righty, as iv said in a few previous posts, Brooke only weighs 4lb 3oz at 8 weeks old. She is gaining about 100g a week which I feel, for a baby that only weighed 2lb at birth, is a good amount.

However-my health visitor and community nurse arent happy with this amount. They have both advised me to give her a bottle of ebm to top her up at the last two feeds a day. I am adament I dont want to do this and told them so. . .Im worried she'll prefer the bottle as opposed to having milk from me and start to refuse the breast. They want me to top her up to get her to pack the weight on quicker which I dont think is in Brooke's best interests-why does it matter how fast she puts it on-I didnt realise it was a race?!

My health visitor just told me I was being a bit selfish NOT using a bottle as it means my OH cant feed her. She also mentioned another baby from the same scbu unit who came home the same week as Brooke-she was born at 30weeks and now weighs 6lb 2oz!! BUT-this baby is ff.

I feel a bit crap right now-we've come sooooo far, we've gone from tube feeding, exclusive pumping, to tube feeding AND breast feeding, to topping up through the tube, to exclusive breast feeding.

I do NOT want to give her a bottle. Im adament about that.

Do you think I should humour the and go along with it? or stick to my guns?

Since she has been bfing for 8 weeks I dont think she would have a problem... You can buy special bottles to help prevent nipple confusion. Or you can tube feed with this feeder thing.

I dont think it is a race, but the importance of weight gain for a premie is much greater and it can be harder for them to feed properly and frequently enough...

However, its entirely your choice!

it's a difficult one isn't it? i don't really know what to advise myself but i think you should do what you think is best for your baby. If your baby seems content enough from breast milk then i'd say stick with that in normal cases x

Thanks for your reply

They told me its easer for them to get milk out of the bottles than out of me-therefore making her work less hard and gain weight faster. . .She has just got over reflux and is starting to keep down the milk she is having in the first place. I just dont want her to have the blimmin' bottle! I have no idea why, I really dont. Maybe I just think she's done so well and come so far-to me, to give her a bottle now is a kick in the teeth.

She is feeding every 3 hours for 15 mins or so. . . .is there anything else I can try before the bottle?? xx

I don't know very much about premmies and expected weight gain for them. But the fact someone told me I had to something would get my back up.
How dare they say you are being selfish not enabling your oh to feed her!
I have only ever breast fed mine so would say try to feed more often, but as i said never had apremmie baby. Sorry reading back not much help!!

here are some suggestions
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/a...e-feeding.html

Info on the nursing supplementer, its a bag and small tub that you attach to your nipple and they feed from it like bfing.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T026000.asp

What an absolute load of crap! She is gaining weight just fine and eating faster won't make her put on weight faster. If you are happy with her progress and she is happy, then what's the problem? Do what YOU feel is right not what stupid HVs that don't know their arse from their elbow think you should do.

well, she's a 'normal' baby-eats every 3hours, sleeps in betwen has started to try and play. . . i just dont want to give her a bottle if i dont need to!!!!
ahhhhhhhhhh im so confused.

coccyx, i know what you mean about being angry. i wasnt best pleased either. having said that, the hv can come across as a bit of a

I can relate, i remember first time i expressed and daddy gave Millie a bottle, gosh i was nearly in tears. I was secretly releived when she wouldn't take it! All this from the woman who was just going to give breast feeding a go ...

I would have swung for her tbh. What an awful thing to say to you.

I don't know what it is with HVs, but some of them are just shocking.

My HV wanted me to top up yesterday as Niamh got weighed and has only put on 8oz in 5 weeks. The girls on here made me realise though, that as long as she is gaining weight rather than staying the same or losing weight, then it's a good thing.

Does she have plenty of wet nappies? Do you feed her when she needs fed? If so, I wouldn't worry.