Parenting Forums

Posted: 12 June 2007 at 5:43pm | IP Logged

Hi! I have just joined madmums, and this is only my 2nd post.

I have a 7 weeks baby (she was 8 weeks early). I am breastfeeding her and after each feed I top her up with expressed milk because it is clear to me that she is still not strong enough to take all she needs. I suposse that if I didn't top her up she would end up making the effort  but being so tiny I really feel that I should not put her through that when my main priority is for her to gain weight and get bigger.

I have told you that I am expressing but I find it more and more difficult to keep up with her, so I am thinking about mix feeding. My question is: does anyone know how to start? has anyone done it? What do you think about it? Can you suggest any specific milk?..... I have many more questions but I'll leave it here for the moment!!!  

 Thanks!!!

Isabel

Posted: 12 June 2007 at 6:11pm | IP Logged

Hi and welcome.

I havent got long but didnt want to 'read and run'.

I dont know much about prem babies but I can understand your concerns. Well done for breastfeeding her as its so good for her (and you)!

I mix fed from 5 months as my son was waking lots at night. You are lucky as your daughter will already take a bottle as my son refused one for ages which made it difficult.

I used aptimal (i think - it was so long ago) and just replaced his final feed with a formula feed. It sits in their tummys longer so it fills them up more but it isnt better for them so its best to carry on breastfeeding as long as you can as well!

Personally I would suggest trying to leave your daughter to take a full feed at the breast as she is bigger and stronger now and also she will never learn to fill herself at the breast. The first milk when you breastfeed is the foremilk which is like a drink and quenches the thirst and then they take the hind milk which contains more nourishment and fills them up. This is why it is so important to let your baby feed until they are full.

I have to run now but I will come back and reply more later. We have a buddy system for breastfeeding (see below) if you feel this would help. Welcome to madmums.

Posted: 12 June 2007 at 10:22pm | IP Logged

I would suggest you ask your hv, and although I went to bottle quite quickly (with all 5 of mine and regretted it), mixed feeding isn't a good idea.  your body then produces less milk etc etc, what I would suggest is expressing the hindmilk specifically for gaining weight etc.  My last lo was born past term, but was quite small according to the docs etc, and although never had to be in a special care unit, did start losing weight rapidly, he would only drink for short periods, drinking the foremilk not hind milk.  the fore milk is more watery, to quench babies thirst, and the hind milk is more for the calories and putting the weight on.  If I had been reminded of this fact when I started having problems with him, I would have expressed the fore milk and fed him the hind milk at one or two of his feeds.  Good luck in what you choose to do xxxxx

Posted: 13 June 2007 at 4:15pm | IP Logged

Hi again! and thank you for your replies,

The reason why I am thinking about mix feeding is that part of the top ups Athina is getting are coming from my freezer (all the extra milk that I expressed during the first month when she was in hosp and didn't need a lot of milk). But the frozen supplies are little by little coming to an end, this is making me a bit panicky and very sad, because I really really want her to keep of having my milk.

Her top ups are getting larger as well, and I just don't have that much milk to express!!!! On the other hand, because she is tiny and my nipples are quite large we are using a nipple shield... I don't know, this is all quite complicated, I have tried to feed her without the shield but it breaks my heart to see her getting so frustrated and working so hard for her food with not much success. (I am prob far too soft.... )

My hv keeps on saying that I am a very sensible mother and know what is best for her.... and although I try to get better feedback she insists that I should follow my instinct, which doesn't help much because my instinct says: get back inside and wait until your due date!!!

So this is the whole situation, and reading your replies has given me some interesting ideas.

Thanks again to all,

(I started this post at one and it's now 4:15, not bad! lol)

Posted: 13 June 2007 at 5:06pm | IP Logged

Hi Lynie, thanks for your answer.

 Probably because we don't know otherwise, the shield is working quite well for us. (is it generaly difficult for the baby??)

When i try to feed her without the shield I think that she knows what to do, because mi nipple gets an elongated and curved shape and I can see little drops of milk. The problem is htat after the first quick sucks, when she needs a rest she looses the grip and then she keeps on latching and "unlatching" repeatedly without sucking and consecuently not getting any milk (this is when I wish I could give her a big plate of paella!).

With the shield on she goes through all the steps that you describe (sometimes she drinks for 30-40 minutes and other times she falls asleep within ten minutes)but she still "attacks" the bottle that comes afterwards as if she had never drank before. Last night she even had some breast after the bottle... that's why I really feel that I ought to introduce some formula before I run out ot frozen milk. I don't want to get to the point where there isn't enough breast milk to feed her and she finds it difficult to tolerate formula.. (she didn't tolerate formula very well during her first few days when my milk supply wasn't stablished). What would you do.

Isabel

Posted: 13 June 2007 at 5:21pm | IP Logged

The fact the she is suddenly feeding a lot is probably a sign she is on a growth spurt. Breastfed babies do this to increase your milk supply as they grow. This is why it is important to keep her at the breast so that your milk supply increases along with her demand.

You sound like a very sensible mum and I'm sure you will make the right choice by your baby (sorry if I sound like your HV)

Lynie is a great person to talk to about all this.