hi my baby is a week old now i had him a little early and i decided to breast feed and with colostrum in the first few days it was ok but once my milk came in he seemed to take ages to settle after a feed and one night he wanted feeding every night, so i decided to express some milk and try him on a bottle feed with my milk and he settled really well after and slept well.

i guess my question is does anyone else do this and how successful have you found it? thanks

Hi there,

There are a number of us express-and-bottle feeding for a number of reasons, there's even a sticky about exclusively expressing at the top of this section!

My story is that Andrew was an extreme preemie, so I started expressing at 3 days and he was first tube-fed and later cup-fed in SCBU. Feeding was the last hurdle to getting him discharged and when he couldn't maintain a latch to BF properly, I decided to bottle-feed him EBM instead. It worked, as he was allowed to come home a few days later!

He still struggles to maintain a latch, and only has one "successful" BF a day - this is despite help from BF advisors, who all watch and say we're doing it right. He's either too disinterested or too frantic! So I am still pumping and bottle-feeding, and accepting that this may continue for another few months until he's weaned.

I work 3 nights shifts a week, so I pump at work and my DH gives Bella bottles while I'm gone. She has no problem switching between breast and bottle and seems quite content with both.

Hi Zoe It is really hard to get a newborn properly latched onto engorged breasts. It can take skilled, patient help to get a baby properly positioned, and when MWs are rushed for time sometimes they recommend expressing and bottlefeeding instead.

The problem is, as you will see when you read the sticky, that expressing and bottle feeding is a time consuming unpleasent faff compared with the ease of breastfeeding; nor is it as good for baby as direct feeding from the breast. That's why the WHO recommendations are: 1. Direct from the breast; 2. Mother's own EBM; 3. Other EBM; and 4. Formula if the other options are not successful.

There's a wonderful link here with a step by step on how to get a week old baby onto the breast: http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/story.html Can you get hands-on help? You should still be under MW care - I would make a fuss. You are worth it! Your baby is worth it! It can take effort from the MW but she is well paid for her trouble. Otherwise can you find a breastfeeding clinic or support group where a skilled person can give you hands on guidance? If all else fails, can you pay for the private consultation with an IBCLC?

Blessings

Melanie

i have expressed all day and he is feeding better and seems more settled so i think i am gonna continue this way i just cant stand the pain or the lack of sleep tht has come along with breast feeding oh well everyone is different i think thanks for the replies

i found it easy to do while alex was in scbu, but had no time to do it when she was home

I have been exclusively BFing, I did find in the first few weeks Noah did sometimes want feeding every hour and due to lots of wind sometimes by the time we had finished winding he wanted more food. I'd say forget everything other than you and baby and attach yourself to the sofa and catch naps when baby has them.

I have just started expressing and storing as there are going to be times when I need to go out without Noah.

The feeding times will spread out hun and even though growth spurts are hard its worth it.

Well done for continuing with the breast milk!!!

I express and give a bottle once a day, so that LO is used to it when I return to work, and so that occasionally I can go out!

Lots of people have exclusively expressed, and if you look at the sticky I'm sure they can offer advice...

Personally I found when I was very engorged LO found it hard to latch, so I would express a little off and then feed (I also did this in the hospital when I spent 3 days exclusively expressing as LO wouldn't latch and for the first time he fed properly).

Goodluck with the feeding!

If Breastfeeding is hurting, something isn't right. Breastfeeding with a good latch and correct position and attachment never, never, never hurts! That's why you need skilled help to get baby properly positioned.

Likewise, with the lack of sleep, breastfeeding can be a real help here. A baby who can self-latch and who bedshares can feed without waking the mum. Even if you decide to get up to feed baby in another space than the bed, you can still do it without leaving the room, without waiting, without even letting baby rouse properly; and the sleep hormones that breastfeeding produces in you will mean you fall back to sleep quickly and easily; and also that your sleep is more refreshing.

IMO it's worth persevering with getting baby properly latched so you can enjoy these benefits, even if you need to delay a bit to enable yourself to recoup after a difficult initial experience.

Melanie

Although accompanied with very very good advice, I found the 'never hurts' advice almost pushed me away from breastfeeding - I had such painful letdown on engorged breasts for a number of days, her latch has always been good the boobs were just sore.

The thought which has helped me most is to 'see what its like in a couple of days' as most things work out or improve in that time