breast and bottle

[Sarak7]

Am i able to breast feed and bottle feed?

Just say i was to leave bub with Nanna for the night am i able to bottle feed her that particular night and then breast feed again the next day?
Is that bad for her?

[misskittyfantastico]

are you talking formula or expressed breast milk?
Bottlefeeding isn't bad. Just be aware that sometimes after formula is introduced the baby won't go back breast milk.

I just expressed milk and froze it.

[~Emmylou~]

Unfortunately it's one of those things that's impossible to say before bub gets here.

Some babies are fine to switch between boob and bottle at a whim and won't bat an eye - my daughter was like that.

But there are also alot of babies who are boob only and won't take the bottle at all if that's what they're used to.

If you want to encourage this the only thing I would suggest is that you don't leave it too long after you have the baby before you introduce it to the bottle. I gave my daughter the occasional bottle of EBM from birth but many people also say you shouldn't before 3 weeks.....it didn't worry her but again, your baby will be an individual and you have to play by ear.

[Tarnya]

I breast fed with my 2nd and he had formula for overnight stay at nana's when he was 4 weeks and we had big constipation problems as for the nutrition side, formula is filled with the essential vit and min that they need so I don't know if it was just a problem with my one or if it was extremely common, all my girlfriends formula bottle fed from the start. We had to bottle feed formula with the 1st.

[Goosie22]

Hi Sarak7

The WHO (World Health Organisation) recommend exclusive Breastfeeding for the first 6 months. This is to avoid many risks which increase even with just one bottle or formula. Many say "my baby is healthy and happy" and formula has not harmed them, they are not adults yet.

Also indroducing supplemental feeding can impact on your supply and the length you end up Breastfeeding.

Risks of Just One Bottle (http://www.health-e-learning.com/articles/JustOneBottle.pdf)

[MummyCharmzy]

I had to introduce the bottle for topup feeds for weight gain issues and what not when DD was 1 week old, she then completelyyyyyy refused the breast after just one bottle and it took 48 hours of constantly trying to get her on to even partially get her to take the breast again. 2.5 hrs we spent trying to get her to attach one feed and no success.

Now DD is 3.5 weeks and we are still having attachment issues as she still has to have EBM topups in a bottle but shes more established on the boob now so doinga b it better.

My lactation consultant advised that it is best to exclusively BF for the first 6 weeks if possible to avoid nipple confusion like my DD got. She said by 2-3 weeks of exclusively BF most babies that will take a bottle should be okay to do both but 6 weeks of exclusively bf'ing should make that a lot more certain!

[camsma]

Many say "my baby is healthy and happy" and formula has not harmed them, they are not adults yet.


I, and each of my four siblings were bottle fed from birth. We are all adults now (in our 20s and 30s) and each and every one of us are happy and healthy. None of us have ever had an allergy, serious illness or other major health problems.
I mainly breast feed my almost 6 month old along with one formula bottle at night (I started this at 8 weeks). I was unable to express at all and this was a way that I was able to give myself a break at a time when I was feeling extremely low and exhausted. He is perfectly healthy and perfectly happy little boy.
It has also give us the ability to have occassional and MUCH needed timeout when a trusted friend looks after our little one. All of our family are overseas so we have gone it alone with bubs with no family support.

This is only my opinion, but I dont feel that there is anything wrong with using formula if it helps you to have a break and therefore helps you to be better able to look after bubs.

[OscarTheGrouch]

Many say "my baby is healthy and happy" and formula has not harmed them, they are not adults yet.

I was never BF and have never had any health problems (minor or major) whatsoever!!

[blueeyes]

Yes you can theoretically but I hope your bub is not like mine. Will not go near the bottle, refuses it much to my disdain. Tried EBM and ABM, a variety of bottles and teats but to no avail. If you know when you are going out, practise before hand incase there is going to be troubles.

In response, I am a very healthy FF girl. No probs here but still chose to bf my son.:yes:

[Tamz]

how old is your bub????
will you be expressing when your out when your bub has a feed at nans?

i would suggest a pigeon peristaltic nipple teat, they fit avent bottles, or sippy cup - you wont have to worry about your bub refusing the bottle or refusing your breast.

Tamz

[SamanthaJane]

You can express the breast milk, that might be the better option, if you wish to breast feed for a while.

My aunty wanted to do half breast, half bottle (formula), but after being introduced to formula, my cousin decided he wanted the bottle all the time. She is devastated now... coz she wanted to breast feed for AGES.

If you dont mind that they may end up on the bottle (formula) full time, then u can switch between the two and see how it works out! It just depends on how ur bubs is doing with the different feeds.

[1stbaby]

I suppose it depends what you want like others say. I know other people have introduced bottles and formula early so bubs can take the bottle when they are away. My Ds is six and a half months and I have to express one bottle of EBM a day. He has refused formula which I have left for an emergency just because he is so used to breast milk. Others(family members) have said I should have adapted him to formula early on but I wanted to breast feed him exclusively for 6 months.

[Tamz]

SamanthaJane
that is what happened to me. sleep deprived i decided to give bottles at night so DS would 'sleep through the night' well that didnt work!!! then the next thing i had very low milk supply and was dealing with breast refusal. i wasnt gonna give up!!! i was very very persistant and from having to give bottles all the time and toping up, from about 3months old until now (nearly 11 months) i have been able to exclusivly breast feed, with no formula and i have a freezer full of bottles, 5lts plus of liquid gold!!! haha

i do feel for your Aunty, i know how i felt :(

but aslong as bub is healthy, happy and content - that is the main thing :)

Tamz

[Leez]

DD didn't want a bar of my boob right from the very first attempt, about 1.5 hours after her birth. I struggled on with the help of the midwives (sometimes I had TWO present trying to get her to attach) but by day 2 of being home I gave her a ff because I was freaking out that she was starving and she was completely hysterical from hunger. I gave her EBM & comp FF for 8 weeks and she didn't mind either - as long as it was in a bottle.

I think it depends on your baby's individual personality, some are more particular than others and some adjust to change more easily than others. Give it a go and bubs will let you know quick smart what the deal is!

Lisa

[Goosie22]

I was never BF and have never had any health problems (minor or major) whatsoever!!

Great:thumbsup:

[Sheer Bliss]

As has been said - I think it is really hard to say as it depends on the bub. DD was mostly b/fed and went throught phases of taking the bottle then refusing it. I do think that being over enthusiastic with expressing in the first 6weeks made it diffucult for me to establish a steady supply, but others have had it help them.
We left her on occasion with EBM & formula sachets as a back-up (the sachets are much cheaper if you only have a formula feed once every few weeks) and most of the time she would take either.
Overall she was a very fussy bub & when weaned onto formula at 11months she was just as fussy with the bottle as she was with the boob. I have been told that early introduction of the bottle (2 weeks-so daddy could feed her & bond)) 'might' have contributed to the fussiness with nipple confusion, but I guess I'll never really know. For our next bub I am aiming to have no bottles until at least 3months & no expresing until we are past the 6week mark.

[Natsmummy]

...be aware that sometimes after formula is introduced the baby won't go back breast milk...
This is not always the case. My son is predominantly breastfed but is comp-fed with a small amount of formula each day. While he is happy enough to take the bottle he still loves the booby more - I might just be lucky though to have a bub who will easily switch between the two.

[mother2B]

my baby eagerly took a bottle of 3oz of EBM at 5 days old after BF only. still has a bottle every night with dad, it's lovely, me and the boobs do the rest. don't wait too long though! good luck!

[bronny-jane]

Many say "my baby is healthy and happy" and formula has not harmed them, they are not adults yet.


i was ff, and had no problems:D , and i find it quite amusing that you think a breastfed baby is better off then a formula fed one:confused:

just a note my brother was bf, he has been to jail and had many health problems, throughout childhood and into adulthood, i on the other hand was ff, and have had very few problems at all;)

[bronny-jane]

sj, i plan on doing the same thing, im going to breast feed, and offer my baby ebm too, just so i can get out once a month to feel like im still human:D

[Goosie22]

i was ff, and had no problems:D , and i find it quite amusing that you think a breastfed baby is better off then a formula fed one:confused:

I dont know why you would find it ammusing:confused: , Considering its not only my view but a well known fact that a Breastfeed baby is better off than a formula one. If you formula feed your baby your baby is at a higher risk of being hospitalised with in the first 6 months of its life with gastro ect, suffering from asthma and other immunity realated diseases like luekemia. Also you are at a higher risk of developing Postnatal depression, breastcancer, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and type 2 diabeties. Its not really that ammusing is it.

:) G

[mich71]

as long as you express when your out and make sure its not a lazy teet which i mean no drip teat that makes them suck other wise you will have trouble but i have done what i just said and no probs with last three while i was breastfeeding good luck

[4mumnbub]

yes you can breastfeed and bottle feed (formula) but it decreases your breast milk supply

[bronny-jane]

Also you are at a higher risk of developing Postnatal depression, breastcancer, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and type 2 diabeties. Its not really that ammusing is it.

:) G

hey goosie i do agree with these ones here, as i did have PND after my dd's.
but as for all the illnesses in the babies, how accurate can they be really, they arent taking into account the environment the babies are being raised in, the age of the parents, plus every other factor there is;)

im not claiming that ff is better than bf, i agree that bf is better for the baby, but not all ff bubs end up in hospital etc:D

im not arguing, you have really good points;)

[Goosie22]

but as for all the illnesses in the babies, how accurate can they be really, they arent taking into account the environment the babies are being raised in, the age of the parents, plus every other factor there is;)

The studies I have read regarding the disadvantages of introducing formula, do take other things into account. Like age, living standards/employment, education level, heraditary conditions present in families and that is why for people with allergies its really important they dont introduce cows milk/peanuts/egg ect prior to 6- 12 months depending on serverity and type of allergies. The increased risk is only that "an increased risk" its not saying if you give formula you will suffer this disease, its just a fact that out of so many people who were given formula between certain ages a percentage will suffer some kind of problem/illness its comparing it to the ones who didnt get formula and the percentage is lower in that group.

Thanks for not aguing :D

[bronny-jane]

The studies I have read regarding the disadvantages of introducing formula, do take other things into account. Like age, living standards/employment, education level, heraditary conditions present in families and that is why for people with allergies its really important they dont introduce cows milk/peanuts/egg ect prior to 6- 12 months depending on serverity and type of allergies. The increased risk is only that "an increased risk" its not saying if you give formula you will suffer this disease, its just a fact that out of so many people who were given formula between certain ages a percentage will suffer some kind of problem/illness its comparing it to the ones who didnt get formula and the percentage is lower in that group.

ok thanks i always wondered if they did take it into account:D


Thanks for not aguing :D

:laughing: yeah no worries

[jonesso]

[QUOTE=camsma]
[This] was a way that I was able to give myself a break at a time when I was feeling extremely low and exhausted... It has also give us the ability to have occassional and MUCH needed timeout when a trusted friend looks after our little one. QUOTE]

I totally agree.

I think the answer to the question is that there is no problem to breast and bottle feed. Some babies switch between the two without a hitch, and others cannot do it. I was blessed that my bub was the former, and happily took the breast, the bottle of EBM or the bottle of Karicare with no complaints. I found a feeding combination that worked for me and my DH and DS so all three of us were happy.

Breastfeeding is the ideal, but as Camsma said you have to look after yourself and make sure you get a break etc. So giving one bottle so bub can stay overnight at nan's is not a prob in my opinion.

Good luck with you bub!

[RedPanda]

I dont know why you would find it ammusing:confused: , Considering its not only my view but a well known fact that a Breastfeed baby is better off than a formula one. If you formula feed your baby your baby is at a higher risk of being hospitalised with in the first 6 months of its life with gastro ect, suffering from asthma and other immunity realated diseases like luekemia. Also you are at a higher risk of developing Postnatal depression, breastcancer, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and type 2 diabeties. Its not really that ammusing is it.

:) G

I think most people know the facts about BF V FF. As a mother who desperately wanted to BF but couldn't, posts like this make me depressed and slightly angry. I think it's important that people know the benefits of BF, but is it really necessary to wheel out the depressing statistics anytime someone mentions the dreaded word "bottle"? Perhaps the reason the incidence of PND is higher in FF mothers is because they are made to feel like they are killing their children by giving them formula. I KNOW what is best for my baby, and I wasn't able to give it to him. This still makes me feel like a failure, and I still cry everytime I see someone BF or read about BFing. :crying: Must I be made to feel guilty and depressed about this every time someone posts a message about bottle-feeding? No-one harrasses smoking parents as much as they harrass FF parents. Please think about the mothers who had no other choice but to FF before painting pictures of our ill bottle-fed children flooding hospital wards.

[bronny-jane]

No-one harrasses smoking parents as much as they harrass FF parents.

yeah they do hazel, im a smoker and ff my bubs:eek: i get it from every direction possible:rolleyes: and im not saying that i dont deserve it, i know smoking is stupid, so i guess i am too;)

[RedPanda]

yeah they do hazel, im a smoker and ff my bubs:eek: i get it from every direction possible:rolleyes: and im not saying that i dont deserve it, i know smoking is stupid, so i guess i am too;)
Oh god! You poor thing - I can only imagine! I just can't stand the guilt-trips that get laid on me (especially by males or women who haven't had babies yet) - you must get it three times as much. Next time I get criticised or given stats that I already know off by heart, I might whip down my top and show them my massacred boobs:eek:

[MamaSage]

I think the OP wanted to know if it was possible to breastfeed a baby, and supplement with formaula so she can leave the baby with other people. The information on the link Goosie22 provided explains the ramifications of giving a breastfed baby a bottle. This thread was not baout bottle vs breast, but a pregnant woman asking for information about supplementing a breastfed baby with a bottle. (for what it is worth, she never even specified whether she was talking about EBM or formaula.)

[RedPanda]

Yep, that was the original post. But these words are specificially about formula V BF

"Considering its not only my view but a well known fact that a Breastfeed baby is better off than a formula one. If you formula feed your baby your baby is at a higher risk of being hospitalised with in the first 6 months of its life with gastro ect, suffering from asthma and other immunity realated diseases like luekemia. Also you are at a higher risk of developing Postnatal depression, breastcancer, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and type 2 diabeties."

I don't mean to start a debate or upset anyone, I just felt that the above words turned the thread into a FF V BF debate. I wanted to share how that can make some FF mothers feel. I guess I will feel less depressed about bottle-feeding as my DS gets older, but until then it's something that cuts pretty deep.

[~Danni~]

I breastfed DD and then expressed some milk for night time feeds every so often so that DF could have a turn in the middle of the night when he wasn't going to work the next day and I could get some more solid sleep:yelclap: I don't know about swapping from formula and breast milk though....:rolleyes:

(as in I havent done it before, not that I think it is a bad idea either way I honestly don't know;) )

[bronny-jane]

hazel you'll feel better about it, i know how it can make you feel depressed, but your not doing anything wrong, im sure you love your child and ff doesnt make you a failure:no: , my dd 1 wouldnt latch on so i ff her, and ff dd 2 as well, i dont feel guilty at all, in fact i didnt think that i was doing anything wrong, i know its hurtful getting "facts" thrown in your face, just brush them off, im sure your a great mum:thumbsup:

[RedPanda]

Thanks bronny-jane!:hugs:

[angelickaren]

hi i think ff mum do get looked down on but im sure if they could bf they would or some dont like it or just dont do it everyone has the right to do what they wont and should not feel bad about their choices i have b/f with my first till he was 8 mths wth my 2nd one week he had a bad reaction to my milk and went on to soy fomula and new bubs 3 weeks due to me getting sick with gastro and they had mastitis in both breast then the flu in a week my milk went bye bye and bubs also was not putting weight on i was b/f plus top up of ebm plus ff feeding her every feed i did this for 2 weeks and now she is on ff only and putting weight on i guess as long bubs is going well thats the main thing right everyone has the right to do their own thing and we shouldnt judge people for not b/f

[Goosie22]

Hi,

Isnt every mother intitled to the truth?

Just because you "did/didn't/couldn't" with regards to Breastfeeding/Bottlefeeding we dont need to have the guilty flag waved each time someone askes a question about can you combine Breast/expressing/Bottle/Formula which ever combination.

Guilt is something felt personally.

[RedPanda]

Yes, guilt is something felt personally, but that doesn't mean that FF mothers should be exposed to the "truth" in threads that aren't even about BF V FF. I originally read this thread because my son was on the breast and bottle for a little while and I thought I could offer some insight. Instead, I come across BF propaganda. I'm merely stating my feelings. Mothers are entitled to the truth, and I think everyone gets given the facts from a multitude of sources. I was merely questioning why a post asking about combining bottle and breast had to be turned into a FF V BF. By stating that BF babies are better off than FF babies, the thread turned from a discussion about combining two methods of feeding (formula was not mentioned, the OP could have been discussing EBM), into a discussion about the perils of bottle-feeding. And yes, people are entitled to the truth. But I am just saying that sometimes the "truth" is made overly scary and dramatic. Does the fact that non-BF mothers are apparently more prone to osteoporosis and breast cancer have any bearing on COMBINING breast and bottle-feeding? All I am doing is pointing out that sometimes these scary facts come out at irrelevant and inappropriate times. The post would have been appropriate had the original question been "What are the pros and cons of breast feeding?". Sorry Goosie - I appreciate your dedication to promoting BF and presenting the facts (it is a worthwhile thing to do), but all I'm saying is that not every question about bottle feeding warrants an attack.

[Goosie22]

but all I'm saying is that not every question about bottle feeding warrants an attack.

It wasnt meant as an attack, it was a response to Bronnyjane as she said she thought it was amusing that I thought BF was better than FF. This is a Breastfeeding thread I am sorry you still feel upset reading about the risks of FF and the benifits of BF my post was not directed at you or anyone personally.

[Frazzled]

I dont know why you would find it ammusing:confused: , Considering its not only my view but a well known fact that a Breastfeed baby is better off than a formula one. If you formula feed your baby your baby is at a higher risk of being hospitalised with in the first 6 months of its life with gastro ect, suffering from asthma and other immunity realated diseases like luekemia. Also you are at a higher risk of developing Postnatal depression, breastcancer, osteoporosis, uterine cancer and type 2 diabeties. Its not really that ammusing is it.

:) G

But yet, my baby has been exclusively breastfed and we have had three major health scares with him in his short like and I have suffered with pnd. My mother, aunty, aunty and grandmother all had breast cancer and all breastfed their many children???

Sara, do whatever you are most comfortable with.

[Goosie22]

***Test removed by moderator as original post deleted***


To "the Allergic to Breastmilk" statement: its not the Breastmilk the baby is Allergic to its the metabolities in the Breastmilk from the mothers diet/surroundings. An elimination diet excluding know antagonists would probably help a lot if it was actually a cause for concern.

[draught]

There is no need to turn this thread into another breastfed vs formula fed debate - Goosie was certainly not doing that and those who have responded by attacking her and referring to breast feeding information as propaganda need to take a deep breath and calm down. I suspect that the OP's question has been answered so I am closing this thread. In the meantime - this is a breastfeeding thread, and posting information about the benefits of breastfeeding is not an attack on formula feeding mothers. If you chose to perceive it that way and attack a person providing information your posts will be deleted - not because they have a different opinion but because personal attacks are not allowed on the forum.