Feeding questions (long post sorry!)

[ShineyHappyPeople]

Ok, I like to think I have a fair idea of how to look after this baby when it arrives but to be honest, I don't know alot about feeding (suppose no one really does until they have their own) but was wondering if I could ask you experienced ladies a few questions!

1/ I plan to breastfeed right from the get go but I completely understand that it might not work out and that I will have to bottle feed with expressed milk & formula etc. So with that out of the way, IF my baby feeds off me, roughly how much will they want fed? Is it as often as every 4 hours or more than that? (Im not going to be waking the baby up to feed it, I will let him/her tell me when they are hungry).

2/ I hope to be able to express and for my husband to bottle feed the baby after a few months when breastfeeding is established. IF it works out, for how long do they use those tiny tiny bottles? (Don't know how much they hold) Like, is it 1 small bottle per feed? When do they need to move up a bottle size?

3/ How much fluid is a newborn supposed to have a day?#

Maybe its just a case of trying things out and see how it goes but I want to buy my bottles and was wondering how many small ones to get and how many slightly biggers ones. Maybe 2 of each would be enough especially if i hope to mainly breastfeed?

Sorry if im rambling on!!

Oh, one more question. If the baby won't breastfeed, can I put expressed milk in along with baby milk so they are getting some goodness, or should a bottle be purely breast milk and purely baby milk?

Ps. do you need to out a bip on a newborn when breastfeeding or should there not be any spillage?

Sorry for the long post, any comments will be appreciated!

 

[Batie]

Please expect your baby to want to feed lots! I was a little naieve thinking she would feed every 3/4 hours and then I would get a break - nope! They need to feed lots as they have little tums - esp if breast feeding as it gets digested very easily - so expect to be sat on the sofa esp in the evenings when they like to stock up for night time feeding pretty much full on. If they cry when newborn (and/or put hands in mouth!) - I would recommend always trying another feed - even if they have just finished feeding - you may be surprised!

Little bottles will be fine for a while they are likely to be on 4oz feeds for a little while rising to 6-7oz when 6-8 weeks - but every baby is different so there is an awful lot of going with the flow and taking your lead from the baby at the time.

I wish you luck for the breastfeeding - get help in the early days to get the technique/latch right and it will pay dividends - I would recommend going to a breast feeding group - do some research now for a local one ( our hospital did a drop in session each morning) then you'll have the details to hand if you need it!

You shouldn't need a bib, although sometimes if they come off the boob you can drip! Or the other side will leak when you're feeding - breast pads are worthwhile!

No idea about combining formula and breast - I shouldn't think it would be a problem tho?

All the best!

 

[babynumbertwo]

I think you will get totally different answers from everyone as it varies so much from baby to baby. Here are my experiences based on my two.

1) First fed pretty much constantly, second feeds every 3 hours (both breast fed on demand)

2) I personally didn't bother with the small bottles, just used a standard size straight away (saves buying 2 sizes).

3) You can't tell if you are breastfeeding how much they are taking but I would know if they were having enough - plenty of wet nappies, alert baby, good weight gain.

4)I used to mix formula and breast with my first. Don't know to be honest if it's still current advice that it's ok to do it as I haven't needed to with my 2nd.

5) I've never used a bib for either child when breast feeding but did for bottle feeding.

Good luck with breastfeeding. I suppose the main thing i would say is be prepared for anything as you won't know how you'll find it until you have your baby. However, if you struggle there's loads of support available. I gave up early with my first baby because I didn't ask for help and I really regret it now.

 

[Sherlock]

Have a read of this thread here to help answer some stuff for you. Its a BF FAQ put together by some Mums here

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=104775

To answer your Q's quickly

1/ I plan to breastfeed right from the get go but I completely understand that it might not work out and that I will have to bottle feed with expressed milk & formula etc. So with that out of the way, IF my baby feeds off me, roughly how much will they want fed? Is it as often as every 4 hours or more than that? (Im not going to be waking the baby up to feed it, I will let him/her tell me when they are hungry).

Depends on your baby. In the early weeks expect little and often (FAQ explains why etc) and it'll be a lot more than every 4 hours. Chances are at least every in the early weeks till supply is established and settled down.

2/ I hope to be able to express and for my husband to bottle feed the baby after a few months when breastfeeding is established. IF it works out, for how long do they use those tiny tiny bottles? (Don't know how much they hold) Like, is it 1 small bottle per feed? When do they need to move up a bottle size?

By the time you can express after 6 weeks you'll need bigger bottles. My LO could down 6ozs without pausing. Others take less, but I'd skip buying tiny bottles and save pennies personally.

3/ How much fluid is a newborn supposed to have a day?

It varies from baby to baby. If breastfeeding you never know exactly how much your LO is taking, but will soon learn to recognise how much they have had from a boob during a feed. Your boob will feel very different when more or less empty.

Maybe its just a case of trying things out and see how it goes but I want to buy my bottles and was wondering how many small ones to get and how many slightly biggers ones. Maybe 2 of each would be enough especially if i hope to mainly breastfeed?

I only got 2 large NUK bottles. Holds about 9ozs or so in each. I never bothered with small bottles. I only gave occasional expressed feeds, given by other people. TBH it was more hassle than it was worth to try to express, store and plan. Also expressing often does not get anywhere near as much milk off as a baby can. Its not a good indication at all as to how much milk you have, so don't worry about it if you can only express an ounce.

Oh, one more question. If the baby won't breastfeed, can I put expressed milk in along with baby milk so they are getting some goodness, or should a bottle be purely breast milk and purely baby milk?

I would never mix the 2. I've never heard it advised either. I'd either give expressed milk or formula. Totally different make ups and digest at different speeds, so I'd not mess with your LO's tummy in such a way and risk upsetting it or confusing it.

Ps. do you need to out a bip on a newborn when breastfeeding or should there not be any spillage?

I never used a single bib when breastfeeding. Still haven't. No need. I keep a muslin handy to mop up any sick or drool but other than that it was fine.

 

[trixipaws]

1. at first, before my "proper milk" came in (i think a lot of new mums panic and think they're not making milk- you will! its NORMAL to take about 5 days, baby isnt starving! colostrum is super-concentrate, just in case u dont already kno!) i was BFing 10 minutes either side every 3 hours. by week 2 i was BFing for over an hour at one feed, sometimes 90 minutes- and this was every 2 hours! u do the math its pretty much constant BFing for the first 6 weeks

2. sorry cant help u there, all my bottle-feeding experience is 6 months +. millie refused bottles when she was tiny!

3. erm, idk about amounts/volumes. i was just feed-on-demand, and i *think* thats how many FF mummies feed too?? they will be able to answer u better coz they can see how much goes in lol

4. no i found bibs completely useless as i was exclusively BFing. i saw millie's FF cousins feed tho and their bibs couldnt have come any more handy! so if ur planning on bottle-feeding AT ALL then get lotsa bibs!

 

[BabyMagic]

I can't help with bottle questions as my LO has never had a bottle.

When it comes to breastfeeding be prepared that your LO will be on the boob pretty much all the time. My LO still fed every hour at 4 - 5 weeks. At around 3 months she started feeding every 2.5 - 3 hours. She could only do 4 hours around 6 months when it was time to introduce solids. They also take ages to feed first, and only become efficient later on. Now (at nearly 9 months) it only takes a few minutes for LO to empty a boob.

One of the greatest tips I have heard here at PG is that in the early days plan a day or a few to stay in bed with your LO. This will encourage skin to skin and help to establish breastfeeding, plus give some well deserved rest to the new mummy too x

 

[ShineyHappyPeople]

Thanks for your help ladies!

 

[Naterjack]

1/ Not all babies feed constantly - Josh feed every 2-4 hours but usually more like 3 hours between feeds - i would happily feed him more often if he wanted it but he only demands it every 2-4 hours!

2/ You dont HAVE to use the tiny bottles but they are easier to handle when your LO is so small.

3/ I'm not sure on this one as i let Josh tell me when he's done - sometimes he will be feeding for 30 minutes but at other times (if less than 3-4 hours since last feed) he will only have 5-10 minutes on the breast. As long as you have lots of wet / dirty nappies and your baby put on weight, he / she will be fine


I would stick to either expressed milk OR formula - maybe alternate at each feeding but its up to you - i wouldn't personally mix

Lastly - i havent used our bibs yet BUT i always have a muslin to hand as Josh sometimes drips some out the side of his mouth when my letdown is particularly fast and its a godsend for those sicky burps over your shoulder