I am wanting to change over to formula milk but while doing so keep supplimenting my baby with my own breast milk. I am using the Tomme Tippee breast pump which works fine but takes a while to get milk from my breasts. I would like to know if giving her a bottle of my breast milk a day be good enough? Thank you.
2007-08-15 06:06:21 · 11 answers · asked by Aaron M 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
My baby girl is 2 weeks old today.
My question is not how long i should be doing it but how much i should be giving her a day, what is the minimum amount i should give her of my breast milk. Please do not give me answers on how long i should be doing it for, the answers i am looking for is how much i should be giving her a day if i want to change over to formula. I do not want to hear answers saying "as much as possible".
2007-08-15 06:13:37 · update #1
I am going to try and give her as much breast milk as possible, just when i pump i can only fill about 3oz of the bottle, enough for one feed. I am going to try as much as possible to give her my own milk, i just wanted to know if there is a minimal amount or that giving her just a couple bottles of breast milk a day will not make any difference at all.
Thank you for all your answers some are what i wanted to hear, others are just people wanting to make quick posts.
2007-08-15 06:48:23 · update #2
a baby need to suckle for about 3 months for its mum to give it the right amount of anti bodies
2007-08-15 06:09:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well why not nurse her as much as possible, maybe nights if your working this will help your milk supply stay up, it may be taking a while for the milk to let down because you're not nursing enough. I too pump and find that if I nurse on one side and pump the other side simultaneously the milk being pumped comes in twice as fast.
It is recommended a min of 6mo to get sufficient antibodies but of course a year if not longer is the best you can do for your child. If you're able to pump for a bottle a day then why not do more like 2-3-4-5 a day breast milk should be the priority over formula. You should supplement with the formula instead of doing the opposite.
2007-08-15 13:26:36 · answer #2 · answered by Angel Eyes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any amount of breastmilk is good. I am still breastfeeding my 16 month old daughter and when she was just born, she nursed all of the time. Yes, by giving your baby a bottle a day is better than nothing. The only thing you need to be concerned with is your milk drying up, so keep pumping! Good luck to you.
2007-08-15 13:12:39 · answer #3 · answered by Michelle W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am pumping as well as formula feeding my two week old son as I am not able to produce enough to satisfy him at each feeding. I try to pump at least every three to 4 hours, usually just after he feeds and I can get anywhere from 1 and a half ounces to 3 ounces of breast milk. I set that aside for his next feeding and then top him up with formula as he eats anywhere from 2 to 5 oz per feeding (he already has a definite snack/meal routine for feeding amounts LOL). This way he gets some breast milk at almost every feeding and some feedings are still exclusively breastmilk.
I also at night put him to my breast and let him suckle even though it really hurts and he doesn't get much since he is tongue tied and has problems getting my boob in far enough (but as he grows it gets better as his mouth gets bigger and his tongue stretches). This helps me as it triggers my boobs to keep producing milk.
Right now I am also doing all my pumping with a manual pump but I am getting an electric pump today so we'll see if that helps. I was told that the key here was to keep pumping regularly, pump until you are dry at first and then pump until you have pumped enough for a feeding to train your breasts how much to produce and to put the baby to breast to help with the hormone release, even if baby just uses your boobs as a pacifier at first or until your body adjusts to pumping.
To be honest I can't see pumping working if you are only pumping enough for one bottle a day. You need to keep the milk flowing to try and have a bottle for each feeding, it's the only way to keep the milk flowing. Use the formula just to finish filling the baby up. My little guy seems to be thriving with this feeding as he at a week old had already grown 3 cm and put on 14 oz. I know at 2 weeks he is heavier again and grown more as I need to adjust his car strap seats before we go on our next car ride.
Good luck!!
2007-08-15 14:01:52 · answer #4 · answered by babybugs1980 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
12 months is the standard period for breastfeeding to ensure that your child has all the required antibodies. I think you ought to give her as much as possible from your own body each day, rather than just a single bottle. The formula should not be the primary source of nutrients. I used formula for my babysitter during the day and breastfed at night. It worked fairly well, but I smelled like stale milk for a year. *lol*
2007-08-15 13:10:06 · answer #5 · answered by gilgamesh 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ANY amount of breast milk is good for baby. even if you can just do it for a few weeks, do it.
well, you give her as much milk as she will drink. i breastfed my son every 2 hours or sooner when he was that age. feed on demand. when you start her on formula, she will last a little longer between feedings. just follow her cues. 1 bottle of breastmilk a day, combined with formula will make a difference. don't feel guilty if you can't produce more-it happens.
2007-08-15 13:11:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not just about anti-bodies. It's about gut-health in general. Formula screws with a childs digestive system and throws off the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Most of the immune system is centered in the gut flora.
So, *any* amount of formula can mess up a childs immune system for a few weeks... and while any amount of breastmilk is better than none, the most you are capable of giving is the only thing that will ensure the best immune system possible.
Are you having trouble with your baby latching? Maybe you can think about approaching this differently.
For babybugs1980: Check out this link on tougne tie: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T023300.asp. If you can get that corrected and he is allowed to nurse exclusively, your supply issues should resolve themselves.
2007-08-15 13:33:38 · answer #7 · answered by Mommy to David 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Its the first couple of days that are sooo important - the colostrum in the milk is what baby needs!
2007-08-15 13:08:49 · answer #8 · answered by Sal*UK 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
At least six months of breast feeding
2007-08-15 13:09:38 · answer #9 · answered by Missy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Any and all breastmilk is good for baby- the more you can provide the better.
2007-08-15 13:14:08 · answer #10 · answered by Grace 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋