to "gulp" milk from a bottle even after nursing, but it's not because baby is still "starving." Even with slow-flow nipples (a breastfed 3 month old baby shouldn't be on any faster nipples), the milk comes out much faster/easier than from your breast. The baby probably just wants to suck for comfort, but he gets a gush of milk in his mouth instead. Wait 30 minutes...he'll probably throw half of it back up!



My advice is, toss out the artificial milk and go back to the breast. The longer you give artificial milk, the greater the risks to baby's health. There's no reason to supplement unless you've discussed it thoroughly with a doctor who is truly knowledgeable about breastfeeding AND consulted a certified lactation consultant AND tried different methods to increase your supply, if it's truly low (most moms who think their supply is low are incorrect -- a lactation consultant can do a feeding assessment and help you determine if that's really the case). I truly did have low supply due to a rough start and using nipple shields, and I never once gave artificial milk. I pumped to increase my supply, used herbs, drank tons of water, got more rest (nurse lying down, makes it much easier to rest!), and scaled back on unnecessary activities to focus on my baby.

Lucy - posted on 12/15/2009

If it's only been 2 days id just forget the formula and offer the breast regularly, your supply will soon pick back up so no need to mix or combine feed.

Misty - posted on 12/15/2009

I looked into the bottle feeding my girl will sometimes take a bottle but def not from me dad can do it lol they say not to mix the 2 at all its not good to do if you want to supplement and breast feed you have to offer the breast first let the baby get what they can for at least 15 minutes per breast this will help with upping your supply then after the breast offer maybe 2 ounces of formula at a time till your baby is satisfied but make sure you offer the breast and even if you feel nothing is comming out do the 15 minutes per side your body will eventually realize it needs to produce more milk and it will

Cassie - posted on 12/15/2009

thanx people, bethan do you mix the 2 milks together or say can i breastfeed him and give him bottle feeds at different times in the day

Bethan - posted on 12/15/2009

Unfortunately my baby girl (3 months) was not gaining weight and it was because I could not supply enough milk for her demand. After she comes off the breast I offer her a bottle and she takes a further 2 to 3 oz of that. She seemed a bit unsettled at 1st but it may becuase she experienced a little more wind. She has settled down now and I find the combined feeding is working well for us as I have not given up on the breast feeding completely im just supplementing part of the feed with formula to satisfy her.

Vicki - posted on 12/15/2009

If it's only two days you should be able to change back to fully breastfed no problem. Supplementing with formula will reduce your supply due to less stimulation at the breast. You may need to breastfeed a lot for a couple of days to build up your supply again. If in doubt contact La Leche League or whatever breastfeeding organisation exists where you are.