Thinking of mix feeding, and confused. - Page 2 - Breastfeeding - Parenting Forums - Madmums

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mamma2bronze
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Posted: 13 June 2007 at 6:21pm \| IP Logged

hi,i have no advice unfortunately hun but would like to welcome you to the site and congratulate you on your lo.

hope to see you around. lauren x

Lynie
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Posted: 13 June 2007 at 6:35pm \| IP Logged

Thanks Madz! Yes, I was going to say every so often breastfed babies go through a growth spurt which means they can quite literally be on and off the breast constantly for a couple of days. This does settle as your body makes the amount of milk she needs. Breastmilk itself changes over time to suit the age and stage of your baby. If you are topping up with milk expressed a wee while ago it may be refreshing for her- but not "filling" her up as the milk you'll be producing yourself for her at this current time. This does all settle down!

If she is feeding well with the nipple shield then that's brilliant, many people find it tricky to use, but if you and baby are happy with it and it's keeping her at the breast and she's going through all the stages of a good feed I described earlier, then that's great. Just make sure your baby is latched on far enough- you'll know if this is the case if you're comfortable (your nipples aren't sore) and baby is using a big wide mouth to feed with. As she was pre-term you should then try to continue using the shield until your baby at least reaches her "40 weeks" age- that's the right time to wean off the shield. As baby gets older and more coordinated and practiced it'll be easier to wean her off the shield then.

After each feed you should look for milk at the tip of the shield and check for a decrease in breast fullness as signs that baby is getting a proper feed. Your hv should be monitoring her weight gain to be sure baby is taking in enough milk and properly stimulating your supply. If you need to express then the best time to do it is directly after baby has had a feed. This will definitely boost your milk supply. Another indication is if baby is producing plenty of wet and dirty nappies.

A wee tip is to make a note of how baby is feeding, how hungry she seems to be and when she wets and dirties her nappy. Along with weight gain this should be discussed with your hv to gauge if she need a supplement.

Hope that helps!!!!

Isabel_bell
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Posted: 14 June 2007 at 12:22pm \| IP Logged

Thanks again Lynie, lots of info there,

Because I got used to fill up her chart at hospital I have kept a record of all her feeds since she came home, I write down what time she feeds, how long she stays at the breast, how many mls she has on the bottle and also is she has poo/wee. She is doing well and steadily increasing the total dayly time at the breast and the amount of milk she takes form the bottle.

Weigh wise she is doing great since she is getting the top ups. I tried her just on the breast for 2 weeks and all she lost 50gr, since I give her the top ups she did 320gr the first week and 180gr the second (she was weighed yesterday).

Next week is her estimated due date and for the last couple of days, I have been offering her the breast without the shield two or three times a day... sometimes she latches well and other times she just gets frustated then crossed and finally she turns her head!!! (how moody!!!)

I am expressing three times a day, but I am not doing it straight after she feeds, I actually wait for an hour or so... (I thought I needed to refill), but I'll try expressing, as you say, just after she feeds.

I asked my hv yesterday if there is anyone who could come and give me some advice while I try to feed her without the shield but she said that there isn't anyone doing that kind of job outside hospital... I guess I'll have to find my own way.

The most important thing for me is to see her growing, gaining weight and having a good sleep after each feed. I really believe that having a good rest is nearly as important as having a good feed . And at the moment she is getting both!!!!

Thanks a lot againg for your time and for all the info and tips.

Isabel

Lynie
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Posted: 14 June 2007 at 8:28pm \| IP Logged

She sounds as if she (and you) are doing really well!

And that picture is so beautiful! No wonder you can't stop looking at her!

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Topic: Thinking of mix feeding, and confused.