Expressed Breast Milk and Formula

[x Naomi x]

I really wanted to breastfeed Macey from day one, she ended up in SCBU with a feeding tube, then they brought her down to me on the ward and we breastfed really well for a day, then she had to go back in SCBU, i couldnt go up onto the ward as i wasnt well enough so they ended up giving her formula as she was poorly and had become dehydrated.

I then started expressing and she has been having a mixture of formula and my breast milk since then, she is now 17 days old and although i would still love to breast feed, i dont think i could cope with her losing weight again - 11 days in SCBU is enough to put you off!

So at the minute, she is fed 4 hourly with me 120ml of my breast milk or formula if i cant get any out in time!

Should i just continue with this, just a little worried my breastmilk is gonna dry up or i wont be able to keep up, or should i just feed her formula for all her feeds?

Would love to breast feed exclusively but i think its gonna be too late to get her back into it

 

[valentine]

Firstly congratulations on the birth of baby Macey and sorry to hear you've had a tough time - am so glad you are both home now though.

Would love to breast feed exclusively but i think its gonna be too late to get her back into it

Firstly, its definitely not, but it does require a huge amount of effort and dedication on your part. Does she breastfeed (directly from you) at all? How is her latch? If she does feed from you and feed well, then I'd strongly recommend a couple of days in bed, lots of skin to skin - just spend LOADS of time togther, no visitors, just take plenty of drinks and magazines and DVDs and make sure you have few interuptions. This will really help to stimulate your supply and encourage her to feed from you - just let her feed whenever and howevermuch she wants over this 48/72 hour period. It is a lot of work though and you will need to get used to feeding on demand and being really really dedicated and a milk machine for 24 hours a day!

If you do want to exclusively breastfeed, you will have to toughen up and ONLY offer the breast for feeds. As your LO has been bottle fed for a couple of weeks, it is possible she may have a bit of nipple confusion and not want to work hard enough at the breast to get the milk out (bottle feeding is easier in this respect for babies). She may not like this and may scream to be fed, but if you do want to breastfeed, you'll have to help her understand that the breast is the only receptacle for food available to her. I know what you're saying about her loosing weight, but if she's healthy now, there's no reason why she would thrive on formula and not on breast milk - you could maybe ask your HV to pop round every 2/3 days to weigh her and explain what you are doing and why.

Its really up to you where you want to go from here - doing what you are doing, breastfeeding, formula feeding or mixed feeding - only you and your baby can answer that. It depends what you really want to do and mentally and physically, how much you feel you can put into it. I will say though that breastfeeding is sooo worth it and if you do manage to exclusively breastfeed after mixed feeding, you will have such a huge sense of achievement - there are a few women on here who have done that, and I am in awe of them.

If you do continue mix feeding, you'll probably need to express or feed 2/3 hourly - its an absolutely crucial time for setting up your body for supply/demand for feeding and I would advise expressing as much as you can.

Good luck and keep posting to let us know how you are getting on, I'll be thinking of you.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Jollypops]

There is no reason that you can't breast feed if thats what you want to do. If you choose to it may take time and be stressful but thats a point you have to go through. I wanted to breastfeed Calum while in SCBU which was fine while i was there but had to be tubed or bottlefeed expressed milk when i wasnt. As i had to express more than i breastfeed i would say that my supply didnt come in totally and after about 5 weeks i was unable to produce any so had to transfer him to formula. (A week or so before total formula he was on half breastmilk and half formula). It has to be your choice whether to breastfeed, express or formula. For me although i couldnt do what i wanted i feel at least he got what i could give.
Good Luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[Sherlock]

Valentine has given great advice I can't add much to it.

If you really want to breastfeed then be prepared to tough it out for a few days to give yourself a chance to establish a supply and let LO learn what boobie feeding is all about.

Good luck and congrats on Macey's arrival