Help - Cant get enough Breastmilk to mix with Farex

[ButterflyWings]

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[JanetF]

I'm confused about why you would *have* to give a baby solids before the 6 month mark when that's the time recommended by the government health sources. Prior to this time your child's gut is too immature for anything but breastmilk. If you're being told to bulk her up, or being told to feed a 4 month old baby, you're being given really poor advice. Babies are supposed to feed 2 - 3 or MORE times in a night so just breastfeed her. If you have trouble with lack of sleep put her in your bed/next to your bed so you barely have to wake up. Starting her on solids now is likely to lead to major digestive problems as well as a drop in supply for you as she's obviously trying to maintain enough supply in your breasts by waking up to be fed and she needs to be hydrated and nourished in this way in the night. Having a rumling tummy could be hunger or it could be wind but the solution isn't to feed your child solids, it's to breastfeed her. You're already providing her optimal nutrition, she doesn't need anything else for the next few months of her life. Babies can be fed exclusively up to 12 months and thrive perfectly. She's more likely to wake with problems as her gut tries to deal with the foreign substance in it.
Try this on solids and just relax. You're doing a brilliant job, it's free, it's perfect, and it's setting her up for a healthy adult life! :)
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=1487#1
When to start
Babies are ready to have solids (other foods) as well as milk some time around the middle of the first year. By this stage their digestive systems are able to cope with different foods and their sense of taste is becoming well developed.
Breast milk or formula provides all a baby needs for healthy growth and development for about 6 months and continues to provide most food needs for 12 months or so.
If you are breastfeeding, it is best for your baby to have only breastmilk for about the first six months, and then continue to have breastmilk as the main food with some solids (which are also called 'complementary foods'). Look for the following signs when deciding when to start:

Your baby is interested in things around her; she tries to get hold of things and put them in her mouth. She watches you eat and tries to grab the food.
She can hold her head steady and sit with some support.
She has lost her 'tongue-thrust' reflex which makes young babies push anything solid out of their mouths, so she is able to cope with spoon feeds. (Many babies push the food out for a little while until they get the idea of spoon feeding).
She may seem less satisfied with just milk feeds - she may stop gaining weight or start wanting a lot more feeds. However, it is normal for breastfed babies to gain more slowly between 3 and 6 months.

Wait until about 6 months?

Solids are not needed earlier so they only make unnecessary work for parents.
Starting solids does not usually help babies sleep at night.
There is more risk of allergy to some foods if they are started early.
Young babies are more likely to get infections - such as "tummy bugs" (gastro) than older children, so you need to take great care with preparing and storing food for them. There is less risk after 6 months.
A young baby may become constipated on solid foods.
Young babies may not be able to digest some foods well.
If the baby is eating other foods he may take less breast milk so the breasts will make less and he may not get as much milk as he needs for healthy growth.
It can be hard to get solid foods into a young baby because of his "tongue thrust reflex" which makes him push them straight out again.
Young babies are less able to tell you when they have had enough so they can be overfed.
Why start by about 6 or 7 months?
Breast milk or infant formula are still the most important foods, but they do not always have enough iron or energy (calories) for the second 6 months. Babies who are not given solids until much later may have health problems or not grow as well as they should.
Solids taste and feel different to milk, and babies may take a while to accept them.
Some babies who are not given solids before 7 or 8 months (when they are reaching out and wanting to try things) may not be so willing to try these new tastes and foods later on.

[Baby Girl]

Hey Brookesmum,

The best time to express is AFTER morning feeds as usually the milk your body is producing in the morning is richer than the milk your body is producing into the late afternoon or night. Once bub has fed enough then you can express, this way it is the hindmilk you will be expressing which is more filling. I have had it recommended to me that you should keep bub in view until you get pretty good at it as watching your bub keeps all those motherly bf hormones pumping through you and makes expressing that little bit easier.

If you get the hang of expressing, maybe you could try topping bub up with that bottle of richer morning milk before bed, as it is produced while you are resting and usually your body has more time between feeds to produce almost an oversupply of milk for the mornings. Obviously there are reasons for you to have to give solids (it sounds like you would rather not be giving them just yet) but maybe this bit of extra "good" (all breast milk is good :D ) milk will help Paige and her night waking and may mean you can cut back on solids.

Good Luck sweetie and don't worry if you have to keep mixing her farex with water as it is just as good either way.

[reAllytee]

I do believe you were asking about how to express milk & get the help you need so im glad schmell has given you some advice ! Sorry i cant be of more help there as i only bf for 4 or so days.
Anyways if your not comfortable giving solids then dont do so, but if you feel happy enough then go for it no one knows your baby better than you !
I started early was abused by many but it made a huge difference with a happy bubs ! Plus bubs also had all of the "signs" to look for that a baby is ready to take solids ive had no problems since besides the usual stages of only wanting one particular vegie or fruit but then i didnt throw everything at bubs when i started. With the farex if you cant express to mix it then water is fine again as schmell said my bubs takes it whichever way he doesnt care. I just wouldnt go adding too much else into her diet at this stage plus as a mum instinct again will tell you when she is ready to step up.
Good luck ! :)

[Goosie22]

Hi brooksmum
I answered in the Breastfeeding area, but just wanted to add that having had babies over and on the 90th Percentile breastmilk is still the only thing they require untill they are 6 months or older even( true they often require more but that is our job to sort out). Solids should be given when they reach the milestones outlined above. 'Mothers instinct' should tell us that if a baby cant sit up then there is a greater chance of choking! This food has non sterile particles in it and if any of it finds its way into the respiratory system then some nasty infections can develop, like inhalation Pneumonia, and atalectisis. It is not a sign of advanced development to rush our kids into these things. Hang on to your babies for as long as you can.:)