Forum home Archived Birth Clubs My baby was born in Mar 09

Anyone else bottlefeeding? Need help!!

Hey girls

Hope you're all doing well and enjoying mummyhood!

I had a complete nightmare with breastfeeding - in fact, Daisy-Mae is 11 days old today and I still haven't had any real milk come in! Apparently could have been something to do with the medication I was on for the hyperemesis, or could have been something to do with the crappiest attempt at natural labour ever!! Or perhaps the emergency c-section... (I'm quickly beginning to think that my body just wasn't made for child bearing!)...

Anyway, the upshot is that Daisy-Mae is now being bottle fed. We are using Aptimil, which she seems to like, but the midwife is of the opinion that she's not getting enough. I've just fed her again and she's just about taken 3oz, but it took nearly an hour and I had to strip her naked to get it in!!! I wondered if anyone else was bottlefeeding - if so, how much are you getting into your little ones? Which bottles are you using and which teats?

She was 7lb 1oz when born and is 6lb 13oz now, so hasn't lost loads, but is maintaining her weight, rather than putting on. I am seeing the health visitor on Monday and hoping that she's got some more advice..

Thanks girlies!
C xxx

Replies

  • Hiya,

    I was in the same boat as you. I tried breastfeeding but after doing a yield I was only getting around an ounce of milk so switch to bottle feeding. For the first week and a bit Evie was taking three oz every three hours duringthe day. In the middle of the second week she went up to 4 oz. From week three she was taking a 5 oz bottle first thing in the morning at around 8 and her night feed.

    She also falls asleep quite alot on the bottle especially in the early evening, but my health visitor said that how much they take throughout a 24hr period is more important than how much or how often they are feeding. Evie seems to take different amounts each dat.

    Try not to worry but definitely get a sceond opinion from your HV. We are using Cow and Gate and Tommee Tippee closer to nature teats which she seems to like.

    I hope that helps!!

    Sed xx
  • Hiya,

    I was in the same boat as you. I tried breastfeeding but after doing a yield I was only getting around an ounce of milk so switch to bottle feeding. For the first week and a bit Evie was taking three oz every three hours duringthe day. In the middle of the second week she went up to 4 oz. From week three she was taking a 5 oz bottle first thing in the morning at around 8 and her night feed.

    She also falls asleep quite alot on the bottle especially in the early evening, but my health visitor said that how much they take throughout a 24hr period is more important than how much or how often they are feeding. Evie seems to take different amounts each dat.

    Try not to worry but definitely get a sceond opinion from your HV. We are using Cow and Gate and Tommee Tippee closer to nature teats which she seems to like.

    I hope that helps!!

    Sed xx
  • Hi,

    Ruby is bottle feed and to start with was taking 1ozz every couple of hrs after about 4 days went up to 2ozs then about 10 days was taking 3ozs every 4 hrs now she is nearly 4 weeks she takes 4 ozs every 3-4 hrs i think to start with the bottle tires them out so they fall asleep, i am using the mam bottles which reduce colic and ruby now wont take any other bottle but feeds really well with out too muh problem with wind also am using heniz nurture milk hope this helps

    Mari
  • Hi ya,

    i was breastfeeding like yourself for the first 6 days, but i was avin all sorts of problems, cracked nipples very sore, josie-may was makin me bleed. I decided to bottle feed in the end.

    Im using Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles & she seem to take to the bottle straight away...which i was quite surprised about...she is avin SMA gold & gaining weight rapidly.

    At 7 days old she was on 2 - 3 oz every feed...she is now 4 wks old on 5 - 6oz a feed. Birth weight 8lb 9oz...now weighing 9lb 13oz...but she lost 1lb in the first wk of being born.

    Maybe she doesn't like the teat? Try not to worry im sure everything will be just fine.

    Daisy - mae is such a lovely name....good luck with the feeding & weight gain

    M xx
  • Hi,

    Yeah i tried breast feeding but Bella was so little 5.8 when she was born i was worried she wasnt getting enough, so then she went down to 5,5 after 4 days but was feeding about 1 - 2oz then shes been taking 3 oz nearly every feed, sometimes she can graze on an oz depends really, and we have tried the two hole teets to get it into her before she falls asleep, and i use SMA gold which im still unsure of, and im thinking of trying hungry baby SMA coz she has been awake the last 3 nighst nearly every hour, from 12 - 1 then awake for like 2 hours then just dozys till 4 then 5 then 7 and we are getting tired and shes even awake through the day a bit, so dont know whats gan on like, and i think she hates the moses basket too !!!! arghhhhhh
  • Hi,

    Yeah i tried breast feeding but Bella was so little 5.8 when she was born i was worried she wasnt getting enough, so then she went down to 5,5 after 4 days but was feeding about 1 - 2oz then shes been taking 3 oz nearly every feed, sometimes she can graze on an oz depends really, and we have tried the two hole teets to get it into her before she falls asleep, and i use SMA gold which im still unsure of, and im thinking of trying hungry baby SMA coz she has been awake the last 3 nighst nearly every hour, from 12 - 1 then awake for like 2 hours then just dozys till 4 then 5 then 7 and we are getting tired and shes even awake through the day a bit, so dont know whats gan on like, and i think she hates the moses basket too !!!! arghhhhhh
  • Thanks girls

    The HV has been today and Daisy-Mae is back to birth weight and weighing 1oz more than that!!! We're still working on the bottle situation - not really sure what suits her best - she just gets so tired with the sucking thing, bless her! We're going to try the Dr Brown's bottles next as the HV said sometimes they can make a difference for the not so bothered babies!

    However, she is an angel - sleeps lots during the night - she seems to understand the difference between sleeping in the day and sleeping at night - only wakes for feeds in the night and we always get a good 7 hours each night - on Friday, she slept for 9 1/2 hours solidly!!! Felt terrible when we woke and realised she was still asleep and had had no feed for all that time!!!! We've since set our alarm clocks to wake her to feed, but HV said to get it into her during the day and leave her to sleep during the night - yippeeeeee!!

    Thanks for your advice and input - it's good to know what others are doing in the real world - I think the health professionals can worry us because they have boxes to tick...

    C xxx
  • hi there my lo is 3weeks the morn and i tried bf of 6 days then it went down hill so i express and use formula and tommee tipper closer to nature. when she was just over 1 week she demanded 4 0z every 2 1/2 hours. When i took her to get weighted on tue 2weeks old she had put in 10oz in 1 week i could not believe it (i was please) she is up to 8lb 10oz as from yest i have to change to hungry baby SMA and get number 2 teat flow so it quicker for her cause yest i was feeding her every 11/2 hours 4oz she had 13 bottles omg. we are going to the hv the morn and she will get weighted again so i dont know what to expect

    [Modified by: lynetter on April 06, 2009 03:46 PM]

Sign In or Register to comment.