Does it hurt to alternate breast feeding with baby formula for newborn?

Question

My child is 2 wks. old & i breast feed, but she seems to want to eat every hr. My Dr. said to alternate feeding her with Similac. Does anyone have any info. on this subject?

Answer 1

That is an excellent solution. This is what I did when I had twins. It allowed me to breast feed one while the other was being bottle fed. When it was time to switch sides, I also switched babies. So each was given both at every feeding. The babies didn't like being breastfed at the same time, and neither wanted to wait!

Answer 2

There is no reason not to supplement, once breastfeeding is well established...however, for most babies, this is around 4-6 weeks, most definately not 2. Supplementing this early can cause nipple confusion, which can cause latching problems, or refusal to latch onto the breast at all, which can sabotage breastfeeding.

If you have your heart completely set on breastfeeding, please remember that some babies do this, during growth spurts, one of which usually occurs around 2-4 weeks, and she should even out her feeding schedule soon. Nipple confusion is a horrid thing...incorrect latching can caused bruised, cracked, and bleeding nipples. You might try pumping, between her feedings, to encourage your milk supply to increase, if you're afraid that she is not getting enough to eat. However, if your baby is gaining weight well, you obviously have enough milk.

Just feed her when she wants to eat, but make sure that she is nursing for atleast 20 minutes per side. The foremilk, which comes first, is thin and watery and useful for satisfying a baby's thirst. The hindmilk, which lets down after about 15 minutes is thicker, creamier, and has more nutrients, this is what satisfies hunger. If your daughter only nurses for 20-30 minutes, then only nurse her on one side at each feeding, don't switch her. Let her nurse at the right breast one feeding, then start with the left the next time. Again, make sure she nurses each breast at least 20 minutes so she can get that hindmilk. This may fix the problem altogether!

Answer 3

You should only breastfeed for at least a month before you start supplementing with formula. EVERY time you feed formula instead of breast milk your supply diminishes. If you choose to give her formula, and still want to breastfeed exclusively in the future, then you need to pump every time you feed her a bottle to keep your supply up. So, in my experience, you might as well be just breastfeeding her. My daughter was the same way at first! Now she is 3 months old, and my milk supply is so good, that she only needs to eat every 4-5 hours. Another problem I had with her, which sounds like your problem, is snacking. She would only eat for like 5 minutes on each breast and end up hungry an hour later. If you can manage- try to stimulate her enough to get more time between feedings. She will feel more hungry, eat more, and subsequently go longer between feedings... I also wanted to say that you don't need to feed for 20-30 minutes a side, the breast empties in 10-12 minutes so 15 minutes on each side is plenty adequate...

Answer 4

It's quite common for an 8 week old to want to nurse that often. Newborns have tiny tummies that need to be filled frequently. Hang in there -- it may seem like forever right now, but it does get better and fairly quickly.

Nursing is a classic supply and demand relationship. When your baby nurses, it sends the signal to your body to make more milk. Every time you replace a nursing session with formula, you're telling your body to make less milk. Which means baby will be hungrier and more frustrated the next time you nurse. It's a quick downhill slope from there to compromising your milk supply and ending up entirely on formula.

Your doctor's not a lactation consultant and he gave you crap advice. He's essentially sabotaging your nursing relationship. Please stop using the formula. Take a long weekend and spend some solid time in bed with your babe just nursing and resting. Drink plenty of fluids and eat some oatmeal. Your milk supply should get back to normal pretty quickly.

Answer 5

The main problem that it might cause is nipple confusion. While Doctors encourage mothers to breastfeed formula is a definate alternative. It is healthy as well yet it has drawbacks too. Mainly in that it can be harder on an infants stomach. They would encourage you to breastfeed as long as possible mainly for the purpose of passing on hormones needed for the infants immune system.

But if you do decide to switch to formula don't feel like a failure. Many women including my wife switched and my children are perfectly healthy.

EDIT: lol. Didn't realise that there was an answer about nipple confusion. Must have taken too long to type.

Good luck.

Answer 6

What makes your body produce enough milk is feeding more often -- it's a biological feedback thing. The more your baby breastfeeds, the more milk you will make. One possible disadvantage of alternating formula and breastmilk is that that's signalling your body to make less milk, so to speak, so you might have less than you want when it's time to breastfeed. If you are willing and able to, just feed her as often as she wants. The time interval will lengthen out after a few weeks, because she'll be a more efficient nurser and able to manage a bigger feeding at once.

Whatever you end up doing, please get plenty of rest, and of fluids yourself, preferably ones with little or no caffeine or alcohol.

Answer 7

you should nurse her on demand because her nursing actually adjusts your breast milk to make it richer for her, to tailor it to her needs. Your doctor is a dork who knows nothing about this topic.

Formula use increases the risk for diabetes, cancer, and other allergies. You don't want that garbage in your baby.

Nurse on demand. Relax, she is very young. It is very normal to want to eat this often at this age. It is very important that you not introduce formula, it is very important that her nursing on demand regulate your milk supply and content.

She needs you to stick by her for the next three to five years, no subsittute care beyond 10 hours a week is safe intellectually, physically, and emotionally. So, her nursing this way now is a way to lure you into this new world, this new pace, this glory of repsonding to someone else's NEEDS.

Call your local la leche volunteer for more information. There lots less judgemental than I am, but they will tell you not to let that formula in her body if you can avoid it.

Answer 8

Answer #2 is a great answer. My daughter gave birth 7/26, um, she had a cesarean on that date. she had trouble breast feeding so they had to use formula to keep the baby going. So, I can personally vouch that it is okay.

Now, at night, he nurses, then they try to stuff him with some formula in hopes they can get extra sleep.

Answer 9

dont you worry at all!!! I went through that, and my baby lost over a pound when i started breastfeeding, i cried and was so worried for days until my babys nurse told me to mix breastmilk and formula, do it, it will help out a lot!!! It will not hurt your baby and actually will help your milk produce if you pump your milk too! one side effect may be constipation so go for low iron formula! After about a month when your milk starts to come in good then you can just breastfeed! thats what i did and now my baby is chunky ...very chunky...=)

Answer 10

Have you tried drinking more water to get your milk supply up. I feed my baby formula and really wish that I would have continued breastfeeding him. It is so much easier to breastfeed in my opinion.