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mixed feeding?
hi bit of advice ladies please roxie is 4 weeks old and bf we have been strugglng i havent found it too easy she doesnt latch on well and has alot of wind and colic esp at night we are awake alot at night last night was 6 hour stretch im exhausted we saw bf people yest which helped me latch her on better (she lazy and wont open mouth yet not lazy enough to bloody sleep!) im thinking of giving her a bottle of formula for night feed before bed? i dont want to quit bf but im quickly losing faith. i struggled at this stage with my son and gave up and regretted it. so im looking for some advice on this if it has worked for any of you and babes.
thanks in advance!
Hayley xx
ps tried infacol dentinox and gripe water the gripe water does help sometimes x
thanks in advance!
Hayley xx
ps tried infacol dentinox and gripe water the gripe water does help sometimes x
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Replies
before i start about mixed feeding, i should remind you that breast fed babies are not supposed to have dummies / teats before they are 6 weeks old. now i've done that bit.....
apparently research will say that 1 bottle will not placate them any longer than what a breast feed will (in the short term), but from personal experience, i found it has with a number of people - including myself.
my second used to cluster feed from about 4pm until eventually, at midnight, i "gave in" and gave him a bottle. the first night he took 4oz, so obviously, was starving!! (about 2 weeks old). he did then sleep until about 6-7am, and i felt wonderful from the sleep!!
however, we did get into a routine of this, but then as he'd slept all night, he then wanted to feed all morning, so i ended up cluster feeding all morning, then all evening! in the end i stopped b/f, as i just couldnt do it anymore!! (also had 2 1/2 yr old)
i do know of plenty of women who randomly "mix" feed, and it really does work well for them - the baby has no nipple / teat confusion, and the mum isnt stressed, as she is happy mixed feeding!
when i had my third, she was more settled on the breast, and settled about 12mn, after cluster feeding from about 7-10pm, she woke 2-3 times overnight and that was that!
i would say that you have to do what is best for YOU at the time you are making the decision. i think if the odd bottle feed gives you a desperately needed break, and helps you feed for longer, instead of just giving up totally, then i think it is fine!
if your Lo has a problem with wind then giving a bottle will probably just make your night time problems worse, as formula is much harder to digest and babies tend to swallow even more air when drinking form a bottle.
Also introducing formula will decrease your supply especialy at night as this is when the most milk is made.
This is the hardest stage that you are going through now, and i know it can seem like things are never going to change but trust me they really will and soon to. you have come this far if you can just stick it out for a few more weeks then things will just get easier and easier. in a few months you will lokk back at this time and be so glad that you stuck with it, you are giving your baby the best possible gift and you should be proud. xx