My "plan"...what do you think?

[Mischief]

Well after visiting the CHN yesterday I have come to a decision re expressing and for how long...

She said Oliver is doing really well, he is growing well and is a nice strong healthy boy. He's showing signs of wanting soilds and she said that it would be "OK" if I was to start introducing him to solids from 4 months....preferably older, but at that age solids are probably better than formula.

So what I am going to do is express for him until 4 months....introduce solids....if he is ready and starts to *eat* I will give him some solids, and introduce some formula too....but continue giving him EBM but cut back to 5 sessions a day, then 4, then 3, then 2, then 1....over the next couple of months. I am hoping to be able to keep giving him one feed a day until he is 12 months old....

What does everyone think? I cant keep up expressing forever, it takes so much time, but I'm hoping this will have given him the best start I can give in the circumstances!

[Goosie22]

Hi,
I think if you are happy to do that and you realise the consequences, then its your choice.

You will probably have to pump a little more as the time goes on as your supply isnt going to last to 12 months with only pumping once a day. Personally I would be more inclined to continue to strive for only breastmilk to 6 months and then switch to formula (lactose free or perscription). This would be more benificial in the long run and less work over all.

You really are an inspiration, good on you:thumbsup: .

[Funkychicken]

Kat, you are an amazing woman! You have done such a fantastic job to keep your bubba gurgling all the BM.:yelclap: You know what is right for you-follow your heart and be strong with your decisions. The intent is often as important as the action and your intent has been so filled with love and care for your bubba.:)

[Areca]

Hi,
I think if you are happy to do that and you realise the consequences, then its your choice.

You will probably have to pump a little more as the time goes on as your supply isnt going to last to 12 months with only pumping once a day. Personally I would be more inclined to continue to strive for only breastmilk to 6 months and then switch to formula (lactose free or perscription). This would be more benificial in the long run and less work over all.

You really are an inspiration, good on you:thumbsup: .

Agreed....at such a young age (even 6 months) solids are more of a taste thing than nutrition and shouldn't replace a bf/ff, it should be in addition to it. For the first 12 months bf/ff should be their main source of nutrition. CHN's don't always give the best advice so I'd talk to your GP about it first. I'm surprised she said that introducing solids is better than giving formula....it's a bit old school thinking.
Be prepared for your little one to reject solids. DD is 7 1/2 months old and still EBF because she's simply not ready for solids.

[Ana Gram]

We had DD on solids at 4 months despite health experts dire warnings. She was ready and there was no way she would have waited until 6 months. She gobbled food up straight away.

Expressing for that long is an excellent effort, well done.

Whether it is breast milk or formula, your baby's main food will still be milk for a while though. Solids will just be an introduction to the world of food. We started with a "meal" which was followed by her usual bottle and went slowy from there.

[Mischief]

Thanks for the support and encouragement guys!

Oh, dont worry I realise that up until 12 months milk is the babies main source of food and that they may only have one or two teaspoons of "food" per day. :)

Mum said that all of hers were having soilids by 3 months...they wanted it, and one had it at 6 weeks. So it makes sence that Oliver is trying to follow in the family path....we are hungry creatures here.... but I have been making him hold of for the last 4 weeks...and plan to hold off longer as of the recommendations.

The main reason for introducing some solids each day is that it will take some of the pressure off me to be able to provide all milk for him, if he has to have some formula to top up it wont be so bad because he will be getting the goodness of some "real" food as well as my BM.

The CHN is really suprised I have been able to keep up with the expressing for so long and am still meeting and exceeding Olviers needs. He is drinking close to a liter a day. She said that up until 6 months babies need to be drinking 900ml a day to gain weight...some drink a little less, some drink a little more, and its amazing that I'm able to freeze any! :D

I have 16 feeds frozen.....so I look at that and think that is 16 extra days that I can give him one feed of milk per day!

My goodness its complicated stuff! LOL I never realised how hard it is!

Hats off to all these ladies who breastfeed for YEARS instead of MONTHS!

Anyway....Mr Oliver might throw heck to my plans and decide he only THINKS he wants solids, and then we will need to re evaluate all over again. :D Thats what babies DOOOO!!! I'm fast learning, that I go along with HIS plans, not he with mine! LOL

[Mischief]

You will probably have to pump a little more as the time goes on as your supply isnt going to last to 12 months with only pumping once a day. Personally I would be more inclined to continue to strive for only breastmilk to 6 months and then switch to formula (lactose free or perscription). This would be more benificial in the long run and less work over all.

Oh, Goodness knows....i could end up expressing for a year! LOL I was going to throw in the towel at 12 weeks, and now i'm going until 4 months...by the time it comes to 4 months it could end up going to 5 months....etc. Its a struggle but I really want to give my baby the best start I can!

Oh and with the expressing I imagine I will need to do what I do now.....when my supply starts to drop...in go an extra couple sessions a day until it comes back up, then I go back to 6 a day.

Ive read heaps of information (thanks Goosie) that has been provided, and hope I can keep it going!

[Goosie22]

Hi
Just a quick piece of information on early solids. Even though a baby may be watching you eat, open its mouth and seem ready for something more substantial. The fact remains they cant really digest it untill around 6+ months so you end up making the food going to all the trouble of feeding them the runny stuff then it just comes out the other end the same as it went in (all extra work for nothing). I'm sure our mothers did the best they could with the information they had, the thing is we have the benifit of their mistakes to make better decsions for our children.

[kadownie]

Just wanted to say that you are a champion!! I expressed for one feed a day (my little girl wouldn't go on the breast at her last feed before she went to bed- and rather than fight I would express that feed for her)

Just doing the one feed a night was tiring- so congratulations on your perisistance!!!It really is the best thing for your bub and you're doing a great job!!

[Ana Gram]

Hi
Just a quick piece of information on early solids. Even though a baby may be watching you eat, open its mouth and seem ready for something more substantial. The fact remains they cant really digest it untill around 6+ months so you end up making the food going to all the trouble of feeding them the runny stuff then it just comes out the other end the same as it went in (all extra work for nothing). I'm sure our mothers did the best they could with the information they had, the thing is we have the benifit of their mistakes to make better decsions for our children.


Kept my daughter happy as she wasn't happy on just milk alone. And that was more important to me.

[reAllytee]

Kept my daughter happy as she wasn't happy on just milk alone. And that was more important to me.


Same.
Especially as i had a big baby who wasnt just happy with milk he wanted more.
The little girl at our mothers group who was born the day before Boof never liked her milk her mum struggled at every feed to get her to even take 50mls so she went onto solids early & had great results her lo was finally putting on weight & was going great guns from then on !


Mischief - Congrats to you ! Your doing a great job ! What an awesome mummy you are :hugs:
Do what feels right for you it sounds like you have a plan & your happy with it. So if your instincts tell you this is whats right for bubs then go with it. Of course try & hold bubs off but if he wants it then just start slowly keeping to something simple for a good month before moving on. This is what i was told by my Paed & my CHN so we went with rice cereal & stuck with that till 5mths before i started introducing pumpkin etc just go slowly slowly & all will be fine. Remember to start with mornings first though to make sure you can pick up any allergies.
Good luck ! :)

[meme]

hi
i think you are doing a fantastic job with expressing.

it's great that you have lot's of support around with your chn, and the forum and have the foresight to make some plans and then realise that things can change and that is okay too.

i realise that there is obviously a reason why breastfeeding hasn't worked out for you, and i was wondering if you have considered or are working towards reintroducing the breast at all? like i said it is just awesome that you are providing your milk for your baby, and feeding from the breast also has benefits for bubs. with help and suport it could be something that you could make a plan for.

if that's not an option you would consider, just ignore me:p

i think you sound like you are doing really well. good luck with it all.

[ziggie]

Good on you for expressing for so long :smiliedance: !
You're a wonder mummy:yes: .
I think your plan sounds like a good one, and you should do what is right for you and your bubba :hugs: .

[Ana Gram]

hi


i realise that there is obviously a reason why breastfeeding hasn't worked out for you, and i was wondering if you have considered or are working towards reintroducing the breast at all? like i said it is just awesome that you are providing your milk for your baby, and feeding from the breast also has benefits for bubs. with help and suport it could be something that you could make a plan for.




I was constantly told by my CHN to put her back on the breast but she could never tell me why breastmilk out of a breast was better than breastmilk out of a bottle. So what is the benefit and what is the difference?

[Goosie22]

So what is the benefit and what is the difference?

Breastfeeding uses more facial muscles than bottlefeeding (better for speech development), Drinking from a bottle is linked to malocclusion, ear infections and dental cavities, the breast gets more stimulation when putting the baby to the breast and even if you do 2 breastfeeds a day instead of one it would boost your supply due to supperior breastdrainage and stimulation. And frozen breastmilk is not fresh so therefore some of the living cells are destroyed or damaged, the method of heating can do this also.

HTH:)

[Ana Gram]

Thankyou Goosie.

[misskittyfantastico]

I just want to congratulate you Mischief! You have done such an incredible job in really challenging circumstances.
You are an inspiration:yelclap:

[Mischief]

Thanks guys. I have strong emotional problems with breastfeeding (sexual abuse) and as a result of this I find it very hard to bond with my baby and was getting increasingly depressed, and even starting to feel resentful towards my sweet son......

I am giving Oliver 2 feeds a day on the breast now (I have to force myself, but he deserves me trying)....I was only doing one, but this week he hasnt been overly well and i wanted to increase so I could help him fight off the bug.

My CHN said that the BF in the middle of the night is probably doing wonders for keeping my supply up! :)

Am planning on only introducing Farrax for the first month.....then working up to more solids. :)

[Foxymoron]

:yelclap: :yelclap: :yelclap: Kudos to you!
You're doing a great job expressing for this long :hugs:

[Goosie22]

mischief,

I hope you find real healing through being a mother to you perfect little guy..............He is so lucky to have you.

[meme]

thanks goosie, you definately said that better than i could've.( on the breastfeeding / breastmilk feeding.)

i have to agree with miss kittyfantastico


I just want to congratulate you Mischief! You have done such an incredible job in really challenging circumstances.
You are an inspiration

:thumbsup:

[Mischief]

Thank you all again for your support and encouragement! XX

I have started giving Oliver a tsp of Farex in his night milk....I really dont want to give him formula, and he had started waking 3 times a night. Last night he slept from 7pm-3am then from 330am till 630am I was VERY pleased!

I feel like a new woman with a decent nights sleep!

[Funkychicken]

Thank you all again for your support and encouragement! XX

I have started giving Oliver a tsp of Farex in his night milk....I really dont want to give him formula, and he had started waking 3 times a night. Last night he slept from 7pm-3am then from 330am till 630am I was VERY pleased!

I feel like a new woman with a decent nights sleep!
Ah....I dream of more than 4 hrs sleep in one block!! You must feel lovely today.:D

[Mischief]

Thanks FunkyChicken! I certainly do feel like a new woman! My eyes are only a slight shade of yellow today....LOL Sooner than the neon yellow with blood streaks that has become my usual look! :D