I have been breast feeding since my son was born 6 weeks ago. Last week I started to supplement one or two bottles a day with formula. Will this effect my milk supply?
2007-02-13 04:00:48 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I'm sure everyone is saying "yes" and to a degree, they are right. What you should know, as I found out myself, is that your body will adjust to the demand. I supplement a bottle or two a day myself for my 8 week old, and only give the bottles during the day. As a result, during the day, I don't seem to have much milk, but at night, I have plenty, and only breastfeed at night.
The only problem is, is that my gorgeous daughter hasn't gotten the memo that I want to supplement with bottles during the day.....lol.....she still "demands" to breastfeed even after a few ounces of formula. It makes her happy, so that's what we do.....it's not like I'm in charge, right?! LOL
2007-02-13 05:17:47 · answer #1 · answered by salemgirl1972 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES! If you are not pumping those sessions that you are bottle feeding your body will think you don't need as much milk so it won't make it. Milk is made through demand. If you demand it, it'll make it but when the demand drops, so does the milk. I supplemented with formula-1 bottle a day at about the same age with my son. I was able to keep breastfeeding with no problem, I just made sure he got the bottle at the same time each day. and if I felt fuller than usual at that time, I would sometimes nurse him or pump.
2007-02-13 04:13:25 · answer #2 · answered by Jamie S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes supplementing will decrease your supply, and while some women can successfully offer both, for some women, particularly those who did not have an easy time of it the first 6 weeks which is when your breasts really develop their capacity to make milk adding formula causes them to dry up unless they really fight to keep their supply up.
Also formula interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients and can cause intestinal irritation which causes the body to loose iron. This isn't a problem in formula fed babies because formula has way more iron than they need. But in breastfed babies it can cause a problem
2007-02-13 04:08:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you are not nursing as often or not pumping as often to keep up your milk supply, then yes it will decrease. If you want to continue to breast feed then pump even when you are going to give your son formula. That way your body still produces the same amount of milk as if you were breast feeding only.
2007-02-13 04:04:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. The more you bottle feed, the less your baby nurses. The less your baby nurses, the less milk you will produce. Even if you use a pump, a pump cannot extract milk as effectively as a baby can. Supplementing is not recommended (and not usually needed) for breastfed babies.
2007-02-13 05:42:49 · answer #5 · answered by calliope_13731 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any time you do not breastfeed your child it is affecting your milk supply. Breastfeeding works on supply and demand. The more your baby demands, the more your body will supply. By supplementing with formula, you've told your body that your baby is no longer demanding those feedings and it will decrease it's supply accordingly.
2007-02-13 04:06:24 · answer #6 · answered by Janelle H 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my baby is 4 weeks old and i've been supplementing one bottle of formula since she was born. my milk supply is plenty.
2007-02-13 04:12:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it will decrease and not only that but if yu supplement to much then he will only want the bottle and not the breast that happened to me and now i had to quit breastfeeding cause my baby only wants the bottle
2007-02-13 04:07:40 · answer #8 · answered by Alyson C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless you are pumping when you give him a bottle then yes, it may slightly decrease your supply.
2007-02-13 04:05:38 · answer #9 · answered by jilldaniel_wv 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋