Am I Making it Worse ?

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  gemmiebaby

  Nov 14, 2009 8:08AM

  I dont know much about mixed feeding yet (trying to find out as much as possible as, at nearly 6 weeks, im struggling to feed the twins exclusively on the breast) so cant help much but it may be that your body is reducing the milk its producing as it doesnt need it anymore. The more you introduce formula, it would seem the more production reduces (same principle as growth spurts increases supply). However, I have been recommended to mix feed to save my sanity so it must be possible.
  
  Hope someone else can be of more help as I would like to know the answer too.
  
  Gemma, Ryan and Alfie (5 + 5)

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  pbob

  Nov 14, 2009 8:41AM

  I've not mix fed so I don't have any first hand experience but yes,I think it can effect your supply,if you want to cut back on the ff could you replace the bottle witha breastfeed,keep offering breast as much as needed-you may have a hellish few days but your supply should increase.I remember many long nights of non stop nursing in the early days but it would always settle down again.good luck with it and every breastfeed counts so don't beat yourself up if you do mix feed-it all makes a differencexx

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  jojo149

  Nov 17, 2009 6:09AM

  yes ur body will make enough milk 4 ur lo, but with u taking a feed away ur body thinks lo doesn't need as much so cuts back to increase ur own milk put lo on breast and watch them feed, even if they're not hungry they will still suck and this will stimulate ur body to make more.
  
  try putting lo on breast 1st at night then if they get frustrated cuz not alot of milk top them up with bottle. the more ur baby suckles the more milk you will make. also try to express as this will be like an extra feed and within 2-3 days ur body will make this extra milk up. remember to drink lots of water and watch ur lo feed, it all helps
  
  xxxxxxx

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  jojo149

  Nov 17, 2009 6:09AM

  yes ur body will make enough milk 4 ur lo, but with u taking a feed away ur body thinks lo doesn't need as much so cuts back to increase ur own milk put lo on breast and watch them feed, even if they're not hungry they will still suck and this will stimulate ur body to make more.
  
  try putting lo on breast 1st at night then if they get frustrated cuz not alot of milk top them up with bottle. the more ur baby suckles the more milk you will make. also try to express as this will be like an extra feed and within 2-3 days ur body will make this extra milk up. remember to drink lots of water and watch ur lo feed, it all helps
  
  xxxxxxx

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  katstar

  Nov 17, 2009 6:24AM

  I agree with jojo...I'm now mixed feeding as i had low supply in the evening (although resting, drinking and eating well really have a dramatic effect on increasing my supply!)
  
  I give a bottle at 6pm and 10pm. During the night i breast feed as after midnight i find i have quite good milk supply (the hormone that you need for milk production is produced overnight)
  
  At the 6pm feed i breastfeed and then top up with formula and at the 10pm feed I give full formula feed but i still express (usually only 100ml by choice) as this means my body will still produce the milk should he refuse the bottle which is often approx once a week.
  
  I really would encourage you to breastfeed in the night as some research shows that this helps to increase the production of the hormones needed.
  
  If you're having a day at home just put baby to breast and let him suckle, fall asleep etc. I let my baby do this even now (18 weeks) when i feel a bit empty and we have good 4 hrly routine the rest of the time and he definitely hasn't got into bad habits of needing to feed to sleep as he self settles most of the time.
  
  Hope this helps xxx

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  WoWbabies

  Nov 17, 2009 7:04AM

  hmm i'm not sure, i mix fed from 3weeks tilm 7 months and never had an issue with supply. if ur worried that ur supply is beginning to reduce on the feeds that u want to continue (ie 3pm breastfeed) then i suggest u feed him from both boobs at this feed and then express for a bout 10 minutes after to increase ur supply, or while feeding from one boob express dfrom the other, i only had a manual pump and found only way i cld do that was to rugby bal ds on one, prpped up by a cushion and pump from the other. and also u say u 'feel' he's not getting enough milk? is this just u worrying or is he actually crying for more food after? if he's just a little restless cld be that he wants cmfort, also depending on how old he is cld he be having a growth sourt? these happen very often in first 6 weeks and again at around 3 months. keep ur calorie intake up (u need an extra 200 a day) and make sure u drink plenty. i always found my late afternoon (4/5pmish) feed never satisfied him for as long but this was soon rectified when i started having a snack around 3pm. it really isn highly important that u are well fed and watered in order to produce not only a large quantity of milk but also too make sure its of good quality and high in calories to keep lo going. other thing is, at these feeds if he's only 'snacking' try holding him off for 10 minutes, without him getting too distressed and this shld get him that bit hungrier that he wont just take enough to top up but will take a good feed and therefore be more satisfied and last longer. hth xx

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