advice re bottles to use if giving top ups and a few more questions

[alexandra]

Hi ladies:
I have a few questions, my baby is nearly 4 weeks old and every feed I offer first both breasts and then about 60-80 mls from formula.


I want to know if there is any bottle which is best to use to avoid confusion with the baby as I have been using some new avent ones we ad been given. However I know that the medela breast pump I have (and they use in hospitals) comes with a slim narrow teat. sorry for babling on so if you are BF and FM is it best to use narrow or wide neck bottles?
Other thing is as this is my last baby I'm giving this my 100% and really want to breastfeed so I wanna increase my supply. Have been having porridge everyday and fenugreek tea but I want to do more. Do you think the gp can refuse to give me those tablets (Domperidone sp?) which increase your supply because I mentioned it to him last time and he didnt sound to keen.
Is there any ladies out there who have successfully breastfed and had small breasts prior to pregnancy? I'm normally an A-B and have now become a C so not sure if that influences anything...
Any ideas suggestions :confused: thanks heaps

[Hollywood]

just bumping this thread up (and to subscribe).....gotta go to bed :sleeping:, will return tomorrow :)

[Little-Pink-Hen]

I use chicco bottles with newborn teats for dd for top up feeds and feeds. The medela teats were too fast flow. I think a slow flow is important so bubs work for milk. And that the teat looks like a nipple
if you want to increase your supply I'd try and stop the formula top ups and pump and offer expressed milk top ups if bub needs top ups
I have a-b cup naturally have never really needed bras and have gone back to a b now that breastfeeding has fully established. I've been feeding dd fulltime for 9 months on demand even expressing enough for me to work fulltime. So in my experience breast size doesn't matter.

[Seacretsquirrel]

no idea about the bottles as I never used them but my mum was a b cup (c when BF) and fully BF both mysef and my sister until 13-14 months each. The size of your breasts has nothing to do with your ability to BF it has to do with the amount of glandular tissue (the milkmaking stuff) that you have and small boobs can have plenty just as large breasts may have not enough - it varies woman to woman.

With supply remember BF is a supply and demand thing so the more bubs feeds at your breast the more milk you will produce and tops ups can be counter productive.
Surround yourself with people who understand how important this is to you and Good luck

[susieq1969]

I used Tommee Tippee closer to nature. I used these only a few days after he was born, and he did both FF and BF great!

I only gave him one bottle of formula in the early evening as my supply was low due to being on shields. Once I came off the shields I dropped the FF.

Regarding the size of your boobs, that shouldn't have an affect on your milk supply and how much you produce, so try not to worry too much on that front.

Try Fenugreek tablets. I used them and they were fantastic.

And just remember, as Seacretsquirrel says, it's a supply and demand thing. The more you BF the more milk you'll produce :yes::yes:

[bindy01]

[QUOTE=susieq1969;4771210]I used Tommee Tippee closer to nature. I used these only a few days after he was born, and he did both FF and BF great!
:iagree: The Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles are really good, my bub switched really easily breast and bottle.

[Thermolicious]

Your best bet is to not use a bottle at all, try cup feeding.

You Tube Cup Feeding (http://www.google.com.au/search?q=cup+feeding+newborn&hl=en&prmd=v&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=FO3tS7S2HIWqswPnodTyDw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDUQqwQwAw)

ABA on Cup Feeding (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/cupfeeding.html)

If you are going to use a bottle, always use the lowest flow teat available.



Supply = Demand, the more stimulation your breasts get the more milk they will make.

ABA on increasing supply. (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/supply.html)

ABA - Not Enough Milk? (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lowsupply.html)

I dont have any personal experience with small boobs :o but here is a great article about how boobs make milk and how they 'store' it.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html


Storage capacity: Another factor that affects milk production and breastfeeding management is mom’s milk storage capacity. Storage capacity is the amount of milk that the breast can store between feedings. This can vary widely from mom to mom and also between breasts for the same mom. Storage capacity is not determined by breast size, although breast size can certainly limit the amount of milk that can be stored. Moms with large or small storage capacities can produce plenty of milk for baby. A mother with a larger milk storage capacity may be able to go longer between feedings without impacting milk supply and baby's growth. A mother with a smaller storage capacity, however, will need to nurse baby more often to satisfy baby’s appetite and maintain milk supply since her breasts will become full (slowing production) more quickly.

HTH :)

[alexandra]

Thanks for all this input ladies!!!
well I'm finding it hard to express at the moment as I'm so busy and trying to adjust to 3 boys at home and i'm alone all day at home. Bubs already breastfeeds for one hour therefore if I expressed afterwards, that would keep me away from the other 2 for too long.

Well i'm gonna buy myself fenugreek tablets, and buy the closer to nature bottles and on monday I might ask the doctor for the tablets that increase your supply as well.

I so want this to work, I know it is soooo worth it.

[Jaspat24]

best bottles and teats i found were the medela ones. The shaps of the teat is recommended by my LC.
Also totally agree with the others on cupfeeding and tube feeding and not giving top ups, supply and demand etc etc.
IF YOUR GP REFUSES TO GIVE YOU DOMPERIDONE THEN SEE ANOTHER DR. call your local aba group and ask for a list of breastfeeding friendly GPs in your area

[Mama2Mia]

The First Years - Breastflow bottle is the one most like a breast.

They don't sell them in Aus so we had to order them from the US...i think Amazon sell them...its amazing how they work...the teats collapse and the milk doesn't drip out like most teats...Bubs has to suck on it (work for it) to release the milk just like a breast.