Adding formula to EBM
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Topic: Adding formula to EBM
Posted By: 1st_Time_Preggies
Subject: Adding formula to EBM
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 8:24am
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My four month old gets an EBM bottle in the evenings, and some nights I think he would like more but cant get it from me (I give both sides as well) and I cant express enough during the day.
If I decide to try adding formula to that bottle how do I go about it? Not sure how to mix the two together and be safe etc. |
Replies:
Posted By: luvmylittlies
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 9:59am
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Not sure as I'm not a formula user but I suspect you'd need to make it up separately (in cooled boiled water as per instructions) rather than in the breast milk or you'll end up with constipation problems. I reckon do what you're doing (with the EBM) then the formula afterward. How much EBM is he drinking? ------------- Adoring Mum to Talisin 8/9/11 and Kiara 18/01/10 |
Posted By: 1st_Time_Preggies
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 11:46am
| He is taking around 150ml but keeps sucking the empty bottle :-) |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 11:53am
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I am pretty sure it is not reccommended to mix expressed milk with formula. I would either try and give him a bottle of formula after the feed seperately, or put him on the breast.. does he need the ebm at night for any particular reason?
If you think you have a problem with supply there are quite a few things you can do, making sore you get lots of water and eat well, there are even supplements to boost your supply. The best way to increase your milk though is to get the baby sucking from it, you generally should be able to produce as much as they demand. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 12:06pm
\correct on both p[arts. just a side note, expressing and giving a bottle feed later on is a cue for your body to make less milk.... ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Daizy wrote:Posted By: 1st_Time_Preggies
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 2:00pm
| No he doesn't need it as such but my husband gives him a bottle and I want him to be able to take a bottle at other times if necessary. I used to think it would help him sleep longer at night too, but he is still waking once :-) |
Posted By: luvmylittlies
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 2:41pm
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Yeah I do it for the same reasons It gives BF and Kiara a bit of bonding time and means that I know she can take the bottle if we need to for whatever reason. We've been doing this from about 6 weeks and it's been working really well for us. Kiara used to take about 150ml for ages but I think it was around the 4 month mark in the space of a week went up to 200, then about a week later jumped again to 250ml (where she is now).
But I know what fattartsrock is saying. I've not had any problems with my supply at all and have no trouble getting enough milk for the bottle feed plus spare. BUT because my body is now used to not doing a breast feed at 6:30 (this is when we do the EBM and I don't express until around 10pm) I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have much milk available at this time to breastfeed if I needed to. ------------- Adoring Mum to Talisin 8/9/11 and Kiara 18/01/10 |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 6:35pm
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Hate to break it too you, but bottle feed at night - EBM or formula to help them "sleep through" is a myth. They will oly sleep through when they are ready...sorry!
And mixing formula with EBM in the same bottle isn't good, it will totatlly negate any good inthe EBM. You could give a wee bottle of EBM then of formula, though. If you are giving a bottle for a feed, you need to try to pump (even if you get nothing out) so your body dosen't reduce what it makes. Pumping and what you get volume wise from pumping is by no means an indication of what you are making, as baby is the best pump and your body makes most of what baby needs when you are feeding. Also soft boobs is't a reliable indicator of no milk either, for the above reasons BAbies often want to feed more in the early evening onwards to "tank" themselves up a bit with the lovely fatty hind milk, which is what they are gettting at this time of day, it sits a little heavier in their tummies, making for a slightly longer sleep. Babies wanting to feed more also dosen't mean you have no milk either, it's their way of making your body make more to keep up with ther increasing demands. And finally...they will do the many feeds thing every 2 weeks or so form birth till about 12 weeks to build your supply up! Sorry a bit of a novel and way more than what you were asking, but I do like to fill in these blanks a wee bit for everyones benefit! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Kicker
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 7:52pm
Just wondering why this is so? -------------  
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 7:54pm
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um I need to get my book out, but mainly because its synthetic "goodness" in formula and natural goodness in breastmilk. Your milk is made for your baby and formula is made for every baby.
Will get my textbook out and have a look. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 8:07pm
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ok, overfeeding would be a main problem. Just like you shouldn't add more formula to a set amount of water or less water to formula for reasons of too many calories (and constipation) adding formual to brestmilk is the same thing. Over filling causes constipation among other things
Also BM has a "shorter calorie life" than formula - it digests faster, so baby may feel full ( probably uncomfortably so) but will be hungry again quickly. Also the delicate live cultues in milk are disturbed by formula, which has no live cultures. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 8:09pm
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I have to agree with the 'sleeping through the night' every baby is different and your baby will when they are ready!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 10:02pm
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Can you BF him to top him up?? -------------   
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 20 June 2010 at 9:19am
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I did formula top ups with no problems, she breastfed just as well, but the formula didnt help her sleep through any more than the breastmilk did to be honest.
I wouldnt mix breastmilk and formula though, do them seperate  ------------- |