formula top ups?

I thought you were looking into top-ups Deb - shock horror!

I had to start topping Cooper up as he was losing weight and he was getting to that failure to thrive threshold. Also my milk supply sucked. I regret it so much, because once you start those top ups you are on the slippery slope to weaning.

I had no choice though, I had to wean, the milk just wasn't there for him. I struggled with it for so long, I had no support from my mw or plunket or even an LC and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

So my decision to do the top ups was for Coopers health and wellbeing.

you had me wondering too Deb!

The first time I topped C up was because neither of us had slept in 2 days, I needed a break from the 2 hourly feeding routine she had us in. Missy slept through the night through then on, we went to 100% formula about a week later and I don't regret it for a second! She was a much happier, settled baby, I felt human again and we all lived happily ever after

I wanted DH to be part of the feeding routine (and also for me to get to bed early). I started by expressing for that feed, but due to already having monster oversupply issues it just compounded things. I couldn't find a time which was suitable to express without making more supply so we ended up just giving Carys formula once a day instead. She happily took either formula bottle or breastfeed so worked well for us and i was able to continue combo feeding for some time.

BTW - she didn't sleep any better at night with a late night formula feed!

Edited by babyg

yummymummy wrote: ETA: My first thoughts too were in the line of "OMFG Deb is looking at formula?????"

Me too!!

Alot of ladies leave neonatal units doing the top-ups by bottle simply cos the baby can't stay latched well enough to have a good feed or a full feed from mum, so instead of being stuck in neonates for a longer time, they try bottle/formula top-ups, simply cos mostly a sleepy baby will still take a bottle fairly well, even if they're too tuckered to stay latched to breastfeed. That's the case for alot of full term babies too, sometimes mums need to supplement until they get enough milk, usually we try to encourage mums to continue expressing, and try to lessen the amount given by top ups and increase the time on the breast as able. Many are often able to ditch the top ups after a few weeks. Other continue with that same routine - for many reasons they others have said.   I also tend to find that smaller babies they'll do that so baby will continue to gain weight well, and twins often do this too so that someone else can top-up baby while mum breastfeeds the other.

I did the same, exclusively breastfed for a long time, and encouraged daycare to do the cupfeed thing if she woke in between or i couldn't get there in time when she was really young, then moved to giving bottles of ebm, then finally became so exhausted doing afternoon shifts, coming home, expressing for the next day, dealing with feeding little miss ayja too then trying to get sleep before the next day, that we introduced formula.

I do agree though that sometimes people introduce formula top ups as a way to try and make baby sleep longer, it very rarely does actually make them more settled, babies demand feed for a reason when they're tiny, cos their tummies are tiny too. If you add formula just to try and get baby to sleep thru, it's not really a great reason to do so, and usually doesn't work

Edited by mum2paris

I started topping R up with formula when we discovered at 6 weeks that he had only put on a tiny amount of weight...we realised that I had low milk supply. So for about a week I topped him up with formula after every feed, while I worked on my milk supply. I finally got my milk supply to a level where it was enough for R, but still (to this day) give him 100ml of formula for his last feed (after he has drained both sides).

Ella was on solids when I started formula - the Dietitian advised me to add it to her solid foods to boost her calorie intake, 'cause she was so blinkin skinny.  She got a bottle of formula when she was desperate for a feed (refusing solid food), losing weight and refusing the breast.  I did the breast-bottle combo for a couple of weeks and suddenly at 9 months old she flat out refused the breast, and hasn't looked back.  It worked out sooo much better for us that way. 

I really had to as Fay was prem and I have issues with milk production, she couldn't latch and my let down was soo slow, so she had a feed, had a top up and then i expressed for her next top up on the next feed, we used formula to fill in the gaps.
I did express for 6 months and eventually she fed 50/50 EBM and formula as my output never topped 300ml a day in expressing

foxxy_one wrote: everyone sounds like they are defending themselves:) it is ok..your baby your choice:)!

Nope just answering the question